Dubai from Abu Dhabi: Day Trip or Overnight Stay?
4 min read
The answer first
For a first look at Dubai, a day trip from Abu Dhabi is enough. Stay the night if you want to see the city after dark or take more than one big attraction. The Dubai full-day sightseeing tour from Abu Dhabi costs €74.94, with 4.7 / 5 from 798 reviews. A second option, the full-day tour with optional lunch, costs €42.75, with 4.3 / 5 from 430 reviews.
The two tours compared
| Tour | Duration | What the booking page says |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai full-day sightseeing tour | 8 hours | Hotel pickup in Abu Dhabi; photo stops including the Burj Khalifa from outside, an hour at the Dubai Mall, an abra ride on Dubai Creek, the Gold and Spice Souks; no lunch included |
| Dubai full-day tour with optional lunch | 8 to 9 hours | Hotel pickup around 7am to 7.15am; photo stops at Atlantis, Jumeirah Beach, Jumeirah Mosque and Zabeel Palace, time at the Dubai Mall; lunch only if you choose that option |
Both tours pick you up at your hotel in Abu Dhabi and have an English-speaking guide. Neither includes entry to the big attractions: the sightseeing tour views the Burj Khalifa from outside, and the page of the lunch tour lists admission to the Burj Khalifa, the Burj Al Arab and Ski Dubai as not included. Lunch on that tour is a restaurant meal at the Dubai Mall, and only if you select the lunch option. Its short description names Bastakiya and Dubai Creek, while the itinerary on its booking page lists Atlantis, Jumeirah Beach, Jumeirah Mosque, the Marjan Islamic Art Gallery, Zabeel Palace and the Dubai Mall; check there which stops your date has. The same page asks for smart casual clothes (no shorts, jeans, flip-flops or trainers) and marks the tour as not suitable for wheelchair users.
Going on your own
The public bus is a real alternative. The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority lists the E100 route between Al Ghubaiba and the Abu Dhabi bus station, and the E101 between Ibn Battuta and Abu Dhabi. During holidays, the RTA has in the past suspended the E100 from Al Ghubaiba and sent passengers to the E101 instead, so check the S’hail app or the RTA timetable for your date rather than relying on a number we could quote. The Al Qana waterfront district, home of the National Aquarium, gives about 75 minutes by road from Dubai to its site in Abu Dhabi, which gives a rough idea of the drive, though not from the city centre.
Driving gives you your own schedule. If you plan to see several districts, you can compare rental cars for Abu Dhabi, though you then handle parking and the traffic yourself.
Day trip or overnight
A day trip means roughly eight hours at the pace of the tour: you see Old Dubai and the skyline highlights, with limited time in any one place. The lunch tour plans about an hour by coach each way and gives the return to Abu Dhabi as a 1.5-hour drive, so a good part of the day is spent on the road.
Stay overnight if:
- you want to see the city lit up in the evening;
- you want entry to a major attraction, since neither tour includes tickets for the towers or parks;
- you dislike spending long hours on a bus.
Who it suits
- First-time visitors in the UAE who want a taste of Dubai.
- Travellers without a car who prefer to be driven.
It suits less well anyone who wants to linger, or who travels with very young children who may find a long day on a bus hard.
Check before booking
- Pickup points in Abu Dhabi and the return time.
- The stops: on the lunch tour, the itinerary differs from the short description.
- On the lunch tour, whether you have selected the lunch option, and the dress code.
- Cancellation terms: both pages offer free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.
Our recommendation
Take the Dubai full-day tour for a first, low-effort look, or the one with lunch if you prefer a fixed meal stop. If Dubai is the real point of your trip, stay there instead. For days in Abu Dhabi itself, see our city and mosque tours.
