Abu Dhabi city tour & desert safari from Dubai
Description
Abu Dhabi has a deep treasure trove of culture and the richest heritage. Explore the history of Abu Dhabi with Desert Safari, on a 12 - 13 hour full day Tour. Explore the largest city in the United Arab Emirates. Visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque to see a masterpiece of Islamic architecture, marvel at the opulent Emirates Palace, admire the Etihad Towers. Afterward, Ride a camel, Go for a dune drive through the peculiarly shaped red dunes, keep your thrills up with sand-surfing along the dunes (sandboarding). Relax at a desert campsite as the sunsets. Get a henna tattoo. Enjoy a delicious barbecue dinner and exotic Belly dancing show, ‘Tanoura’ folk dance and fire show under the stars as you sit around the campfire.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Explore one of the world’s largest mosques on a half-day tour, the only mosque that captures unique interactions between Islam and world cultures. Sheikh Zayed's vision for the Grand Mosque was to incorporate architectural styles from different Muslim civilizations and celebrate cultural diversity by creating a haven that is truly diverse and inspirational in its foundation. (NOTE: Fridays only photo points are available because of Islamic Friday Prayer)
(Photo Stop) - The towers are located opposite the Emirates Palace hotel and feature offices, apartments and a hotel. The towers were used as a filming location for the 2015 film Furious 7. In the film, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) steal a Lykan HyperSport and drive it through three of the towers.
(Photo Stop) - The design of the building is a playful mix of cherished Islamic architectural elements such as balance, geometry, proportions, rhythm and hierarchical emphasis to create a unified whole. The inspired grand dome with elaborate geometrical patterns dominates over 114 smaller domes spread over the building. The color of the building aims to reflect different shades of sands found in the Arabian Desert.
(Photo Stop) - The Corniche (or Corniche Road) is located in the city of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The Corniche Road spreads across an 8km long stretch. It forms a sweeping curve on the western side of the main Abu Dhabi island and is replete with cycle paths, fountains and park areas.
(Photo Stop) - The Louvre Abu Dhabi is an art and civilization museum, located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The museum was inaugurated on 8 November 2017 by French President Emmanuel Macron and United Arab Emirates Vice President Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The museum is part of a thirty-year agreement between the city of Abu Dhabi and the French government. The museum is located on the Saadiyat Island Cultural District. It is approximately 24,000 square metres (260,000 sq ft) in size, with 8,000 square metres (86,000 sq ft) of galleries, making it the largest art museum in the Arabian peninsula.
(Photo Stop) - Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is a mostly indoors amusement park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is the first Ferrari-branded theme park and has the record for the largest space frame structure ever built. Formula Rossa, the world's fastest roller coaster, is also located here.
(Photo Stop) Heritage Village in Abu Dhabi is a model of an Emirati village which exhibits the Bedouin lifestyle and heritage. This venue is an interesting cultural attraction and a place that can be one of the most family-friendly destinations. There are no entry fees and is open to all guests. The place has innumerable attractions like the Bedouin tents set up with campfires and piping hot Arabic tea. The camels, Arabian horses, and goats are put on a display, this can be a pleasing sight to the kids in the family! The heritage village also hosts several artisan exhibits of the local arts like weaving or glass blowing.
(Photo Stop) Qasr Al Watan is more than a palace, it is a unique testament to the spirit of the United Arab Emirate's people and its leaders. The Palace invites the world to share our culture, knowledge and inspiring journey. Qasr Al Watan is more than just a palace, it is an enriching interactive journey in a contemporary setting that reveals and reflects on governance, knowledge and craftsmanship.
Enjoy an exciting mix of traditional and modern desert adventures. Begin your desert adventure with convenient pickup from Dubai in an airconditioned 4x4 with a guide. Ride a camel, Go for a dune drive through the peculiarly shaped red dunes, keep your thrills up with sand-surfing along the dunes (sandboarding). Relax at a desert campsite as the sunsets. Get a henna tattoo. Enjoy a delicious barbecue dinner and exotic Belly dancing show, ‘Tanoura’ folk dance and fire show under the stars as you sit around the campfire. Finally, you will be dropped off to your location
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We offer pickup from All locations within Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman. Hotel pick-up and drop-off are offered for this tour. We will send you complete contact information (phone number, email address, etc.) for our local operator to organize pick-up arrangements.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The duration of the tour includes the time required for hotel pick-up and drop off
- The pick-up time will be within 45 minutes of your booked tour time. If there are any changes, you will be notified by email
- Mosques have very strict dress codes: women must wear long loose clothing, and ensure their arms and legs are fully covered. Women are also required to cover their heads at all times. A long Abaya with scarf (long black dress attire), Men must not show above their knees and must cover their shoulders. Failure to do so will be a refused entry. The tour operator cannot provide any clothing for men
- It is not possible to visit the Sheikh Zayed Mosque during any Islamic festival
- Tattoos must be covered
- It is not recommended to book this tour on Friday if you have a return flight on the same day, as the drop-off time is dependent on traffic and can not be guaranteed.
