Experience Dubai's past and present: Cruise Dubai Canal in a petrol heritage abra (Only Dh25!)
Affordable, scenic, and family-friendly: Find out timings, cost and route.
Dubai: Experience the Dubai Water Canal and the city’s modern skyline aboard the petrol heritage abra from Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
Visitors can glide along the water and enjoy panoramic views of the city skyline, all from the comfort of a traditional wooden abra.
So, whether you are a budget traveler or looking for a unique family-friendly activity in Dubai, here is all you need to know.
Unbeatable Views: Capture panoramas of Dubai’s iconic landmarks
The traditional boat ride offers a scenic route of key landmarks, like the Burj Khalifa, Business Bay Canal and Dubai Water Canal. This affordable adventure offers a smooth, comfortable ride for up to 20 passengers.
45-minute route
The entire cruise is a 45-minute round trip that starts from Sheikh Zayed Road Marine Transport Station, and goes towards the Business Bay area or the Dubai Canal Entrance before turning back.
Easy access - Dubai Metro connection
The marine station is located near Business Metro Station, which is 10 minutes away by taxi.
Timings: Daily, 4 to 11pm (last trip at 10.15pm).
Cost:
Dh25 per person for the round trip. Children below the age of two travel for free.
Private option: You can also rent the entire abra for Dh300 per hour for a personalised experience.
Explore more: Discover Dubai's cityscape with additional RTA Ferry routes.
Another way you can discover Dubai’s cityscape is on the RTA Ferry, which has six major routes that take you from one end of the city to the other. From the ferry, you can enjoy views of the most popular tourist destinations of the city, including Dubai Creek, Burj Al Arab and Atlantis, The Palm.
For Dubai Canal, you can take the FR1 route, which takes you from the Canal to either Al Ghubaiba in Bur Dubai or Dubai Marina.
To find out more about the Dubai Ferry routes, timings and tickets, read our guide here.