Things To Do in the UAE

Two Cities, One Easy Trip

Most visits to the United Arab Emirates split between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, ninety minutes apart by road. Dubai is where the desert safaris, the Burj Khalifa and the marina cruises are, and nearly every tour on this page picks up from a Dubai hotel. Abu Dhabi has the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Louvre and the theme parks of Yas Island, and the most booked way to see them is a day trip from Dubai rather than a change of hotel.

Abu Dhabi Day Trips from Dubai

The premium full-day sightseeing tour is the most reviewed activity in the country. It covers the Grand Mosque, the Corniche, Emirates Palace and the Heritage Village in about nine hours, with pickup included. The version with the Louvre Abu Dhabi adds the museum's silver dome and galleries to the mosque visit, and the small-group trip with the Royal Palace and lunch takes in Qasr Al Watan's white halls. If the mosque is the only stop you want, the five-hour guided mosque tour from Dubai is the shortest option and leaves time for an evening back in the city.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The mosque is free to enter, but tours handle the timing, the dress code and the story behind the world's largest hand-knotted carpet and the chandeliers inside. Women need long sleeves, long trousers or skirt and a headscarf; abayas are lent at the entrance if needed. Late afternoon is the best light, when the white marble turns gold and the pools reflect the domes.

Yas Island Theme Parks

Ferrari World has Formula Rossa, the fastest roller coaster in the world, under its red roof, and the single-day ticket is the standard way in. The multi-park pass combines Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World and Yas Waterworld on one ticket and makes sense for anyone with two or more days on the island. Both parks are mostly indoors, which is the reason they work in July and August when the rest of the country is too hot to be outside.

Desert Safaris

The classic evening safari leaves Dubai around three in the afternoon: dune bashing in a 4x4, a camel ride, sandboarding and sunset over the red dunes, then a barbecue dinner with live shows at a Bedouin-style camp. The quad bike version adds a ride before the dunes. Safaris run year-round and are the most booked activity in the UAE.

When to Go

November to March is the comfortable season, with daytime highs in the mid-twenties Celsius. Summer days pass 40°C, so plan indoor attractions for midday and keep safaris and mosque visits for late afternoon. Friday is the holy day; mosque visiting hours are shorter, and tours adjust their order accordingly.