# Old Dubai Discovery

> The Dubai that existed before the towers. Heritage district, abra across the Creek, spice and gold souks, lunch in a courtyard house.

Package D-02 from Offsyte, corporate recreation in the UAE · [City & Culture](https://offsyte.ae/catalog/city-and-culture-days/) · Web page: https://offsyte.ae/packages/old-dubai-discovery/

- **Duration:** 5.5 hrs door-to-door
- **Ideal start time:** 09:00 pickup — cooler morning walking, lunch at 12:30, back by 14:30
- **Departure window:** 08:30–10:00. Afternoon starts are unworkable Oct–Apr due to heat and souk closures
- **Group size:** 15 min — 40 max
- **Emirate / venue:** Dubai — Al Fahidi, Dubai Creek, Deira souks
- **Season:** October – May
- **Booking lead time:** 10 days

## Price per person, excluding 5% VAT

| Group size | Per person | Billed for at least |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| 15–29 people | AED 350 | 24 people |
| 30–40 people | AED 300 | 32 people |

A group smaller than a band's "billed for at least" figure is still served, and is invoiced for that many people.
Where a larger band costs less in total, it is quoted instead: groups of 28–29 are billed as 32 people at the rate for 30–40 people.

Payment: 50% advance on signature. 100% cleared 3 working days before the event. Numbers lock 7 days prior.

## Why this is not the retail version

A heritage walking tour ticket sells at **AED 150–250**, in a mixed group, with a guide managing several languages and a fixed route.

Here the guide is briefed on your company, the abra is hired privately rather than shared with commuters, lunch is a reserved courtyard house rather than a queue, and the whole thing is timed to return staff to the office by 14:30.

**Its real job is onboarding and new-joiner cohorts.** Sell it to clients with high expat intake — it is the package HR books when they want new staff to actually understand where they have moved to. That makes it recurring rather than annual.

## Timeline

- **09:00** — Coach departs client office
- **09:35** — Al Fahidi Historical District. Guided walk through the wind-tower quarter
- **10:15** — Al Shindagha Museum — Perfume House and Dubai Creek story
- **11:00** — Coffee and Emirati snacks at a heritage café
- **11:30** — Abra crossing — traditional wooden boat across the Creek
- **11:45** — Spice Souk and Gold Souk, guided
- **12:30** — Lunch at a restored courtyard house — traditional Emirati menu
- **13:45** — Group photograph at the Creek waterfront
- **14:00** — Coach departs
- **14:30** — Arrival at drop point

## Included

- Return coach transfer from client office
- Licensed heritage guide for the full programme
- Al Fahidi Historical District guided walk
- Al Shindagha Museum entry
- Coffee and Emirati snacks at a heritage café
- Private abra hire for the Creek crossing — your group only
- Guided souk walk with a briefing on bargaining etiquette
- Traditional Emirati lunch in a restored courtyard house
- Water and refreshments throughout
- Branded welcome setup
- Photographer, 3 hrs — 40+ retouched stills within 5 working days
- Event coordinator throughout

## Not included

- Personal purchases in the souks
- Alcoholic beverages
- Videography (see add-ons)
- 5% VAT

## Weather and backup plan

- **Trigger:** Rain, or temperature above 36 °C (the programme is substantially outdoors on foot). Assessed 24 hrs prior.
- **Fallback:** Museum-weighted variant — Al Shindagha and Etihad Museum substituted for the souk walk, keeping the abra crossing if conditions allow. No price change.
- **You are told by:** No later than 17:00 the day before.

## Customisation options

- Videographer + edited reel: AED 1,200
- Add Etihad Museum: AED 90/person
- Arabic calligraphy or coffee-ceremony workshop: AED 1,600
- Upgrade lunch to premium Emirati tasting menu: AED 110/person
- Extend with Dubai Frame: AED 60/person
- Arabic-and-English bilingual guide: AED 400

## Questions about Old Dubai Discovery

### How much does Old Dubai Discovery cost per person?

AED 350 per person for 15–29 people; AED 300 per person for 30–40 people. All figures exclude 5% VAT. A group below a band's minimum chargeable size is billed at that minimum: 24 people in the 15–29 band, 32 people in the 30–40 band. Where a larger band costs less in total, it is quoted instead: groups of 28–29 are billed as 32 people at the rate for 30–40 people.

### How long does Old Dubai Discovery take, and when does it start?

5.5 hrs door-to-door. Ideal start: 09:00 pickup — cooler morning walking, lunch at 12:30, back by 14:30. Departure window: 08:30–10:00. Afternoon starts are unworkable Oct–Apr due to heat and souk closures. The timeline on this page is door-to-door, so the transfer is already inside it.

### What is not included in Old Dubai Discovery?

Personal purchases in the souks; Alcoholic beverages; Videography (see add-ons); 5% VAT. These are stated before enquiry rather than raised at invoice time.

### What happens to Old Dubai Discovery if the weather turns?

Trigger: Rain, or temperature above 36 °C (the programme is substantially outdoors on foot). Assessed 24 hrs prior. Fallback: Museum-weighted variant — Al Shindagha and Etihad Museum substituted for the souk walk, keeping the abra crossing if conditions allow. No price change. You are told: No later than 17:00 the day before.

### How far in advance do we need to book Old Dubai Discovery?

The booking lead time is 10 days. Ramadan and December dates book out first.

## Read before you book

- [Old Dubai heritage tour for a team: what to book](https://offsyte.ae/blog/old-dubai-heritage-tour-team/): A practical guide to taking a team around Al Fahidi, the Creek and Deira souks: what's open, the abra crossing, and prices from AED 300 a head.

Request a proposal: https://offsyte.ae/enquire/?package=D-02 · proposals@offsyte.ae