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Palm Jumeirah from the air at sunset

Tour 15

United Arab Emirates Grand Tour

9 nights, 10 days

Length
9 nights, 10 days
Shape
Dubai first, then the desert, then Abu Dhabi, then Ras Al Khaimah, then back through Sharjah to one last night in Dubai.
Overnights
Dubai 3, desert 1, Abu Dhabi 3, Ras Al Khaimah 1, Dubai 1

How the Relaxed version differs

Same nine nights in the same five places. Each Dubai and Abu Dhabi day drops to one anchor with the other half free, Yas Island becomes one park rather than two, and Sharjah is one stop at the Blue Souk on the way back from Ras Al Khaimah.

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

  1. Day 1Arrival, DubaiDubai city hotel
  2. Day 2The creekDubai city hotel
  3. Day 3HeightDubai city hotel
  4. Day 4A free morning, then the desertdesert resort
  5. Day 5Desert morning, then Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi
  6. Day 6The LouvreAbu Dhabi
  7. Day 7Yas Island, one parkAbu Dhabi
  8. Day 8North to Ras Al KhaimahRas Al Khaimah
  9. Day 9Back to Dubai through SharjahDubai
  10. Day 10Departure
Where the nights are spent

United Arab Emirates Grand Tour, relaxed pace

  1. Nights of days 1–3

    Dubai city hotel

    Dubai
    1. Day 1Dubai

      Arrival, Dubai

      Arrival, Dubai

      Airport meet and transfer. The evening is free.

    2. Day 2Dubai

      The creek

      The creek

      The old city on foot in the morning: one abra across the creek, the Gold Souk, the Spice Souk and Al Seef along the water. Lunch at leisure in Al Seef, and the afternoon free.

      • An abra across Dubai Creek

        Wooden abras moored along Dubai Creek at sunset, flags flying from their canopiesClient-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

        Shop windows hung with gold bangles and necklaces along a covered lane of the Gold SoukClient-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,

      • The Spice Souk

        Trays of saffron, cardamom, turmeric and dried herbs piled up in the Spice SoukClient-supplied. SharePoint: BeneficialTravelFiles/02 BTI Sales/Brand Assets/Website/Excursion Images/Gold Souk and Spice Souk/deira-spice-souk-guide.webp

        Sight · Dubai

        the Spice Souk, where you find imported spices of every kind. It is the best place to feel the character of the place.

      • Al Seef

        Sight · Dubai

      • Dubai city hotel

      The full day

      Half-day coach and guide.

    3. Day 3Dubai

      Height

      Burj Khalifa

      A late start. The Burj Khalifa on the higher deck at level 148 and The Dubai Mall, lunch at leisure. The afternoon is free, and the fountain after dark.

      • Burj Khalifa

        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

        The Dubai Mall's facade and Souk Al Bahar across Burj LakeClient-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.

      • The Dubai Fountain

        An abra on Burj Lake as the fountain jets rise in front of the Downtown towersClient-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

      • Dubai city hotel

      The full day

      Half-day coach and guide. Burj Khalifa level 148 included.

  2. Night of day 4

    desert resort

    Kerzner · Rare Finds · Dubai Desert · Dubai

    Desert traditional

    Bab Al Shams, the gate of the sun, is Dubai's original desert resort, refurbished once more and reopening on 1 October 2026 as the first hotel in Kerzner's Rare Finds collection. It is forty-five minutes from the airport and a world away: low Arabian buildings around courtyards and pools, a desert ballroom for evenings under the sky, and the Al Hadheerah dinner show, the desert night our groups have loved for twenty years, back in its own amphitheater.

    Rooms & suites
    185
    Pools
    3
    Distance from city
    45 min
    F&B venues
    7

    See the whole hotel roster

    Al Maha desert
    1. Day 4Jumeirah – Al Maha desert

      A free morning, then the desert

      Souk Madinat Jumeirah

      The morning is free. Early afternoon, Souk Madinat Jumeirah with the Burj Al Arab standing behind it for the photograph everyone wants. Late afternoon the coach turns inland for the desert resort.

