Middle East
United Arab Emirates
Emirate of Dubai
Dubai
Things to do in Dubai
Dubai Spice Souk

Dubai Spice Souk: Hours, Address, Dubai Spice Souk Reviews: 3.5/5

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Dubai Spice Souk

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See all things to do
Dubai Spice Souk
3.5
1,759
#152 of 465 things to do in Dubai
Flea & Street Markets
16:00 - 22:00
Monday
10:00 - 13:00
16:00 - 22:00
Tuesday
10:00 - 13:00
16:00 - 22:00
Wednesday
10:00 - 13:00
16:00 - 22:00
Thursday
10:00 - 13:00
16:00 - 22:00
Friday
16:00 - 22:00
Saturday
10:00 - 13:00
16:00 - 22:00
Sunday
10:00 - 13:00
16:00 - 22:00
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About
Shopping at Traditional Souks, such as Dubai Spice Souks, exposes travelers to Arab style marketplaces where goods are bought and sold. Bargaining allows you to acquire different commodities, such as spice, gold, textiles and perfumes.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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Tours & experiences
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Deira
How to get there
  • Al Ras • 5 min walk
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
3,747 within 5 kms
Arabian Tea House Restaurant & Cafe - Al Fahidi
1,508
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Al Bait Al Qadeem Restaurant and Cafe
205
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XVA Cafe
246
0.5 km€€ - €€€ • Cafe • Middle Eastern • Vegetarian Friendly
Mumtaz Mahal Indian Speciality Restaurant
336
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Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant & Cafe
47
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Bayt Al Wakeel
655
0.5 km€€ - €€€ • Seafood • Grill • Middle Eastern
Creekside Restaurant & Cafe
93
0.3 km€€ - €€€ • Cafe • Contemporary • Vegetarian Friendly
Sherlock Holmes English Pub
273
0.5 km€€ - €€€ • Bar • British • Pub
Mazmi Cafe and More
73
0.3 km€€ - €€€ • Cafe • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Aden Restaurant
54
0.3 km€ • Grill • Middle Eastern • Vegetarian Friendly
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Attractions
90 within 5 kms
Old Souk
625
52 mFlea & Street Markets
Deira Old Souk Abra Station
290
91 mPiers & Boardwalks
Dubai Municipality Museum
7
0.1 kmSpeciality Museums
Dubai Creek
9,776
0.3 kmBodies of Water • Piers & Boardwalks
Al-Ahmadiya School
39
0.2 kmEducational sites
Heritage House
140
0.3 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Bur Dubai Abra Dock
3,958
0.5 kmPiers & Boardwalks
Bastakia Quarter
955
0.4 kmHistoric Walking Areas
Shiva Temple
45
0.3 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Dubai Museum & Al Fahidi Fort
6,998
0.5 kmHistory Museums
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Popular mentions
3.5
1,759 reviews
Excellent
343
Very good
603
Average
473
Poor
192
Terrible
148
Johnny Stockvic
9 contributions
A place where you get spices from
Sep 2021 • Friends
Today I have visited the Spice souq and Gold Souq. I was very excited to discover these hidden gems in Dubai. And Since my mom needed some herbs, what better place to go than the Dubai’s Spice souq.
The place is amazing with all these aromas and spices scents and the colors. But there was some pushy salemen that try to sell you anything.
Through my search, I have found Mohammad an spice specialist as he says, he was very kind and not pushy, and offered me some dates with chocolate. Thier store is literally a magical place for every individual who loves spices. I have bought from him some relaxing tea and herbs as well as saffron. His manners and prices were very nice and I promised him to write about him online. His store name is (YOUNIS STORE) is directly opposite to the Ferry.
Written 9 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Traveller of the world
386 contributions
Bargain. Overpriced!
Aug 2021 • Solo
Nice. Good choice and sales not too pushy but way overpriced even if you bargain! I didn't bother. I am happy to pay and meet half way but this was unreasonable.
Written 24 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Kataria Holidays Pvt. Ltd
Pune District, India34 contributions
Great place to buy spices!!
May 2021
Dubai Spice Souk is one of the important places to visit in Dubai. One can get all types of spices(including Indian spices). It offers variety of spices, perfumes, carpets, household things almost everything. Don't forget to bargain.
Written 14 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
California_momofsix
Fairfield1,073 contributions
Enjoyable with the right mindset--don't be intimidated
Mar 2021
After having seen much of the "new" part of Dubai, we really wanted to see some of the older parts of the city and I feel I can recommend the Spice Souk for tourists, with some reservations.
The spice souk is easy to find, and the area was smaller than I expected. The souk really only consists of a few alleys, but they are densely packed with stores and spice bins and people. I wouldn't recommend driving here since traffic was more chaotic here than in the rest of the city and there was little to no parking. It's just a short walk from a couple of metro stations on the green line, or you can park at Al Seef and take the abra across the creek. Don't be afraid of getting lost, it's basically impossible. There are signs and maps all over the place.
