Tours in United Arab Emirates

The Emirates are seven states federated in 1971, and they are close enough together that most of the country is a day trip from most of the rest. Abu Dhabi is the largest by far — nearly nine-tenths of the land area — and holds the capital, the Grand Mosque, the Louvre on Saadiyat and the theme parks of Yas Island. Dubai, an hour and a half up the coast, is the one everyone pictures: the tallest building in the world, the artificial palm, the malls and the marina. Sharjah sits directly against Dubai and is the cultural emirate, with the museums and no alcohol at all. Ajman and Umm Al Quwain are small, quiet and cheap. Ras Al Khaimah, at the northern end, has the Hajar mountains and Jebel Jais, the highest peak in the country at 1,934 metres. Fujairah is the odd one out, on the far side of the mountains facing the Gulf of Oman, which makes it the diving coast.

What people book here is remarkably consistent across all seven. The desert safari is the single most-sold experience in the country — dune driving in a four-wheel drive, a camp with dinner, camels and a show — and it runs from every emirate, at a different price in each. City sightseeing is the second: the observation decks, the mosque, the museums, the old quarters that survive in Dubai's Al Fahidi and along the Creek. Water is the third, from dhow dinner cruises and speedboats along the Marina to diving off Fujairah. Then the built attractions, which this country does better than anywhere: waterparks, aquariums, indoor ski slopes, Ferrari World, and the largest flower garden on earth, which exists in a desert and closes for the summer.

Practical. The season is the reverse of Europe's. November to March is warm, dry and the reason the hotels are full; June to September sits above 40C with high humidity on the coast, and outdoor attractions either close or move to the evening. Everything indoors is air-conditioned to the point of being cold. The dirham is pegged to the dollar at about 3.67, cards work everywhere and VAT of five per cent is usually included in the displayed price. Tipping is around ten per cent and often already added as a service charge. Alcohol is served in licensed hotels and restaurants but not in Sharjah, which is dry. Dress is relaxed at beaches and pools and modest elsewhere — shoulders and knees covered in malls, mosques and public buildings, with a scarf for women at mosques. The weekend is Saturday and Sunday, changed from Friday in 2022, and Friday midday prayers still slow everything down. During Ramadan many restaurants close in daylight and the desert camps shift later into the night.