Dubai Creek and the abra crossing

How much is the abra and when does it run?

An abra crossing costs AED 1 or AED 2 per person on RTA's fares. The AED 1 boats are the traditional on-demand routes — CR1 Bur Dubai – Deira Old Souq and CR2 Dubai Old Souq – Al Sabkha — and they take cash only. The AED 2 scheduled routes are CR3 Dubai Old Souq – Baniyas, CR4 Al Fahidi – Al Sabkha, CR5 Al Fahidi – Deira Old Souq and CR6 Al Seef – Baniyas, where cash, credit and debit cards and nol all work. Under-5s ride free.

RTA's September 2026 timetable has the scheduled routes running from about 7–8:15am to 11:15–11:50pm, starting later on Sundays (9:30–10:15am). Boats leave every 15–30 minutes in the morning and every 10–15 minutes in the afternoon and evening. RTA publishes no hours for CR1 and CR2: they simply go when the boat fills. Timings can change during Ramadan, on public holidays and in bad weather.

Paying in Dubai: foreign Visa and Mastercard cards work almost everywhere, including the AED 2 abras. The metro needs a nol card, sold at station ticket offices and machines. Keep a few one-dirham coins for CR1 and CR2, where you pay the boatman directly.

What is Dubai Creek?

Dubai Creek — Khor Dubai in Arabic — is a natural saltwater inlet that runs 14 km inland from the Gulf to the Ras Al Khor lagoon. It's not a single sight with a ticket but the water the old city was built around: Bur Dubai with Al Fahidi and the Textile Souk on the south bank, Deira with the gold and spice souks on the north.

Before oil, this was Dubai's harbour for pearling and trading dhows, and abras ferried people between the banks — RTA says the name comes from the Arabic 'abara', to cross. The first bridge, Al Maktoum, only opened in 1963, so the abra stayed the city's main transport for a long time. It still runs, and it's the cheapest way to see Old Dubai from the water.

Is the Dubai Creek abra ride worth it?

Yes — for a dirham or two you get the most atmospheric five minutes in Dubai: low wooden boats, dhows unloading across the water, and the old souks on both banks. It takes so little time that it fits into any day that includes Old Dubai.

Don't expect a sightseeing cruise, though. The crossing is short and functional; the value is in what you link it with. Pair it with Al Fahidi on the Bur Dubai side and the Spice Souk and Gold Souk in Deira. If you want longer on the water, hire a whole abra for AED 120 an hour instead of booking a cruise.

Things to do along Dubai Creek

• Cross by abra between Bur Dubai and Deira — water at elbow height, other boats all around.
• Watch the Deira dhow wharf — nearly 2 km of quay where wooden trading dhows load sacks, fridges and tyres. It's a working port, best seen in daytime.
• Walk Al Seef — a 1.8 km promenade in Bur Dubai, the souk half styled on the old creekside with wind towers, the other half modern. New-build, but lovely at dusk.
• Browse the Bur Dubai Textile Souk — covered lanes right behind the Bur Dubai and Dubai Old Souq abra stations.
• Visit Al Shindagha — the heritage district at the mouth of the creek.
• Picnic in Creek Park — a large park on the south bank by Al Maktoum Bridge; entry ≈ AED 5 (unofficial).
• Take a dhow dinner cruise — buffet, music and the lit-up banks and bridges.

Dubai Creek dhow cruise: price and what to expect

A dinner cruise on a two-deck wooden dhow lasts 1.5–2 hours with a buffet, music and sometimes a tanoura dancer. Boarding is usually around 7:30–8pm from Al Seef or the Deira side, and many sellers include hotel pick-up. Prices vary hugely: listings start around AED 75 for a basic cruise and run several times higher for 'luxury' versions with transfers — these are unofficial figures, so check when you book.

It's a relaxed evening with views of the lights, but the food is usually canteen-style and the route short. If you mainly want the water and the old city, a private abra gives you more freedom for less. If you want dinner with a view and no planning, the cruise does the job.

Abra, private abra or dhow cruise

Abra fares and times are from RTA's official timetable (September 2026). Cruise prices come from seller listings and are approximate.

Dubai Creek on the map

The lively stretch is the lowest 2–3 km, from the mouth at Al Shindagha to Al Maktoum Bridge. Along the south bank you pass Al Shindagha, the Bur Dubai and Dubai Old Souq abra stations by the Textile Souk, Al Fahidi and Al Seef. On the north bank are the gold and spice souks, the Deira Old Souq and Al Sabkha stations, the long dhow wharf and Baniyas station.

Upstream, past the bridges, come Creek Park, Al Jaddaf, Dubai Festival City and the new Dubai Creek Harbour district — abras run there too (CR9, CR11, BM2), but it's modern Dubai. The creek ends at Ras Al Khor, a wildlife sanctuary where flamingos gather in winter.

Dubai by the water compared

Every waterside place in Dubai rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Nearby — add to your day

28

Al Shindagha Museum

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

1 h 30 min · AED 50; students 5–24 AED 20 · 8 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Al Shindagha Museum

36

Spice Souk

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

30 min · Free entry · 9 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Spice Souk

37

Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood (Old Dubai)

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

1 h 30 min · Free to walk · 12 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood (Old Dubai)

34

Dubai Gold Souk

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

45 min · Free entry · 14 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Dubai Gold Souk

How to do it right

• Start in Bur Dubai and cross to Deira: you walk the old city in a straight line and finish by Al Ras metro.
• Go an hour before sunset — cross to Deira in golden light and come back with Al Seef lit up.
• On CR1 you pay the boatman on board; have a coin ready, as change for a big note isn't guaranteed.
• Want to ride along the creek rather than across it? Hire a whole abra for 30 minutes — AED 60 for the boat.
• See the Deira dhow wharf in the daytime, when loading is under way — it's quiet in the evening.
• Combine the crossing with lunch at Al Seef or in the Deira souks rather than making a separate trip.

Questions