Automobile
The Best Road Trips From Dubai (and What to See Along the Way)
The best road trips from Dubai are Hatta (1.5 hours), Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah (2 hours), the Fujairah east coast (about 2 hours), Abu Dhabi (1.5 hours), the Liwa desert (4 hours) and Musandam in Oman (3 to 3.5 hours). Go between October and April.
Some of my favourite weekends in the UAE have started with a full tank of petrol and no real plan. The best road trips from Dubai are closer than you think: Hatta is about 1.5 hours away, Jebel Jais and the Fujairah coast around 2 hours, Abu Dhabi roughly 1.5 hours, the Liwa desert about 4 hours, and Musandam in Oman 3 to 3.5 hours once you factor in the border. My honest advice is to save all of these for October to April, when the heat finally lets you sit outside without melting.
Here is where I actually go, what to see, and the things I wish someone had told me before my first drive.
Hatta: mountains and turquoise water, 1.5 hours away
Hatta is my go-to when I want mountains without committing a whole weekend. It sits about 130 km from the city, roughly 1.5 hours via the E611 and then the E44. The Hatta Dam is the star, with that unreal turquoise water where you can rent a kayak or a paddleboard for an hour.
I also love the Hatta Heritage Village, with its restored fort and old mud-brick homes, and Wadi Hub if you want mountain biking or a proper adventure day. One thing to know: the old Hatta route used to cross into Oman, but the current E44 stays inside the UAE, so no passport needed. Bring cash for kayak rentals.
Jebel Jais: the highest point in the country, 2 hours away
If you want to feel like you have properly left the city, Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah delivers. It is about 2 hours from Dubai, and the mountain road climbs to around 1,680 metres, the highest point in the UAE. The drive itself, all those winding switchbacks, is half the reason to go.
This is home to Jais Flight, the world's longest zipline at 2.83 km, where you fly headfirst at up to 160 km per hour. Even if ziplining is not your thing, the viewing decks near the summit at sunset are worth the whole trip. Fill up at the petrol station at the base, because there is nothing once you start climbing.
The Fujairah east coast: the other sea, about 2 hours away
People forget the UAE has a second coastline. Al Aqah beach in Fujairah is about 180 km and roughly 2 hours from Dubai, and the water on this side feels calmer and cleaner to me. The reason to come is Snoopy Island, a little rocky outcrop just off the beach with genuinely good snorkelling: coral, colourful fish, sometimes turtles.
You reach the beach by car, then swim or take a short boat out. There are dive centres here with PADI instructors if you want to go under properly. It makes a lovely slow day, and it pairs well with my favourite day trips from Dubai if you only have a Saturday.
Abu Dhabi: culture in a day, 1.5 hours away
Abu Dhabi is the easiest drive on this list, about 150 km and 1.5 hours straight down the E11. I treat it as a culture day. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is breathtaking and free to enter (dress modestly, they provide abayas). The Louvre Abu Dhabi and Qasr Al Watan palace are both close by, so you can see all three without rushing.
Liwa and Musandam: the two big drives
These two are for when you want a real adventure. The Liwa desert sits on the edge of the Empty Quarter, about 350 km and 4 hours from Dubai, home to Moreeb Dune, one of the tallest dunes in the country. The dunes here are on a completely different scale, and you need a 4x4 and some off-road confidence.
Musandam, the Omani peninsula often called the Norway of Arabia, is 3 to 3.5 hours away once you cross the Al Dara border near Ras Al Khaimah. You need an Oman visa and Oman car insurance, which you can buy at the border, plus the original Mulkiya for your car. The fjords and dhow cruises out of Khasab are unforgettable. If you are hiring a car for any of these, my guide on how to rent a car in Dubai covers the paperwork.
My honest tips before you go
Go October to April. Leave early to beat both heat and traffic. Keep your Salik topped up, carry water and cash, and never rely only on phone signal in the mountains. And if summer traps you in the city, I have a whole list of things to do in Dubai in summer instead.
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