Dubai Gold Souk
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Spice Souk, Dubai
i
Photo: A.Savin, FAL, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Free — it's a set of streets lined with shops
- Hours
- Usually 10am–10pm, Friday from 4pm, many stalls closed roughly 1–4pm (unofficial)
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
i
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Abra across the Creek
- Bur Dubai to Deira Old Souq, AED 1, cash only
officiali
Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Metro
- Green Line, Al Ras station, ≈ 5–7 min walk
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Paying
- Cash in dirhams is safest; some stalls take cards, sometimes with a surcharge (unofficial)
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Bargaining
- Expected — first prices are high
- Address
- Baniyas Road, Al Ras, Deira — next to the Gold Souk
Key facts
Deira, Al Rason the north bank of Dubai Creek, right beside the Gold Souk
2 sourcesi
English WikipediaGulf NewsAED 1the traditional abra crossing from Bur Dubai to Deira Old Souq, cash only
Sourcei
Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai (RTA)≈ 350 min a straight line from Al Ras metro station to the souk
Sourcei
English Wikipedia and Wikidata coordinates, YesGo calculationسوق التوابلthe Arabic name, Souq Al Tawabil — the spice market
2 sourcesi
English WikipediaWikidata3 trailsof heritage walkways, 1,784 m in all, opened through Deira's old souks in 2025
2 sourcesi
Hi Dubai (Dubai Media Office)Scene Now7 soukslinked by those trails, including the spice, perfume, carpet and textile markets
2 sourcesi
Hi Dubai (Dubai Media Office)Scene NowSarooja traditional clay-based plaster used to restore the façades
2 sourcesi
Hi Dubai (Dubai Media Office)Scene Now14 kmthe length of Dubai Creek, which divides Deira from Bur Dubai
Sourcei
Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai (RTA)Hagglingis how most sales happen — price tags are rare
2 sourcesi
English WikipediaDubai OnlineSpice Souk Dubai opening hours
There are no official hours — every stall is a private shop. Most guides give 10am–10pm, Saturday to Thursday, and 4pm–10pm on Friday, when shops open after midday prayers. Many stalls also close for a break between roughly 1pm and 4pm. Treat this as unofficial: we found no official timetable.
The best windows are mid-morning, around 10–11am, before the heat, or after 5pm, when Deira's evening trade picks up. From May to September the lanes are stuffy in the afternoon, so go in the evening.
There's no weekly closing day. During Ramadan and public holidays, shop hours can shift, so leave some slack.
How to get to the Spice Souk
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Dubai Gold Souk is about 5 min away on foot.
- Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood (Old Dubai) is about 10 min away on foot.
- Dubai Creek and the abra crossing is about 10 min away on foot.
More tips
- From Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station in Downtown, take the Red Line towards Centrepoint for 6 stops to BurJuman.
- Change to the Green Line towards E& (Etisalat) and ride 3 stops — Sharaf DG, Al Ghubaiba, Al Ras. Door to door it's about 30 minutes with the change (YesGo estimate).
- From Al Ras, walk towards the Creek and Baniyas Road: the souk is about 350 m away, 5–7 minutes on foot.
- The scenic way: get off at Al Ghubaiba instead, walk through the Bur Dubai old souk to Bur Dubai Abra Station and cross on a wooden abra to Deira Old Souq for AED 1 cash. The first spice stalls are 2 minutes from the jetty.
- A taxi from Downtown takes about 20 minutes outside rush hour (YesGo estimate). Ask for Deira Old Souq Abra Station — cars can't enter the lanes. Careem and Uber work here too.
Is the Spice Souk worth visiting?
Yes — as part of a walk through old Dubai, not as a trip of its own. It's small: you can see every lane in 15 minutes, and the rest is sniffing, tasting and haggling. It isn't Istanbul's Spice Bazaar or a Moroccan medina, and some stalls sell the same souvenirs as the Gold Souk next door.
What makes it worth the detour is the setting. You arrive by abra across the Creek, step off the jetty straight into sacks of dried limes and frankincense, and two minutes later you're among the gold windows. For a free stop that takes under an hour, few places in Dubai feel this far from the malls.
What to buy at the Spice Souk
- Saffron — the souk's star, often Iranian. Buy whole threads, never powder: fakes hide more easily in ground saffron.
- Frankincense and bakhoor — resin and scented wood chips, plus small clay burners to use them.
- Dried limes (loomi) — black or pale, for stews, rice and tea; hard to find at home.
- Spice blends for Arabic and South Asian cooking, especially for rice dishes.
- Cardamom, cinnamon bark, cloves, nutmeg, cumin and turmeric.
- Tea, dried flowers, dried fruit and nuts.
Bargaining and paying
Opening prices are set to be haggled down. Ask at two or three stalls first, then make a clearly lower offer and meet somewhere in between. Buying several things from one shop is the easiest way to get a real discount.
Cash in dirhams (AED) is the safest way to pay. Many shops take Visa and Mastercard, but not all, and some add a few per cent for cards (unofficial). ATMs and exchange offices are a short walk away in Deira. Keep small notes — they help when haggling and you'll need AED 1 coins or notes for the abra, which is cash only.
