Dubai and Abu Dhabi in 9 days

Two emirates, two characters

Dubai and Abu Dhabi are about 130 km apart, yet nothing alike. Dubai is the city of towers, Creek souks and lively beaches. Abu Dhabi, the federal capital, has turned Saadiyat Island into a cultural district with the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Zayed National Museum, the Natural History Museum and, from 11 December 2026, the Guggenheim; on the mainland, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is one of the largest mosques in the world. This trip starts with the first and ends with the second.

The season runs from November to April, with highs of 24 to 34 °C and a sea of 22 to 28 °C in Dubai.

Dubai: five nights

Two nights in Downtown

Palace Downtown, an Arabian-style palace on Old Town Island by Burj Lake, is within walking distance of Burj Khalifa, the fountain, Dubai Mall and the Opera. Rates were found from about €590 a night for a double room in March 2027, with any per-night tourism tax on top.

• On the first evening, the free Dubai Fountain show, every 30 minutes from 6 pm local time.
• On day two, Old Dubai in the morning: the guided tour listed in this trip, 3 hours, covers Al Fahidi, crosses the Creek by abra and leads to the spice and gold souks; it was found from about €14 per person. In the late afternoon, the At the Top observatory of Burj Khalifa, found from about €45 per person.

Three nights in Jumeirah

Mandarin Oriental Jumeira is an urban beach resort in Jumeira 1, around a quarter of an hour from Downtown. It has its own beach, an infinity pool facing the Gulf, a 2,000 m² spa and around ten restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Tasca by José Avillez. Jumeirah Mosque and the Etihad Museum are close by. Rates were found from about €1,065 a night for a double room in March 2027, with any per-night tourism tax on top.

Three days here are shared between the beach and two nearby visits:

• Jumeirah Mosque, the only mosque in Dubai open to non-Muslims, visited with the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU), Dubai's cultural visitor centre, at 10 am and 2 pm except Fridays, for AED 45;
• the Etihad Museum, devoted to the founding of the UAE in 1971, useful before heading to the capital.

One evening, a desert safari is still an option: the car collects you from the hotel in the afternoon.

Getting from one emirate to the other

The Dubai-Abu Dhabi passenger service opened on 30 September 2026. With luggage, a car with driver remains the simplest option; the train suits light travellers and the curious.

Abu Dhabi: three nights on Saadiyat

Where to stay

Saadiyat Island, 15 minutes from central Abu Dhabi and 25 to 30 minutes from Zayed International Airport, brings together the museums and white-sand beaches where hawksbill turtles nest. Abu Dhabi does not yet have hotel pages on the Sabaro website: the hotel for this stage is chosen with Sabaro among the island's beach resorts, and its price is not included in the price shown. In Abu Dhabi, alcohol can be bought without a licence in approved shops and drunk in licensed hotels and venues.

Saadiyat Cultural District

Museums are free for under-18s, and a two-museum pass costs AED 120, three museums AED 170, valid for 30 days. Two days cover the essentials; the Abrahamic Family House, which brings together a mosque, a church and a synagogue opened in 2023, can be visited free with a booking.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Qasr Al Watan

The third day is spent on the mainland. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, with its 82 domes, is open to visitors daily from 9 am to 9 pm local time; on Fridays, from 9 am to noon and then 2.30 pm to 9 pm. Online booking is compulsory. Men and women wear long, loose clothing down to the ankles, and women a headscarf. Free cultural tours of 30 to 45 minutes are offered in English and Arabic.

Nearby, Qasr Al Watan, the presidential palace, is open to visitors from 10 am to 5 pm, for AED 65 per adult; its light show, "Palace in Motion", starts at 6.30 pm. The palace may close without notice for state visits.

Going home

On day nine, the return flight leaves from Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, 25 to 30 minutes from Saadiyat, or from Dubai, depending on your flights.

Safety and rules

Both emirates come under the same advice. Foreign ministries do not all give the same advice. Your country's advice:

Your country's advice is shown in the box at the top of the page.

Taking or sharing pictures of impact sites, debris or the security situation is a criminal offence. Our guide to Dubai and the regional situation has the details. In public places, cover shoulders and knees; the mosque requires long clothing down to the ankles. Our museums and culture theme gathers more visits.