A information to day tripping to the capital of the United Arab Emirates whereas staying in Dubai
It’s a simple freeway drive of simply over an hour between the 2 largest cities within the UAE – Dubai and Abu Dhabi – making it an extremely standard day journey vacation spot for Dubai guests.
On this web page, we’re going to share with you precisely the way you get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and mustn’t miss points of interest to see within the UAE’s capital metropolis.
PLEASE NOTE: Since 28 February 2022, the ABU DHABI-DUBAI BORDER CROSSING CHECKPOINT HAS BEEN REMOVED. This implies no PCR exams required for border crossing, however you do want a Inexperienced Al Hosn to enter public areas, along with a masks being worn anyplace indoors.
Keep updated with any modifications within the Dubai – Abu Dhabi border crossing earlier than trying to plan a day journey into Abu Dhabi emirate as issues can change.
To plan your Abu Dhabi tour from Dubai, you’ll be able to skip straight to:
Abu Dhabi from Dubai Tour Packages
One of the crucial handy methods to get between the 2 cities is to hitch an organized tour group.
They may prepare your pick-ups from Dubai and switch you in air-conditioned consolation to Abu Dhabi’s largest vacationer websites (extra on these beneath!)
There are such a lot of completely different Abu Dhabi excursions to select from, so right here’s what we recommend you look out for when selecting the very best excursions to Abu Dhabi:
- Is the tour personal and personalised, a small group, or a big group?
- Will you be picked up out of your resort or want to fulfill at an organized rendezvous level in Dubai?
- Are meals included or will you have to finances further for a meal cease?
- Are you able to add any extra stops, not within the itinerary?
Bigger group excursions to Abu Dhabi could also be extra budget-friendly, however can even offer you restricted flexibility in what you wish to see and do on this stunning metropolis.
We extremely advocate you e book your excursions via a good tour supplier akin to Get Your Information. The reason is they’ve vetted all their tour suppliers supplying you with quite a lot of itineraries to select from multi function spot. You possibly can learn evaluations from previous clients and most significantly they provide the power to cancel as much as 24 hours earlier than for many excursions, supplying you with flexibility in your plans.
- Half Day Grand Mosque tour transfers to and from the Sheikh Zayed Mosque solely from Dubai. It is a shared tour bus leaving Dubai round 8:45 AM and solely taking 5 hours, you’ll be again to Dubai by early afternoon. Good in case you solely wish to see the nation’s largest mosque.
- Abu Dhabi Full-Day Premium Sightseeing Tour – this can be a nice all-rounder tour for getting a taster of Abu Dhabi. You’ll, in fact, see the mosque, but in addition a driving tour across the metropolis’s different highlights together with the picturesque Corniche, Marina breakwater, Etihad Towers and a cease at Qasr al Watan, all with a guided tour in your chosen language. Word you’re given a lunch cease however lunch is just not included, excluded The Louvre.
- Full Day Personal Tour Dubai to Abu Dhabi is finest for a small group who needs to journey with a information. Your itinerary will see you to the Mosque, Emirates Palace and Yas Marina Circuit with a buffet lunch thrown in (however be aware, no Louvre or Qasr al Watan stops).
- Abu Dhabi Full-Day Journey with Louvre & Mosque – in case you simply wish to see the Grand Mosque and the Louvre, that is the tour for you. You get two-hour stops at every which shall be loads of time if these are the principle highlights you might be after. Will be run as a small group with different company or privately.
Sadly, few excursions will take you on a extra versatile itinerary that takes you extra in-depth via the souks and older components of town (not that there are lots of left, like in Dubai!). Most Abu Dhabi metropolis excursions keep on with the principle vacationer points of interest.
What are the most important vacationer points of interest to see in Abu Dhabi?
It will actually rely in your pursuits, however undoubtedly the primary cease in Abu Dhabi is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque – generally merely known as the Grand Mosque (to not be mistaken for Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai).
We now have a whole information right here on how you can go to the Grand Mosque from Dubai.
There are excursions that solely shuttle clients again and ahead to the Grand Mosque, however you actually need to see extra within the metropolis! (And be warned the day-tripping buses from Dubai all appear to reach en masse in Abu Dhabi making it a really crowded expertise by mid-morning).
