Last updated on January 02nd, 2023
Planning a holiday in Dubai is extremely exciting, especially if you’re a first-timer. Every day will be a different experience for you, with the wide varieties of sights and activities available for you to choose from, each of them almost guaranteed to leave you with memories to last a lifetime.
Many people are under the impression that they will be stuck in the city itself, seeing that there is so much desert in the surrounding areas! However, this is very far from the truth, as the following list of best day trips from Dubai will prove, without a doubt!
Tours from Dubai
1. Abu Dhabi
This is a great opportunity to learn something about Abu Dhabi, the ultra-modern capital of the United Arab Emirates. This day trip allows you to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, check out the views from Ferrari World and the Yas Marina Formula 1 circuit, and spend some time in Heritage Village to learn about the city as it was when it was a simple Bedouin village. Included in the trip is a drive through the fantastic Emirates Presidential Palace!
2. Land Rover Desert Safari
Trips last for the entire day and are a definite must-do! With these trips, you get to drive around in the desert in a vintage, open-top Land Rover, which in itself is a memorable experience! You see plenty of wildlife when your drive takes you through the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, as well as an impressive falconry display. Included in this trip is watching traditional coffee and bread-making exhibitions and enjoying a sumptuous meal as you listen to some of the best live music and watch dancing performed by local dancers.
3. Musandam Dibba Cruise
Taking this cruise on the Arabian Sea, is one of the top ways to take a break from the hustle and bustle of big city life! Cruising on a traditional dhow, the trip takes you to the small town of Dibba, situated in the Musandam part of Oman. Apart from the stunning views of the fjords, bays, and cliffs, you also get to go swimming in the cool waters and enjoy a delicious buffet-type lunch on board the dhow.
4. Ferrari World Day Trip
This tour is a must-do for Ferrari fans! You travel by coach to this theme park and enjoy everything that the state-of-the-art Ferrari-themed attraction has to offer! It’s the biggest and best indoor theme park on earth and provides its visitors with exhilarating rides and entertainment, such as the nerve-wracking Formula Rossa coaster and speedy rides around the go-kart track. The park also offers a virtual tour through a Ferrari factory and a wide range of fun attractions for children as well as plenty of other rides for the entire family!
5. Sharjah City Tour from Dubai
These excursions last for four hours and are rated as great ways to be a part of the vibrant atmosphere of Sharjah City. Along with the rest of you group and the guide, you get to explore the main attractions and landmarks of Sharjah, also referred to as the “Pearl of the Gulf.” The tour includes stop-offs at the history museum, the King Faisal Mosque, as well as the Al Arsa souk. Your tour guide is highly experienced, so you will learn plenty about the history, traditions, and culture of the city.
6. Muscat Oman City Tour
With this trip, you get driven around in an air-conditioned vehicle. The tour, according to many, is the best and most exciting way to get to know Muscat City in a day. Tours include visits to forts, castles, beaches, museums, beaches, the modern side of Muscat as well as some time in the countryside. Bottled water a free visa, and a great lunch at one of the local restaurants are also included. In short, this tour will be your opportunity to experience a true Arabian adventure!
7. Abu Dhabi Louvre Museum Tour From Dubai
You’re probably familiar with the Louvre in Paris, but did you know that there is one in Abu Dhabi as well? This version of the top Parisian museum, also designed by Jean Nouvel, the man responsible for the famous museum in Paris, first opened its doors in November 2017, as an extension on Saadiyat Island. Although the building itself is beautiful, it’s the collection inside that is stunning, with many pieces dating back to ancient Egyptian times, including a daunting statue of Rameses II, embellished in hieroglyphics!
8. Camel Desert Safari
If you’re looking for something really different to do during your stay, then this is it! An air-conditioned vehicle will take you into the desert to join a camel train. From then on, you get to ride a camel while participating in a desert adventure! When you arrive at a desert retreat, nestled among rolling sand dunes, you can watch a falconry display, get a henna tattoo, and finish the day off with a sumptuous 4-course meal under the desert sky, accompanied by exotic Arabian music and dancing!
9. Snorkeling trip to Fujairah
If you enjoy water sports, then make a point of booking this tour to see the United Arab Emirates from a whole new angle! Take a double-decker boat ride to an island offshore, where you will have an opportunity to go snorkelling and see the many colourful fish and other marine creatures that call these warm waters home. At lunchtime, take a break from snorkelling to enjoy a hearty, delicious BBQ meal. No experience is necessary, and all snorkelling and safety gear are provided.
10. Al Ain
This is one of those excursions where you get to explore the charming city of Al Ain, view the last remnants of Bronze Age settlements at the Al Ain Museum, visit the camel racetrack, and livestock market, and also pay a visit to the impressive Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum. You can also climb Jebel Hafeet, the rocky mountain overlooking the city, admire the views of the city below, visit the natural hot springs at the foot of the mountain, and then relax and enjoy an appetizing buffet lunch.
11. Hatta & Hajar Mountains
This tour offers a ride in an air-conditioned 4×4 vehicle past rolling sand dunes to the Hajar Mountains, where you enjoy a picnic breakfast before carrying on to Hatta, a restored mountain village. Here, through the craft displays and mud-and-stone homes, you will get an idea of how life was in the area, hundreds of years ago. You will also get to see the Fossil and Camel rock formations, that are embedded with many fossils from thousands of years ago.
12. Mleiha Archaeological Centre
If you are a lover of all things historical, then you must pay a visit to the Mleiha Archeological Centre! The centre is rated as one of the best historical sites in the entire UAE! When you visit the centre, you will be taken back in time and discover a wide array of important information, including the history, social order, rites, and diet, among others, regarding the settlers in this area during the Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Bronze, Iron, Pre-Islamic, Islamic, as well as modern ages.
13. Al Hefaiyah Mountain Conservation Centre
Situated at the foot of the Hajar Mountains and covering 12 square miles of the Khor Kalba area, the Al Hefaiya Conservation Centre is the perfect place to visit if you’re a nature lover. The centre is home to about 30 different mountain and desert creatures, all of them native to the area. The centre is also one of the only in the area with indoor displays of lizard, snakes, scorpions, and hedgehogs. Larger, enclosed areas, fully landscaped, are dedicated to tahr, caracal/desert lynx wolf, and the Arabian leopard. A truly great experience for the entire family!
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