country
United Arab Emiratesالإمارات العربية المتحدة
First trip: sleep in Dubai for 3–4 nights between November and March, spend the middle of every day inside air conditioning, and read the local rules on alcohol, dress and public behaviour before you land: they are enforced.
The UAE is seven emirates but a first trip is one: Dubai, with Abu Dhabi as an optional day by road. The trips that go wrong come at the wrong season, walk outdoors at midday in summer, or break a rule the visitor did not know about: drinking in public, kissing in a mall, photographing strangers, or carrying a medicine that is controlled here. Plan mornings and evenings outdoors, the hot hours indoors, and check entry and medication rules before you fly.
All regions, cities and parks in United Arab Emirates (Atlas) →
Regions
Capital and major cities
Spend two nights in Abu Dhabi for the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the museums on Saadiyat Island; it pairs well with Dubai, about 1.5 hours by road.
Visit Sharjah as a day trip from Dubai for its museums and heritage area; stay overnight only for a quieter, cheaper base.
Go to Al Ain for a day trip for its oasis, fort and Jebel Hafeet: it is inland, cooler at altitude and quiet.
Choose Ras Al Khaimah for beach and mountain time on a quieter northern coast, two to three nights, about an hour from Dubai.
Routes that work
Dubai only, 4 nights
Keep one bed; use taxis in the hot hours.
- Fly into Dubai, do the Creek and the old lanes first, Downtown and the Marina in the evenings; add Abu Dhabi only as a day or a night.
- November to March is the season; May and September are hot, and June to August is 40–48 degrees with high humidity.
- Ramadan changes opening hours and daytime eating rules: expect later starts and busy evenings.
Arrive
Time math
- 3 days
- Dubai: Downtown and Burj Khalifa, Al Fahidi and the Creek, Marina at dawn
- 5 days
- Dubai 4 + Abu Dhabi day by road or coach
- 7 days
- Dubai 4 + Abu Dhabi 1 + Sharjah or Fujairah day
Country rules
- Alcohol is served only in licensed venues such as hotels, bars and some restaurants; drinking or being drunk in public is an offence.
- Cover shoulders and knees in malls, government buildings, souks and mosques; swimwear stays on beaches and at pools.
- Keep public behaviour reserved: no kissing or close contact in public, no rude gestures, swearing or arguments online or in person, and ask before photographing people.
- Some common medicines (certain painkillers, sleeping pills and ADHD drugs) are controlled here: check the health ministry's rules and carry the prescription before you fly.
- Check entry rules for your passport on the official government portals; many nationalities enter without a prior visa, others need one in advance.
Etiquette
- Greet with the right hand; wait for a woman to offer a handshake.
- Take shoes off at mosque and home entrances; women cover hair in mosques, and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (Abu Dhabi) provides abayas.
- Ramadan: avoid eating, drinking and smoking in public in daylight, and dress more conservatively.
- Ask before photographing people, especially women, and never photograph government buildings or security staff.
- Ramadan (about mid-Feb to mid-Mar in 2026; earlier each year)
- Daytime dining limited or screened; later opening hours.
- Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (dates move yearly)
- Several days of closures, traffic and hotel peaks.
- Dec 2–3 (National Day) and around Dec 31
- Road closures, crowded fountain and fireworks areas, high hotel prices.
- Jun–Sep
- Extreme heat; outdoor sights shift to dawn or evening.
Money & passes
Cash necessity: 2/5
- Dirham (AED): cards and phone wallets work almost everywhere in Dubai; keep small notes for abras, tips and souk stalls.
- ATMs are everywhere; use ones inside malls and banks.
- Nol card: the rechargeable Dubai transit card for metro, bus, tram and abra; buy a silver card at a metro station and top up before you ride.
- Ride-hailing (Careem, Uber) and the metered taxis show or print the fare; taxis add a pick-up fee at the airport.
Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · E-visa and entry
Safety
- Heat: Jun–Sep can exceed 45 degrees; plan outdoor time before 09:00 and after 17:00, drink water often, and know the signs of heat exhaustion.
- Crime is low, but rules are strict: fines and detention apply for drugs (including trace amounts), public intoxication and disorderly behaviour.
- Traffic: cross only at signals; jaywalking is fined. Zero tolerance for drinking and driving.
- Regional security: read your own government's travel advice and follow official emergency alerts on your phone.
- Emergency: 999 police, 998 ambulance, 997 fire.
The UAE is the western end of the Gulf and Iran corridor (planned); Oman connects by road through Hatta.
Sources
- UAE Government portal (visas and entry) (official)
- UAE Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (official)
- Visit Dubai (Department of Economy and Tourism) (official)
- Wikivoyage — United Arab Emirates (secondary)