UAE: the guide for planning it yourself
The United Arab Emirates is made up of seven emirates, and a vacation works differently in each of them. The capital of the country is Abu Dhabi, while Dubai receives the most visitors. This page is meant as an overview from which you put the trip together yourself. Each section says in a few sentences what matters here and points on to our detailed articles. We deliberately give no prices: hotel rates in the Emirates depend heavily on the season, and tickets to the observation decks are sold by time slot, so the amount changes from hour to hour. Instead you get a calculator in which you work out your own total.
The main sights and how to spread them out
Most of the famous places are in Dubai: the Burj Khalifa skyscraper, the Dubai Mall with its aquarium, the man-made island of Palm Jumeirah, the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel, the indoor ski resort Ski Dubai, and the old town by Dubai Creek with its gold souk and spice souk.
The second essential stop is in the capital. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is the largest mosque in the country: admission is free, people of any faith are welcome, you arrange the visit with an online access pass on the official website, and women are given an abaya and a shayla at the entrance.
If skyscrapers are not enough for you, look north and east. In Ras Al Khaimah, on Jebel Jais, the highest peak in the country, runs the Jais Flight zipline, listed in the Guinness World Records as the longest in the world. Fujairah has Al Badiyah Mosque, the oldest in the region, and the oasis city of Al Ain is known for Jebel Hafeet mountain and a large zoo.
Our articles on this
- Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi: what to see inside and how to get there from Dubai
- What to see in Dubai: 30 places from Burj Khalifa to Deira markets
- Sail hotel in Dubai: how Burj Al Arab works and how to get inside
- 20 Best beaches in the UAE: where to swim for free and which one to choose
- Ras Al Khaimah: flight over the canyon and mountain routes
Emirates and resorts: where to go
First decide which coast you need. The west coast on the Persian Gulf means Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah. The east coast on the Gulf of Oman means Fujairah, Khor Fakkan, Dibba and Kalba: it is quieter there, with more greenery and mountains, and in summer the air is drier than in the west.
Dubai is the choice for a first trip, a vacation with children and shopping: the rules here are the most relaxed in the country, but prices are higher too. Abu Dhabi is calmer, with the mosque, museums and Yas Island, home to theme parks and the Formula 1 circuit. Sharjah means museums, inexpensive beaches and strict rules on clothing and alcohol. Ajman offers a quiet beach close to Dubai.
Ras Al Khaimah combines beaches with the Hajar Mountains, but without a car it is hard to get around the mountains and forts there. People pick Fujairah for diving and a calm sea, mountainous Hatta for its lakes and a short trip out of Dubai, and Sir Bani Yas Island for its wildlife park.
| Emirate or resort | Who it suits | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | First trip, vacation with children, shopping | The most relaxed rules in the country, but higher prices |
| Abu Dhabi | A calmer vacation, museums, theme parks on Yas Island | About 140 km from Dubai, the parks are best given a separate day |
| Sharjah | Museums and inexpensive beaches | Strict rules on clothing, alcohol is not sold at all |
| Ajman | A quiet beach close to Dubai | Cheaper than Dubai for the same class of hotel |
| Ras Al Khaimah | Beach together with the Hajar Mountains | Without a car it is hard to get around the mountains and forts |
| Fujairah and the east coast | Diving, a calm sea, greenery and mountains | Quieter than in the west; the air is drier in summer |
| Hatta | Mountain lakes, a short trip out of Dubai | Mountains instead of sea, people go there for the day |
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Hotels: what to look at in the Emirates
Far from every hotel has its own beach, even among the five-star ones. Some of the “beach” options actually offer a public city beach or a shuttle to the sea, so before booking check whether the beach is next to the building, across the road or a few kilometers away. In Dubai the neighborhood matters more than the stars: hotels in Deira and Bur Dubai near the metro are cheaper than in Downtown, at the Marina or on Palm Jumeirah, but you will have to travel to the sea from there.
All-inclusive is less common in the UAE than in Turkey or Egypt, and it costs more. On the other hand, the stay often includes free shuttles to the beach, the malls and the center of Dubai.