      • Souk Madinat Jumeirah

        Souk Madinat Jumeirah

        Sight · Dubai

        Souk Madinat Jumeirah is designed in imitation of a traditional open-air market and sits inside a large resort. Among all the high-end retail in the city it has the most atmosphere, and it became a popular destination the moment it opened. Wind towers stand out above the lower buildings of the souk, and when they light up at night the whole area is bathed in a romantic glow. Winding waterways and excellent outdoor dining sit nearby. It is no surprise at all that the souk draws visitors like a magnet.

      • The Burj Al Arab

        The Burj Al Arab

        Sight · Dubai

        A photo stop at the Burj Al Arab, the sail-shaped hotel on its own island off Jumeirah Beach, for the photograph everyone wants.

      • desert resort

        Kerzner · Rare Finds · Dubai Desert · Dubai

        Desert traditional

        Bab Al Shams, the gate of the sun, is Dubai's original desert resort, refurbished once more and reopening on 1 October 2026 as the first hotel in Kerzner's Rare Finds collection. It is forty-five minutes from the airport and a world away: low Arabian buildings around courtyards and pools, a desert ballroom for evenings under the sky, and the Al Hadheerah dinner show, the desert night our groups have loved for twenty years, back in its own amphitheater.

        Rooms & suites
        185
        Pools
        3
        Distance from city
        45 min
        F&B venues
        7

        See the whole hotel roster

  3. Nights of days 5–7

    Abu Dhabi

    Hilton · Corniche · Abu Dhabi

    Conrad Abu Dhabi occupies the tallest of the Etihad Towers, the five glass towers that define the western Corniche, and the view from the rooms takes in the whole coast to Emirates Palace next door. Its pillarless ballroom is one of the largest in the capital, which is why it is our anchor hotel for conferences in Abu Dhabi, and the Observation Deck at 300 in the tower next door gives every group its photograph. Beach, pools and a spa complete the stay.

    See the whole hotel roster

    Abu Dhabi
    1. Day 5Abu Dhabi

      Desert morning, then Abu Dhabi

      Desert morning, then Abu Dhabi

      One complimentary desert activity in the morning, then a late checkout. The road to Abu Dhabi and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the late afternoon light.

      • The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

        The mosque's minarets and domes glowing violet, mirrored in the reflecting poolsClient-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.

      • Abu Dhabi

        Hilton · Corniche · Abu Dhabi

        Conrad Abu Dhabi occupies the tallest of the Etihad Towers, the five glass towers that define the western Corniche, and the view from the rooms takes in the whole coast to Emirates Palace next door. Its pillarless ballroom is one of the largest in the capital, which is why it is our anchor hotel for conferences in Abu Dhabi, and the Observation Deck at 300 in the tower next door gives every group its photograph. Beach, pools and a spa complete the stay.

        See the whole hotel roster

    2. Day 6Abu Dhabi

      The Louvre

      The Louvre Abu Dhabi

      A late breakfast, then the Louvre Abu Dhabi with lunch at leisure at the museum. The afternoon is free, and the Corniche at sunset.

      • The Louvre Abu Dhabi

        The Louvre Abu Dhabi

        Sight · Abu Dhabi

        Louvre Abu Dhabi. This landmark building is the first museum in the Arab world to open itself to the whole world, and it fully expresses a spirit of cultural openness. As a leading cultural building at the heart of the Saadiyat Cultural District, it exhibits works of major historical, cultural and social importance from ancient times to the present. It is a dream destination for anyone who loves art.

      • The corniche

        Sight · Abu Dhabi

      • Abu Dhabi

        Hilton · Corniche · Abu Dhabi

        Conrad Abu Dhabi occupies the tallest of the Etihad Towers, the five glass towers that define the western Corniche, and the view from the rooms takes in the whole coast to Emirates Palace next door. Its pillarless ballroom is one of the largest in the capital, which is why it is our anchor hotel for conferences in Abu Dhabi, and the Observation Deck at 300 in the tower next door gives every group its photograph. Beach, pools and a spa complete the stay.

        See the whole hotel roster

      The full day

      Half-day coach and guide. Louvre admission included. Closed Mondays, so the two days swap when needed.

    3. Day 7Abu Dhabi

      Yas Island, one park

      Yas Island, one park

      Ferrari World, or the park the group prefers, as a full day inside one destination. Nothing else is booked.