Spices travel well. Ask for tight, ideally vacuum-sealed, packing if the stall can do it — it keeps your suitcase from smelling of cumin. Check your home country's customs rules on bringing back plant products before you stock up.
Spice Souk and Gold Souk together
They're neighbours — the spice lanes run straight into the Gold Souk within a couple of minutes. The natural order is to cross Dubai Creek by abra, walk the spice lanes from the jetty, then turn into the jewellery arcades.
Allow an hour to an hour and a half for both. With half a day, start on the other bank in Al Fahidi, the wind-tower quarter, which is a short walk from the abra stations.
Before you go: checklist
Ready: 0 of 6Tick what is ready — your ticks stay in this browser.
You are ready for the visit
Spice Souk vs Gold Souk vs Dubai Mall
| Spice Soukyou are here | Lanes of spice stalls | Deira, Al Ras | Free | Haggled | 30–40 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Souk | Jewellery market next door | Deira, adjoining | Free | By gold weight, labour negotiable | 30–60 min |
| Dubai Mall | Huge shopping centre | Downtown, by Burj Khalifa | Free | Fixed | 2 h and up |
Deira's souks are about old-Dubai atmosphere and haggling; the mall is about brands and the aquarium. See the spice and gold souks in one go.
Dubai's markets compared
Every market in Dubai rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.
| The Dubai Mall | 56 | 2 h | Free | 8.0 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spice Soukyou are here | 36 | 30 min | Free | — |
| Dubai Gold Souk | 34 | 45 min | Free | 5 min walk |
| Madinat Jumeirah and Souk Madinat | 29 | 1 h 30 min | Free | 18.8 km |
| Global Village | 20 | 3 h | AED 25–30, under-3s and 65+ free | 22.2 km |
Old Dubai in half a day
Al Fahidi's wind towers, an abra across the Creek, then the spice and gold souks of Deira. Add them to your route in one tap — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.
- Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood (Old Dubai)1 h 30 min · Free to walk
- 12 min walk from the previous stopDubai Creek and the abra crossing1 h · Abra AED 1–2, waterfronts free
- 9 min walk from the previous stopSpice Soukyou are here30 min · Free entry
- 5 min walk from the previous stopDubai Gold Souk45 min · Free entry
4 places · about 4 h 11 min with walks · 26 min on foot in total
Nearby — add to your day
Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood (Old Dubai)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai Creek and the abra crossing
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Al Shindagha Museum
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
How to do it right
- Arrive by water: the AED 1 abra across Dubai Creek is the best cheap ride in town.
- Walk the whole souk before buying — stalls with the same stock sit side by side.
- Ask to smell and taste; sellers happily open jars and hand you saffron threads.
- Dried limes and rice blends make cheap, unusual gifts you won't find in supermarkets back home.
- Make the souk your last stop before Al Ras metro so you're not carrying bags all day.
- Dress modestly, as anywhere in old Dubai — covered shoulders and knees are safest.
Questions
What are the Spice Souk Dubai timings?
There are no official hours. Most stalls open about 10am–10pm, many pause in the afternoon, and on Fridays they open around 4pm (unofficial).
How do I get to the Spice Souk by metro?
Red Line to BurJuman, change to the Green Line and ride to Al Ras, then walk 5–7 minutes towards the Creek.
Can I take an abra to the Spice Souk?
Yes. The traditional abra runs from Bur Dubai Abra Station to Deira Old Souq for AED 1, cash only. The souk starts 2 minutes from the jetty.
Is the Spice Souk free to enter?
Yes. It's a set of public lanes with private shops — no tickets or gates.
Is the Spice Souk worth visiting?
Yes, as part of an old-Dubai walk with the abra and the Gold Souk. It's small, so don't cross the city for it alone.
What should I buy at the Dubai Spice Souk?
Saffron threads, frankincense and bakhoor, dried limes, cardamom, cinnamon, rice-dish blends, tea, dried flowers, dried fruit and nuts.
Do shops in the Spice Souk take cards?
Some do, sometimes with a small surcharge, but cash in dirhams is safer. The abra across the Creek is cash only.
Do you have to bargain at the Spice Souk?
Yes — first prices are high. Compare a few stalls and ask for a discount when buying several items in one shop.
How long do you need at the Spice Souk?
30–40 minutes for the souk itself, or about 1.5 hours with the abra ride and the Gold Souk.
Is the Spice Souk next to the Gold Souk?
Yes. The spice lanes lead into the Gold Souk in a couple of minutes, both in Deira's Al Ras area.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai (RTA): marine transport page — traditional abra routes and fare, 03.11.2026
- Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai (RTA): nol cards page, 03.11.2026
- English Wikipedia: Dubai Spice Souk, Green Line (Dubai Metro), Red Line (Dubai Metro); Wikidata Q5310610
- Hi Dubai (Dubai Media Office), August 2025 — heritage trails in Deira's markets
- Scene Now, August 2025 — heritage trails in Deira's markets
- Gulf News, 2024 — Spice Souk photo essay
- Dubai Online — Spice Souk guide (unofficial hours)
Top YesGo picks: Dubai
Burj Khalifa
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Burj Al Arab
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The Dubai Mall
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Palm Jumeirah
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The Dubai Fountain
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Museum of the Future
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai Water Canal
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai Frame
Dubai, United Arab Emirates