Tour 11

Desert First

6 nights, 7 days

Length: 6 nights, 7 days including 1 night in the air
Shape: The desert first, then the Jumeirah coast, Abu Dhabi, and two nights at Atlantis The Royal with a free day.
Overnights: Al Maha 1, Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab 1, Emirates Palace 1, Atlantis The Royal 2

How the Relaxed version differs

Same hotels in the same order, and the free day at Atlantis stays. The Royal Suite tour is no longer offered and comes out, the Palm morning on the last day comes out, and every desert and hotel day gets a free half.

Every itinerary runs at two paces. Full: three or four stops a day, most meals booked, early starts. Relaxed keeps the same length, the same hotels and the same arrival and departure, and books less into each day: one anchor per half day, later starts, lunch mostly at leisure, and a free afternoon or evening every second day. Either pace can run from the same booking, because the rooms do not change. What changes is tickets, meals and guide hours.

The program at a glance

Day 1Overnight flight
Day 2The old city, then the desert resortAl Maha
Day 3Desert morning activity, then Jumeirah Marsa Al ArabJumeirah Marsa Al Arab
Day 4Ferrari World, then the Emirates PalaceEmirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
Day 5The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, then Atlantis The RoyalAtlantis The Royal
Day 6A full free day at AtlantisAtlantis The Royal
Day 7Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall at an easy pace, then the airport

