Example Itinerary

Cities of the UAE

Duration
8 days / 7 nights
Price Per Person
Interests
Glamping, Architecture
Destinations
UAE

Overflowing with wealth, Dubai is a great city to explore with futuristic skyscrapers and malls with endless shopping for every luxury available. Visit Sharjah, with an incredible 600 mosques and over 20 museums to explore, a great way to gain insight into the Emirati culture and ways of life now and in the past.  Moving on to Abu Dhabi, a city to rival Dubai, with the same luxuries but a greater feeling of culture pulsing through the air. Spend time in Al Ain, a stunning lush green oasis where the last of the traditional Camel Souks can be found before the last stop on the journey, Al Maha, a stark contrast to city life flowing with lush flora and a variety fauna with sand dunes on the horizon.

This itinerary is an example. It’s designed to inspire you and provide you with thoughtfully curated ideas. You can choose to do this exact itinerary or completely personalize it. All trips are 100% bespoke.

Highlights

  • Ships of the Desert: Al Ain's crazy and chaotic camel souq is the place to go if you're in the market for a dromedary, or a glimpse into traditional Middle Eastern life.
  • Sheikh Zayed Mosque: The UAE's largest mosque, located in Abu Dhabi, is a dazzling sight to behold in white and gold.
  • Shopping: The opulent and extensive malls of Dubai offer high-end labels and luxury wares (plus air-conditioning), whereas the souks and bazaars are treasure troves of authentic souvenirs.

Day-by-Day

Day 1

Map

Dubai

Arriving in Dubai, the city known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture, lively nightlife and man-made islands with marine-animal parks, a chauffeur will transfer to your ultra-luxury hotel for the evening.

Hotel Options
Why We Love This Hotel

Location: Only a 15-minute drive from the airport, yet strategically situated in the pulsing heart of downtown Dubai, proximity to the city’s main attractions as well as the property’s breathtaking views make the Address Downtown the ultimate address for a Dubai stay.

Accolades: The Address Downtown took home the award for the World’s Best Hotel Spa Suites at the World Spa Awards. A stay in the hotel’s Spa Suites or Signature Spa Suites includes a private terrace with an outdoor jacuzzi – the perfect place to enjoy the view.

Service: The Address family is known for contemporary design, excellent locations, elegant details and impeccable service. Address Downtown, being the brand’s flagship property, sets the bar high for exceptional hospitality and service standards.

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Address Downtown Dubai Preferred Hotel
Why We Love This Hotel

Location: One couldn’t possibly ask for a more superlative and exciting location for a hotel, with the Armani Hotel nestled into the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, overlooking downtown Dubai.

History: One of the world’s most fascinating construction projects, the Burj Khalifa was inaugurated in 2010, and is today known as a vertical city that rises into the sky.

Service: Everything in the hotel bears Armani’s signature touch, including the warm Italian-style hospitality and fine service shown to its guests.

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Armani Hotel Dubai Preferred Hotel
Why We Love This Hotel

Location: The iconic symbol of Dubai, the Burj Al Arab lives on its own island, and is a destination in itself, towering over the exciting, vibrant, and ever-flourishing city.

History: Construction began on this landmark hotel in 1994, and since then, it has slowly but surely grown into the most luxurious hotel in the world, frequented by royalty and celebrities alike.

Service: Often referred to as the world’s only 7-star hotel, the Burj Al Arab’s service is quite literally in a class by itself, with perks that include a 24-carat gold iPad for each guest’s use upon check-in.

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Burj Al Arab Preferred Hotel

Day 2

Map

Dubai

Dubai city is alive with Emirati life, museums, forts and countless shops and restaurants. Gain an insight into local culture at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding and look into life many centuries ago at the Dubai Museum before Shopping at the Meena Bazar, Spice Souk, Gold Souk or the Mall of the Emirates, one of the largest malls in the world.

