Dubai Museum and Al Fahidi Fort, Dubai (must see)

If you want to peel back Dubai’s glittering skyline and see what life looked like before oil changed everything, head straight—well, figuratively speaking—to the Dubai Museum. Think of it as a time capsule wrapped in palm fronds and cannon smoke.

The museum sits inside Al Fahidi Fort, Dubai’s oldest surviving building, dating back to 1787—back when forts were built square, towers kept watch from three corners, and cannons weren’t just decorative. Step through the east entrance and you’re greeted by the UAE and Dubai flags flapping above two serious-looking cannons, as if still guarding the Creek from pirates. In the courtyard, there’s more artillery, plus an arish—a traditional summer house woven from palm fronds—complete with divans for lounging, a sleeping nook, and a kitchen where you can almost smell the old coffee.

Inside the fortress walls and underground galleries, history unfolds with flair. There’s a full display of weapons, a model of Dubai in 1820, and musical instruments paired with folk music that sounds like it’s drifting in from a village majlis (which is a special hall for receiving guests on formal occasions). One gallery features old maps and short films that rewind the city’s evolution—from pearl divers and dhow captains to skyscraper architects and metro lines.

Speaking of dhows (a lateen-rigged boat with one or two masts, used in the Arabian region), you’ll find one here—full-sized, naturally—alongside a recreated souk, complete with lifelike merchants selling goods as if they expect you to haggle. You’ll also come across a traditional mosque model, a family house, a Bedouin tent (camels included), and a celestial gallery where star maps explain how desert travelers once navigated by starlight rather than Google Maps...

The final stretch takes you into an archaeological diorama at Al Qusais, complete with ancient tombs and skeletons—as close to Indiana Jones as it possibly gets in Dubai.

Sound effects echo through every gallery, making it feel like the fort is alive again—market chatter, boat creaks, desert winds. And yes, there’s a gift shop that’s actually worth browsing.

Once you’ve soaked in the history, wander the nearby Al Fahidi district. Quiet lanes, coral-stone walls, and wind towers make the perfect contrast to the city’s steel and glass.