[UAE] Half Day in Dubai Creek (Gold Souk, Spice Souk, Al Seef, Dubai Museum)

09:46 Travel Bunny 0 Comments

Otherwise known as Khor Dubai, Dubai Creek is a natural saltwater creek that separates the city from Deira to the north and Bur Dubai to the south. There is plenty to see and do around the Dubai Creek including the traditional souks, Al Seef Dubai, Dubai Museum and Al Fahidi Fort.

Getting there:

There are several metro stations around Dubai Creek. You can choose the nearest metro station depending on where you want to visit first. 

If you're taking the metro on the Red line, you will need to change to the Green line at Burjuman metro station.

Passed by Dubai Museum of the Future as I was taking the metro. It was still under construction back in 2019.

1) Deira Clocktower

My first stop was the Deira Clocktower. From Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall metro station, I took the metro to Al Rigga metro station. The Deira Clocktower is a prominent monument on a roundabout in Deira. It was built in 1965 as a symbol of Dubai.

Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/qfRtuiMQbY2nc6p78

2) Deira Perfume Souk

Next, I headed towards Deira Perfume Souk, Dubai Gold Souk and Dubai Spice Souk. The nearest metro station to the souks would be Al Ras metro station. Deira Perfume Souk offers a great selection of different perfumes. Some perfume store even offer customers the opportunity to create their own favourite perfume in the store. 

Google map: https://g.page/mubarakaperfume?share

3) Dubai Gold Souk

Dubai Gold Souk is where you'll find hundreds of stores selling primarily gold jewelry and precious stones. 

It is fascinating to walk through this glittering souk and spot some outrageous designed jewelry that you won't find elsewhere such as gold bra, gold dress (more like gold chain mail) and the world's heaviest gold ring.

Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/PJ12WVPTfvYBfETx9

4) Dubai Spice Souk

Dubai Spice Souk is famous for its premium quality and variety of herbs, spices and flavours. 

Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/SwbGkseStbgwqhu16

5) Deira Grand Souk

Deira Grand Souk has a number of shops selling various types of souvenirs and a range of other products. 

Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/Xb9wAnSjRX2AddFA7

Afterwards, I boarded on a traditional abra boat to cross the Dubai Creek to Bur Dubai district on the other side of the creek. The short one-way trip just cost AED 2.

6) Al Seef Dubai

The slogan of Al Seef Dubai is "Where the old meets the new". Stretches a distance of 1.8km along the shores of Dubai Creek, Al Seef has plenty of traditional architecture, including wind towers and sandstone buildings. It was pleasant to explore the area under the shades.

Google map: https://g.page/alseef?share

7) Dubai Museum and Al Fahidi Fort

Built in 1787, Al Fahidi Fort is the oldest surviving building in the city. The fort reopened as Dubai Museum in 1971. The indoor exhibitions show the rich history of the city and its original heritage.

Traditional home in Dubai.

Exhibitions depict the everyday life of Dubai in ancient times.

The pearl diving and fishing industry have made a massive contribution in shaping up the modern Dubai.

Traditional Arabian Dhow at Dubai Museum. Nearest metro station to the museum is Al Fahidi metro station.

Dubai Museum

Admission fee: AED 3 (adult), AED 1 (child under age 6)
Opening hours: 8.30am - 8.30pm (Sat - Thu), 2.30pm - 8.30pm (Fri)
Google map: https://goo.gl/maps/ijDs9k9Mg1JntSgeA

Watch out for the next landmark in Dubai Creek - the Dubai Creek Tower. It will be the world's next tallest tower when it is completed. Unfortunately, the construction is on hold and the completion date is currently unknown due to the Covid pandemic.

The attractions around Dubai Creek preserves the charm of old Dubai (see map above - click to see enlarged map). It is a nice breakaway from the city's ultra modern buildings.