Experience Art & Culture Tours in Dubai with Withlocals

"We had a very interesting morning with Michael, who stepped in for Kassim. Michael was iinformed and and interesting explaining the history and background of old and new Dubai. He also helped us negotiate to buy some very classy saffron at a much cheaper price, and it would have been in England."

"We were with Melvin who has been in Dubai since 2002 so his history and knowledge was fantastic. The experience was great, was’t rushed and we went around some great places learning a lot along the way. The souk markets are great. Highly recommend."

"Kasim was not able to do the tour so rather than cancel he was able to send Zeba. She packed in the history of old Dubai in an entertaining story, that brought the people and their culture alive. She shared hidden treasues and treats in the souq. Thanks to Zeba for a delightful day. Highly recommend this tour. "

"We had a great time seeing Old Dubai. So much emphasis is put on seeing the new parts of Dubai, but seeing the history of Dubai and where it has come from is fascinating. Great walking tour, we did it with a pram and 1 year old. Sunset is the best time to do it. "

"I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who is looking for an exciting and engaging way to experience old Dubai; the souks - fabric, spice and gold and to taste the local foods. Yes, Dubai is so completely safe that you can easily do a self guided tour but the historical knowledge, local knowledge and presence that Zeba have, made this really special - we were able to relax and enjoy the experience rather than navigate our way whilst imparting information from a guide book. We're a professional couple from the UK with two children (11 & 13). Having explored "new" Dubai, trips up the Burj Khalifa etc we felt it was really important to understand more about the history of Dubai but in a way that would engage a tween and teen. Our two and a half hour tour went from the Arabian Teahouse, through the alleys of the original town where we went inside one of the houses - to the souks with the hustle and bustle, the sights and the scents - to a local restaurant on the river where we tried fresh local delicacies. We then took a private Abra across the river and walked through the colourful spice souks and gold souk."

"We travel a lot and have been on many private tours and we cannot say enough good things about Kasim and the tour. We first had a little problem finding him (because uber took us to the wrong location) but Kasim was patient and waited for us. Even though we started late he gave us a great tour. He is Emirate and the pride and passion he has for his culture and country showed throughout the entire tour. We had our 10 year old son with us. Kasim had him so entertained that our son didn’t look at his phone once! Also he said that was his favorite tour (which is a big statement from a 10 year old). We did this tour on our first day in Dubai, also our first visit. I highly recommend you start with this tour and guide because that sets you up with a great deal of knowledge for the rest of your trip. You’ll learn about Dubai history, experience the old city, museums, take a boat ride and see the souks, but really the best part is the history. At the end we tasted a bunch of delicacies and spices and even had a little time for shopping. Kasim loves to cook (and so do I) and learning about how to use these spices was my favorite part! Thank you Kasim."

"Coming into Dubai, with very low expectations and limited knowledge of Dubai. After the day with Kasim, I can whole heartily say that I left with a strong cultural appreciation for Dubai and a soft spot in my heart to return. Kasim was very flexible with the tour and communicating frequently prior to our arrival into Dubai with assistance to any other tours or with any help. He was very attentive to our needs and wants and was even able to share info for other experiences we should try whilst in Dubai. He has extensive knowledge of the area, people and the history alongside it which you'll pick up within the first 20 minutes with him. Within his attitude you are able to notice immediately that he has a desire to share his knowledge of the city and the beauties of it. Alongside Kasim, you can probably spend an entire day in Old Dubai, because there is so much to learn and see and you wouldn't know unless you were a local! There is other tours available online that have similar things to what we did, but there is a big difference to the knowledge you gain alongside Kasim. The tour itself with the places we visited and things we saw probably best to start earlier to beat the heat, but also the other tours available just did not cater to what we needed, and this tour was just right! Thank you Kasim for going over and beyond! Definitely will be back to Dubai so you can show us the rest of the beautiful city! "

"Kasim is a very friendly guy with family roots and business experience in Dubai. Hence he provides you with not only touristic/historical information but what’s much more important to us with life style, habits, traditions, way of living info After that excellent tour we understand the city and the country a bit better. "

"Karin could not make the tour so Manish was the guide. What a nice man, very knowledgeable and friendly made the very tour very enjoyable."

"Myself and my partner decided to do a tour with Kasim on our last evening in Dubai! And to be honest our one regret is not doing it on our first day. Kasim is wonderful, he made us feel so comfortable in the city and makes the tour so personal! It's not like other tours, Kasim brings the personal touch and shares his personal experiences of the old Dubai! If he hasn't experienced it, then close friends or relatives of his have experienced it and he shares an abundance of knowledge and a wealth of culture about Dubai! He told us all about the Islam religion because religion is an interesting topic for me and was open to an abundance of questions from us both. My partner asked questions at the start and Kasim answered them but also took us to the places so we could see the answers with our own eyes. He then got us some local snacks by the souks and brought us to try teas, dates, spices, camel milk chocolate!!! Just everything, it was by far the best thing we did in Dubai and Kasim is a tour guide who does not disappoint!! Don't hesitate to book with him and a tip from me do it on your first day... It is an eye opener to the old Dubai and you get to see the amazing history and culture!! And he gives so many good tips to benefit your stay!!! Thanks Kasim we are still talking about our trip and will definitely be back for your foodie tour if we are in Dubai again! All the best 😊"