Deira district

Far from the towering skyscrapers that dominate most of Dubai’s landscape, Deira is a must-see as it’s one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods, along with Bur Dubai across the creek. This authentic and touristic area is home to many traditional souks selling clothing, perfumes, spices, and gold. For a long time, Deira was actually the city centre, back when Dubai was just a small fishing village settled around the creek, where merchants would set off by boat to bring back goods from neighbouring countries. Today, after Dubai’s massive expansion, Deira is just a small part of the city, yet it remains one of the liveliest with its many traditional restaurants. Here, you can enjoy local specialities as well as dishes from all around the world. The commercial activity keeps the district buzzing, even though the newer business districts have lately overshadowed it. Still, Deira remains one of Dubai’s most visited neighbourhoods, where you can jump back into time among the many historical buildings of what is now one of the most famous and visited cities in the world.