ToursoftheCity

Text : Walking Tours
Dubai is a sprawling city that can be difficult to walk around and there are no official signposted tours. However, a self-guided stroll around the older central parts of Deira and Bur Dubai is a great way of discovering the delights of the city, exploring its traditional souks or stumbling across hidden mosques or wind towers.

'A Walk through the City of Contrasts', covering Bastakiya and including an abra ride from Shindagha across the Creek and a walk through the gold and spice souks, is offered by Arabian Adventures (tel: (04) 303 4888; website: www.arabian-adventures.com) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, October to April.

Bus Tours
A number of companies offer half-day city tours, including Arabian Adventures (tel: (04) 303 4888; website: www.arabian-adventures.com) and Net Tours Dubai (tel: (04) 226 6655; website: www.nettoursdubai.com). Tours vary depending on the operator but most go to the old and new Dubai souks, Jumeirah Mosque, the thriving commercial area and include a creek crossing by abra (local water taxi). Prices start at Dh120. Another option is to see Dubai by night. Post-tour dinner in one of Dubai's many restaurants is usually a feature of the night-time tours, which also incorporate the mosques, palaces and souks. The tours operate a very organised system, with pick-up at all main hotels.

Boat Tours
Arabian Adventures (tel: (04) 303 4888; website: www.arabian-adventures.com) offers a variety of cruises on Dubai Creek, with prices starting at Dh150 for a half-day adventure aboard a 20m (65ft) schooner, which sets off onto the Arabian Gulf. Alpha Tours (tel: (04) 294 9888; website: www.alphatoursdubai.com) operates evening dhow dinner cruises, which take 2 hours and cost Dh240. Alternatively, tourists should go down to Dubai Creek and charter a traditional abra (water taxi), which costs Dh40-60 for a short river tour lasting 60-90 minutes. The length of the tour and the price should be agreed in advance. Otherwise, visitors can just ride one across the creek to the other side (journey time ? 5 minutes) for Dh0.50. 

    

      

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