Dubai Spice Souk
Dubai Spice Souk
3.5
00:00 - 23:59
Monday
00:00 - 23:59
Tuesday
00:00 - 23:59
Wednesday
00:00 - 23:59
Thursday
00:00 - 23:59
Friday
00:00 - 23:59
Saturday
00:00 - 23:59
Sunday
00:00 - 23:59
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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The area
Neighbourhood: Deira
How to get there
- Al Ras • 5 min walk
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3.5
1,852 reviews
Excellent
355
Very good
627
Average
490
Poor
205
Terrible
176
Tom M
4 contributions
May 2023
Last week, 5/21/2023, we visted the Spice Souk. Unfortunately, we were scammed by the shop employee charging my credit card 10X the price i thought he was charging for just a small quantity of spices. I have not posted the complaint yet on social media, I not contacted the Dubai Commerce Office, and other agencies about this but will do so if this is not resolved. It gives the Dubai Spice Souk a very bad image. Can you advise how best I get back my money or be charged a correct amout?
Thanks,
Tom Marshall, USA
Thanks,
Tom Marshall, USA
Written 29 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ruthandvern
Wilton, CA15,298 contributions
May 2023
We took the Metro to the Dubai Creek at the Spice Souk and had a lovely afternoon. The souk is the traditional style with vendors stalls and stores in rows, many selling the same products. We do not appreciate being harassed so as soon as we passed a vendor sitting quietly outside his shop we went in. I'm not a driven barterer and the prices were fair so we picked up some jasmine flowers for tea, some butterfly tea mix, and a 1/2 kilo shelled raw pistachios. Great buys. The best of the souk is people watching. The visual effects of the mounded spices on display reminded me of the spice bazaar in Istanbul.
Written 23 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark42139
New York City, NY1,641 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
This was a really great experience as I enjoyed interacting with the various shopkeepers and smelling various spices and learning about them.
Written 8 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WalterReed
Landstuhl, Germany472 contributions
Apr 2023 • Friends
Our group of four were visiting Dubai for a weekend get-a-way - two of us live in Abu Dhabi and our friends were visiting from USA. The Spice and gold souk are a real spectacle and from a tourist point of view - worth checking it out, if only for the circus that it is.
Typical of any market - there's a lot of haggling, vendors calling to you from within their shops and potential for being overcharged. A polite "no thank you" works well with most vendors - or simply keep walking. You'll see mountains of spices and interesting herbs, incense and crystallized peppermint oil (eucalyptus). Recommend googling going rates for herbs/spices you may want to pick up - it'll give you a good starting point for negotiations. If the price a vendor offers is no good, walk a few further feet down the market and you'll encounter all the same goods (literally)
Take a little boat across the canal for 1 AED to check out the gold souk - if only to admire the craftsmanship of vendors - I'd dare say that some would put the crown jewels to shame!
Overall, great tourist destination - as anywhere else, buyer beware but have fun - and worth browsing before it gets too hot.
Typical of any market - there's a lot of haggling, vendors calling to you from within their shops and potential for being overcharged. A polite "no thank you" works well with most vendors - or simply keep walking. You'll see mountains of spices and interesting herbs, incense and crystallized peppermint oil (eucalyptus). Recommend googling going rates for herbs/spices you may want to pick up - it'll give you a good starting point for negotiations. If the price a vendor offers is no good, walk a few further feet down the market and you'll encounter all the same goods (literally)
Take a little boat across the canal for 1 AED to check out the gold souk - if only to admire the craftsmanship of vendors - I'd dare say that some would put the crown jewels to shame!
Overall, great tourist destination - as anywhere else, buyer beware but have fun - and worth browsing before it gets too hot.
Written 30 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
F H
2 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
Be aware, there’s a lot of counterfeit saffron in that market. From Google: “Quality Saffron should smell sweet, but never taste Sweet! The smell of Pure Saffron reminds people of a mixture of honey and hay aroma. Sometimes the Saffron can have a pungent (almost chemical) type of smell, this is due to high levels of Safranal and Picocrocin in the Saffron. It’s should be red with no yellow. The water test is helpful if you have time. Don’t buy it packaged.
The price should be 50-75 cents per gram. If you pay more than that, you’re being scammed.
The price should be 50-75 cents per gram. If you pay more than that, you’re being scammed.
Written 2 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Viscount
7 contributions
Mar 2023
There were apparently some locals shopping here, but I suspect that this place is mainly for the benefit of tourists. I lost count of the number of times we were accosted with offers of (fake) watches and handbags - 'Just come inside and look, no need to buy' with an intensity bordering on desperation. So many shops apparently selling exactly the same goods - not sure what's really going on. The Spice sellers' tactics were mainly to leap out and thrust something in your face and ask 'Do you know what this is?' Of course, after the 20th time this happened, we were able to answer correctly which made them look crestfallen.
