Home > Dubai > Private Tour: Dubai City Half-Day Sightseeing Tour
USD $51.00
Private Tour: Dubai City Half-Day Sightseeing Tour
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
If you’re looking for things to do in Dubai, head out to discover the city’s main sights and cosmopolitan culture on a private sightseeing tour! This comprehensive Dubai city tour showcases a collection of top Dubai attractions, from beautiful Jumeirah Mosque to famous landmarks like the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel. From a private vehicle, see picturesque Dubai neighborhoods, and then explore Dubai's old quarter, Al Bastakiy, and Dubai Museum by foot. Cross Dubai Creek by 'abra' (water taxi) to Deira, visit the famous spice souk and enjoy free time to shop in Dubai Gold Souk. Plus, learn fascinating details about the city from a private guide!
After a pickup from your centrally located Dubai hotel, relax in your comfortable private vehicle and hear little-known tales and fun facts about the city of Dubai, as well as the emirate of the same name, from your private guide.
Head first to Jumeirah Beach, where you'll get a great view of the striking sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel, one of the tallest hotels in the world, at 1,053 feet (321 meters). Continue along Jumeirah Beach shoreline to Jumeirah, one of Dubai's upmarket residential areas. With your private guide, wander through its winding lanes and hidden courtyards, and take in views of the mud-brick homes topped by traditional wind towers, designed to catch cooling offshore breezes.
Back in your vehicle, head to Al Bastakiya's old Al Fahidi Fort – one of the city’s oldest buildings – and take a walk around its traditional courtyard houses. The site is also home to Dubai Museum, so head inside for a look around with your guide. Browse the collection of local antiquities, cannons, fortified walls and turrets of the old city, and learn about life in the emirate state before the oil boom.
Next, hop aboard a traditional water taxi called an abra, and cross Dubai Creek to the neighborhood of Deira. On this side of Dubai Creek, which is Dubai's central waterway, follow your guide toward the spice souk to soak up the colors and perfumes of the city, and then continue to the legendary Dubai Gold Souk to shop for souvenirs or glimmering accessories.
Your tour then finishes with a drop-off at your Dubai hotel.
Excellent tour both days. 4 wheel drive into the desert was exhilarating to say the least. The Bedouin dinner banquet and dancing at night was wonderful._br/_ Good to see different areas of the city and earn about Mosque life and customs.
Review by: mirna.mladic, January 2018
We asked for tour to start at 11 am usually it satrts on 10, it is supposed to be 4,5 hrs tour, but it lasted only for 3,5 hrs. Our guide was all the time in a hurry, asked us to hurry, we actualy had no time to see anything of spice and gold markets souks, he just took us to the first shop to buy some spices for souvenirs-very expensive shop, of course. Also, the heritage village is nothing to see, they show you some carpets and then expect you to buy them, souvenirs are 5 times more expensive in the village then anywhere else. I was disappointed
Review by: Bernadette G, October 2017
Not that many things to see the guide kept saying why did you book on a Friday IWell heres a thought why didnt you refuse the booking if it was too much of an effort. I was unaware never having been to Dubai that Friday was like the sabbath and most shops were either not open or only opened after 1pm. Tour pick up was originally 9am. Company changed it till 12noon after we rang to confirm pick up time .most of the time was spent driving around and we would get somewhere and then get 10 minutes to take a photo of a hotel . Boring
Review by: Laurie D, September 2017
In addition to the Emirate Meal this is a tour that should be taken at the start of one's vacation. It provides a good introduction to the city itself and some of the historical background. Having talked to other people who took a group tour, I would highly recommend taking this private tour, as it gives more time at each stop and is also more flexible for any personal interests.
Review by: Warren D, August 2017
We were really tired from flight but these guys did a good job. The prices at the Souk are a rip off. Don't buy there.
