Old Dubai: what is here and what it costs
Old Dubai is the cheapest district in the city and the worst documented. Crossing the creek costs AED 1, cash only. The four famous souks publish no opening hours at all — not from the Municipality that owns the ground they stand on, not from anyone. And the district’s flagship museum has been deleted from its custodian’s website and replaced with the words “Coming Soon”. This page is what is actually published.
Where the information simply is not
Every other district on this site has operators who publish. Old Dubai mostly does not, and the gap is not evenly spread. Hours: no authority sets them for the Gold, Spice, Textile or Perfume souks; Visit Dubai only describes the Gold and Spice souks, and nothing exists for the other two. Museums: Al Shindagha’s own page still carries a hidden AED 15 list for a ticket that costs AED 50, and Saruq Al Hadid and Dubai Museum no longer have official pages at all.
What is published here is unusually good value. The abra is AED 1. The ferry from Al Ghubaiba is AED 25. The Coffee Museum is free. Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood states no charge. You can spend a full day in the oldest part of Dubai for less than one Downtown attraction ticket.
One caution on the water, because it catches people out: the AED 1 crossing and the AED 60 to 75 sightseeing abra are the same boats on the same creek, sold under different labels, and RTA publishes both without ever putting them side by side.
What is in Old Dubai
35 venues on this site sit in Old Dubai: 11 attractions · 8 museums · 5 restaurants · 5 malls · 3 districts · 2 parks · 1 foodhall. Every one carries the date its details were last checked against the operator’s own source.
Eat and drink (5)
- Al Fanar Restaurant & CaféEmirati · Dubai Festival City Mall · 09:00–21:00 daily
- Arabian Tea House Restaurant & Cafe, Al FahidiEmirati · Al Fahidi, Bur Dubai · open 07:00–23:00 daily
- Gazebo Dubai Festival City MallIndian · Dubai Festival City Mall, Second Floor · kebabs AED 36–125 · 10am daily
- Kamat City Centre DeiraVegetarian Indian · City Centre Deira, Level 2 · dosas AED 17–31 · 10am–midnight
- Marugame Udon City Centre DeiraJapanese udon · City Centre Deira, 1st Floor · udon AED 21–39
Attractions (11)
- AYA UniverseAED 135 · Wafi City · to midnight Fri–Sat
- Adventure IslandJBR & City Centre Deira · laser tag, Pixel, Beamz
- BOUNCE Dubai1 hour AED 90 · miniBOUNCE AED 80 · grip socks required
- Children's CityAdult AED 15 · child AED 10 · family of four AED 40
- Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht ClubPar 71 · 7,009 yd · since 1993 · mini golf
- Dubai DolphinariumCreek Park Gate 1 · closed Tuesdays
- Dubai Flea MarketZabeel Park 3 Oct · Reef Mall 1st & 3rd Sundays
- GLITCH DubaiIndoor entertainment · Deira · VR, laser tag, bowling
- Magic PlanetPay-per-play · cards from free to AED 45 · Deira temporarily closed
- Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural UnderstandingMeals AED 130–160 · mosque visit AED 45 · booking needed
- Tiger StrikesMegaplex, Umm Hurair · bowling AED 40/game · half price Tuesdays
Museums (8)
- Al Ahmadiya SchoolUnder renovation · founded 1912 · Al RasCurrently closed
- Al Shindagha MuseumDubai Culture museum · two official prices
- Coffee MuseumFree entry · Al Fahidi · Sun–Thu 09:00–17:00
- Jameel Arts CentreFree entry · closed Tuesday · Al Jaddaf metro
- Museum of Candy DubaiUmm Hurair Road · ~60-minute self-guided visit
- Museum of Illusions DubaiCurrently closed
- Museum of the Poet Al OqailiFriday 08:00–11:30 · no fee published · Spice Souk
- Women's MuseumAED 20 · Deira Gold Souk · Al Ras metro 700 m
Parks and outdoors (2)
- Creek ParkAED 5 per person · free parking · Dolphinarium and Children's City inside
- Zabeel ParkAED 5 per person · 08:00–22:00, to 23:00 Fri–Sun · Max metro
Malls (5)
- Al Ghurair CentreDeira · first 3 hours free · AED 20–150, 24h AED 350 · free Sundays & public holidays · Union Metro walkable
- BurJumanBur Dubai · first 3 hours free · then AED 20 per hour · ticketless ANPR · BurJuman Metro inside the mall
- City Centre DeiraDeira · first 3 hours free · AED 20–150 after · free Sundays · barrierless, fee by SMS
- Dubai Festival City MallFestival City · parking fee not published · valet 09:00–00:00 · 3 EV chargers at P2
- Souk Al SeefDubai Creek · free parking (souk FAQ) · 3,000+ spaces · valet AED 20 for 2 hours
Getting there
The stations these venues name for themselves are Dubai Healthcare City, BurJuman, The parks portal names Max. A single journey is AED 3 to 7.50 on a Silver nol card, and this is what the metro reaches across the whole city.