There were no prices shown on anything at all, so I guess you'd have to be seriously good at haggling, if indeed there was anything you wanted to buy. We saw several heavily veiled women shopping, being meekly trailed by male porters pushing sack barrows loaded with their purchases, so there is evidently some 'real' shipping done here.
The constant haranguing by sellers was exhausting and detracted from what could have been an interesting experience in this colourful souk.
There were no prices shown on anything at all, so I guess you'd have to be seriously good at haggling, if indeed there was anything you wanted to buy. We saw several heavily veiled women shopping, being meekly trailed by male porters pushing sack barrows loaded with their purchases, so there is evidently some 'real' shipping done here.
The constant haranguing by sellers was exhausting and detracted from what could have been an interesting experience in this colourful souk.
Written 19 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NICHOLAS T
Dubai, United Arab Emirates5,632 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
The spice Souk in old town Dubai is a treat for the senses - full of commercial hustle and bustle, colours and great scents.
Prices are fair and the sellers like a haggle.
Prices are fair and the sellers like a haggle.
Written 18 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
janetinabudhabi
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates112 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
We went here as we had ever been despite living in the emirates for over 20 years now that we are living in Sharjah and much closer to this we took it on the entrance and the development around the area has been definitely upgraded directly on the creek. It is a lovely location and has a few restaurants to have a coffee at and relax entering the soup, you are bombarded by hawkers, trying to sell cheap goods from oriental countries. Plenty of spices are also available as well as perfumes and fake bags and jewelry. Knock. Cops knock pops, so depending what you are after this may be the place for you.
Written 18 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lina C
2 contributions
Feb 2023
After visiting to The dubai gold Souk, I took a walk down to the Dubai Spice Souk and upon passing some spices shops that are facing the main road, we were touted into the shop and the sales guy was friendly and kind. He introduced some of the local delights and gave us some camel chocolate complimentary.
He introduced us to some wood chips for burning with charcoal which we found quite interesting and keen on buying. He told us the prices for the wood chips are AED3/gram but he gave us AED2/gram instead and started scooping them into plastic bags.
To our surprised, the seller charged us AED 1,800 for 2 bags of wood chips, 1 small jar of eucalyptus and a bag of hibiscus tea leaves, which is equivalent to SGD 660.00. I was taken a back and told him we are not buying anymore cos it's way to expensive! He was very pushy and adamant to make us buying. he reduced the price from AED 1,800 to AED 1,400, then lower it some more to AED400 when we still resisted. My husband finally relented to them by getting 2 bags of the item for AED 200, but they still very persistent to get us buying the other 2 bags. We walked out of the shop sensing something amiss with that shop and the seller ran after us and trying to pass us the other 2 bags and demanded another AED 200 from us. My husband finally gave in to take the other 2 bags but handed them another AED 100 instead. Goss.....what an experience. For those who's touring around the Dubai Spice Souk, better becareful of these scammer sellers. Other than that, this old town had a good charming side and worth visiting.
He introduced us to some wood chips for burning with charcoal which we found quite interesting and keen on buying. He told us the prices for the wood chips are AED3/gram but he gave us AED2/gram instead and started scooping them into plastic bags.
To our surprised, the seller charged us AED 1,800 for 2 bags of wood chips, 1 small jar of eucalyptus and a bag of hibiscus tea leaves, which is equivalent to SGD 660.00. I was taken a back and told him we are not buying anymore cos it's way to expensive! He was very pushy and adamant to make us buying. he reduced the price from AED 1,800 to AED 1,400, then lower it some more to AED400 when we still resisted. My husband finally relented to them by getting 2 bags of the item for AED 200, but they still very persistent to get us buying the other 2 bags. We walked out of the shop sensing something amiss with that shop and the seller ran after us and trying to pass us the other 2 bags and demanded another AED 200 from us. My husband finally gave in to take the other 2 bags but handed them another AED 100 instead. Goss.....what an experience. For those who's touring around the Dubai Spice Souk, better becareful of these scammer sellers. Other than that, this old town had a good charming side and worth visiting.
Written 2 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AntonyMM
4 contributions
Feb 2023
One of the highlights of our 10 day stay in Dubai. The smells, sights & sounds at the Deira Gold & Spice Souk are not to be missed. Yes ...you will encounter vendors hassling you along the way but most are good humoured & if you say a firm 'NO THANKS' and walk on you will have no problems.
The colourful & vibrant display of gold, spices, textiles & pretty much everything else is a wonder to behold not to mention the opportunity of fake handbags, watches etc which are readily on offer if you ask discreetly. Be sure to haggle well below the opening price , it is expected.
It was our 2nd visit to Dubai and our first visit to the Deira Souk. We will most definitely return again !