Review by: Robert F, June 2017
We booked the tour on-line which was easy to do and offered what we were looking for. We were picked up on-time from our hotel by our guide who was also driving our private vehicle which was comfortable and fully air conditioned. From start to finish he was friendly, courteous and very knowledgeable giving us great information about Dubai and the places we visited._br/_ We never felt rushed, we were given time to explore the places we visited on our own, but had been given all the information we needed ahead of each stop. The tour we had, took just over 4 hours but we could have taken longer if needed._br/_ I would thoroughly recommend anybody who wants to learn a bit more about Dubai to take this tour and I would certainly look to use Viator again in other places we may visit in the future.
Review by: Joanna K, February 2017
We were picked up from our hotel in a people carrier and it was just the 4 of us with a driver and a very knowledgeable guide. We were taken out to the beach and saw the sail shaped Burj hotel, then to the old town where we visited a mosque. From there we were taken on a ferry across the river to the gold market and had a chance to walk through and look at the spice shops and the intricate gold work._br/_ Meanwhile the driver had driven round to pick us up when we were ready. We then finished by going to an old fort which had been restored and made into a museum. Our guide was very attentive and informative. We were then dropped back at our hotel. A really interesting day.
Review by: Lesley N, January 2017
Great tour. Amazing insights into historic Dubai. Well balanced - old and new
Review by: Dean K, October 2016
Really informative and very accommodating guide and driver, the only thing that we would have preferred not to have done was visit the gallery which consisted of a hard sale after being shown around.
Review by: Gail P, October 2016
Our guide showed us all the sites, on our own schedule...best way to see the city!
Review by: Janrobnairn, September 2016
Great way to get an overview of the city! Our guide was friendly, professional and informative. In hindsight, the only thing I would leave out of the tour would be the carpet 'museum' which was more of a hard sell on Persian carpets, jewellery, etc at exorbitant prices. Overall, it was very good and well worth having a private guide.
Review by: macdood, September 2016
Guide was personable and helpful. Good cross section of activities and information on Dubai and its development.
Review by: Kaneloc, September 2016
Tour was great. The guide was very knowledgable and accommodating. He made suggestions as to what we should see and alsoasked if we had anything in mind. Great day overall, even had water in the car for my family and I. Great tour, highly recommended
Review by: Bet, July 2016
We did this tour with Mehel as our guide and found him very knowledgable. He knew the history of Dubai and the UAE and we found it most interesting. He also went out if his way to make sure my 80 year old mother was as comfortable as could be in 45 degree heat. The only _br/_ down side was that the museum was closed when we arrived - not Viator's fault. It would have been good if museum personnel had informed the tour company of this change. Overall a worthwhile tour._br/_ Thank you Viator!!
Review by: Bet, July 2016
We did this tour with Mehel as our guide and found him very knowledgable. He knew the history of Dubai and the UAE and we found it most interesting. He also went out if his way to make sure my 80 year old mother was as comfortable as could be in 45 degree heat. The only _br/_ down side was that the museum was closed when we arrived - not Viator's fault. It would have been good if museum personnel had informed the tour company of this change. Overall a worthwhile tour._br/_ Thank you Viator!!
Review by: Jacko, July 2016
Absolutely awesome tour of the city. Considering we didn't book till the night before and our guide was here with his driver promptly st 8.30am. We were taken to sell the highlights of Dubai and much more. Where the best position for a photo. As we had done the Burj zkhslifia the day before so that was crossed off the list. My husband mentioned where was May Dan racetrack and our guide added that into the tour. It was the absolute highlight for my husband and one he will remember. If you want to see Dubsi and learn the history then this tour is the one for you. Highly recommend any visitors book this tour with s knowledgable guide snd a great driver.
Review by: Sharon W, July 2016
Our tour guide was excellent, but it was during Ramadan so things were closing down or were closed as we got to them. But we learned a lot about Dubai and the UAE. Very good tour.
Review by: Herbert L, July 2016
great
Review by: Anu, June 2016
This tour was amazing!