Dubai
Dubai

Day 3

Map

Dubai

On the third day, take a daytrip to Sharjah, the third-largest Emirate in the UAE with over 600 mosques including the incredible Turkish inspired Al Noor Mosque, the most famous of its mosques. Explore the Museum of Islamic Civilization; an impressive collection of Islamic artifacts stretching back 1,400 years and shop at the infamous Blue Souk for gold, fabrics, Arabian rugs and more. Return to Dubai for the evening. 

Day 4

Map

Abu Dhabi

Around 130 miles away and just over two hours is the city of Abu Dhabi, the next stop on the journey. Much like Dubai, with its modern landscape, it is a unique city with much to discover including the iconic Sheikh Zayed Mosque that is considered the most important site of worship in the country and discover the Date Market, with countless sweet sticky varieties to sample before relaxing for the evening at the hotel.

Hotel Options
Why We Love This Hotel

Location:A beautiful palace situated on its own stretch of private beach, the façade of the building is simply breath-taking and close to everything you could need.

History: One of Abu Dhabi’s iconic landmarks, the gold and marble design embraces the rich culture and colourful traditions of this region.

Service:Personalized registration in the privacy of your suite, 24-hour butler service, luxury bathroom amenities, daily newspaper, fresh flower arrangements, evening turndown service, it’s hard not to be impressed by the flawless five-star luxury services offered.

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Emirates Palace Preferred Hotel
Why We Love This Hotel

Style: Designed by two top architectural companies, the hotel’s aesthetic perfectly balances sophistication, elegance, and warmth with its dark woods, beautiful furnishings, and water features.

Dining: Boasting eight different restaurants and bars, the hotel’s gourmet meals range from fresh seafood to authentic Cantonese cuisine.

Relaxation and Comfort: In addition to luxurious rooms and suites, the hotel houses a nine-room spa that offers several treatments and is equipped with a hammam, cold mist showers, a large whirlpool, and a sauna.

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Rosewood Abu Dhabi Preferred Hotel
About

Abu Dhabi is an opulent bastion of commerce and industry in the United Arab Emirates as well as the burgeoning nation’s capital. Situated on the waterfront of Al Bateen in the Abu Dhabi Marina, The Abu Dhabi Edition boast sleek, modern lines of décor in keeping with the modish high-rise buildings of the city set amid lines of palm trees and carefully manicured walkways.

If our Preferred Hotel is unavailable, this accommodation is a reliable alternative and has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi

Day 5

Map

Abu Dhabi

The lush green city Al Ain, meaning ‘The Spring’, is an hour and a half from Abu Dhabi where there is so much to explore. The noisy traditional Camel Souk is steeped in Arabic culture where traders haggle over these ‘ships of the desert’. Discover the past excavated objects from nearby tombs which date back to 3rd millennium BC, weapons, silver jewellery traditional costumes, pottery and more. Enjoy an evening back the hotel.

Day 6

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Al Maha

Located within the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve 118 miles and just shy of two hours from Abu Dhabi, the flora and fauna of this landscape creates an amazing desert oasis and feels worlds away from city life. Check in to your desert camp and enjoy the change of pace. 

Hotel Options
Why We Love This Hotel

Location: Set on a sandy canopy amongst a shady palm oasis in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, the Al Maha resort is the epitome of Bedouin luxury.

Service: Guests will be welcomed with warm Arabian hospitality upon arrival to Al Maha and will receive a personalized and attentive service throughout their stay, right up until the moment they leave.

History: According to legend, Al Maha was a wondrous oasis lost in the desert. A curious wanderer stumbled upon a protruding twig after following his falcon and returned the next day to unearth the spring hidden here and brought life back to the barren desert.

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Al Maha Preferred Hotel
Al Maha
Al Maha

Day 7

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Al Maha

Awake to a day of leisure in Al Maha and discover the magical world of falconry, learning about these majestic creatures or trek the desert with a guide to discover the sandy dunes or perhaps enjoy the thrill of the dunes in a 4x4 with an experienced driver before heading back to the hotel for an evening of leisure..

Day 8

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Departure

A short 35-minute journey covering 25 miles from Al Maha to Dubai, sees the end to this adventure, ready for the next.

Why Remote Lands?

Exclusively Asia

With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.

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