Not as big as I expected. Similar to other bazaars in Arab countries or Turkey. A mixture of aromas and heavy smells, of beauty and misery. You can't walk quietly, the shopkeepers are constantly harassing you, trying to make you buy all kinds of things from them. Tiring! Beware of charlatans, they ask for inflated prices!

In many ways the old souk in Bur Dubai feels like a relief from the glitzy modern town. Individual entrepeneurship results in many different stalls and small shops selling souvenirs, spices, clothes, jewelry and what not. Mainly run by people who originate from the Indian subcontinent be prepared for tricks, though there are fair business dealers as well. Do not start bargaining, if you have no clue about what is a reasonable price. Vendors often start asking exorbitant amounts of money for junk.

Nice place to wander, a bit Dubai meets Disney, as it’s clearly not authentic but made to look very Aladdin but fun never the less. Some of the prices seem inflated but there are bargains to be had, and against all reviews that say you can’t haggle, try. We got some movement on prices, and the traders are really nice if cheeky! You will be swamped with the coach tours, but there are plenty of side alleys and shops to slip into to avoid the camera phone waving hoards.

This was somewhere high on my priority list because I wanted to be immersed in local culture. This certainly achieved that but is definitely overwhelming. There are lots of stands and the sellers will try any tactic to get you inside including physically grabbing you, steal my husbands hat so he had to go back inside to retrieve it and dressing you up for a picture then trying to convince you to buy it because they already dressed you in it. There are some lovely spices and souvenirs but we preferred to buy from people that let us shop without the harassment. Be really careful visiting if you have anxiety.