Excursions from Dubai: the best day trips around Dubai

Dubai is an amazing city, which you should definitely dedicate a few more days to than a quick stopover on your way to another destination. But apart from the many things to do in the city, its surroundings are also worth a visit, made up of incredible places such as the city of Abu Dhabi, with its great mosque, and natural beauties such as the desert or the Fujairah sea, ideal for snorkelling. There is no shortage of fun, with a day at Legoland Dubai!

So let's find out together which are the best day trips around Dubai!

1 - Abu Dhabi

Those visiting Dubai almost always reserve a day for one particular excursion, that to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Not very far away, about 140 km, it can be easily reached on your own by direct bus (2 h 20 min), but the best solution is to visit it with an organised tour from Dubai, including transport and a guide who will introduce you to this marvellous city.

The highlight of a visit to Abu Dhabi is certainly Sheikh Zayed's Grand Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world, which fortunately can also be visited inside, obviously observing certain rules out of respect for the Muslim religion. Most of the tours then have very interesting stops, allowing you to discover every side of the city: a nice walk along the Corniche, the city's seafront; a photo in front of the famous Emirates Palace; a visit to the Etihad Towers, with theObservation Deck at 300; and a break at the Marina Mall, with an ice rink inside!

Obviously you can't visit all of Abu Dhabi in one day, you have to make some sacrifices. But if you manage to stay two days, you absolutely cannot miss the wonderful Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi and at least half a day at Ferrari World!

• Distance: 140 km

• How to get there: with organised tour transport included / by car via Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan St/E10 and E11 (1 h 20 min), or by direct bus line E100 from Dubai Al Ghubaiba Bus Station 9 to Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station (2 h 20 min) - Get directions

• Hours: tour duration 9 h, pick-up at hotel 8:45 am, return before dinner

• Ticket price: from €65.00 per person

2 - Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

There is one attraction in Abu Dhabi that absolutely deserves a full day: Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. If you are a fan of the genre, this can prove to be a wonderful and fun alternative to simply visiting Abu Dhabi! You can reach Ferrari World by car, in just an hour, or on a day tour from Dubai, which also includes a visit to the city!

Located on Yas Island, this is the first Ferrari theme park ever designed. Like Dubai, this place also holds some records: with an area of 86,000 square metres, it is the largest indoor theme park in the world and inside you will find the Formula Rossa rollercoaster, which, with a speed of 240 km/h in 4.5 seconds, is the fastest rollercoaster in the world! In all, there are 29 attractions, some dedicated to families and children, such asItaly in Miniature or the Tyre Twist! Definitely the right place to spend a day of total fun!

• Distance: 112 km

• How to get there: by car via Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan St/E10 and E11 (1 h min), or by direct bus to Abu Dhabi, line E100 from Dubai Al Ghubaiba Bus Station 9 to Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station (2 h 20 min) - Get directions

• Hours: generally daily 11am-8pm, times subject to change.

• Ticket price: Full price from AED 295.00 (€67.50), concessions from AED 230.00 (€52.70). For packages and experiences, consult the official website / excursion from Dubai from €180.00 per person

3 - Desert Safari

There is one activity in particular that you absolutely cannot miss during a trip to Dubai: a day in the desert! This is a very popular experience and there are different packages: those of a few hours, those of a full day that also include dinner, and those with a night out, sleeping in tents. Whatever your plan, keep in mind that the desert can only be visited by organised excursion, as a matter of safety! There are several tours departing from Dubai, with transport and guide included.

We recommend the tour with camel safari, red dunes in a 4x4 and Bedouin barbecue at Al Khayma, admiring the starry sky. During the day there are several activities to do, you definitely can't miss the experience of sandboarding, which is snowboarding but practised on sand, which is really a lot of fun! During dinner you can watch traditional dances and admire the stars, then your transfer will take you directly back to your hotel!

• How to get there: only by organised tour, including pick-up and transport from/to the hotel

• Timetable: tour duration approx. 7 hours

• Ticket price: from €56.38 per person

4 - Legoland Dubai

Photos of Legoland Billund Resort. If you are travelling with children or simply love Lego, then you can't miss a day at Legoland Dubai, the amusement park dedicated to the famous bricks we all played with as kids! About 45 minutes from the centre of Dubai, you can easily reach it by metro and then by taxi. Before your visit, we recommend purchasing the LEGOLAND Dubai Pass to avoid queues at the ticket counters. Alternatively, entry to the park is also included in the Dubai Explorer Pass.