Essential cultural points of interest in Abu Dhabi
Along with the Grand Mosque, the following three most vital vacationer locations in Abu Dhabi are:
- The Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi – a shocking Museum on Saadiyat Island that covers the “Historical past of Humanity” in an outstanding waterfront setting is among the finest locations to go to in Abu Dhabi after the Mosque. Simply the constructing itself is a Center East masterpiece. NB Closed Mondays.
- Qasr al Watan – the Presidential Palace of the United Arab Emirates is an unbelievable new constructing to rival the fantastic thing about the Grand Mosque. Open for day by day excursions, it’s located on the finish of the Abu Dhabi Corniche (concerning the furthermost level from Dubai!). Can sometimes be closed at quick discover for diplomatic visits.
- Qasr al Hosn – an excellent perception into the historical past of the United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi from early Bedouin days and historical historical past, via to the invention of oil, federation and the modern-day metropolis – excursions particular workshops and day by day occasions are supplied, however few excursions appear to incorporate this vital cease on their pre-arranged itineraries.
You will discover a whole information to Abu Dhabi’s finest cultural points of interest on our sister website Abu Dhabi Journey Planner.
Different sightseeing in Abu Dhabi
For basic sightseeing, some standard points of interest you would possibly wish to embrace:
- Step contained in the gorgeous Emirates Palace Lodge. You possibly can merely get some wonderful snaps on the entrance steps, or head inside to take pleasure in some native delicacies from camel burgers to gold leaf tea at certainly one of Abu Dhabi’s most opulent buildings. A good costume code (knees coated) is required for women and men.
- Seize town from above at Commentary Deck at 300 – town’s highest remark tower from Stage 74 of Etihad Towers, (Conrad Etihad Towers). Not town’s tallest constructing – that constructing doesn’t have an remark ground – however nonetheless, Etihad Towers is a good place to get your bearings over town and wonderful for a morning or afternoon tea cease.
- Make a journey out to the Falcon Hospital an important perception into native tradition and a very worthwhile cease in case you can be part of certainly one of their twice-daily Falcon World Excursions.
- Take pleasure in a singular stroll via the wetlands of Abu Dhabi at Jubail Mangroves Park – it sits between Yas Island and Saadiyat Island, an outstanding nature cease you gained’t consider is so close to town.
- Wahat al Karama – the battle memorial that sits reverse the Grand Mosque. A poignant spot and a wonderful photograph alternative of each the memorial and the Mosque.
- Some excursions should still embrace a cease on the Heritage Village – however in all honesty, we’d advocate Qasr al Hosn above as the higher and extra complete cease for historical past buffs.
- Desert Safari’s in Abu Dhabi are simply as standard as in Dubai, although you’ll get a fairly related desert expertise with camel rides, dune bashing and a standard dinner, so simply select one of many different.
Yas Island Theme Parks & Grand Prix observe Abu Dhabi
For theme park enjoyable, you actually need to permit a minimum of 4 to six hours to sort out even one of many mega theme parks on Yas Island – these are Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, and Ferrari World.
Technically you can squeeze in a theme park alongside a day journey to the cultural websites, however we extremely advocate you make a full day for every expertise so you aren’t rushed. There’s actually no time to completely take pleasure in a water park or rollercoaster day in case you’re being rushed again on a bus.
Yas Island can be residence to the well-known Yas Marina Grand Prix observe. You might not get time on a day tour to do rather more than snap some images, however motorsports followers ought to put apart further time on a day journey to Abu Dhabi to participate in both a behind the scenes guided tour of the observe, and even higher a circuit driving expertise.
For one thing actually distinctive, on a Monday and Wednesday night time from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, you’ll be able to stroll, run or cycle the Yas Marina Grand Prix observe! Take part with native residents to take pleasure in this actually distinctive observe expertise – fully FREE! See the timetable and any deliberate observe closures right here.
Transfers from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
In case you are searching for to self-tour in Abu Dhabi, all you have to to rearrange is getting your self by public or personal transport to Abu Dhabi or prepare a rent automotive.
By street, the journey from Dubai to Abu Dhabi takes between 1 and a couple of hours relying in your mode of transport and actual places. The cities sit about 160kms aside.
Word the bus will take you to the central bus station in Abu Dhabi, Al Wadha; all of the vacationer points of interest we now have set out listed below are fairly unfold out over town so you’ll then have to take native bus providers, or a number of taxis to leap between the varied sightseeing locations.
There’s a very good information to public transport inside Abu Dhabi right here.
