Nara Nomad launches luxury tours of Dubai’s lesser-known attractions

The team behind the Sonara Camps and Nara Desert Escape is bringing its expertise into the city

The Fashionista tour visits home-grown retail concepts such as o'de rose. Photo: o'de rose

Nara, the team behind the Sonara desert camps, has launched luxury tours of Dubai, with the aim of offering a new perspective of the city.

Nara Nomad offers curated tours, as well as completely bespoke experiences, that shine a spotlight on the emirate’s culinary, retail and cultural attractions. The Foodie tour visits the city’s hidden hotspots, allowing guests to sample both local and international delicacies, including authentic Arabian tea, artisanal chocolate and traditional dishes.

The Artist tour covers Dubai’s most prominent galleries and explores the city’s architectural evolution; while The Origins tour focuses on historical sites, offering insight into how this modern metropolis emerged from the desert.

The idea is to showcase lesser-known aspects of the city. The Fashionista tour of Nara Nomad takes the shopping experience out of large malls and into lesser-known, home-grown venues.

A trip down Jumeirah Beach Road includes stops at places such as Comptoir 102, o'de rose and Kulture House. Guests can also visit the ateliers of local couturiers such as Rami Al Ali, upon request. The tour features a stop at Dubai Design District, to explore its concept stores and designer showrooms, and the city’s hidden strip malls, such as Al Barsha Mall, which is home to the Gigi Concept Store and boutiques specialising in abaya designs.

"Our motto at Nara is: 'Just ask, Nara will make it happen',” says Stephanie Danial, founder of Nara. “I work closely with hotel concierges and they have expressed the lack of exclusive private city tours for their guests, and I felt Nara could bring a new way of seeing Dubai.

“Our aim is to offer bespoke city tours guided by tour guides that live and love Dubai. We want to show Dubai’s true colours, behind the tourist attractions. The real Dubai. I also would like to offer Nara Nomad private hiking tours and very exclusive dhow cruises."

Prices for the tours are from Dh2,500 per car (four guests) for the curated tours and Dh3,500 per car for the bespoke options. The duration of the tours is four hours and includes a private chauffeur and personal guide, who can offer tours in English, French or Italian.

Danial, a former private banker, has lived in Dubai since 2010 and launched Nara Escape in 2018, with the aim of sharing her love of the desert with others, by providing bespoke experiences in the UAE wilderness. Following the success of the Sonara desert camp in Dubai, Danial launched Sonara Camp Al Wadi in Ras Al Khaimah in January and is now bringing her experience-led approach into the city, with Nara Nomad.