The park is organised with attractions, food outlets and shopping areas. In particular, it is divided into six thematic areas: Factory, Miniland, Legocity, Kingdoms, Imagination and Adventure. The attractions are arranged more or less circularly, so the route to follow is very easy! Not far away there is also the Legoland Water Park(water park pass available online), but it is better to dedicate a day to just one of the two parks, as both are very large and require at least a full day to enjoy all the attractions and activities.
SEE ALSO: Visit to Legoland Dubai: info, prices and useful advice

• Distance: 45.7 km

• How to get there: By car via Sheikh Zayed Rd/E11 (30 min). By transport, metro red line from Dubai city centre to Jabel Ali (45 min) or from Dubai Marina to Jabel Ali (17 min,) then from Jaleb Ali taxi to Legoland (24 km, 25 min, average cost from AED 45.00/€11.00) - Get directions

• Hours: daily, in summer Sat-Wed 10am-8pm, Thu-Fri 12pm-9pm, in winter Sat-Fri 10am-6pm, Thu-Fri 10am-8pm.

• Ticket cost: 1-day 1-park ticket full 275.00 AED (€65.00), under 3 years free / 1-day 2-park ticket full 295.00 AED (€70.00)

5 - Fujairah and snorkelling

Photos by Imre Solt.
At 122 km from Dubai, Fujairah can be reached by bus (we don't recommend a car as you would have to cross the whole country from coast to coast). The best option is definitely an organised tour from Dubai, which includes transport, snorkelling and a barbecue lunch!

Fujairah is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates and is the only one that overlooks the beautiful Gulf of Oman in the Indian Ocean, a truly wonderful place for snorkelling and discovering the vibrant underwater life near the coast! In fact, the tour includes snorkelling with a certified guide, so that you are never left alone(all equipment is included), and travelling out to sea in a double-decker boat to reach various spots.

• Distance: 122 km

• How to get there: tour with transport included / self-drive via Sharjah-Kalba Rd/E102 and Dubai-Fujairah Rd (1 h 20 min), or by direct bus line E700 from Dubai Union Square Bus Station 6 to Fujairah (2 h 45 min) - Get directions

• Hours: tour duration 8 h

• Ticket price: from €84.26 per person

6 - Sharjah

A little further north of Dubai, less than 30 km away, is Sharjah, capital of one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. You can reach it easily on your own by car, but the best solution is to rely on an organised tour from Dubai, transport included and including the entrance ticket to the city's fortress and museum.

Sharjan, also called the Pearl of the Gulf, is considered the cultural capital of the Emirates, as it is home to a huge number of museums and cultural venues. But that's not all: the city also has 16 km of beach, for relaxing in the sun between visits! Here you can also visit the King Faisal Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the Emirates, which is truly marvellous. Before returning to Dubai, don't forget to take a stroll around the city's souks, the most famous of which are the Al Arsa souk and the Al Markazi souk, the latter a paradise for handicrafts.

• Distance: 28 km

• How to get there: tour with organised transport / self-drive via E11 (25 min) - Get directions

• Hours: tour duration 4 h

• Ticket price: from €10.00 per person

7 - Cruise to Musandam Khasab, Oman

A wonderful excursion that crosses over into Oman, to take with an organised tour, is the Musandam Khasab, Oman day cruise! The tour includes the transfer and cruise, plus an Oriental-style buffet lunch. Some important info: make sure you have your passport with you and book at least 48 hours in advance, the visa to enter Oman will be requested directly by the tour organising the excursion.

This excursion includes a cruise on a traditional Arab dhow along the Musandam fjords, a unique natural beauty that will leave you breathless. On the way, there is also a stop at Telegraph Island, where you can swim in the crystal-clear waters and snorkel among colourful fish! If you are lucky, you may even meet some groups of dolphins during the cruise!

How to get there: cruise excursion via organised tour, pick-up and transport from/to hotel included

• Timetable: one-day tour, pick-up at the hotel at 6.30 a.m., return around dinner time (4 p.m. departure from port and transfer to hotel)

• Ticket price: tour for a minimum of two participants, from €150.00 per person