The restored quarter of coral-and-gypsum houses with wind towers, courtyard cafés and small galleries. It is the oldest surviving piece of Dubai and the easiest place to understand what the city was before oil.
What it costs: free to walk. The Dubai Museum in Al Fahidi Fort charges a small entry fee.
Our advice: come early in the morning. The lanes have almost no shade and by midday they are punishing. Combine it with an abra crossing to Deira and the souks.