We saw both locals and tourists shopping here, I can't really speak to prices or to the authenticity of what was offered. Much of what is offered varies little from shop to shop. There are great photo opportunities. The area has a completely different feel than the more modern parts of the city and gave us an idea what Dubai may have been like 50 or 100 years ago.
What you need to know before coming here: Vendors are very pushy, some bordering on aggressive. You will be constantly approached. Like many other reviewers, this makes me feel highly uncomfortable and I also dislike bargaining. So I went into the souk, reminding myself that the area is basically safe, and that nobody can make me buy anything I don't want to buy or make me feel bad about not patronizing their store unless I allow it. I willed myself to be confident and firm but friendly. With that mindset I was able to enjoy the experience. We did feel safe and met some of the nicest people. Trying to figure out what local treat to try, we met a family from Iran who recommended fallouda (vermicelli with rose syrup) and insisted on buying some for us. Meeting them made my day. We can highly recommend the snack shop window right across from the Abra station, their fallouda and fruit juices were delicious.
Written 10 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Rebecca graham
Wales, UK2 contributions
Love the this place
Apr 2021 • Couples
Big variety of all kind of spices and dry fruit but prices are much more expensive comparing to Morocco
Written 20 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Stephan
12 contributions
Dubai Spice Souk
Feb 2021
Lots of shops offering all kinds of spices, tees, dried fruits, etc. However, prices are ridiculous, even if you negotiate heavily. We walked out of a shop after having negotiated for some 15 min when the price for some tea remained about 4x the price for the same quantity of top quality tee at Waitrose in the Dubai Mall.
Also, you have no chance looking at displays, or even just have a walk, without being constantly approached by sellers. It really is annoying.
If you are staying a few days in Dubai, you may want to have a look at the souk. But don't expect too much and in particular, don't expect it to be relaxing.
Written 10 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
FreddieAndrea
Mojave, CA35 contributions
Hidden Gems to be found
Jan 2021
I love Old Dubai. The Spice Souk is right on the Dubai Canal with the old Wooden boats going back and forth, it makes for a great view and experience. The shops all seem to have pretty much the same products. The shops I went in they encourage you to taste the dried fruit and as much chocolate as you would like. We got some teas which are to help different things; sleep, blood pressure, stomach, etc. I also got Arabic gum, it is supposed to help with many things, but I have a bad shoulder (years ago tried to catch a bale of hay with it). There are days I couldn't lift my arm up to curl my hair, this Arabic Gum has changed my life. You put a little rock in a water bottle overnight, drink it and my pain is gone. Not sure if it's just me and how my body reacted, but it has really helped me. The bad thing about the Spice Souk is the shop people trying to get you in there shop, it's annoying and almost starts to feel like harassment (Ok that may be a little strong, but it does bother me). Also the Gold Souk is adjacent, I'm not into gold but they said you can get a good deal there.
Written 22 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Marc
1 contribution
It could have been better if the salespeople are more friendly
Jan 2021 • Couples
It's one of the authentic places to visit in Dubai, a huge market with a lot of spices , souvenirs and fake products
Written 20 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Nuha R 56
Valparaiso, IN535 contributions
You Should Go & Experience it
Jan 2021 • Family
I went with my husband and son. I loved the colorful spices displayed. We are used to haggle and bargain the sellers in my country Syria so we got our mobey worth of spices. It was good visit and bought a lot of spices I needed in USA. For some reason everyone want to sell you Safran which I didn't.
No need for a tour guide to get there. You can discover it yourself.
Written 10 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Kevin M
Newtown, Pennsylvania, United States226 contributions
Not for the Faint of Heart
Jan 2020
The Spice and Gold Souqs are Dubai at its most raw. Two things stuck out at me the most when my tour group brought us here: the unique assortment of spices, dresses, and other bric-a-brac for sale, and the many strange things the vendors will say to try to get your attention. My favourite was when one of them called me "Jack Sparrow". Eventually, though, you start seeing the same mass-produced souvenirs every few stores, so even that novelty wears off. Unless you're into shopping, or otherwise consider yourself adventurous, I wouldn't recommend these souqs.

Note: If you're buying saffron, do your research into what the real thing is like, and expect to pay more for it.
Written 31 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Dubai Spice Souk
Dubai Spice Souk is open:
  • Sun - Sat 16:00 - 22:00
  • Sat - Thu 10:00 - 13:00
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Dubai Spice Souk tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 161 Dubai Spice Souk tours on Tripadvisor