Where the nights are spent

Desert First, relaxed pace

1. Day 1Dubai
  Overnight flight
  Depart in the evening. Nothing is booked on the ground.
Night of day 2
Al Maha
Marriott · Luxury Collection · Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve · Dubai
Definitive desert
Al Maha is the only hotel in the world built inside a desert wildlife reserve, and forty-five minutes after leaving Dubai you are in a tented suite with your own pool, watching oryx and gazelle walk past the deck. Every stay includes desert activities with the resort's own guides: falconry, a nature drive, archery, a camel ride at sunset. Dinner is under the stars. It is the night that turns a city trip into a journey, and it is on four of our itineraries for that reason.
Gallery
Bedouin villas
42
Reserve area
27 km²
Inclusions
Half-board + 2 activities
Private pools
Every villa
See the whole hotel roster
Al Maha desert
1. Day 2Dubai – Al Maha desert
  The old city, then the desert resort
  Land early and breakfast in the city. One abra across the creek and the Gold Souk, about an hour, then lunch at leisure. The coach reaches Al Maha mid-afternoon. Check in, one sunset activity, dinner at the resort.
  - Breakfast: Dubai
    Meal
    Where we book it
    Zuma
    Japanese · DIFC
    The default DIFC group dinner. Robata and sushi.
    At.mosphere
    European · Downtown
    Burj Khalifa, 122nd floor.
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - An abra across Dubai Creek
    Client-supplied. SharePoint: BeneficialTravelFiles/02 BTI Sales/Brand Assets/Website/Excursion Images/Abra water taxi (Dubai Creek)/Abra water Taxi 1.jpeg
    Experience · Dubai
    The abra water taxi, the oldest and simplest form of transport local people use on Dubai Creek.
    More on the Experiences page
  - The Gold Souk
    Client-supplied. SharePoint: BeneficialTravelFiles/02 BTI Sales/Brand Assets/Website/Excursion Images/Gold Souk and Spice Souk/6996107459_b3832ffbdb_b.jpg
    Sight · Dubai
    The Gold Souk, where shop windows hang full of dazzling gold work: necklaces, rings, bangles, earrings and brooches, all of it astonishing to look at. And nearby,
  - Lunch: at leisure
    Meal
    Where we book it
    Trèsind Studio
    Indian · Palm Jumeirah
    Twenty-four seats, surprise tasting menu. The only three-star Indian restaurant in the world.
    FZN by Björn Frantzén
    European · Palm Jumeirah · Atlantis The Palm
    Nine courses, Scandinavian technique with Japanese precision. Atlantis The Palm.
    Il Ristorante — Niko Romito
    Italian · Jumeirah Bay Island · Bulgari Resort Dubai
    Contemporary Italian at Bulgari.
    Row on 45
    French-Japanese · Dubai Marina
    Seventeen courses, twenty-two seats. Grosvenor House.
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Dinner: at the resort
    Meal
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Al Maha
    Marriott · Luxury Collection · Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve · Dubai
    Definitive desert
    Al Maha is the only hotel in the world built inside a desert wildlife reserve, and forty-five minutes after leaving Dubai you are in a tented suite with your own pool, watching oryx and gazelle walk past the deck. Every stay includes desert activities with the resort's own guides: falconry, a nature drive, archery, a camel ride at sunset. Dinner is under the stars. It is the night that turns a city trip into a journey, and it is on four of our itineraries for that reason.
    Gallery
    Bedouin villas
    42
    Reserve area
    27 km²
    Inclusions
    Half-board + 2 activities
    Private pools
    Every villa
    See the whole hotel roster
Night of day 3
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
Jumeirah · Jumeirah Beach · Dubai
The new flagship
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab is the newest of the Jumeirah landmarks and, while Burj Al Arab is restored, the flagship of the coast. It rises on the headland next door with 386 rooms and suites, its own marina and two private beaches, and TIME put it on its World's Greatest Places list for 2026 within months of opening. The suites look across the water to the sail, the restaurants are the newest on the coast, and for a group that wants the Jumeirah name at its most current, this is the one.
Gallery
Rooms & suites
386
Villas
82
Restaurants
13
Year opened
2024
See the whole hotel roster
Jumeirah
1. Day 3Jumeirah
  Desert morning activity, then Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
  A second desert activity or a free morning, with a late checkout and lunch at the resort. Back to Dubai and check in at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab. The afternoon is free in the hotel. Dinner in the hotel.
  - Breakfast and lunch: at the resort
    Meal
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Breakfast and lunch: at the resort
    Meal
    Where we book it
    Commodore Club
    European · Jumeirah · Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
    Club room at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab. Set menus contracted for ten pax and above — a working group room.
    Iliana
    Greek · Jumeirah · Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
    Greek dining at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab.
    Kinugawa
    Japanese · Jumeirah · Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
    Paris-import Japanese at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab.
    Kira
    Asian · Jumeirah · Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
    Asian rooftop room at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab. Sunset sharing menus.
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Dinner: in the hotel
    Meal
    Where we book it
    Madame Li
    Chinese · Jumeirah · Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
    Chinese fine dining at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab. Strong for Chinese-speaking groups.
    Mirabelle
    French · Jumeirah · Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
    French dining room at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab.
    Rialto
    Italian · Jumeirah · Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
