Hidden Gems Tours in the Middle East, All 8 Compared on Price

1.Oman’s Hidden Gems: Wadi Shab & Bimmah Sinkhole

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 338 reviews · 3 - 9 hours · from $30Our pick

Travel from Muscat to Wadi Shab for a guided hike through dramatic cliffs, swimming pools, and a narrow cave, then enjoy Omani lunch and visit Bimmah Sinkhole. Guides including Mohammed, Rashid, Qais, and Abdullah are praised for careful support. Choose a group or private tour, with pickup options.

“Wadi Shab is amazing, unmissable. Our guide Mohammed was friendly and fun, we had a great group and really enjoyed the day. Communication was great from pickup through the whole day.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Amman Walking Tour: Hidden Gems, Culture & Street Food

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 241 reviews · 3 - 4 hours · from $66Top rated

Meet Hussein or another Huss Travels guide at Gate 1 of Abdali Mall for a 3 to 4 hour introduction to Amman. Visit King Abdullah I Mosque, explore Jebel Al-Weibdeh’s art scene, browse downtown markets, taste Jordanian street food, and see the Roman Theatre. Arabic and English tours are available, with optional hotel pickup.

“Highly recommended if you are interested in local history, culture, and food. We visited mosque, art gallery, hidden local places, local food stores and the Downtown. Between two places we also have meaningful conversations about history, politics and culture.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Private Tour with Locals – Highlights & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 84 reviews · 3 hours · from $124

Meet your English-speaking local host outside Sharaf DG metro station for a three-hour small-group tour of old Dubai. Visit Dubai Creek, the Spice and Gold Souk, Coffee Museum, and Sheikh Saeed al Maktoum house, with transport and a local drink or tasting included. Guides such as Ali, Kasim, Orlina, and Gomez have led past tours.

“Our tour guide was Kassim. Kassim is very friendly and knowledgeable. He made the tour very enjoyable and he was very patient and explained everything thoroughly. He went above and beyond. He waited almost 30 minutes for my daughter and I to arrive to the pick up point due to miscommunication on my end. He also extended the tour to last longer to make sure we covered everything. He made sure we made it from point A to point B safely. I really enjoyed Kassim and if I ever come back to Dubai I hope I can book a tour with him again!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Bethlehem Alternative Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 77 reviews

Spend three to five hours with Dani of Dani Alternative Tours, learning about Bethlehem’s past and present through refugee camps, the Separation Wall, political murals, Shepherds’ Fields, the Church of the Nativity, and Banksy’s Walled-Off Hotel. The private tour costs $90 for a group of up to one person, includes an air-conditioned vehicle, and can include Herodium by request.

“I had the privilege of being on the first tour since the war in Gaza started back in October. I recommend this tour because you will see and learn things many normal tours won't tell you about when you go to Bethlehem. Unfortunately, we didn't get to walk around too mucRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Old Dubai Heritage Tour: Souks, Mosques & more hidden gems!

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 72 reviews · 5 hours · from $49

See Dubai beyond its towers on a five-hour English-language tour with hotel pickup. Visit Jumeirah Mosque and Zabeel Palace, walk through Al Bastakiya, cross Dubai Creek by abra, and browse the Spice and Gold Souks. Guide Tarek has earned praise for clear explanations, though the pace leaves little time at some stops.

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Hatta Mountain Tour Discoverd Hidden Dubai Gems

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 37 reviews · from $125

Leave Dubai for a six-hour private 4WD trip through the Hajar Mountains. You’ll visit Hatta Rock Pools, Heritage Village, Leem Lake, Hill Park, the Honey Bee Discovery Center, and Hatta Dam. Swimming, kayaking, and bee-center admission cost extra, and Hatta Wadi Hub may close in summer.

“Most of the attractions were closed. The only good attraction was the Dam but they take you around midday which the hottest part of the day. I stopped the tour midway and asked the driver to return back. That’s how miserable the whole trip was”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Hidden Gems & Underground Local Neighborhoods Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $63

Join Majd Nabulsi at Amman’s First Circle for a walking tour through local neighborhoods, street art, cafés, markets, galleries, workshops, and food stops. You’ll hear candid stories about Jordanian life, collect practical tips, and finish back at the meeting point. A rooftop wine or beer tasting is available by request for an added cost.

“To say Majd is the best person to get to know the ins and out of the city would be an understatement! We had an excellent time with Majd, he was more than a tour guide but became a friend to us, he showed us all the bazaars, amazing places to buy Jordanian stuff from and helped us get a good price everywhere...If you do not know where to start you should definitely book a tour with him. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the tour had everything-history, food, culture, shopping and so many conversations+ his cat Baba who is the most adorable creature!!! 1000% recommendRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.AlUla: Discover AlUla Like a Local Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · 8 hours · from $296

Spend eight private hours seeing AlUla with a local guide such as Turki, Fahad, or Abdullah. Visit Hegra’s Nabataean tombs, AlUla Old Town, Elephant Rock, and Maraya, with transport, entry tickets, and hotel pickup included. The flexible schedule suits photographers, older visitors, and anyone who wants local advice along the way.

“Abdullah was a great guide. very knowledgeable. Good driver. Very friendly and helpful. He take care us as his own family. We are more than 60 years old. We travel alone and feel very safe and secured under Abdullah.”

Check availability →Read our full review