Historical Tours
1–2 hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 97% of travelers
97% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$37
per adult
Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
4.5
Full view
About
The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) invites visitors and residents alike to learn about the local culture, customs and religion through its various interactive programmes under the banner and motto of the centre, "Open doors. Open minds.". The SMCCU offers Cultural Breakfast Monday & Wednesday at 10am, Cultural Lunch Sunday through Thursday at 1pm, Dinner every Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday night at 7pm and Saturday Brunch at 10:30am. We also offer Tours of the historic district every Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday at 10:30am and Saturday at 9am which includes a visit inside the Mosque near the Ruler's Court. We also offer educational courses and programmes for students and adults, and arrange private group tours and cultural events for your groups and institutions. Pre-booking and reservations can be made on our website or by contacting our office directly.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Historical Tours
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$52
per adult
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,316 reviews
Excellent
926
Very good
291
Average
72
Poor
17
Terrible
10
Zack L
2 contributions
May 2023 • Family
Came for brunch with my whole family. Abdullah and Yusef were great hosts, open and willing to answer any and all questions graciously and with lots of enthusiasm. Great food as well. Definitely worth a visit!
Written May 12, 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.
It's great to know that you had a splendid time! Hoping to see you back soon :)!
Written May 15, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lis P
4 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Hammad, Fajad and Noora were very nice and welcoming with me and my family! They dressed up my parents with some of the traditional outfits available at the centre, took pictures with them and made us feel like home. They also explain us all the experiences the center offers to get to know the emirates culture. We definitely recommend this place and it’s staff!
Written October 22, 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.
Thank you so much for this lovely feedback.
You're more than welcome to come again =)
Written November 1, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Viktoria B
2 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
A big thank you to Yousef our tour guide he has been so kind and positive in taking us via Old Dubai. Was an incredible experience. Heritage Experts are the best in regards to discovering Old Dubai! Thank you we had a great time with our family.
Written November 22, 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.
eurotraveler
Boston, MA187 contributions
Jan 2011
Was in Dubai in January on a business trip and had limited time for sight-seeing. Discovered the tours and cultural exchanges offer by the Sheik Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding and am very pleased that I spent what time I had for touring with them.
Booked three events on a Sunday (not all tours are offered on each day, so do your homework) -- Mosque Visit, Tour of the Bastakiya Quarter, and the Luncheon/Discussion.
Started with the Mosque tour on Sunday morning. Was joined by about 75 others on the program, which featured a full explanation of Islamic prayer practices and the features of the Mosque. The program coordinators then answered any questions posed from the audience. It was very informal and quite illuminating -- very interesting.
I then caught a cab to the Center's office, located in the Basakiay Quarter, where both the tour and luncheon are held. The tour was led by two young residents of Dubai, dressed in traditional clothing - The tour takes you through the last remaining remnants of old Dubai, providing information on the city's history and traditional architecture.
Then, it was on to the Center's headquarters for the luncheon, featuring traditional UAE fare and held in the building's courtyard. Here, we heard from one of the directors of the Center, who wore traditoinal clothing and discussed both men and women's clothing and roles in society. Many of the topics covered at the Mosque were discussed here, however, it was still all very interesting. The food was quite good and the discussion very helpful to a visitor from the US.
The staff here is very helpful and will provide information on other things to do in "Dubai. I was able to leave the Center and take a 10 minute walk to the abra pier where I took a very inexpensive ride to other side of the creek, where I visited the Gold and Spice Souks.
The SMCCU is a good value and will help you understand life and society in the UAE. I recommend taking part in their tours and activities. Very reasonably priced and informative.
Booked three events on a Sunday (not all tours are offered on each day, so do your homework) -- Mosque Visit, Tour of the Bastakiya Quarter, and the Luncheon/Discussion.
Started with the Mosque tour on Sunday morning. Was joined by about 75 others on the program, which featured a full explanation of Islamic prayer practices and the features of the Mosque. The program coordinators then answered any questions posed from the audience. It was very informal and quite illuminating -- very interesting.