The colourful & vibrant display of gold, spices, textiles & pretty much everything else is a wonder to behold not to mention the opportunity of fake handbags, watches etc which are readily on offer if you ask discreetly. Be sure to haggle well below the opening price , it is expected.
It was our 2nd visit to Dubai and our first visit to the Deira Souk. We will most definitely return again !
Written 23 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pulkit Parashar
Pune, India3 contributions
Where i can purchase dry fruits in Dubai at cheap and best price??
D P
Wellington, New Zealand6,531 contributions
If you mean dates then you can barter a good price at the souk but to be honest the supermarkets can be just as cheap and have an excellent range.
EDGAR GONÇALVES
Setubal, Portugal1 contribution
Quanto tempo demora a visita a este mercado?
Sandra
Aracaju, SE107 contributions
Você pode ir em meia hora, só para conhecer. Se quiser explorar, comprar e degustar deverá passar umas 2 horas. Eu passei 3 horas... e ainda retornei outro dia para recomprar frutas desidratadas e artesanatos que são bem em conta.
Сколько стоит шафран иранской?
Christine K
Swampscott, MA104 contributions
We paid about $30 US for a good sized jar. Make sure to test it before buying. Put a small pinch in water and it should be golden. If it turns red, the saffron is dyed and low quality.
were you able to take spices back to usa?
Christine K
Swampscott, MA104 contributions
Dry spices are not a problem.
Shweta
Mombasa, Kenya
Which shop is good for buying spices?
Tell me the name?
Mayur S
Mumbai, India917 contributions
Hello. As already answered by Yvette_11, there are several shops to the right as you enter the souk. I can’t recall the names of the shops we bought from.
Depending on the spices and quantity you wish to buy, bargaining can help you get competitive rates.
The quality is good for most spices and excellent for dates. As the dates are not under a brand name, are sold by weight and packed on delivery, the cost is lower than the same variety sold in malls.
A little homework on rates and variety of spices you wish to buy before you enter the souk will be invaluable.
Hope this helps. Have a safe trip and enjoyable shopping.
FacuBocha
Buenos Aires, Argentina34 contributions
Hola, alguien sabe de qué especias se compone un paquete típico que habían en varios puestos? Eran 8 o 9 en una bolsa. En pequeños paquetes cuadrados. Gracias!
Joe D
Wirral, UK108 contributions
Hi
We are staying outside the city but will be getting the complimentry bus that drops at Dubia Mall.
What would be the best way to get to the Spice and Gold souks from there.
We would like to cross the creek on a water taxi.
Grant N
Hastings, New Zealand1,332 contributions
You can get there by car - take about 15 minutes from Dubai Mall - but you wanted to go on the Creek - suggest you head for the Creek by taxi and have them drop you at a boat landing. The boat can take you direct to the landing about 5 minute walk from the Spice Souk - the Gold Souk is about a further 5 - 10 minute walk from there.
andremar227
Almenno San Salvatore, Italy53 contributions
sapreste dirmi il costo medio delle spezie? grazie
claudio51
Perugia, Italy232 contributions
Io ho contrattato molto sulla noce moscata, che mi serviva. Da 50 € al Kg richieste, l'ho pagata 25, di ottima qualità. In genere tutte le spezie sono molto buone e profumate ma il prezzo di partenza é alto.
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DUBAI SPICE SOUK - 2023 All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Dubai Spice Souk
- Dubai Spice Souk is open:
- Sun - Sat 00:00 - 23:59
- 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 200 Dubai Spice Souk tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Dubai Spice Souk:
- Dubai Private 4-Hour Tour With professional Driver (From €138.80)
- Old Dubai Walking Tour: Abra ride, Creek, Spice & Gold Souks. (From €84.82)
- Historic Old Dubai & Souk Walking Tour (From €47.19)
- Old and Modern Dubai City Tour with Dubai Frame Visit and Blue Mosque Visit (From €92.53)
- Private Tour: Half Day Dubai Highlight City Tour (From €79.48)
- Hotels near Dubai Spice Souk:
- (0.13 km) Al Buraq Hotel
- (0.22 km) Ahmedia Heritage Guest House
- (0.47 km) XVA Art Hotel
- (0.29 km) Mazmi Casa
- (0.34 km) The George Hotel By Saffron
- Restaurants near Dubai Spice Souk:
- (0.15 km) Liali Alqaherah Cafe
- (0.08 km) Apple Creek Restaurant and Cafe
- (0.13 km) Zam Zam Suyi
- (0.06 km) Paavos Pizza
- (0.12 km) Wendy's
- Attractions near Dubai Spice Souk:
- (0.05 km) Old Souk
- (0.09 km) Deira Old Souk Abra Station
- (0.12 km) Dubai Municipality Museum
- (0.26 km) Dubai Creek
- (0.18 km) Happy Lace