With children, look not at the stars but at specific things: a kids' club, a heated pool, a shaded play area, a gently sloping entry into the sea and a babysitter.
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Tours, parks and tickets
Tickets to the Burj Khalifa observation decks and to the parks are sold by time slot, and the sunset slots go first. An online ticket fixes the time and lets you skip the line at the ticket office. The Miracle Garden and Global Village are seasonal: they open in the fall and close in the spring.
The country has more than twenty theme parks. In Dubai these are Motiongate, Legoland, IMG Worlds of Adventure and the water parks Wild Wadi and Aquaventure; in Abu Dhabi, Yas Island has Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World and Yas Waterworld. It makes more sense to give the Abu Dhabi parks a separate day: the two cities are about 140 km apart.
Day trips run from Dubai: to Abu Dhabi with the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, to Fujairah with its beach and the Hajar Mountains, to Al Ain, to Hatta, and on a dune safari with dinner at a camp. Plan on one trip per day: the trips to Abu Dhabi and Fujairah take about ten hours.
| Trip | What is on the program | How long it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the capital | About ten hours |
| Fujairah | Hajar Mountains, an east coast beach, Al Badiyah Mosque | About ten hours |
| Al Ain | Jebel Hafeet mountain, lunch in the city, the zoo | About ten hours |
| Hatta | A mountain lake and an old settlement in the Hajar foothills | About seven hours |
| Dhow cruise | An evening cruise along Dubai Creek with dinner | About two hours |
| Helicopter flight | Dubai from above | About half an hour |
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Food: where to eat and how alcohol works
People of more than two hundred nationalities live in Dubai, so dishes from very different cuisines sit side by side. The cheapest meals are near the souks and in small Indian, Pakistani and Lebanese places; in the big malls prices are already European, and in beachfront hotels the view is added to the bill. Among street food, try shawarma, kebabs with rice, chicken mandi and dumplings in date syrup.
Alcohol is served only in licensed venues, mostly in hotel bars and restaurants, and it is expensive. Regular supermarkets do not carry it, and in Sharjah it is not sold at all. Drinking in the street, on the beach and in public places is forbidden. Book a table in a bar with a panoramic view in advance: in the evening there are almost no free seats by the window.
Tipping is not mandatory, it is left for good service; first check whether a service charge is already included in the bill.
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Transportation and getting from the airport
Most visitors arrive at Dubai airport, DXB. The metro's Red Line leaves directly from Terminals 1 and 3, and you pay for the metro and buses with a Nol card. With two suitcases, with children or after a night flight, a pre-booked transfer at a fixed price is more convenient: the metro is closed at night, and it does not go to Palm Jumeirah.
The Dubai metro runs along the main districts, the trains are driverless, and there is a separate car for women and children that men may not enter. There is no metro between the emirates: intercity buses run instead, the ones to Abu Dhabi leave from Al Ghubaiba bus station and take about two hours.
Renting a car makes sense in Ras Al Khaimah and on the east coast, where the mountains and deserted beaches are otherwise hard to reach; for Dubai and Abu Dhabi you do not need a car. The driver must be at least 21, and the deposit is blocked on a card. Rental companies usually accept licenses from EU countries and Switzerland, and often ask for an international driving permit for others.
| Option | When it works | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Metro, Red Line | Hotel in Deira or Bur Dubai, little luggage | Payment by Nol card only; closed at night, does not go to Palm Jumeirah |
| Bus | When the lowest fare matters most | The same Nol card; stuck in traffic at rush hour |
| Taxi | Any hour, the stands work around the clock | Charged by the meter, the amount grows in traffic |
| Pre-booked transfer | Night flight, children, two suitcases, hotel at the Marina or on Palm Jumeirah | The price is fixed and known when you book |
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Best time to go and weather
You can swim in the UAE all year round, but comfort depends heavily on the month. The best time lasts from October to April: it is warm during the day, there is almost no rain, and you can get around on foot. December and February are the coolest, the evenings are chilly then, and the sea is at its coldest of the year, though still fine for swimming.