What a main course costs here
5 venues in Old Dubai publish a priced menu on this site, ranging from a median main course of AED 32 at Kamat City Centre Deira to AED 75 at Al Fanar Restaurant & Café. Every figure is the restaurant’s own, and the median is our arithmetic on its published main courses.
| Restaurant | Median main | Menu range | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kamat City Centre DeiraVegetarian Indian and Indo-Chinese | AED 32 | AED 3–46 | 319 |
| Marugame Udon City Centre DeiraJapanese udon and tempura | AED 37 | AED 4–39 | 46 |
| Gazebo Dubai Festival City MallIndian | AED 48 | AED 4–125 | 163 |
| Arabian Tea House Restaurant & Cafe, Al FahidiEmirati | AED 73 | AED 10–127 | 128 |
| Al Fanar Restaurant & CaféEmirati | AED 75 | AED 5–399 | 94 |
Compared against the whole city on the full price ladder.
What a ticket costs here
| Attraction | What it buys | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Creek Park | Adult entry | AED 5 |
| Zabeel Park | Adult entry | AED 5 |
| Children's City | Adult | AED 15 |
| Tiger Strikes | Half Price Tuesdays | Bowling AED 20 per game or AED 80 per hour; darts AED 22.5 per 30 min; WIKIT from AED 20 |
| Women's Museum | Admission | AED 20 per person — published as "20 DHS per person" on the museum's visit page |
| Al Shindagha Museum | Adult ticket (official ticket channel) | AED 50 — one day's entry to all museum exhibits |
| Museum of Illusions Dubai currently closed | Adult ticket (16+) | AED 90 |
| Museum of Candy Dubai | Standard adult ticket (age 10+) | AED 119 |
| AYA Universe | AYA Universe ticket | AED 135, 1 guest, all ages; also the walk-in price |
Free here: Coffee Museum, Jameel Arts Centre, Museum of the Poet Al Oqaili. Every published Dubai ticket price, ranked.
Not fully open
- Al Ahmadiya School currently closed — Dubai Culture lists working hours as "Currently Under Renovation"
- Children's City — The Earth Sciences Gallery and the Planetarium are marked "Coming Soon"
- Museum of Illusions Dubai — The museum's own site carries a "Currently closed!" banner on every page, including during its published opening hours (read twice on 2 October and again twice on 7 October 2026). Prices and hours are still listed beside it
Each quotes the operator’s own notice, re-read monthly. Every closure on the site.
More in Areas
Common questions
What is Old Dubai?
Deira, Bur Dubai, Al Fahidi and the creek between them — the historic core, and the cheapest district in the city. It is also the worst documented: most of what is here publishes no hours at all.
How much does it cost to cross Dubai Creek?
AED 1 on a traditional abra, cash only — a nol card will not pay for it. The sightseeing abra on the same water is AED 60 to 75, which is the same boats under a different label.
What time do the Deira souks open?
No authority sets it. Visit Dubai describes the Gold Souk as “most shops” 10am to 10pm and the Spice Souk as open from before 8am to past 9pm, closed during the day on Fridays. Nothing is published for the Textile or Perfume souks.
Is Dubai Museum open?
Its custodian's page for it now contains two words, “Coming Soon”. It has been removed from the official museums list and the heritage sites list, and a reopening target of the first half of 2026 has passed with nothing published.
Can you spend a cheap day in Dubai?
In Old Dubai, yes, and it is the only district where that is true. The abra is AED 1, the Coffee Museum is free, Al Fahidi states no charge, and the ferry from Al Ghubaiba is AED 25 — a full day for less than one Downtown ticket.
Is Old Dubai on the metro?
Better served than most of the city. Al Ghubaiba, Al Fahidi, Al Ras and Union all sit in or beside the district, which is unusual — the beach districts have no station within walking distance at all.