Combining a desert safari with an Abu Dhabi city tour creates a unique two-emirate experience showcasing both UAE capitals. This guide explains how this combination works, what you’ll experience, and how to plan effectively.
Why Combine Desert Safari with Abu Dhabi Tour
Most visitors base themselves in Dubai and wonder whether Abu Dhabi deserves a full day. The answer is yes, and pairing it with desert safari maximizes your time efficiently. Abu Dhabi sits 90 minutes from Dubai, making it a manageable day trip. The city offers attractions Dubai doesn’t have—particularly Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the UAE’s religious building.
Desert safaris operate from multiple locations. Operators can pick you up after your Abu Dhabi tour, taking you to desert areas between the two cities or near Dubai. This routing makes geographic sense, creating a natural flow rather than backtracking.
The combination also provides thematic variety. Abu Dhabi represents refined elegance and cultural heritage, while desert safari delivers adventure and traditional Bedouin experiences. Together, they showcase different aspects of Emirati identity.
What Abu Dhabi City Tour Covers
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
This architectural masterpiece dominates any Abu Dhabi visit. The mosque accommodates over 40,000 worshippers and features 82 domes, four minarets reaching 107 meters, and the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet. White marble construction creates stunning visual impact, particularly in photographs.
Tours typically allocate 60-90 minutes here, enough to appreciate the exterior, walk through prayer halls, and photograph the reflective pools. Strict dress codes apply—women must cover their heads and wear abayas (provided at entrance), while men need long pants and shirts covering shoulders.
The mosque welcomes non-Muslim visitors daily except during prayer times and Friday mornings. Photography is permitted and encouraged. This single attraction often justifies the entire Abu Dhabi trip for many visitors.
Emirates Palace
This palatial hotel exemplifies luxury on a grand scale. Gold-topped domes, extensive gardens, and opulent interiors create a fairy-tale atmosphere. Most tours stop for exterior photos and brief lobby visits. The hotel’s beachfront location provides beautiful coastal views.
Some tours include time to try the famous gold-leaf cappuccino at Le Café—an Instagram-worthy experience. The palace represents Abu Dhabi’s approach to hospitality and luxury, distinctly different from Dubai’s contemporary style.
Corniche and Waterfront
Abu Dhabi’s Corniche stretches 8 kilometers along pristine waterfront. Tours typically drive along this route, stopping at key viewpoints. The area showcases modern Abu Dhabi’s planned development—wide boulevards, manicured gardens, and striking skyline views across the water.
Qasr Al Watan
The Presidential Palace opened to public tours in 2019. This working palace features incredible architecture, libraries, and exhibits explaining UAE governance and heritage. Tours spending more time in Abu Dhabi often include interior visits, though shorter tours limit this to exterior viewing.
Heritage Village
This reconstructed traditional village demonstrates pre-oil Emirati life. You’ll see traditional architecture, craftspeople demonstrating heritage skills, and exhibits about pearl diving and desert living. The location on the Corniche breakwater offers unique Abu Dhabi skyline views.
Standard Combination Schedule
Full-Day Option
7:00-7:30 AM: Pickup from Dubai hotel
8:30-9:00 AM: Arrive Abu Dhabi, begin city tour
9:00-10:30 AM: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque visit
10:30-11:30 AM: Emirates Palace, Corniche drive
11:30 AM-12:30 PM: Additional attractions (Qasr Al Watan or Heritage Village)
12:30-1:30 PM: Lunch break
2:00 PM: Transfer to desert location
3:00-3:30 PM: Begin dune bashing
4:00-6:00 PM: Camp activities and sunset
6:00-8:30 PM: Entertainment and dinner
9:00-10:30 PM: Return to Dubai hotel
This creates a 15-16 hour day requiring significant stamina but covering extensive ground.
Split-Day Alternative
Some operators offer morning Abu Dhabi tours ending around 2:00 PM, giving you free afternoon before evening desert safari pickup around 6:00 PM. This shortened desert experience focuses on camp activities, entertainment, and dinner, skipping dune bashing or offering modified versions.
The split schedule reduces exhaustion and works better for families, though you miss some desert adventure elements like extended dune bashing and sunset viewing.
Two-Day Option
The most relaxed approach dedicates one full day to Abu Dhabi sightseeing with lunch and comprehensive attraction visits, then schedules desert safari on a separate day. This eliminates rushing but requires two days and costs more since you’re booking separate experiences.
Desert Safari Component
The desert portion matches standard safari experiences. After Abu Dhabi touring, you transfer to desert locations—either near the Dubai-Abu Dhabi border or in Dubai’s desert conservation areas.
Dune bashing provides the adrenaline rush you expect. Skilled drivers navigate steep sand dunes in powerful 4x4s for 20-30 minutes. This leads to traditional camps where camel rides, sandboarding, henna painting, Arabic dress photos, and falcon photography fill the pre-dinner hours.
Sunset viewing creates memorable moments, particularly after a morning of urban sightseeing. The contrast between Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque’s architectural grandeur and natural desert beauty reinforces the UAE’s diverse character.
