Dubai Creek: Dhow Dinner Cruise & Tanura Show

Dinner on a Traditional Dhow: Two Hours Floating Past Dubai's Lit-Up Waterfront

You board a traditional dhow at Dubai Creek around 8pm and spend 90 minutes cruising while eating from a buffet of barbecued and international dishes. The lower deck is air-conditioned, the upper deck is open to the night air, and the Tanura dancing happens while you're on the water. Soft drinks and coffee are unlimited, and the whole evening is included in one ticket.

Step-by-step itinerary

Dubai Creek Dhow Dinner Cruise

• Arrive at Dubai Creek
• Receive welcome non-alcoholic drink
• Board air-conditioned lower or open-air upper deck
• Enjoy two-hour dhow cruise
• View Dubai landmarks at night
• Eat international and Asian buffet dinner
• Drink unlimited soft drinks and tea
• Listen to background music
• Watch Tanoura dance show

The experience

What happens when you trade a restaurant table for the deck of a wooden boat that traders used centuries ago? You get the kind of evening that feels both old and completely modern at once. The dhow cruise on Dubai Creek starts around 8 or 8:30pm near Bur Dubai, and from the moment you step aboard, you're in two places at once. Sitting in air-conditioned comfort below deck or up in the open air, watching the city's lights reflect off the water while the boat moves slowly through the creek. A welcome drink arrives first, non-alcoholic, and then the buffet opens: barbecued dishes, vegetarian options, Asian and international spreads. You eat while the boat drifts, and the buildings of Dubai slide past your table.

The cruise lasts about 90 minutes, which is long enough to feel unhurried but short enough that you're not sitting around waiting for something to happen. There's live music in the background, and at some point during the evening, the Tanura show starts. That's the spinning skirt performance, the one where a dancer in a massive embroidered skirt spins so fast the fabric becomes a blur of color. It's the kind of thing that sounds a bit touristy when you read about it, but watching it happen a few meters away while you're floating on a creek in Dubai, it lands differently. The lower deck is fully air-conditioned if the evening heat gets to you, and the upper deck is open-air if you want the breeze and the full view of the water and the skyline.

Soft drinks, water, tea and coffee come unlimited throughout, so you're not managing thirst or making choices about what to order. The whole thing is built so you show up, board the dhow, and everything else (the food, the drinks, the entertainment, the timing) is already decided. You don't arrange transport separately unless you add it on. The ticket alone gets you the cruise itself.

What’s included

• Dinner with a buffet of barbecued, international and Asian dishes (vegetarian and non-vegetarian options).
• welcome non-alcoholic drink on arrival.
• unlimited soft drinks, mineral water, tea and coffee.
• snacks.
• background music and Tanura show performance.
• access to both air-conditioned lower deck and open-air upper deck.
• approximately 90 minutes of cruising departing around 8 or 8:30pm from Bur Dubai and Deira creek area.

Options for this experience

3 options

Option 119:00

Option 219:00

Option 319:00

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 19:00

AgesAdult (13 to 98 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3): free

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Ruby Tourism LLC

Is this one for you?Book this if you want dinner with a view and entertainment all in one evening without deciding where to eat or what to order. The dhow cruise handles the food, the drinks, the show and the timing, so you just arrive and settle in.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

What time does the Dubai Creek dhow cruise depart?

The cruise departs around 8 or 8:30pm from near Bur Dubai and Deira creek area.

How long is the cruise?

Approximately 90 minutes of cruising.

Is the dhow air-conditioned?

Yes. There's a fully air-conditioned lower deck and an open-air upper deck, so you can choose where to sit.

What food is served on the dhow cruise?

A buffet with barbecued dishes, international and Asian options, and both vegetarian and non-vegetarian selections.

What drinks are included?

A welcome non-alcoholic drink on arrival, plus unlimited soft drinks, mineral water, tea and coffee throughout the cruise.

Is entertainment included?

Yes. Background music plays throughout, and the Tanura show (traditional spinning skirt performance) is part of the evening.

Do I need to arrange transport to the dhow?

Transport is optional. The ticket price is for the cruise only. Transfers can be added separately if needed.