I then caught a cab to the Center's office, located in the Basakiay Quarter, where both the tour and luncheon are held. The tour was led by two young residents of Dubai, dressed in traditional clothing - The tour takes you through the last remaining remnants of old Dubai, providing information on the city's history and traditional architecture.
Then, it was on to the Center's headquarters for the luncheon, featuring traditional UAE fare and held in the building's courtyard. Here, we heard from one of the directors of the Center, who wore traditoinal clothing and discussed both men and women's clothing and roles in society. Many of the topics covered at the Mosque were discussed here, however, it was still all very interesting. The food was quite good and the discussion very helpful to a visitor from the US.
The staff here is very helpful and will provide information on other things to do in "Dubai. I was able to leave the Center and take a 10 minute walk to the abra pier where I took a very inexpensive ride to other side of the creek, where I visited the Gold and Spice Souks.
The SMCCU is a good value and will help you understand life and society in the UAE. I recommend taking part in their tours and activities. Very reasonably priced and informative.
Written February 13, 2011
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.
Ale87440
New York City, NY97 contributions
I was really looking forward to this visit to understand better how to see the multiple cultural differences vs western attitude. Never been more disappointes- I felt it was a brainwashing session. I will not express any further judgment but report some of the things said.
The burka os a confortable way to dress
Covering the face helps again sum
Islamic banking is etter than normal banking
Terrorism is just a result of media
Make up your own opinion...I really did not felt engaged in this discussion!
The burka os a confortable way to dress
Covering the face helps again sum
Islamic banking is etter than normal banking
Terrorism is just a result of media
Make up your own opinion...I really did not felt engaged in this discussion!
Written January 22, 2014
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.
Desislava K
Dubai, UAE7 contributions
I've lived in Dubai for 3 years now and the iftar dinner last night at SMCCU was one of the best things I've done here! Our hosts at the centre, all locals, were so friendly and hospitable! They sat with us for dinner and were more than happy to talk about their customs, religion, lifestyle, cuisine, fashion... They encouraged us to ask inconvenient questions and there was no taboo subject! All of them had a fabulous sense of humour, but some of them are so funny that they should be moonlighting as standup comedians :) After dinner we were taken to the mosque nearby (my first time in a mosque!), on a quick tour around the Bastakiya and we came back to the villa for deserts, tea, coffee, more conversations, better cultural understanding and heaps of laughter.
An amazing experience that I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Dubai! Last night we learnt more about the place we live in than in all the years we've spent here...
An amazing experience that I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Dubai! Last night we learnt more about the place we live in than in all the years we've spent here...
Written September 2, 2010
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.
K Wang
Hong Kong, China240 contributions
I oroginally wanted to sign up for the Culture on Wheels & Brunch on a Saturday morning but it wasn't available. I was offered the culture tour and brunch instead. It was informative and offered a safe zone to ask questions about Islam culture which I really appreciated. The site where the tour was conducted was small. It was a group of old houses being preserved. The brunch also offered a taste of local flavor and vegetarian dishes are available though I didn't specify that during signup.
One potential downside could be that you didn't feel like having walked much after the talk because it was mainly sitting, eating and chatting!
One potential downside could be that you didn't feel like having walked much after the talk because it was mainly sitting, eating and chatting!
Written May 16, 2022
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.
Dear 7wangs, thank you for joining our programs at the centre and your comment is appreciated. The heritage tour offered usually has a 30 minute walk in the neighbourhood but since the summer season in the UAE is quite hot, we try to make our guests not feel too weary and tired from the walk outside, but we do apologize for the inconvenience. Hope to see again at the centre 😊.
Written September 26, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BrianIsAddicted
Pyongyang, North Korea25 contributions
Feb 2015 • Business
First off, I am no fan of Islam, but I went there (part of my job to get to know Dubai) hoping to learn something I didn't know before. Instead I was served a disgustingly cold breakfast, and what's worse, being subject to almost an hour of "enlightening" discussion about Islam by someone truly arrogant and full of himself. A lot of poorly conceived humour and I went away feeling even worse about the religion than ever before.
