Al Ain day trip, from Dubai.

Why an Al Ain day trip from Dubai is worth it

Most visitors to Dubai never go to Al Ain, and the ones who do usually wish they had gone sooner. It is the opposite of Dubai: low buildings, shady palm groves, mud-brick forts and a pace that slows everyone down by lunchtime.

Al Ain sits on the border with Oman, inland in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Parts of the city, including the oasis and the old settlements around it, are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. For families, the zoo is one of the best in the region. For anyone who likes a view, the road up Jebel Hafeet is the reason to come.

With your own vehicle and driver, an Al Ain day trip from Dubai is easy. Public transport between the two cities is slow for a day out, and a taxi each way gets expensive quickly.

Getting there

There are two main roads from Dubai: the E66 Dubai to Al Ain road from the eastern side of the city, and the E11 then E22 through Abu Dhabi emirate. Most days we take the E66, which brings you into Al Ain in about an hour and a half from central Dubai.

Pick-up is from your hotel, home or office, usually between 07:30 and 08:30. The drive out is straightforward. The road home on a Sunday evening is busier, so we time the return with that in mind.

What to see in Al Ain

• Al Ain Oasis: walking paths through thousands of date palms, irrigated by the old falaj channels. Allow an hour, and go in the morning when it is cooler
• Al Jahili Fort and Al Ain Palace Museum, both close to the centre, both good for a short history stop
• Al Ain Zoo, a full half day for families, with its own tickets and opening hours
• The camel market near Bawadi Mall, worth half an hour if you have never seen one
• Jebel Hafeet: a long, well-made mountain road with viewpoints over the desert and across the border, best late in the afternoon
• Green Mubazzarah at the foot of the mountain, for a picnic and the hot springs

You can’t do everything. Our suggestion for a first visit is the oasis and one fort in the morning, lunch in town, then Jebel Hafeet for the late afternoon view before the drive home. With children, swap the forts for the zoo.

A sample day

An example for a group of eight in a 13-seater van:

• 07:45, pick-up in Downtown Dubai
• 09:15, Al Ain Oasis, an easy walk in the shade
• 10:45, Al Jahili Fort
• 12:30, lunch in the city
• 14:00, Al Ain Palace Museum or a rest at the hotel café
• 16:00, drive up Jebel Hafeet, stop at the viewpoints
• 17:30, leave for Dubai
• 19:00, back in Downtown

This is a full but unhurried day. Check each site’s opening hours before you go, because they vary by season and on Fridays.

Which vehicle

A couple or a small family can take an executive car or a 7-seater SUV. For up to 13 people, a 13-seater van, or a Sprinter for more legroom on the mountain road.

School groups and company outings go in a 30-seater bus or a 50-seater coach. Coaches can make the drive up Jebel Hafeet, and we check the stops and parking for the size of vehicle when we quote.

Cost

An Al Ain day trip is quoted for your group and your day. The price covers the vehicle, the driver, fuel and road tolls for the agreed hours. It depends on the vehicle, the hours and if you add Jebel Hafeet or stay for dinner. Entry tickets and meals are paid by you on the day.

For reference, the typical market range for a one-way car between Dubai and Al Ain is AED 350 to 585. A day trip with the driver waiting all day is a different booking, and our quote shows the full day before you confirm.

Al Ain in the heat

Al Ain is inland, so summer days are often hotter than on the coast, though the evenings are drier. From May to September, do the oasis first thing, keep the middle of the day for the museum or the zoo’s shaded areas, and go up Jebel Hafeet in the evening when the top is a little cooler.

From November to March, the weather is close to perfect, and that is when weekends book up first.

Booking

Send the date, number of people, pick-up point and the sights you want through the booking form or to info@emiratesbushire.com. We reply with a written quote. More ideas are on our day trips from Dubai page, including the Abu Dhabi city tour, which you can’t combine with Al Ain in one comfortable day.

Prices for these vehicles

Starting prices with driver and fuel, within Dubai (a day in Sharjah or the northern emirates is quoted for its route). Hourly hire has a minimum number of hours, confirmed on your quote. Monthly prices are for a daily staff route; the route, hours and working days are confirmed on your quote. Your written quote gives the exact price for your date and route.

Related: Day trips from Dubai · Abu Dhabi tour from Dubai · Dubai to Hatta · School trip transport guide · Bus size guide · Get a quote

Keep reading

• Day trips from Dubai: Every private day trip we run from Dubai: Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Hatta, Jebel Jais, the east coast and more, with drive times and prices.
• Ras Al Khaimah group day: Heritage, coast or mountain? Three shapes for a Ras Al Khaimah group day, and a timed heritage-and-coast plan that leaves Jebel Jais for another day.
• Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah transfers: One-way and return group transfers from Dubai hotels and airports to Al Marjan Island, Al Hamra, Mina Al Arab and Ras Al Khaimah city.
• Dubai to Jebel Jais (RAK): Group day trips from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah: Jebel Jais, the coast and heritage sites, with your own driver.
• Dubai to Ajman and UAQ: One vehicle, two quiet emirates: how to plan a group day from Dubai to Ajman and Umm Al Quwain, with a timed sample day.
• Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah by bus: The public intercity bus between Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah: how it works, roughly what it costs, and when a private bus makes more sense.