    Italian at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab.
    The Bombay Club by Manav Tuli
    Indian · Jumeirah · Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
    Indian club dining at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab.
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
    Jumeirah · Jumeirah Beach · Dubai
    The new flagship
    Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab is the newest of the Jumeirah landmarks and, while Burj Al Arab is restored, the flagship of the coast. It rises on the headland next door with 386 rooms and suites, its own marina and two private beaches, and TIME put it on its World's Greatest Places list for 2026 within months of opening. The suites look across the water to the sail, the restaurants are the newest on the coast, and for a group that wants the Jumeirah name at its most current, this is the one.
    Gallery
    Rooms & suites
    386
    Villas
    82
    Restaurants
    13
    Year opened
    2024
    See the whole hotel roster
Night of day 4
Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental · Corniche · Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi flagship
Emirates Palace was built to host heads of state, and it still does. There are 114 domes, the largest of them gilded, 1.3 kilometers of private beach along the Corniche, gardens the size of a park, and the largest ballroom on the Corniche. Mandarin Oriental now runs it, and the service matches the building. Lunch inside the palace is on most of our Abu Dhabi days, and a night here is the one our guests mention first when they get home.
Gallery
Rooms & suites
394
Domes
114
Beach frontage
1.3 km
Restaurants
12
See the whole hotel roster
Abu Dhabi
1. Day 4Abu Dhabi
  Ferrari World, then the Emirates Palace
  Ferrari World on Yas Island, lunch at leisure inside the park, then check in at the Emirates Palace and dinner in the hotel.
  - Breakfast: in the hotel
    Meal
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Ferrari World
    Client-supplied. SharePoint: BeneficialTravelFiles/02 BTI Sales/Brand Assets/Website/Excursion Images/Ferrari World™ Yas Island, Abu Dhabi/Roof.jpg
    Experience · Abu Dhabi
    More on the Experiences page
  - Lunch: at leisure
    Meal
    Where we book it
    Erth
    Emirati · Abu Dhabi
    Emirati cooking beside Qasr Al Hosn.
    3Fils Abu Dhabi
    Japanese · Al Bateen
    Opening of the Year, Abu Dhabi 2026.
    Bua Thai Café
    Thai · Abu Dhabi
    New to the Abu Dhabi 2026 selection.
    Al Dhafra
    Emirati · Abu Dhabi
    Emirati set menus by the dhow harbor. A fixture on our Abu Dhabi cultural days.
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Dinner: in the hotel
    Meal
    Where we book it
    Hakkasan Abu Dhabi
    Chinese · Abu Dhabi · Emirates Palace
    Emirates Palace.
    Talea by Antonio Guida
    Italian · Abu Dhabi · Emirates Palace
    Retained its star in the 2026 Abu Dhabi guide.
    Lebanese Terrace
    Lebanese · Abu Dhabi · Emirates Palace
    Lebanese mezze and grill at Emirates Palace.
    Vendôme
    International · Abu Dhabi · Emirates Palace
    Emirates Palace's breakfast room: Middle Eastern dishes alongside international favorites.
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
    Mandarin Oriental · Corniche · Abu Dhabi
    Abu Dhabi flagship
    Emirates Palace was built to host heads of state, and it still does. There are 114 domes, the largest of them gilded, 1.3 kilometers of private beach along the Corniche, gardens the size of a park, and the largest ballroom on the Corniche. Mandarin Oriental now runs it, and the service matches the building. Lunch inside the palace is on most of our Abu Dhabi days, and a night here is the one our guests mention first when they get home.
    Gallery
    Rooms & suites
    394
    Domes
    114
    Beach frontage
    1.3 km
    Restaurants
    12
    See the whole hotel roster
  The full day
  Included this day
  Ferrari World admission included
Nights of days 5–6
Atlantis The Royal
Kerzner · Atlantis · Palm Jumeirah · Dubai
Ultra-luxury
Atlantis The Royal is the hotel Dubai built to top itself. It opened in January 2023 beside its older sibling on the crescent of the Palm, and from the moment you walk in under the jellyfish wall you know the evening is going to be talked about. There are 795 rooms and suites, a sky pool ninety meters up, seventeen restaurants and bars with Heston Blumenthal, Nobu and José Andrés among the names on the doors, and a pillarless ballroom that takes 1,600 for dinner without anyone feeling squeezed. When a group wants the one night that everyone photographs, this is where we book it.
Gallery
Rooms & suites
795
Restaurants
17
Sky pools
90+
Year opened
2023
See the whole hotel roster
Palm Jumeirah
1. Day 5Abu Dhabi – Palm Jumeirah
  The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, then Atlantis The Royal
  A late breakfast, then the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Lunch at leisure, the road back to Dubai, and check in at Atlantis The Royal. The evening is free.
  - Breakfast: in the hotel
    Meal
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
    Client-supplied. SharePoint: BeneficialTravelFiles/02 BTI Sales/Brand Assets/Website/Excursion Images/Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque/gallery-img-new-12_20240723125845282.jpg
    Sight · Abu Dhabi
    The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is the largest mosque in the Arab world and one of the most beautiful anywhere. Its clean white exterior is built from marble imported from Italy. In the main prayer hall you can see the world's largest carpet, designed by Iranian artists, and chandeliers imported from Germany. It is a remarkable sight.
  - Lunch and dinner: at leisure
    Meal
    Where we book it
    Erth
    Emirati · Abu Dhabi
    Emirati cooking beside Qasr Al Hosn.
    3Fils Abu Dhabi
    Japanese · Al Bateen
    Opening of the Year, Abu Dhabi 2026.
    Bua Thai Café
    Thai · Abu Dhabi
    New to the Abu Dhabi 2026 selection.
    Al Dhafra
    Emirati · Abu Dhabi
    Emirati set menus by the dhow harbor. A fixture on our Abu Dhabi cultural days.
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Lunch and dinner: at leisure