Written March 16, 2015
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.
BornToSleep
United Kingdom44 contributions
The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding is like an oasis of calm and reality in Dubai. This centre is probably the only place in Dubai that a tourist can see what 'real' Emirati culture is about, rather than just the malls, beach, bars & restaurants. It's also probably the only place you can interact with Emiraitis and ask all the questions you're desperate to know the answers to. They have cultural lunches and breakfasts, guided walking tours of the Bastakiya area, guided visits to Jumeirah Mosque and Question & Answer sessions, all mainly hosted by Emiratis. All the activities need to be booked in advance but a quick phone call or email sorts that out ([--]or [--]). We loved our visit to the centre and would encourage everyone to go and sample the real Dubai!
Written March 20, 2010
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.
Cella-Flavia
Timisoara, Romania21 contributions
Jan 2013 • Couples
We decided to book the 90 min heritage tour based on the reviews on tripadvisor. We were not disappointed! The tour was great and we were given lots of interesting details and information regarding the islamic culture and the ordinary life in the emirates. It's a pity that the tours are not everyday and there is only one session per day!
Important: booking is required, but you can also book online on their website
Important: booking is required, but you can also book online on their website
Written January 4, 2013
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.
Hi i want to buy culture tour and culture meal for haft day. Please suggest us which packages i should chose. Thanks you. We are now in Dubai
Written February 22, 2020
Each of these are about two hours long if you were to do both you would be there from 10-2 or 10-3.
Check the times on the website.
Written February 23, 2020
Can we leave our luggage with you while we do one of the tours?
Written September 2, 2018
I think its yes because they do have a lot of rooms nearby with lockers. As well nearby they do have oriental house hotel which is 3 star and you can leave there, not really expensive 250 AED which in $ approx 69-75 USD.
Written September 2, 2018
Tenho que reservar antes? Onde encontro maiores informações sobre horários, dias e valores?
Written August 21, 2018
AASQ
Dammam, Saudi Arabia
How match is the take price and is it good for family or not
Written July 8, 2018
What are the hours on Sunday? Also, is there a specific time frame for people to enter who ARE NOT doing tours but simply want to go in? Thanks in advance!
Written May 6, 2018
Good afternoon, Museum hours, 10:00am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday. Please keep in mind that it is now Ramadan timings here in the UAE. Tourists can visit the Museum for Iftar dinner in the evenings during this time (from 19 May to 12 June) from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the evenings. Single visitors are also welcomed. You can book online. You can also choose the option of traditional food, to be added to your tour. Food served at certain times. Hope the answer will be helpful. Regards,
Written May 18, 2018
Hola, me podrian informar si los tours y las comidas culturales pueden ser guiadas en español?
Written June 2, 2017
What was the menu ?
And can you please explain this whole thing in detail ?
Thank You.
Written March 6, 2017
we did not eat there, we were allowed to do a walking tour through the entire complex. Found it very easy to walk around and it was quite interesting. No charge
Written March 6, 2017
hye! i & family will visiting dubai early of march. is that possible if we want to go around sheikh mohammad, al bastakiya and nearby for free without joining the tour talk? is there any limitations that we cannot go without the tour guide? we are planning to only join the emirates culture food either breakfast or lunch. is it better to book online or walk in? thankyou for helping !
Written February 12, 2017
Greetings,
Thank you for your interest. It's is always best to pre book your experience. Kindly visit our website for guidance.
Our OpenDoorsOpenMinds programs are exceptional. We hope to see you there!
Written February 19, 2017
I will be traveling with my family to dubai and am interested in the Iftar at the cultural center but am wondering how long the entire tour and dinner lasts? Thank you
Written March 17, 2016
Hi I'm sorry i only did the cultural talk in the mosque and it didn't include dinner.
Written March 18, 2016
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