Review by: jdf31899, June 2016
Best tour! Both my guide and my driver were so knowledgeable about all facets of Dubai! They talked about the geopolitics of Dubai like experts and even threw in how religion and history shaped the city! Would give a 15/10! Mohammed Sammi was the best!
Review by: ANN M, June 2016
This was a great way to orientate ourselves on our first day. The guide was friendly and informative but our first stop was not great and not expected. We were taken to a place called Saga world and told to treat it as a museum. It most certainly is not a museum but a shopping trap. You get sat down and shown rugs with semi precious stones in which the museum curator holds a lighter to. It is quite farcical and I had to extricate myself and find our guide so we could escape and get on with the real tour. Once our guide knew we were not shoppers all was well and we had a good afternoon. A short ferry up the creek was atmospheric and the chance to see the old dhows preparing for their sea journeys. We stopped at the museum, the gold souk and a spice shop. It is impossible to walk around Dubai as it is geared to cars and not pedestrians notwithstanding the heat so a trip around town in an air conditioned car is a good place to start. We were dropped at the Dubai Mall where you can see the spectacular choreographed fountains by the Burj Khalifa after dark. Not to be missed. The JBR walk in the evening is very pleasant after a long hot day.
Review by: Stephen T, June 2016
Very informative, guide looked after us very well.
Review by: Cecilia D, June 2016
Mohammed the best guide in Dubai !!
Review by: ASJ, May 2016
The 1/2 day city tour was brilliant. It was made so by our guide who really took us on an interesting trip of Dubai thru' the ages. We started at the glitzy end, the Burj Al Arab and made our way to the old time Spice and Gold Souks. Thru the drive our guide gave us several tidbits about Dubai and its evolution. It was informative and interesting. The ride across the creek in an Abra was a fantastic experience. We finished at the Dubai Museum housed in Al Fahidi fort which is a must see for all visitors. Our guide and driver were courteous and friendly throughout and we thoroughly enjoyed our tour.
Review by: cdsmith35, May 2016
Private touring is the way to go in Dubai, especially with Hanj. He was so personable, knowledgeable, and fun.
Review by: Michael S, May 2016
Excellent trip, well worth the money, for a good day out in dubai. Many thanks to the guide and his driver for an excellent day out.
Review by: GLENDA S, May 2016
We really enjoyed our tour. Manish our guide was very good. We wanted a change to the schedule and him immediately did it for us. Very informative tour. Thank you
Review by: Clara R, May 2016
Very nice tour, our guide Megul was very nice and spoke about all aspects we inquired. The city tour was nice, touring from the walk at the marina to the gold and spice souks open markets to the largest Mall in the world.
Review by: Karen P, May 2016
Excellent tour - Mohammed, our guide was excellent - friendly and very informative. We learned about culture as well as the places we visited. We were collected from the hotel in a people carrier with a driver and a tour guide. We saw all that was advertised and spent as much time as we wanted in each location. This tour is great value for money and was a great insight into the old and new Dubai. Definitely recommend this tour.
Review by: MattBailey, May 2016
Great tour to hit the highlights and cover the city. Knowledgable and provided plenty of historical background.
Review by: lenientm, April 2016
Very knowledgable guide, very helpful and kept our special needs in consideration.
Review by: Elise M OBrien O, April 2016
Best value for the price. Picked up at specified time, great guide, clean van an courteous _br/_ driver. Will use Viator from now on. Had just gotten off QE2 and was disappointed in their _br/_ expensive excursions and mediocre guides and tours. Viator was a great change.
Review by: Samantha S, April 2016
Malik was great- very thorough and passionate about the city! Gives GREAT tours!!
Review by: Peggy G, April 2016
Tour guide was the best.
Review by: Joseph P, March 2016
The tour gave a good overall feel for Dubai. Our guide Mohammed was a real charmer and gave good insight into the culture and people of the area.
Review by: Hilton M, November 2015
Excellent tour with an excellent tour guide!
Review by: Willard F, November 2015
Great tour guide and driver. They went above the call of duty. Not enough time to see everything!
