Abu Dhabi City Tour from Dubai: Sheikh Zayed Mosque & Emirates Palace

One Day in Abu Dhabi: From Gold-Plated Mosques to Beachfront Palaces

You're picked up from your Dubai hotel and driven to Abu Dhabi for a full day that covers the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Heritage Village, carpet and dates markets, Emirates Palace, and photo stops at the Corniche and Ferrari World. Your guide handles the route and the timing, so you don't navigate between stops or figure out what's worth your time.

Options for this experience

2 options

From AED 186 per person, depending on the option and date you choose.See dates & book

Day Trip to Abu Dhabi City From Dubai 09:00 and 09:30 Guide in 4 languages Includes pickup

Private Vehicle Tour 5 departure times: the first at 08:30, the last at 10:30 Guide in 4 languages Includes pickup

None of these options right for you? See 12 alternatives ›

Step-by-step itinerary

Abu Dhabi city tour from Dubai

• Pick up and drive to Abu Dhabi
• Visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
• Explore Abu Dhabi Heritage Village
• See antique gold plated items and art
• Taste dates, chocolates, and dry fruits
• Visit Emirates Palace hotel
• Photo stop at Abu Dhabi Corniche
• Photo stop at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
• Drive back to hotel via Shaikh Zayed Road

Stops and time spent at each 7 stops

1. Sheikh Zayed Road 1h 30m
2. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Entry included 1h 30m
3. Abu Dhabi Heritage Village Entry included 30m
4. Emirates Palace Entry included 30m
5. Abu Dhabi Corniche 30m
6. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi 30m
7. Etihad Towers 1h 30m

What’s included

Hotel pickup from Dubai and return drop-off, professional guided tour throughout Abu Dhabi, entry to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque with 90 minutes inside, visits to the Carpet Market and Dates Market with free tastings of dates and Arabic guava, entry to the Abu Dhabi Heritage Village, a visit inside Emirates Palace, photo stops at the Abu Dhabi Corniche and Ferrari World, and a drive through Marina Mall and the Popular Abu Dhabi Market. The Islamic Art Museum is also included as a visit during the day.

Times

• Every day 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30

Another time? ›

Before you book

Group Up to 20

Live guide English, German, Hindi and Urdu

Audio guide English, German, Hindi and Urdu

Meeting point and pickup Hotel pickup included.

Book up to 4h before

Ages Adult (8 to 60 years) · Child (4 to 7 years): free · Infant (under 4): free

Cancellation and refunds Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Good to know

Low physical effort Infants must sit on laps

Operated by Dubai Adventure Tours

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Need assistance?Message us on WhatsApp or by email›

Traveler reviews

4.83 ★★★★★ Exceptional 245 verified traveler reviews 88% rated it 5 stars

5 ★ 215

4 ★ 23

3 ★ 2

2 ★ 5

1 ★ 0

Read all the reviews ›

The experience

You leave Dubai for Abu Dhabi, and the shift feels bigger than the distance. The drive down Sheikh Zayed Road takes you straight into a different rhythm: fewer skyscrapers, more space, a capital that moves at its own pace. Your guide picks you up from your hotel and the tour unfolds in a single arc, moving from the spiritual heart of the city to its most visible symbols of wealth and power. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque comes first, and you go inside, with time to actually look, not just photograph. The mosque is the third largest in the world, with 42 tombs and handmade details worked in gold leaf. You walk past columns that catch light in ways that feel deliberate, like architectural prayer.

After the mosque, the tour shifts into the markets and heritage spaces. The Carpet Market and Dates Market are both on the route, and your guide takes you through each. You'll taste dates and Arabic guava for free: the kind of small inclusion that changes how a day feels. The Abu Dhabi Heritage Village sits on a beach, and it's the only place on the itinerary where you see how people lived before the oil money arrived: traditional Bedouin structures, handmade crafts, a quieter version of the city's story. Then comes the contrast again: Emirates Palace, a five-star hotel so ornate it's been used for Hollywood film shoots. There's a gold-plated coffee café inside if you want to sit, or you can just walk through the lobby and understand why it exists, pure, unapologetic luxury. The building itself is the point.

The final stops are photo moments rather than deep dives. The Abu Dhabi Corniche gives you the skyline and the water in one frame, the kind of shot that actually works because the downtown towers and five-star hotels line up behind you. Ferrari World is a photo stop at the entrance, where you can take pictures of the cars and the building. Then the drive back to Dubai follows Sheikh Zayed Road again, and by then you've moved through enough of Abu Dhabi's layers that the return feels like a real ending, not just a logistics problem solved.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, German, Hindi and Urdu.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 7 years): free; Infant (under 4): free.

Is entry to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque included?

Yes. You go inside the mosque, and entry is included in the tour.

Can I go inside Emirates Palace?

Yes, you visit inside the hotel. There's a gold-plated coffee café if you want to sit, but walking through is the main stop.

Are the carpet and dates markets included?

Yes, both are included as visits. You'll taste dates and Arabic guava for free at the dates market.