Taxi from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
If finances permits you’ll be able to merely take a customary Dubai Hala taxi from off the road in Dubai, or e book one on the Careem App to your location
Relying in your pick-up and drop-off factors, this could value you round 300 AED from Downtown Dubai to Abu Dhabi Airport.
From Dubai Airport to the Abu Dhabi Corniche space, you’re looking at extra like 400 AED. All taxes run on a meter and are a dependable type of transportation within the UAE.
(NB since COVID some taxi drivers could also be reluctant to cross the border and will ask you to swap automobiles with an area Abu Dhabi taxi on the first ADNOC petrol station after you cross into Abu Dhabi emirate.)
Hiring your personal automotive from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
Hiring your personal automotive will, in fact, grant you essentially the most flexibility however might not be the most affordable.
Additionally, you will have to drive on Dubai’s freeways which may be difficult at instances with the quick and heavy movement of site visitors!
With the (very) high-speed limits on the E11 Freeway, it’s a fast drive from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. Most vacationer places, aside from within the metropolis centre of Abu Dhabi have free customer parking (in any other case you’ll want a couple of dirhams in change for meters or use a parking app).
Hiring a personal driver
In case you are not keen on a personal tour however merely need somebody to drive you from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, you should utilize ride-sharing apps akin to Uber or Careem, or strive these driver choices:
- Personal driver from Dubai to Abu Dhabi – your best option in case you’re after a dependable driver service one approach to Abu Dhabi (NB that is only a point-to-point driver, they gained’t take you round all of the vacationer websites)
- Get Switch – is a good app to plan your day by day driver wants, you’ll be able to ask drivers to “bid” in your journey value and select the driving force that matches your wants finest when it comes to automobile, pricing and availability
- Welcome Pickups – a very good website for sourcing dependable, English-speaking driver providers to and from Dubai
Staying in a single day in Abu Dhabi – Lodge Suggestions
If time will allow, an in a single day keep in Abu Dhabi is crucial to suit the whole lot we now have talked about right here – a day tour to Abu Dhabi will barely scratch the floor
- In case you are visiting the theme parks on Yas Island, then the Yas Plaza Lodges needs to be your high decide – there are a number of to select from; our favorite for essentially the most distinctive expertise is staying within the W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island which straddles the Yas Marina GP race observe.
- Alternatively, strive two newly opened lodges – The WB Abu Dhabi (Warner Bros. themed resort) is completely situated for accessing WB World and Yas Waterworld, while the Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island is the best choice for the occurring new space of Yas Bay if you wish to be surrounded by eating places and nightlife.
- For those who’d like to combine in some resort sunshine together with your keep, Saadiyat Island, adjoining to the place you will see that the Louvre Abu Dhabi is our high decide. Right here there’s a string of 5 luxurious resorts to select from. They don’t come low cost however are merely gorgeous (and perhaps just some dirhams cheaper than their Dubai counterparts – value checking!)
Extra Often requested questions Abu Dhabi excursions from Dubai
The cooler months of winter from round November to April are the very best time to go to Abu Dhabi and the UAE for essentially the most snug expertise and nice climate.
We’re by no means going to disclaim the UAE in the summertime months is HOT!!
That stated, not inconceivable to go to. Costs are cheaper and crowds are low. An Abu Dhabi tour will largely see you in air-conditioned consolation. The Grand Mosque will contain a good bit of strolling exterior however stops on the Louvre and Qasr Al Watan for instance will see you largely indoors.
Take loads of water with you and one thing to guard your head out within the solar.
While at current, the border crossing checkpoint that was in place throughout COVID has been eliminated, you have to a “Inexperienced Alhosn” for coming into any public buildings and parks in Abu Dhabi. Alternatively, for vacationers, a replica of vaccine proof (2 doses plus booster) with a destructive PCR check end result, or for unvaccinated a destructive PCR end result inside 48 hours can be utilized in lieu of the federal government Alhosn App.
Be taught extra concerning the present entry guidelines to Abu Dhabi on the Go to Abu Dhabi web site.
Earlier than you go… Extra vital issues it’s best to know when planning a visit to Dubai
Take me again to Dubai’s high vacationer points of interest
Please be aware we aren’t a journey company. This website is a journey weblog to assist newcomers to the UAE and transit passengers self plan their journey, we can’t e book your flights, lodges, visas or connections for you. We could make a small fee in case you click on on any of our advice hyperlinks.
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