Review by: Harold F, October 2015
It was a great tour, very informative and gave a good perspective of the city in four hours.
Review by: Leigh L, October 2015
Out guide spoke very little English and was unable to answer basic history questions about landmarks I found myself giving my mother a tour more than him. I have done the group tour on a previous visit and would highly recommend that over this one as the guide was full of knowledge very imformative
Review by: Shemeika W, September 2015
Great tour! Our tour guide was great and very well informed. So convenient not having to deal with a crowded bus tour. The personal service is definitely worth it!
Review by: Dan V, September 2015
This would have to be the best tour of Dubai bar none we were very lucky to have Kumar as our tour guide here is very passionate and knowledgeable about his city it worked out that this was a private tour for my wife and myself it was in a very comfortable airconditioned SUV we visited all the major attractions including the Spice and Gold souks which is an incredible and interesting place all in all we had a great time highly recommended
Review by: Larissa H, September 2015
Good tour but not amazing.
Review by: Ruth M, September 2015
Our guide Kumar was wonderful! He turned up at our hotel on time, was polite, extremely knowledgeable, flexible, and spoke perfect English. His car was spacious and air-conditioned. He answered our myriad questions and nothing was too much trouble. We chose a private tour because we had limited time and this tour suited our needs perfectly. We requested our own start time and asked to be dropped off at the Dubai Mall at the end of our tour. If you have time constraints then this is money well-spent. Kumar used his personal story and family history to give us a real insight into this intriguing Emirate. Thank you for a great experience Kumar!
Review by: Lidia M, September 2015
The guide was wonderful Felt that we understood the culture and it's history. Fantastic
Review by: Caitlin R, August 2015
Our guide, Kumar, was absolutely fantastic and made us feel like we were touring the city with a good friend rather than a tour guide. His knowledge was second to none, and he was able to answer any questions we had about the city and helped give us context as to what we were seeing. We could tell that he is very passionate about what he does, and his personal attention and passion meant we felt very special indeed - as if the whole city was there just for us. Taking into consideration the distance travelled around Dubai in a comfortable, air conditioned car, the private water taxi experience and the expertise of a fantastic tour guide, along with photo opportunities at some of Dubai's most famous landmarks, we felt this tour was an absolute bargain. It's unfortunate that we can only give five stars, because this tour was worth another two or three.
Review by: nella, August 2015
Great tour to get a really good understanding of Dubai and the culture. We had such great personal attention, well worth the extra for the private tour. We were asked if we had any places of interest we wanted to visit so that they could incorporate our request into the tour, which suited us well. We were a family of four mum and dad a 21 and a 19 year old and we really enjoyed it._br/_
Our only complaint would be that our guide, while being really lovely and attentive, spoke with a heavy accent, making him hard to understand at times and also as 1 of us had to sit right at the back of the van, they couldn't always hear what was said. Perhaps a microphone would of helped? Overall, it was enjoyable.
Review by: Lynda L, July 2015
The guide was very softspoken. Repeatedly we asked him to speak up, he never would. It became very frustrating so 1/2 way thru tour we requested to return to the hotel. It was not a pleasant experience.
Review by: Robert D, July 2015
Great way to see Dubai from the comfort of an air conditioned vehicle, with regular stops to take photos or view the sights more closely. We went to the Gold Souk, the Spice Market, a mosque the outside only and took a water taxi ride as part of this experience. Our driver/guide was very knowledgeable and was able to answer our questions. The pick up from our hotel was also part of the trip, which saved us having to find a meeting point.
Review by: Deanne, July 2015
This was a good introduction to Dubai. We needed to modify what we went to as we were not feeling well and the driver and guide were very accommodating, making changes to the stops and suggesting alternative options that were more suitable. The guide was friendly and very knowledgeable.
Review by: Bee San N, June 2015
The guide was informative and attentive during the tour. The pick up was on time and the good thing about the private tour was that we have more flexibility in terms of time management.
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