Destinations worth the journey

Where to go across the Emirates

The UAE is compact enough that most visitors base themselves in Dubai and take day trips to the other emirates. Dubai itself covers Downtown and the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Marina and JBR, Palm Jumeirah, the Old Dubai souks and the desert conservation reserves inland. Abu Dhabi, ninety minutes down the E11, is the cultural capital - the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Qasr Al Watan, Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Yas Island theme parks.

Sharjah sits directly next to Dubai and is the easiest half-day trip, known for the Blue Souk, Al Noor Mosque, the Sharjah Aquarium and its museums. Ras Al Khaimah, about an hour north, is the adventure emirate: Jebel Jais is the highest peak in the country and home to the world's longest zipline, with mountain hiking and a via ferrata alongside. Fujairah, on the east coast facing the Gulf of Oman, has the clearest water in the UAE and is where divers and snorkellers go.

Pick a destination above to jump straight into the tours filtered for that emirate. If you are combining several, allow one full day per emirate outside Dubai and keep travel to the morning - traffic on the Dubai to Abu Dhabi corridor builds sharply after 4:00 PM on weekdays.