Travel guide
United Arab Emirates Travel Guide
The UAE is a land of superlatives and contrasts, where desert meets futuristic skyline and centuries-old Bedouin heritage coexists with the most ambitious architectural projects on earth. Dubai anchors the country's record-breaking side — the Burj Khalifa's observation decks, the Dubai Mall's scale, and Palm Jumeirah's engineering — while Old Dubai's Creek, souks and Al Fahidi heritage district tell a quieter, older story just minutes away. Abu Dhabi balances that ambition with cultural depth: the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is free to enter and breathtaking at sunset, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi brings world art to the Gulf under its rain-of-light dome. The desert itself is an experience in its own right — dune bashing, camel riding at sunset, and nights under the stars in Bedouin camps. Beyond the big two emirates, Ras Al Khaimah offers mountain adventure and the world's longest zipline, while Fujairah's Gulf of Oman coast gives uncrowded beaches and snorkelling. The country's cosmopolitan population shows up on every menu, from shawarma stands to fine dining hundreds of metres above the ground.
Updated 2026-09-24
Deep dives
Deep dive
Desert Safaris and Reserves: How to Choose Well →
Nearly every desert safari in the UAE runs on the same few dune areas near Dubai. What you buy is the manner of the visit, not the destination — how to choose an operator, and the conservation reserves most visitors never hear about.
Itinerary
Planning a UAE Trip: The Clock Matters More Than the Map →
Nothing in the UAE is far away — the whole inhabited country is within about two hours of Dubai. What governs a trip here is not distance but the time of day and the time of year.
Ways to Experience This Destination
Burj Khalifa (828 m, the world's tallest building), Palm Jumeirah (an artificial palm-shaped island), Dubai Frame (a 150 m golden frame with a glass floor), the Museum of the Future, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Burj Al Arab (the “sail hotel”) — architecture is the country's headline attraction, and much of it was built within living memory.
Dune bashing by 4x4 in the sand seas within reach of the cities, camel riding at sunset, overnight stays in Bedouin-style camps, sandboarding, falconry displays and stargazing well away from the coastal glow — and, for those willing to drive deep into Abu Dhabi emirate, the true dunes of the Empty Quarter at Liwa.
Jumeirah Beach with Burj Al Arab views, Kite Beach for watersports, Al Mamzar Beach Park, Palm Jumeirah beach clubs, Fujairah's east coast for snorkelling, Ras Al Khaimah for quieter alternatives — crystal-clear water and year-round sunshine.
Dubai Mall (1,200 shops, aquarium, ice rink), Mall of the Emirates (with indoor ski slope Ski Dubai), the Gold and Spice Souks on Dubai Creek, Global Village (seasonal cultural market featuring 90 countries) — from traditional souks to luxury megamalls.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (free entry, architectural masterpiece), Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Al Fahidi heritage quarter with wind towers and Dubai Museum, Sharjah's 20+ museums, Qasr Al Hosn fort in Abu Dhabi — behind the modernity lies a rich cultural layer.
The world's longest zipline at Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah, indoor skydiving, an indoor ski slope running through a summer that sits well above 40°C outside, jet skiing around the Palm, helicopter tours over Dubai, and the world's deepest dive pool at 60 metres — much of it engineered specifically to work in a climate that rules out the outdoors for months at a time.
City guides
Frequently asked questions
Is the UAE just Dubai, or is it worth seeing the other emirates?
Dubai and Abu Dhabi hold most of what visitors come for, but the country is small enough that the others are genuinely reachable — Sharjah's museum quarter is twenty minutes from Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah has the highest mountains and a markedly cooler climate, and Fujairah faces a different sea altogether on the Gulf of Oman. A week that never leaves Dubai is a perfectly good week; a week that spends two days outside it sees a different country.
How bad is the summer heat, and can you still visit?
Between roughly June and September the daytime temperature sits well above 40°C with high humidity on the coast, and outdoor plans become genuinely unrealistic in the middle of the day. You can still visit, and prices drop accordingly — the country is built for it, with malls, museums, aquariums, indoor ski and dive attractions and hotel pools chilled rather than heated. But desert safaris, beaches and walking tours all move to early morning or late evening if they happen at all.
What should I wear in the UAE?
Ordinary Western clothing is fine in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with the reasonable expectation that shoulders and knees are covered in malls, government buildings and older districts. Swimwear belongs at beaches, pools and beach clubs and nowhere else. Mosques require more: long sleeves, long trousers or skirt, and a headscarf for women — the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque lends what visitors need at the entrance. Sharjah is noticeably more conservative than its neighbours and worth dressing for accordingly.
Is the UAE a good destination with children?
Unusually good, and for a specific reason: an enormous share of the attractions are indoor and climate-controlled, which turns the summer heat from a trip-ender into an inconvenience. Waterparks, aquariums, theme parks, an indoor ski slope and a dense concentration of family hotels make logistics easy, distances are short, and the country is exceptionally safe. The main planning constraint is the same as for adults — the outdoor half of the trip has to dodge the middle of the day.
Do I need to hire a car in the UAE?
Not in Dubai, where the metro, trams and cheap plentiful taxis cover most of what a visitor wants, and not in Abu Dhabi city. A car earns its keep the moment you want the rest of the country — the mountain roads of Ras Al Khaimah, the east coast at Fujairah, Al Ain's oases or the dunes at Liwa are all awkward without one. Roads are excellent and well signed; the driving culture is fast, and that is the thing to be ready for rather than the navigation.
Entry rules, visa types and practical notes live on the United Arab Emirates overview.
Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.