      • Ferrari World

        Aerial view of Ferrari World's sweeping red roof on Yas IslandClient-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

      • Abu Dhabi

        Hilton · Corniche · Abu Dhabi

        Conrad Abu Dhabi occupies the tallest of the Etihad Towers, the five glass towers that define the western Corniche, and the view from the rooms takes in the whole coast to Emirates Palace next door. Its pillarless ballroom is one of the largest in the capital, which is why it is our anchor hotel for conferences in Abu Dhabi, and the Observation Deck at 300 in the tower next door gives every group its photograph. Beach, pools and a spa complete the stay.

        See the whole hotel roster

      The full day

      Full-day coach and guide. One park admission included.

  4. Night of day 8

    Ras Al Khaimah

    The Ritz-Carlton · Al Wadi Desert · Ras Al Khaimah

    Al Wadi Desert is a Ritz-Carlton in the dunes of Ras Al Khaimah, fifty minutes from Dubai and inside its own nature reserve. Every villa is a tented pool villa with the desert on three sides, oryx and gazelle graze past the terraces at dusk, and the falconry, the archery and the nature drives are run by the resort itself. It is where we send the parties who want the desert night with the Ritz-Carlton standard, and the drive back to the coast the next morning is part of the experience.

    See the whole hotel roster

    Ras Al Khaimah
    1. Day 8Ras Al Khaimah

      North to Ras Al Khaimah

      North to Ras Al Khaimah

      The road north to Ras Al Khaimah and up Jebel Jais, the highest peak in the country. Check in, and the evening free.

      • Jebel Jais

        Sight · Ras Al Khaimah

      • Ras Al Khaimah

        The Ritz-Carlton · Al Wadi Desert · Ras Al Khaimah

        Al Wadi Desert is a Ritz-Carlton in the dunes of Ras Al Khaimah, fifty minutes from Dubai and inside its own nature reserve. Every villa is a tented pool villa with the desert on three sides, oryx and gazelle graze past the terraces at dusk, and the falconry, the archery and the nature drives are run by the resort itself. It is where we send the parties who want the desert night with the Ritz-Carlton standard, and the drive back to the coast the next morning is part of the experience.

        See the whole hotel roster

  5. Night of day 9

    Dubai

    Bulgari Hotels · LVMH · Jumeirah Bay · Dubai

    Italian ultra-luxury

    Bulgari Resort Dubai sits on Jumeira Bay, a seahorse-shaped island off the coast, and it is the most private luxury address in the city. Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel designed it as an Italian resort that happens to be in Arabia: 101 rooms and suites, twenty villas with their own pools, five restaurants, a spa the size of a small hotel and the first Bulgari Yacht Club in the world on its own marina. We book it for the parties who want to be near everything and seen by no one.

    Rooms
    101
    Villas
    20
    Marina villas
    6
    Restaurants
    5

    See the whole hotel roster

    Dubai
    1. Day 9Sharjah – Dubai

      Back to Dubai through Sharjah

      Back to Dubai through Sharjah

      South again with one stop on the way, the Blue Souk in Sharjah, about an hour. Then Dubai, the afternoon free, and a farewell dinner on the last night.

      • The Blue Souk

        Sight · Sharjah

      • Dubai

        Bulgari Hotels · LVMH · Jumeirah Bay · Dubai

        Italian ultra-luxury

        Bulgari Resort Dubai sits on Jumeira Bay, a seahorse-shaped island off the coast, and it is the most private luxury address in the city. Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel designed it as an Italian resort that happens to be in Arabia: 101 rooms and suites, twenty villas with their own pools, five restaurants, a spa the size of a small hotel and the first Bulgari Yacht Club in the world on its own marina. We book it for the parties who want to be near everything and seen by no one.

        Rooms
        101
        Villas
        20
        Marina villas
        6
        Restaurants
        5

        See the whole hotel roster

    1. Day 10Dubai

      Departure

      Departure

      Transfer to the airport with your guide.

      • 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.

What this itinerary does well

Best for

Agencies already running 10 day and longer series, where the length carries a Taipei tour leader comfortably.

Why it sells

It is the only shape that reaches four emirates, and it splits Dubai into three unhurried days instead of one exhausting one.

Send us the brief

Group size, target dates, preferred hotel tier and any non-negotiables are enough for us to start. A costed proposal follows within two working days.