- Dry days: entertainment activities (Tanoura dance and Belly dance) will not be available during the mentioned dates 3 & 20th April 2019 / 6, 22 & 25 May 2019 / 1, 3 & 5 June 2019 / 10,11 & 31 August 2019 / 9 September 2019 / 3, 9 & 30 November 2019 / 2 December 2019 or any special Islamic days as per UAE law (Date may vary as per the UAE law and Season time).
- Casual, loose fitting clothing is recommended in the summer, along with a jacket in the winter.
- Desert Thrill Tourism shall not be responsible for any kind of loss, accident, sickness or injury. It is advisable that the traveler should avail a travel health insurance as there can be chances of potential risks and hazards. Also, make sure they are mentally and physically able to participate.
- All desert safari drivers are well trained and licensed for safari drives. The land cruiser vehicles are fully insured and well equipped with all necessary safety features, such as roll bars, seat belts.
- Most travelers can participate
- Infants (below 3 years old) are not allowed in the car during the shared dune bashing.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
Reviews(99)
We had a wonderful experience with the team of Desert Thrills, starting from their customer care executives who briefed in the various tours available, costs, options and tailor made itineary based on our requirements. We had Mr Munawar from Pakistan as our driver cum guide for the desert safari and Mr Jaiswal as Guide cum driver for the Abu Dhabi Trip. Mr Jaiswal was immensely knowledgeable and conducted our trip very nicely.
Thanks Sohaib Hafeez, for the 6 hour tour. The pickup was perfect on time. The drive from Dubai to Abu Dhabi was very nice. The places you showed us and your help at the Sheik Zayed mosk was mutch appreciated. We recommend you to everyone who comes to Dubai
Can't say enough good things about this tour and our driver/tour guide, Jabed. He is a great steward of the UAE. This was truly an immersive cultural experience. Jabed took us to all the sites on the itinerary and gave in depth commentary about the sites as well as other sites we passed along the way. He was by far our favorite guide on our vacation. Even my kids said he was the best. Tour wise, the sites were perfect stops. We especially enjoyed the mosque. Wish we had more time there. The desert experience was nice, starting with the SUV drive through the desert to get to "camp." At camp there was no sand boarding so to speak - there were some boards at the top of a sand dune, but no instructions on how to use them and no one there seemed to know how. Also the steepest hill faced a wall, didn't seem safe trying to learn how to sand board there. Show at camp was nice. Food was okay too and varied enough for all the various dietary requirements of my family to be met. (Bring a jacket/shawl for the desert. It gets chilly at night) There was an upsell for a bunch of things, ATV ride in the desert, VIP seating at camp, ice cream at camp etc. etc. - I'm not sure if any of the upsells were worth the additional price, especially since the dinner upsell promised additional food that never came. But overall, 10/10. Thank you, Jabed.
Jaiswal was awesome, he was super friendly and a great driver, he was very attentive and helpful, I would highly recommend him. We really enjoyed the trip, Abu Dhabi
The desert safari was an amazing experience! Nadeem is an excellent driver — skilled, courteous, and incredibly helpful throughout the tour. I highly recommend this safari for anyone looking to enjoy a fun and memorable adventure.
Nadeem was super friendly and great, he makes you feel like family from start to finish every need was taken care of. Great experience.
Nadeem was awesome, he was super friendly and a great driver, he was very attentive and helpful, I would highly recommend him. We really enjoyed the trip, Abu Dhabi is a must see, and we experienced the sunset at the dunes, the most spectacular sunset ever.
Great experience great tour to abu dhabi...Driver Mr jaiswal who guided us for every thing and help and support us for each and every places...we will definitely recommend our family and friends for same company and also Want to drive and guide us Mr jaiswal every time.
Awesome, very thrilling and amazing experience I ever had. Mr hamburger Jaiswal was a very interesting human being who guided us so well in all activities.
Very good experience by MR.Nadeem Also they had a great ATV experience as well o want to do this again if it was possible for me
