Private Abu Dhabi City Guided Tour

We did a lot with the very good German-speaking tour guide Mohamad and saw a lot in a short time thanks to the equally good driver.

Today was a very long day. Our tour guide was over 1 hour late picking us up from our hotel. The entire day just felt like a rush afterwards. I really wasn’t a big fan of our tour operator. I’m not sure if he just was not interesting or if I was just super tired but he was not my fav. We headed out to AbuDhabi at 1010ish after waiting over an hour to be picked up. The ride was about 1.5 hours long. We finally arrive and the first stop is the Grande Mosque. This tour received 4 stars simply due to the wonder, splendor and opulence this temple emitted. The entire facility was a piece of art and was hands down the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes on. The attention to detail is unmatched. Every curve, shape and stone had its own meaning and function. Every angle, line, and bend has a meaning and was beautifully explained by Willie, our mosque guide. I could immediately feel the love and dedication this gentleman felt for both his country and his faith as he expertly crafted and told the story of how the mosque came to be. Make sure, upon entry, that you are completely covered from head to toe. My group of 11 had to be pulled from the line twice, due to skin showing. Ladies no forearms or any of your leg including the calf and lower. At the visitor center (mall) inside the mosque—- YES, mall —- we were able to purchase several items to prepare us for entry into the mosque. The items were fairly priced and easy to access. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. Finally we’re escorted in and had been provided a pair of golf carts and drivers as we had one person in our group who walked with a cane. The staff was extremely accommodating at all times. We joined a tour to learn about the mosque and this made us late returning back to our guide who was waiting in the visitor center. The next stop was a little museum that tries to sell us old, dusty “antique” items. No one in the group fell for the gimmick. A buffet lunch at an Indian inspired restaurant was the third stop. I am not a huge fan but some of the items were ok. The meal was not included in the tour fee but was definitely affordable. We continued on afterwards to view the palace and some other super expensive residences. The final stop was Ferrari World. We couldn’t enter. It was just a photo stop. We elected not to attend for the 15 minutes. We then began the trek to return to Dubai. The scenery is beautiful but the driver just wasn’t that entertaining. He definitely did not have the passion the mosque tour guide had but he was kind. The entire tour was approximately 9 hours. There were a couple stops we missed due to the tardiness of the company but we got thru it. Then we rushed back and prepared ourselves for a night tour. I would do it again but hopefully with a different guide.

Our driver/guide Ali was excellent. Friendly but very professional & knowledgeable. We were not rushed & it made for a very relaxing day. He even treated us to some special tea at the end of the tour. A delightful experience.