Dubai cruise guide
6 min read
Dubai's evening cruises come in two settings. On the Creek, the old heart of the city, you dine aboard a traditional wooden dhow. At the Marina, the modern waterfront of towers and open Gulf, you sail a yacht. We sell a dhow dinner cruise on the Creek and two yachts from the Marina side, but no Marina dhow. This guide sets out what each includes, when it sails and who it suits, from Visit Dubai's pages and our own.
| If you | Go with |
|---|---|
| Want old Dubai and dinner | Creek dhowIt sails the historic Creek past the Deira wharves, with a buffet dinner, live music and a tanoura show. |
| Want the Marina skyline | A Marina yachtBoth our yachts leave from the Marina side and pass Bluewaters Island and Ain Dubai. |
| Want drinks and a DJ | Marina superyachtSoft and alcoholic drinks are included, with a live DJ; our Creek dhow serves no alcohol. |
| Want to swim | Marina superyachtIt anchors for a swim stop, with an inflatable pool alongside. |
| Want an afternoon on the water | Marina shared yachtIt sails at 16:00 for two hours, with a snack and a drink, shared with other guests. |
| Are travelling with small children | Creek dhow or superyachtThe dhow takes children from 2, and under 5s sail free on the superyacht; the shared yacht takes children from 3. |
| Have limited mobility | Check with us firstThe shared yacht has gangway boarding and steps between decks, and the dhow is boarded with a short step down. |
| Want a Marina dhow | Not one of oursWe sell the Creek dhow; on the Marina side we sell yachts, not a dhow. |
| Just want to be on the Creek | The public abraIt crosses the Creek for AED 1 in about five minutes. |
Visit Dubai sets out the choice: sail Dubai Creek, in the heart of Deira, the city's oldest district, for a taste of its history, or tour the Marina for its famous skyscrapers. It says dinner cruises usually last two to three hours, and that spaces fill fast in the peak season, so book ahead.
The Creek is where the city grew. It has been used for fishing and trade for millennia, and until the first bridge was built across it in 1963, the only way over was by boat.
The Marina side is the modern waterfront: towers on both banks, then the open Gulf. Both our yachts head out past Bluewaters Island and Ain Dubai, with views of Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab.
Our dhow boards at the Al Seef jetty and sails at 20:00 for two hours, past the Deira wharves where wooden cargo dhows are still loaded by hand. The lower deck is air-conditioned and the upper deck is open; upper-deck seats are not reserved and fill first.
Dinner is an international buffet with vegetarian dishes, with a welcome drink, soft drinks and tea, and the evening has live music and a tanoura show. No alcohol is served. The Creek is sheltered, so the sailing is calm.
Visit Dubai says Al Seef is a 10-minute walk from BurJuman station on the Metro's Red Line.
The shared yacht leaves Dubai Harbour at 16:00 for two hours, out through the Marina and past Bluewaters Island and Ain Dubai, with views of Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab. A snack and a drink are included, and you share the boat with other guests.
The superyacht is 42 metres long over three decks, and sails three times a day, at 13:00, 17:00 and 21:00, for three hours each time. A live DJ plays, a chef runs a live cooking station, and soft and alcoholic drinks are included. It anchors for a swim stop with an inflatable pool, children aged 5 to 12 travel at a reduced fare, and under 5s sail free.
Neither yacht includes hotel transfers, so you make your own way to the marina. On UAE dry days the superyacht pauses its entertainment and serves no alcohol, in line with government guidelines.
If you simply want to be on the Creek, the public abra crosses between Bur Dubai and Deira for AED 1, or AED 2 in an air-conditioned boat. Visit Dubai says the crossing takes about five minutes, that the boats run every few minutes from around 6am, and that a private abra along the Creek costs AED 120 an hour.
Arrive early: the dhow asks you to be there at least 15 minutes before departure, the shared yacht 20 and the superyacht 30, and none of them can wait for late arrivals.
Bring a light layer, because it is cooler on the open deck once the sun is down. Smart casual is fine on the dhow and the superyacht; on the shared yacht, flat soft-soled shoes are best, and the crew may ask you to remove heels.