Evening entertainment includes belly dancing, Tanoura performances, and fire shows. Barbecue buffets serve grilled meats, salads, hummus, Arabic breads, and desserts. The experience concludes around 8:30 PM, with return to Dubai by 10:00-10:30 PM.
Booking and Costs
Package Pricing
Combination packages typically range from AED 400-700 per person depending on quality level. This includes Abu Dhabi hotel pickup if you’re staying there, but most assume Dubai base since that’s where most tourists lodge.
Standard packages (AED 400-500) offer group tours with 25-40 participants, basic desert camps, and efficient but rushed Abu Dhabi coverage. Premium packages (AED 600-700+) feature smaller groups, better vehicles, extended mosque time, superior desert camps, and enhanced meals.
Private combinations cost significantly more—AED 1,200-2,000+ per person for private vehicles and dedicated guides throughout. This works well for families or groups wanting customized timing and attention.
What’s Included
Packages cover round-trip transportation from Dubai, guided Abu Dhabi city tour, mosque entrance, Emirates Palace photo stop, desert safari with dune bashing, camp activities (camel rides, sandboarding, henna, photos), entertainment shows, and buffet dinner.
Excluded items include lunch between Abu Dhabi tour and desert safari, optional quad biking (AED 100-150), drinks beyond basic offerings, tips for guides and drivers, and shopping purchases.
Booking Separately
Some travelers book Abu Dhabi day tours independently (AED 200-300) then arrange separate evening desert safaris (AED 200-300). This approach offers more operator choice and flexibility but requires coordination. You’ll need to arrange lunch and afternoon plans between experiences yourself.
Travel Distance Considerations
The Dubai-Abu Dhabi drive takes 90 minutes each way on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road or Sheikh Zayed Road. This adds 3 hours of driving to your day total. Consider this when assessing whether you can handle the full combination schedule.
Most tour vehicles are comfortable with air conditioning, making the drives tolerable. However, people prone to car sickness should take medication before departure since you’ll spend considerable time in vehicles beyond the city touring and dune bashing.
Best Timing
By Season
November through March offers ideal conditions for both components. Comfortable temperatures make Abu Dhabi walking tours pleasant and desert activities enjoyable. This is peak tourist season with higher prices but justified by perfect weather.
October and April provide shoulder season advantages—lower costs and smaller groups while maintaining acceptable weather. April begins warming toward summer heat, so earlier in the month works better.
Avoid May through September if possible. Extreme heat makes outdoor activities at the mosque and during desert safari uncomfortable despite discounted prices.
By Day of Week
Friday mornings see restricted mosque access for non-Muslims until after congregational prayers (typically around 2:00 PM). Tours operating Fridays either start late or skip the mosque interior, significantly diminishing Abu Dhabi’s appeal.
Weekdays (Sunday-Thursday) offer full access to all attractions and typically feature smaller tour groups than Saturdays.
Practical Preparation
Clothing Requirements
Modest dress is essential for the mosque. Women need clothing covering arms and legs fully, plus headscarves (abayas and scarves provided at mosque entrance). Men require long pants and shirts covering shoulders.
These same clothes work for desert safari, though bring a light jacket for evening temperature drops. Closed-toe shoes serve both experiences better than sandals.
What to Bring
Pack sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, camera with charged batteries, portable charger, water bottle, any necessary medications, and cash for tips and optional activities. Keep everything in a small backpack accessible throughout the long day.
Motion sickness medication helps if you’re sensitive—you’ll experience 3 hours highway driving plus dune bashing.
Energy Management
Eat substantial breakfast before the 7:00 AM pickup. You won’t have dinner until 7:00-8:00 PM, making lunch during the midday break essential. Don’t skip this meal thinking you’ll be fine—you need fuel for the long day.
Use the transfer time from Abu Dhabi to desert location to rest. Close your eyes for 30-40 minutes during this drive to recharge before the active desert portion begins.
Family Considerations
This combination creates an extremely long day challenging for children under 10. The 15-16 hour schedule, extensive driving, and late return test young stamina.
The Abu Dhabi tour portion suits most ages—children enjoy the mosque’s grandeur and palace photo opportunities. Desert safari appeals to kids 4+ (check operator age minimums), though late timing disrupts bedtimes.
Consider the two-day split for families with young children. Dedicate one day to Abu Dhabi as a comfortable family sightseeing trip, then do desert safari another day with appropriate timing for your children’s ages and schedules.
When This Combination Makes Sense
Choose this combination if you want to see both UAE capitals efficiently, have 3-5 days total in the UAE and need to maximize coverage, are comfortable with long, structured days, or seek comprehensive UAE experience beyond just Dubai.
Skip this option if you’re traveling with young children, prefer relaxed schedules with downtime, want to deeply explore Abu Dhabi’s museums and attractions beyond highlights, or visit during summer when heat makes outdoor activities taxing.
This combination works especially well for visitors who’ve been to Dubai before and want to add Abu Dhabi without dedicating multiple days. It also suits transit visitors with limited UAE time wanting to experience maximum diversity efficiently.