3-5 day stopover in UAE?

[drcam]

Hello all, just trying to sort out my trip to the Middle East at the end of the year.

Looks like I might end up with a 3-5 day stopover in Abu Dhabi, I will definitely visit Dubai for some (most, all) of my time there.
It's expected to be early November when I go. Does anyone have any suggestions as to must-sees, accommodations (I am looking for budget end) and eating (less budget)? Should I do an outing to the desert?

 

[jase05]

Hello all, just trying to sort out my trip to the Middle East at the end of the year.

Looks like I might end up with a 3-5 day stopover in Abu Dhabi, I will definitely visit Dubai for some (most, all) of my time there.
It's expected to be early November when I go. Does anyone have any suggestions as to must-sees, accommodations (I am looking for budget end) and eating (less budget)? Should I do an outing to the desert?

With 5 days yes absolutely I’d do a day out in the desert. One of the easiest and safest countries to drive around with great roads and some stunning scenery. Maybe it’s because we have been there a bit but Abu Dhabi doesn’t have a lot to keep us there more than a couple of days. November is a good time to go temperature wise

 

[justinbrett]

Hello all, just trying to sort out my trip to the Middle East at the end of the year.

Looks like I might end up with a 3-5 day stopover in Abu Dhabi, I will definitely visit Dubai for some (most, all) of my time there.
It's expected to be early November when I go. Does anyone have any suggestions as to must-sees, accommodations (I am looking for budget end) and eating (less budget)? Should I do an outing to the desert?

I'll speak mostly for Abu Dhabi because I was a local there for a short period.

The Grand Mosque is the main attraction. I'd also visit Ferrari world at Yas mall, it has the fastest rollercoaster in the world. There's also a water park there if you want to escape the heat.

Mirage Marina is really nice too - there's a rotating restaurant and cafe you can go up for great views.

For a western breakfast, I highly recommend Jones the Grocer - absolutely outstanding food. Originally an Australian chain, that went bankrupt here but is thriving there. If you want to eat local, go into the shadier parts of town, you can eat very well and cheaply. If you're not into that, go to the major malls where they have all the major US chain restaurants (eg Cheesecake Factory, Texas Roadhouse, TGI Fridays etc)

For coffee I recommend Paul's - a French chain, but the UAE franchises take this to a new level.

UAE is a car country, I would rent a car for the entire trip if you can.

For Dubai, go to the Spice Souk, have lunch in old Dubai along the Dubai Creek. Go to Dubai Mall / Burj Khalifa complex, watch the fountains, go up the tower if you wish. Go to Burj al Arab and swim at the beach right next to it.

Don't speed on the motorway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai - there's speed cameras all along the short drive and there's no warning signs.

I'd probably split my time 50/50 between the cities. Don't spend it all in Dubai, Dubai is very touristy and Abu Dhabi is much less so.

 

[Quickstatus]

Or take an EY flight to Muscat

 

[Seat0B]

November is a great time weather wise to visit UAE. It will be in the low 30s in the day and you will be able to swim if you want to. I can’t say much bout accommodation because we stay with Seat Son when we visit but here are a few suggestions of things to do:

Dubai Mall for people watching, expensive shopping with occasional bargain, the big Aquarium (you can do a dive in there)
Eat Lebanese street food - it’s beautiful and fresh
Visit the iconic Ravi’s for an authentic Indian curry - very cheap
take a dune bashing trip, especially if it includes sunset and a BBQ
if you’re adventurous, take a tandem sky dive over the palm or the desert
if you’re not afraid of heights and don’t mind the cost, try Dinner in the Sky
visit the Al Serkal cool arts and foods precinct
rent a car (international driving permit required) and drive to Al Ain to see the big oasis and date palms and take the drive up Jabel Hafeet - just stunning
Drive to Hatta and see the dam and do water activities there (kayaks and canoes, pedal boats etc) and take the honey bee trip in Hatta, et honey themed products, go to the Hatta adventure park (rope courses, mountain biking etc)
drive to Al Sharjah for a more traditional experience, has a fascinating aviation museum there (al Mahatta)

and I may think of other things…

 

[justinbrett]

rent a car (international driving permit required)

It's not required for AU licences.

Rental Terms

 

[Seat0B]

I second the comments about Muscat by @Quickstatus - Oman is a very beautiful country.

I also agree with the classic tourist suggestions made by @justinbrett - all those things re fun to do if you’re new to Dubai. Also catch the abra (traditional boat) across the creek to the spice soul - fare is AED 1 per person- bargain. Book ahead for the Burj Khalifa as it can get pretty busy. There’s also the Dubai Eye at the Marina.

 

[Seat0B]

It's not required for AU licences.

Rental Terms

It was when we were there in November 2022 although in the end we did not rent. Maybe different companies have different rules - that would be very typically Middle Eastern! It was also required by Seat Son’s insurance company to drive his vehicle while we were there. He had to submit. Copy of our AU licence and IDP.

 

[justinbrett]

It was when we were there in November 2022 although in the end we did not rent. Maybe different companies have different rules - that would be very typically Middle Eastern! It was also required by Seat Son’s insurance company to drive his vehicle while we were there. He had to submit. Copy of our AU licence and IDP.

I was there in a government capacity and we had close links with the UAE government. I can tell you 100% the government policy is Australians can drive on their AU licences for the first 30 days if they are on a tourist visa. We did this for the first 30 days until we obtained full UAE licences.

We had a dedicated person in our team who was in charge of getting Aussies local DLs so we knew the rules to the letter (and I can tell you getting a UAE DL is a very cultural experience, dealing with Emirati bureaucracy!) In actual fact you do need an official translation (not IDP) of your AU licence to get a UAE DL.

Of course as you say, nothing stopping the local rental agencies having a stricter requirement. But from the link, Hertz is good to go. Driving a private vehicle there is probably more complex for insurance so that doesn't surprise me.

 

[jase05]

Would definitely take the trip up Jabel Hafeet, stunning views over the UAE and Oman and the drive is pretty cool too. The Mercure up near the top is often under $100 per night and has stunning views too. It’s only a couple of hours out of Abu Dhabi so you could even do a bit of a side trip out there

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

Definitely gold souk and spice souk.

We did the desert tour via Best Desert Safaris in Dubai - from authentic to premium and would highly recommend them. More personal and better then the camps for dinner / camel rides with hundreds of other people.

Food - we did for lunch at Burj al Arab and it was fantastic. Just book before hand. Try to get a window seat for the great views. It also means you can walk the grounds and see the hotel ect..

Everything that was mentioned in above posts are great ideas. We were there for 5 days a few years ago. If not for covid, we would have definitely been back.