Created in collaboration with Emirati tour guides, these Emirati culture experiences delve deeper into the UAE’s history and heritage.
Your weekends are about to get busier and more fun! The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has created a list of seven authentic Emirati cultural experiences.
Created in collaboration with Emirati tour guides, the experiences will be featured on Airbnb offering residents and visitors the opportunity to delve deeper into the UAE’s history and heritage.
Available to book now, the experiences cover traditional cuisine, bustling souqs, thrilling sports and unforgettable sights. Here’s a list of some of the many things you can experience on this tour.
Savour a traditional meal with an Emirati
Embark on a culinary journey of the UAE with a traditional meal, shared in an Emirati home. The intimate dining experience allows guests to sample local dishes infused with spices and ingredients sourced from across Asia and the Middle East, reflecting the UAE’s strong trading heritage.
Visit a local ranch with an Emirati
Take part in an Arabic coffee (gahwa) and dates educational experience with a visit to a local ranch. Learn about selecting and preparing gahwa, discover the different kinds of animals raised by Bedouins, the etiquette for the Majlis forums, as well as experiencing traditional Emirati songs and dances.
Discover the local date and fish markets with an Emirati
Visit a market to explore the vast variety of dates, while discovering the cultural significance of the fruit. Also, take a tour of the Abu Dhabi Fish Market, a bustling marketplace crowded with restaurants, wholesalers and visitors, to learn about the UAE’s seafaring past, while watching local fishermen unload their catch of the day.
Enjoy a homemade Emirati breakfast
Savour local breakfast dishes such as chebab (crispy Emirati pancakes topped with date syrup or honey) and gahwa, and discover the cultural nuances and activities by trying on traditional clothes, sampling incense and learning about the art of ‘Sanaa’, the unspoken gestures and set behaviours that Emiratis learn from a young age.
Take an Urban Treasure tour
A lively tour of Abu Dhabi’s neighbourhoods to learn about the city’s ‘Urban Treasures’ – the longstanding establishments, including markets, shops and restaurants, which have played a crucial role in shaping the urban culture of the destination. These include Al Ibrahimi Restaurant, Malik & Shaheed Stores, Fish Market, Carpet Souq and many more.
Tour Abu Dhabi by night
Learn about the rise of the modern cosmopolitan heart of the destination on a night-time tour of the city. Meet before the sun goes down on the Corniche, where Emirati guides will share stories of the rise of the city’s iconic skyline as the sun sets, followed by a stop at the Founder’s Memorial, with the tour ending at the Qasr Al Watan light show.
A destination packed with heritage-rich experiences, a bustling contemporary art and culture scene, exhilarating family fun attractions, and a diverse culinary landscape, Abu Dhabi is the ultimate holiday destination for inspiring, exciting and restorative experiences.
For more information, head to visitabudhabi.ae
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