    Meal
    Where we book it
    Erth
    Emirati · Abu Dhabi
    Emirati cooking beside Qasr Al Hosn.
    3Fils Abu Dhabi
    Japanese · Al Bateen
    Opening of the Year, Abu Dhabi 2026.
    Bua Thai Café
    Thai · Abu Dhabi
    New to the Abu Dhabi 2026 selection.
    Al Dhafra
    Emirati · Abu Dhabi
    Emirati set menus by the dhow harbor. A fixture on our Abu Dhabi cultural days.
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Atlantis The Royal
    Kerzner · Atlantis · Palm Jumeirah · Dubai
    Ultra-luxury
    Atlantis The Royal is the hotel Dubai built to top itself. It opened in January 2023 beside its older sibling on the crescent of the Palm, and from the moment you walk in under the jellyfish wall you know the evening is going to be talked about. There are 795 rooms and suites, a sky pool ninety meters up, seventeen restaurants and bars with Heston Blumenthal, Nobu and José Andrés among the names on the doors, and a pillarless ballroom that takes 1,600 for dinner without anyone feeling squeezed. When a group wants the one night that everyone photographs, this is where we book it.
    Gallery
    Rooms & suites
    795
    Restaurants
    17
    Sky pools
    90+
    Year opened
    2023
    See the whole hotel roster
2. Day 6Palm Jumeirah
  A full free day at Atlantis
  The whole day is free at the resort. Nothing is booked.
  - Breakfast: in the hotel
    Meal
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Lunch and dinner: at leisure
    Meal
    Where we book it
    STAY by Yannick Alléno
    French · Palm Jumeirah
    Modern French at One&Only The Palm.
    11 Woodfire
    European · Jumeirah
    Wood-fired cooking around an open hearth.
    Al Muntaha
    French · Umm Suqeim · Burj Al Arab
    Top floor of Burj Al Arab.
    Avatāra
    Indian · Sheikh Zayed Road
    Vegetarian Indian tasting menu.
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Lunch and dinner: at leisure
    Meal
    Where we book it
    Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
    British · Palm Jumeirah · Atlantis The Royal
    Atlantis The Royal.
    Hakkasan
    Chinese · Palm Jumeirah · Atlantis The Palm
    Cantonese fine dining. Atlantis, The Palm.
    Hōseki
    Japanese · Jumeirah Bay Island · Bulgari Resort Dubai
    Counter omakase, twelve seats. Bulgari.
    Jamavar
    Indian · Downtown
    North Indian regional cooking near Dubai Opera.
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Atlantis The Royal
    Kerzner · Atlantis · Palm Jumeirah · Dubai
    Ultra-luxury
    Atlantis The Royal is the hotel Dubai built to top itself. It opened in January 2023 beside its older sibling on the crescent of the Palm, and from the moment you walk in under the jellyfish wall you know the evening is going to be talked about. There are 795 rooms and suites, a sky pool ninety meters up, seventeen restaurants and bars with Heston Blumenthal, Nobu and José Andrés among the names on the doors, and a pillarless ballroom that takes 1,600 for dinner without anyone feeling squeezed. When a group wants the one night that everyone photographs, this is where we book it.
    Gallery
    Rooms & suites
    795
    Restaurants
    17
    Sky pools
    90+
    Year opened
    2023
    See the whole hotel roster
1. Day 7Dubai
  Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall at an easy pace, then the airport
  A free morning at the hotel. The Burj Khalifa at level 148 and The Dubai Mall, lunch at leisure in the mall, the fountain at dusk, then the airport.
  - Breakfast: in the hotel
    Meal
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Burj Khalifa
    Sight · Dubai
    the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. At 828 meters it is the first structure in human history to pass 800 meters, and from the top the magnificent view over Dubai is all yours.
  - The Dubai Mall
    Client-supplied. SharePoint: BeneficialTravelFiles/02 BTI Sales/Brand Assets/Website/Excursion Images/The Dubai Mall/Dubai-Mall_GettyImages-167896655.webp
    Sight · Dubai
    The Dubai Mall is the largest shopping and entertainment complex in the world by floor area. It holds more than 1,200 retail stores, more than 150 places to eat and leisure facilities beyond counting. Inside is the world's largest indoor aquarium, so you can shop and look at the undersea world at the same time. There is also an indoor theme park, an ice rink, a cinema and the world's largest indoor gold market. It is the biggest and the most distinctive modern mall in the Middle East.
  - Lunch and dinner: at leisure
    Meal
    Where we book it
    La Dame de Pic Dubai
    French · Za’abeel
    Anne-Sophie Pic. One&Only One Za’abeel.
    Manāo
    Thai · Area to confirm
    Eleven-course Thai tasting menu.
    Moonrise
    Fusion · Al Satwa
    Twelve seats. Nikkei and Middle Eastern crossover.
    Orfali Bros
    Middle Eastern · Jumeirah
    The most affordable starred tasting menu in the city.
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - The Dubai Fountain
    Client-supplied. SharePoint: BeneficialTravelFiles/02 BTI Sales/Brand Assets/Website/Excursion Images/Dubai Fountain/Fountain-2.png
    Sight · Dubai
    In Downtown Dubai you see the tallest performing fountain in the world. The Dubai Fountain gives you a rare chance to lose yourself in a captivating show of water, music and light. Then we have arranged for you to go up
  - Lunch and dinner: at leisure
    Meal
    Where we book it
    Ossiano
    Seafood · Palm Jumeirah · Atlantis The Palm
    Aquarium dining room. Atlantis, The Palm.
    Smoked Room
    Spanish · Downtown
    Twelve seats, fire-led Spanish cooking.
    Tasca by José Avillez
    Portuguese · Jumeirah
    Mandarin Oriental Jumeira.
    3 Fils
    Japanese · Dubai Harbour
    Walk-in counter only. No reservations.
    Venues and menus are matched to each program at quote stage. See the restaurants we book
  - Airport transfer with guide
    Transfer
    Every group program runs on a full-day or half-day coach with a licensed guide. Airport transfers begin with a meet-and-greet at the gate, with a lounge available on request, and a duty officer is on call for the entire program window.
  The full day
  Included this day
  Burj Khalifa level 148 included