Today, someone asked me what I do for a living.
I said: “I’ve been a guide in Dubai for eight years, and a travel agent for over twenty.”
They looked at me, a little puzzled:
— “Really? I didn’t know people needed a guide in Dubai!”
So, for that person (and maybe for you who’s reading this), I wanted to give a proper answer here.
What’s the difference between the two?
Some say there isn’t one.
But if you ask ChatGPT (yes, I actually did 😄), it says this:
The tourist looks at a landscape.
The traveler walks through it.
And sometimes, they change along the way.
And that’s exactly it.
The tourist is the one who wants to see.
They tick off landmarks, follow TikTok itineraries, book on GetYourGuide, take photos, and go home with nice visual memories.
The traveler, on the other hand, wants to feel.
To understand the culture, talk to locals, taste, touch, smell… to live the country from the inside out.
2. What I’ve Learned in Twenty Years on the Ground
After twenty years as a travel professional and eight as a local guide in Dubai, I’ve seen every kind of traveler:
families, couples, adventurers…
And with time, I realized there are really two types of people:
The one who plans everything alone, armed with a travel book and Instagram reels, determined to see as much as possible in the shortest time.
And the one who wants to experience the country beyond the clichés.
The first one just “sees” Dubai.
The second wants to discover the Emirates — or Oman — their villages, their traditions, their people.
And that’s where having a local guide makes all the difference.
Because with a guide, you don’t just see places.
You understand their story, meaning, and little details that others completely miss.
You get to see behind the scenes of local life.
3. What You’ll Never See Without a Guide
A guide isn’t just someone who talks.
It’s someone who opens doors Google Maps doesn’t even know exist.
Here are a few examples:
Go to Abu Dhabi’s fish market, pick your fish right from the stall and have it cooked on the spot while chatting with fishermen who’ve lived here for thirty years.
Sip a sweet karak chai (local tea) with a crispy shawarma at a tiny cafeteria in Deira.
Learn how to recognize spices, understand their medicinal uses (no, they’re not just for taste 😏).
Watch traditional wooden boats being built by hand in a small Omani village.
Dance to local Emirati rhythms during the winter fair, surrounded by locals who welcome you into their circle.
Sleep under the stars in the fjords of Musandam.
Visit a camel farm, learn to milk, feed, and train these gentle giants (and by the way, in Latin it’s Dromedarius camelius — so yes, I take every right to call it a “camel” instead of a “dromedary” 😉).
Stop on a small mountain road in Hatta to watch a mechanic fixing an old engine with bare hands.
And even Dubai’s own residents, those living in glass towers and villas on the Palm Jumeirah, we’ve managed to pull them out of their comfort zones!
Yes, you read that right.
We’ve organized farm workshops for them — learning to cook traditional Emirati dishes in the ground, milking goats, sharing meals by the fire under the palm trees…
That’s the magic of a guide: helping you experience things you never imagined possible.
4. Why Choose a Local Agency
Of course, you can always book online — grab an activity from GetYourGuide or Viator.
But those tours are standardized: same routes, same timings, same stops.
At Alturis Tours, we do things differently.
We’re both guides and local DMC experts — and that changes everything!
Because no two travelers are the same.
Some love culture, others seek adventure, others prefer luxury or relaxation.
A local guide will adapt your itinerary — based on the weather, unexpected moments, your energy that day —
and show you more than you ever planned to see, without rushing you, without selling you a “perfect Instagram trip.”
5. In Conclusion
If you just want to say “I’ve seen Dubai,”
take a photo in front of the Burj Khalifa, grab a Starbucks, and you’re done.
But if you want to live Dubai, the UAE, and Oman —
to understand their soul, feel their scents, listen to their stories — then let yourself be guided.
Because traveling with a guide isn’t an extra.
It’s the key to a real journey.
And that’s exactly what we do at Alturis Tours:
We don’t just show you a country.
We make you feel it. 🌍
So pack your stuff and Habibi, come to Dubai ! – With Love, Cyndie – your tourguide in Dubai.
