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D-02 City & Culture Oct – May

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.

A team mid-programme on Old Dubai Discovery — Dubai, Al Fahidi, Dubai Creek, Deira souks.
Illustrative
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

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.

The day, minute by minute

Timeline

  1. 09:00 Coach departs client office
  2. 09:35 Al Fahidi Historical District. Guided walk through the wind-tower quarter
  3. 10:15 Al Shindagha Museum — Perfume House and Dubai Creek story
  4. 11:00 Coffee and Emirati snacks at a heritage café
  5. 11:30 Abra crossing — traditional wooden boat across the Creek
  6. 11:45 Spice Souk and Gold Souk, guided
  7. 12:30 Lunch at a restored courtyard house — traditional Emirati menu
  8. 13:45 Group photograph at the Creek waterfront
  9. 14:00 Coach departs
  10. 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

Stated up front so there is nothing to argue about at invoice time.

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

Weather & 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. Smaller groups are welcome and are billed at the band's minimum chargeable persons (24 for the 15–29 band, 32 for the 30–40 band).
How long does Old Dubai Discovery take, and when does it start?
5.5 hrs door-to-door. 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 published timeline is door-to-door and already includes the transfer.
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?
Rain, or temperature above 36 °C (the programme is substantially outdoors on foot). Assessed 24 hrs prior. The documented fallback is: Museum-weighted variant — Al Shindagha and Etihad Museum substituted for the souk walk, keeping the abra crossing if conditions allow. No price change.. No later than 17:00 the day before.
How far in advance do we need to book Old Dubai Discovery?
10 days. Ramadan and December dates book out first.

Who you are actually booking with

Written terms
Inclusions and exclusions on every package
Settled before signature, not at invoice
Contingency
Named fallback on every outdoor programme
Weather trigger and notification deadline on record

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