Dubai Travel Forum

I have 2 questions:

1. Can I please have the driving directions to Gold Souk / Dubai Museum area? How about parking? Recommended visit time - morning or night? Budget way for cruise / boat ride?

2. Contemplating either The Lost Chambers, Atlantis OR Dubai Acquarium, Dubai Mall. Which is better and what is the difference actually?

(Jess, Colin & Amir, I know I can count on you for good tips!)

Thanks in advance.

=)

1. Driving directions... where would you be coming from?

Basically you need to head towards "Bur Dubai" and drive onto Seef Street.
You will come down this road, bending to the left, leading you straight down to the creek. You can then park you car somewhere along this road (parking possibilites on the right side) and then from here you can walk (with the water on your right) until you reach the Ruler's Court, Dubai Museum and Textile Souk area (Al Fahidi Street).

Before it gets even more confusing, either purchase a Dubai road map when you arrive here, or have a look at this link:

http://www.dtcm-dubaimap.com/applet/map.html
(click on the map in the top left-hand corner. You can then zoom into the creek area, see the road names, etc.)

To then visit the Gold Souk you will have to use an Abra water taxi. This will cost 1 Dirham per person per crossing (one way).
There are also airconditioned water buses but they cost 4 Dirhams per person per return-crossing trip (both ways).

Opening Hours for the souks are: Saturdays - Thursdays 09:30am-01:00pm & 04:30-10:00pm. Fridays 05:00pm-10:00pm. If you are visting during the summer months (June to September) then it's best you visit in the evening after sunset (after 7pm) as the souks are all open to the elements.

Museum Opening Hours: 7 days a week.
Sat-Thur: 08:30am-08:30pm / Friday: 02:30pm-08:30pm
(Closed on Public Holidays)

2. Sorry, don't have any information on these locations. So far I've been able to avoid going there :-)

I seem to remember from your earlier questions about directions that you travel in from New Dubai, is that right?

To go to the Creek (for the souks and museum) I always go along Al Wasl Road, do the tricky bit where the major road works are in Satwa and turn left onto Mina Road (meaning Port Road) and then I park near Carrefour or Heritage Village. I can always find parking there.

Then it's a stroll along the Creek and into the textile and general souk in Bur Dubai. If you walk through the textile souk, take a right turn at the end you'll be able to find the museum which is only about 200 metres or so further on. It costs Dh2 to go in and it's well worth visiting.

Then, as Jess said, you hop on the abra. Each abra station services a different station on Deira side - for the gold souk you take an abra from the first station, nearest the bend in the Creek, which is the shortest journey across and stops in Deira right across the road from the spice souk. If you take an abra from the second station, in the textile souk, it will take you to the next stop along in Deira, which is a bit further along the Creek. That's the cheapest - and most fun - way to have a creek cruise as it's only Dh1 each way. If you take the second way you'll walk back down the Creek towards the spice and gold souks, going past all the dhows loading their cargo, which is a great sight and a piece of living history.

I love Dubai after dark so my favourite time to visit the souks is always late evening - but the traffic is bad in the evenings in that direction so I suggest you go in the morning morning after about ten.

Atlantis I would avoid at all costs, so go to Dubai Mall to see the aquarium there. To look through the massive, world's largest, window is free and it's amazing. You can pay I think it's Dh20 to walk through the plastic tunnel, with fish above and around you. You can also pay more to go into the upstairs part, which I've done but I wasn't happy with. The penguins and seals in particular are in tiny enclosures and look very unhappy.

"The penguins and seals in particular are in tiny enclosures and look very unhappy."
Colin, you know me and my love for animals.... that's one of the main reasons I've avoided Dubai Mall.

Sammy the captive whale shark at Atlantis is the reason I've boycotted visiting that hotel.

Hi Tracy,
After the very correct information of Jess and Colin, I can say that if you are planning to rent a car thats fine, but maybe finding a parking space become a headache!! Gold Souk is located near the main bus station (Terminal)and most buses have a stop there. Also Ghubaiba bus station (Terminal) is very near to Dubai Museum, so buy getting to public buses you can visit both of this touristic locations without using a car!!
Good luck.

Thanks everyone for the precise directions. Still have not done this, might do it in the coming week or so. =)

Colin - when u say park in Carrefour do you mean the one in Deira City Centre?

Thanks!

No, I mean the Carrefour in Bur Dubai a short distance from the Creek and near the old indoor markets. If you go along Al Mina Road towards the Shindagah Tunnel, keep over to the right and you'll see the signs and turn-offs for the markets. You'll see the large free-standing Carrefour building just after that.
There's parking at Carrefour itself, a pay carpark right opposite it, or there's more parking along where the old being-restored parts of Shindagah are (Sheikh Saeed's House, Heritage Village & the creek-side reataurants).

Colin
Quick question - I plan to go during a weekday about 5PM (driving) - is this good?

Pay parking opposite Carrefour - any idea on the rate? How about the parking along where the old being-restored parts of Shindagah(Sheikh Saeed's House, Heritage Village & the creek-side reataurants) that you mentioned?

Thanks!

Well, 5pm is when the peak traffic is on its way back to Sharjah so it's the busiest time. Having said that, the roads are much better these days - less people, more buses, more new roads and interchanges are open and it's all helping.

The parking is on pay meters. Dh1 for one hour and I think from memory it's four or five dirhams for two hours.

I can update the info because I went into Bur Dubai this morning.
The massive roadworks in Satwa are finished and if you use Al Wasl Road it's one straight road all the way. At the end of Al Wasl Road you go straight across the big new traffic signal junction and you're on Al Mina Road, which takes you to Carrefour/Shindagah. Keep to the right and turn in when you see the Carrefour building.

Parking is Dh2 for one hour, Dh4 for 2 hours, Dh5 for 3 hours and Dh7 for 4 hours.

Be careful when you drive back, or you'll easily end up in Shindagah Tunnel going to Deira. Stay in the parking area road past Shindagah, Heritage Village etc and do a U-turn at the roundabout at the end of the road.

Colin
Thanks for the update! I went yesterday evening - your directions has been precise and very good. Traffic was smooth until I reach the Shindaga Carrefour area - I missed the turning to Carrefour so I took the risk to drive to Dubai Musuem instead of parking at Carrefour.

This was the "ultimate" test on my driving skills in Dubai and my patience on finding a parking... Anyway, I survived it - we did get to Dubai Museum and parked near the Museum. After that, we had a good tour around the Old Souk / Textile Souk area but we did not cross to the Gold Souk area as it was getting dark.

Thanks very much as this is an "accomplishment" on my part. =)

I'm pleased you enjoyed it and managed to navigate Dubai's traffic!
You could have gone across to the gold souk, I think it's actually seen at its best after dark. Try that next time :-)

Colin,
OK sure! Thanks for the tip! =)