The shared yacht has gangway boarding and steps between decks, so it is not suitable for wheelchair users, and the dhow is boarded with a short step down.
Our current prices are on the cards above, and each cruise's page shows its terms before you pay.
An evening on Dubai Creek aboard a traditional wooden dhow, refitted over two decks for dining. The lower deck is air-conditioned and laid with tables; the upper deck is open, and it is where most guests end up, because the whole appeal is the water. The two-hour sailing follows the Creek through the oldest part of the city - the stretch where Dubai's trade actually began - past the Deira wharves, where working cargo dhows are still tied up and loaded by hand, and between the illuminated buildings on both banks. Dinner is an international buffet with vegetarian dishes alongside the grills and curries, and a welcome drink, soft drinks and tea are included. Live entertainment runs through the evening, including a tanoura spinning performance. It is a straightforward, good-value first night in Dubai and works equally as a family dinner or a quiet one for two. Boarding is in the early evening at the Creek jetty; arrive a little ahead of departure, as the boat leaves on time.
From
AED 50
per person
Two hours on a shared yacht is the easiest way to see the parts of Dubai that face the water - and most of the landmarks do. You cast off into Dubai Marina, where the towers close in tight on both sides, then head out past Dubai Harbour and Bluewaters Island with Ain Dubai turning above you. From there the route runs along Jumeirah Beach, around the fronds of Palm Jumeirah, past the royal palaces and the private island, and out to the Burj Al Arab standing on its own artificial island - the most photographed building in the city, seen from the side it was designed to be seen from. A snack and a drink are included. Because the boat is shared rather than chartered, it costs a fraction of a private hire while covering exactly the same water.
From
AED 397
per person
Spend an afternoon or an evening aboard a 42-metre tri-deck superyacht, cruising out of Dubai Marina past the Palm, Ain Dubai and the Burj Al Arab. It is the kind of boat most people only ever see from the shore, and for a few hours you have the run of it: three decks, a red-carpet departure and room to move rather than a seat in a row. A live DJ plays throughout, a chef works an open cooking station, and drinks are included in the fare. When the yacht anchors you can swim straight off the back into the Gulf, with an inflatable pool alongside for anyone who would rather stay out of open water. Three sailings run each day, so pick the one that suits you: Brunch at 1pm for the long lunch, Sundowner at 5pm for the light on the skyline, or Nightfall at 9pm once the marina towers are lit. Each lasts three hours. Children aged 5 to 12 travel at a reduced fare and under-fives sail free.
From
AED 642
per person
It depends on the evening you want. Visit Dubai points to the Creek for a taste of Dubai's history and to the Marina for its skyscrapers. Our Creek dhow is a buffet dinner with a tanoura show; our Marina yachts trade that for the skyline, Bluewaters Island and the Palm.
No. We sell the Creek dhow, and on the Marina side a shared yacht and a superyacht.
Ours sails at 20:00 for two hours. Visit Dubai says dinner cruises usually last two to three hours.
Not on our Creek dhow. Our Marina superyacht includes alcoholic drinks, except on UAE dry days.
At the Al Seef jetty on Dubai Creek. Visit Dubai says Al Seef is a 10-minute walk from BurJuman station on the Metro's Red Line.
Our Creek dhow takes children from 2 and the shared yacht from 3. On the superyacht, children aged 5 to 12 pay a reduced fare and under 5s sail free.
On our superyacht, yes: it anchors for a swim stop, with an inflatable pool alongside.
The public abra: AED 1 a crossing, or AED 2 in an air-conditioned boat, in about five minutes. A private abra costs AED 120 an hour, Visit Dubai says.
Smart casual on the dhow and the superyacht, and flat soft-soled shoes on the shared yacht. Bring a light layer: it is cooler on deck once the sun is down.
Checked on Visit Dubai's official pages on 23 September 2026. Our boarding points, times and inclusions come from our own cruises. Sources: Visit Dubai: Dinner cruise in Dubai · Visit Dubai: Things you didn't know about Dubai Creek · Visit Dubai: Abra creek crossing · Visit Dubai: Al Seef · Visit Dubai: Dubai Harbour
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