Day trips from Dubai, with your own driver.

Private day trips from Dubai, one table

Everyone staying in Dubai gets the same advice: get out of the city for a day. The hard part is choosing. Here is every day trip we run from Dubai with a private vehicle and driver, with honest drive times and who each one suits.

Drive times are from central Dubai in normal traffic. Leaving early beats the worst of it, and we plan pick-ups with that in mind.

How a private day trip works

We collect your group from your hotel, home or office. The same driver stays with you all day, waits at every stop and drives you back. You choose the order of stops and how long you stay at each. Nobody hurries you onto a bus for the next hotel pick-up.

The price covers the vehicle, the driver, fuel and road tolls. Entry tickets, activities and meals you book and pay directly. That way our quote shows only what we provide, and you see the real cost of each attraction.

Most days run 9 to 11 hours door to door. If you want the evening too, we add the hours to the quote before you confirm.

Choosing a trip for your group

For a first visit to the UAE, start with the Abu Dhabi city tour from Dubai. The Grand Mosque and the Louvre are the two sights people talk about afterwards.

For families with teenagers, Yas Island is hard to beat. For keen walkers and anyone tired of malls, Hatta or Jebel Jais. For a quiet beach without the Dubai crowds, the east coast. For history, Al Ain and Mleiha, both of which surprise people who thought the UAE was all new.

From November to March every trip works. From June to September, choose the ones with indoor stops or water, and start early. Jebel Jais is several degrees cooler than the coast, which makes it the summer exception.

The right vehicle

One to three people travel well in an executive car. Up to six fit a 7-seater SUV or 7-seater van. From 7 to 16 people, a 13-seater van or a Sprinter minibus, which we recommend for the longer mountain days because of the legroom.

Groups of 17 and more take a 30-seater bus or a 35 or 50-seater coach. Some mountain and beach stops are tight for a full-size coach, and we check every stop when we quote. Occasionally two smaller vehicles are the better answer.

Company outings, school trips and wedding guests

A good share of our day trips are for groups rather than tourists. Companies book a coach to Hatta or Abu Dhabi for a team day. Schools book field trips to Mleiha, Al Ain Zoo or the Louvre. Families planning a wedding book coaches to bring guests to a venue outside Dubai.

For these, the details matter more than the scenery: seat belts for every pupil, a coach that fits the venue gate, one arrival time for 50 guests. Read our school trip transport guide and our wedding guest shuttle page, or tell us what the day is for and we plan around it.

Prices and what changes them

Published starting prices, all with driver and fuel:

• Abu Dhabi day trip from AED 550 per day in a 13-seater van
• Hatta from AED 650 per day in a 15-seater van
• Jebel Jais from AED 650 per day in a 15-seater van
• Fujairah from AED 550 one way in a 14-seater van

Everything else is quoted for your day. Price depends on the vehicle, the number of hours, the distance once you arrive and if you stay for the evening. Example: 14 colleagues to Hatta in a 15-seater van at the starting price is about AED 46 each for the whole day.

Our bus rental prices page explains each part of a quote.

Booking

Send the date, number of people, pick-up point and the trip you have in mind through the booking form or to info@emiratesbushire.com. We reply with a written quote. For weekends from October to April, a week or two of notice is wise.

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: Abu Dhabi tour from Dubai · Ferrari World from Dubai · Al Ain day trip · Dubai to Hatta · East coast day trip · Get a quote

Keep reading

• Al Ain day trip: A private Al Ain day trip from Dubai: the oasis, the forts, the zoo and the road up Jebel Hafeet, with your own driver all day.
• 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.
• East coast day trip: Kalba, Fujairah or Dibba? How to choose your stretch of the east coast, and a timed day for a group that wants the best of one of them.
• Dubai to Fujairah & Khor Fakkan: East-coast day trips by bus: Fujairah, Khor Fakkan and Al Bidyah, with your own driver all day.
• Dubai to Hatta: A private bus from Dubai to Hatta Dam, Wadi Hub and the heritage village, with the driver waiting all day.
• 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.