In summer the air heats up to above forty degrees, and the humidity on the Persian Gulf coast makes the heat harder to bear. The city then lives in the morning and after sunset, and during the day malls, indoor parks and the hotel pool come to the rescue. On the other hand, this is low season: hotels get cheaper, and there are almost no lines at the observation decks.
By events, the year falls out like this. In winter Dubai hosts the Dubai Shopping Festival, in summer the Dubai Summer Surprises sales. During Ramadan the opening hours of venues change and restrictions apply to eating in the street during the day.
| Period | Weather and crowds | What it is good for |
|---|---|---|
| October to April | Warm during the day, almost no rain; high season, hotels cost more | Beach, walking, trips to other emirates |
| December and February | The coolest months, chilly evenings, the sea at its coldest of the year | Tours and the city; the Dubai Shopping Festival takes place in winter |
| Summer | Above forty degrees, high humidity on the Persian Gulf coast; almost no lines | Malls, indoor parks, the pool; hotels are cheaper |
| Ramadan | Opening hours of venues change, restrictions on eating in the street during the day | The trip is possible, but check the daily schedule in advance |
Twelve months compared: find the best time to go
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- New year in the UAE: where to celebrate and how to prepare for the trip
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- Dubai Shopping Festival: dates, discounts and how to plan a trip
Budget: how to work out your own total
We do not list daily rates here. The cost of a trip to the UAE rests on three things: the season, the emirate and its neighborhood, and the time of the slot at paid attractions. Hotels are most expensive from November to April and over the New Year holidays, and noticeably cheaper in summer. Dubai charges more for the same class of hotel, Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain are cheaper, and Abu Dhabi sits in the middle.
Where saving really makes a difference: a hotel near a metro line instead of the beachfront, the metro with a Nol card instead of a taxi, dinner near the souk instead of the hotel restaurant, online tickets for a specific slot. Alcohol, sky bars and beach clubs push the total up fastest. No ticket is needed for the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the city beaches, the waterfronts and some of the parks.
You work out your own total in the calculator. It separates accommodation, food, transportation, admission tickets, travel there and a reserve, so you can see which item pushes the total up.
Calculate a travel budget for the UAE
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Routes: from one day to a week
In one day in Dubai you can realistically cover the route from the Dubai Marina waterfront to the fountain by the Burj Khalifa, provided the tickets to the observation decks are bought in advance.
Four days are split by district. The first day is the Marina, Jumeirah and the parks, the second is Downtown with the Burj Khalifa and the fountain, the third is old Dubai by Dubai Creek. Give the fourth day to a trip out: Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, a desert safari or a tour of six emirates.
A week comfortably fits five or six trips if you stay in Dubai and head in one direction per day. Another format is a Persian Gulf cruise with calls at Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sir Bani Yas Island: it starts running from late November, when the heat eases, and you have one day for each port.
Day planner: check what fits into one day
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Practical matters: rules, documents, connectivity
The country is very safe in everyday life, but the rules here apply to tourists as well. Swimwear is appropriate only on the beach and by the pool, and in the city it is better to cover your shoulders and knees. Photograph people only with their consent, and do not photograph government and military sites, harbors and airports at all. Alcohol is sold and served from the age of 21, and being drunk in a public place is punishable.
Check your medication before you fly: the list of controlled drugs is long, the import permit is arranged in advance through the service of the UAE Ministry of Health, otherwise keep the prescription with you.
Citizens of EU countries do not need to apply to a consulate for a visa in advance, the entry permit is issued after arrival. The rules and the length of stay depend on citizenship, so check them for your passport on the official websites; at the border you may be asked for a hotel booking and a return ticket. Check the roaming terms with your carrier before the trip. An eSIM is a backup way to have internet from the first minute: for navigation, the taxi app and contact with the hotel. Take out travel insurance before you leave and read what exactly it covers.
Build a packing list for the UAE trip
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