Plan Your Perfect Trip
Travel in the United Arab Emirates is more than beaches, glamorous skyscrapers, and large shopping malls, yet that is what most tourists identify it with.
Although tourism remains concentrated in Dubai, a trip here can incorporate outdoor adventures amid the vast dunes of the desert and within the craggy peaks of the Hajar Mountains, or delve into the Arabian Peninsula’s history and culture, which the Emirate of Sharjah and Emirate of Abu Dhabi particularly focus on.
The sandy shoreline, nevertheless, will always be the major focus for the numerous tourists who flock here for a family-friendly holiday. The resorts of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Ras Al-Khaimah are all suitable locations from whence vacationers may venture out and explore beyond the shore.
On This Page:
- Inspirational Ideas for Planning Your Trip to the UAE
- Best Time to Visit the UAE
- Visitors Guide to Dubai
- Visitors Guide to Abu Dhabi
- Outdoor Attractions & Activities in the UAE
- Historic Highlights of the UAE
- Essential Stats & Facts
- First-Time Traveler Tips for the UAE
- Inspirational Ideas for Planning Your Trip to the UAE
Although Dubai looms big on most visitor itineraries, travelling out of the city to see other emirates and the interior’s natural landscapes of desert sand dunes and jagged mountains really highlights that this little nation is much more than the beach and Dubai’s towering skyline.
Best Time to Visit the UAE
Summer (June to September): quite It’s hot and very humid. Temperatures increase in July and August, making sightseeing unpleasant. Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s restaurant and café rooftop terraces are shuttered, as everyone migrates inside for meals and mingling. Hotel costs are at their lowest. Mountain-towns like Hatta became weekend refuges from the blazing coastal heat.
Fall (October & November): This is one of the greatest seasons to visit, with wonderful beach weather – blue sky and hot, sunny weather. Outdoor rooftop terraces in Dubai and Abu Dhabi spring up again in early October bringing a buzzy atmosphere back to the cities during the warm nights. November brings the Formula One Grand Prix to Abu Dhabi, therefore hotel costs increase throughout this month.
Winter (December to Feb): The weather’s still usually sunny and relatively warm (with just rare rain), so the UAE’s resorts remain a popular destination for mid-winter beach holidays. This is the greatest time to venture out into the desert.
Spring (March to May): As with fall, spring is the UAE’s tourism prime season, with hot, bright days and mild evenings.
Visitors Guide to Dubai
For many visitors, a UAE trip is all about Dubai. With its beaches, skyscrapers, excellent restaurants, large retail malls, and theme parks, Dubai markets itself as a family-friendly resort that combines sun and sea paired with cosmopolitan city-break facilities.
Dubai is the key gateway city to the rest of the UAE and, given the country is so tiny, is an ideal base for exploring the outlying attractions of the Emirate of Dubai, as well as some of the major tourism sites of other emirates on day excursions.
Top-Rated Tourist Attractions & Things to Do in Dubai
Top-Rated Beach Resorts in Dubai
Top-Rated Beaches in Dubai
Best Parks in Dubai
Top-Rated Day Trips from Dubai
Where to Stay in Dubai: Best Areas & Hotels
From Dubai to Abu Dhabi: Best Ways to Get There
Visitors Guide to Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi city is the capital of the UAE, and the emirate is the biggest in the country. Although frequently perceived as a corporate hub, Abu Dhabi is home to some of the most notable cultural buildings in the nation, including the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum.
It’s also a significant family-friendly beach resort, home to several of the UAE’s most famous amusement parks for when the kids need activities off the beach.
Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Abu Dhabi
Best Beaches in Abu Dhabi
Where to Stay in Abu Dhabi: Best Areas & Hotels
Best Resorts in Abu Dhabi
Best Hotels in Abu Dhabi
From Abu Dhabi to Dubai: Best Ways to Get There
Outdoor Attractions & Activities in the UAE
It’s a fallacy to imagine a holiday in the UAE is all about the contemporary cities. The UAE’s huge stretch of desert in the south and jagged Hajar Mountains in the north are great places for adventure activities.
The country’s adventure center is Ras Al-Khaimah, where Jebel Jais (the UAE’s highest mountain) has become a significant draw for thrill-seekers and outdoor enthusiasts, with ziplines, climbing, and hiking routes all opened up.
Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Ras Al-Khaimah
Top-Rated Tourist Attractions & Things to Do in Fujairah
Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Ajman & Umm Al-Quwain
Historic Highlights of the UAE
Despite what many visitor’s imagine, the history of this region didn’t begin with the oil boom. Sharjah and Al Ain are two of the greatest sites in the UAE to brush up on the enormous history of this slice of the Arabian Peninsula.
Top-Rated Tourist Attractions & Things to Do in Sharjah
Top Rated Tourist Attractions & Things to Do in Al Ain
Essential Stats & Facts
Population of the UAE: The population of the UAE is 9.8 million. Only 12 percent of the people are Emirati. The significant proportion of the UAE’s population (88 percent) is made up of immigrants.
Capital of the UAE: The capital of the UAE is Abu Dhabi. Its population is 1.4 million.
Geography of the UAE: The UAE is a tiny country squeezed onto the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, surrounded by Oman to its east and Saudi Arabia to the south and west. The south of the UAE is primarily desert, whereas the spine of the Hajar Mountains extends through the heart of the north.
Languages of the UAE: Arabic is the official language of the UAE, although owing to the UAE’s diversified population, English is the most popular language spoken in day-to-day life. Dozens of additional languages are used by the various distinct populations residing in the UAE with Hindi, Malayam, Urdu, Pashto, and Tagalog the most prevalent.
Currency of the UAE: The currency of the UAE is the United Arab Emirates dirham.
Time Zone of the UAE: The time zone of the UAE is UTC+4.
First-Time Traveler Tips for the UAE
Tourist Visas for the UAE: 70 nations are awarded free tourist visas, valid for either 90-day stays or 30-day stays (depending on country) on arrival. Citizens of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) nations get visa-free travel in the UAE.
All other nations must apply for a tourist visa pre-travel. The quickest method to apply is through the online visa application procedure maintained on the websites of all four of the Emirati airlines (Etihad Airways, Emirates Airlines, Fly Dubai, and Air Arabia) (Etihad Airways, Emirates Airlines, Fly Dubai, and Air Arabia).
Power: The UAE employs three-prong British-style electricity plugs.
Room Rates: Hotel room rates contain an extra city tax fee, service charge, and (in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ras Al-Khaimah) tourism tax.
Public Transport: Despite what many visitors assume, the UAE has a decent inter-city bus system, which provides regular and efficient services connecting the main towns and cities.
Air-Conditioning: The air-conditioning utilized in inside public locations in the UAE seems to be permanently set to freezing. Even if traveling in the height of summer, carry something to drape over your shoulders.
Personal Pharmaceuticals: Many popular prescription medications are either prohibited or import-controlled in the UAE. Tourists have been imprisoned for entering the country carrying illegal drugs. Check out the list of illicit and regulated drugs before you go.
United Arab Emirates Travel Guide
