UAE Road Trip: All Seven Emirates in One Drive

The UAE is a country you can drive across in a few hours in any direction. The seven emirates — Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah — share borders and highways, and a self-drive trip covering all of them is the most rewarding way to understand how different the country is from emirate to emirate.

The contrast is real. Abu Dhabi is a planned capital with wide boulevards and a deliberate cultural programme. Dubai is the commercial engine — fast, dense, international. Sharjah is the cultural counterpart, conservative and museum-heavy. Ajman and Umm Al Quwain are quieter, largely overlooked, and worth a few hours of honest exploration. Ras Al Khaimah has the Hajar Mountains and a growing adventure tourism offer. Fujairah sits on the Gulf of Oman — different coast, different pace, different landscape.

Car Hire

Where to hire: All major companies operate from Dubai International Airport (DXB) — Hertz, Budget, Avis, Enterprise, and local operators like Shift and Onerent. Dubai has the widest selection and most competitive rates.

Cost: A standard saloon (Toyota Camry or similar) costs approximately AED 150–200 per day. An SUV costs approximately AED 200–350 per day. Hire-car rates rise sharply in December–January peak season.

Insurance: The hire price typically includes third-party insurance. Collision damage waiver (CDW) adds approximately AED 30–50 per day but is worth taking — you waive the excess (typically AED 1,500–4,000) on most damage claims.

Fuel: Petrol is significantly cheaper in the UAE than in Europe — approximately AED 2.90–3.60 per litre as of 2026. The price is set monthly by the government. Fill up before long highway stretches in the northern emirates where stations are less frequent.

Parking: Free in most northern emirates. Dubai and Abu Dhabi have paid street parking (approximately AED 2–4 per hour in central areas) and paid multi-storey car parks near major malls.

---

The Route

Dubai → Sharjah → Ajman → Umm Al Quwain → Ras Al Khaimah → Fujairah → Abu Dhabi

Total distance: approximately 680–720km (depending on detours). Recommended duration: 4–7 days.

Leg	Distance	Drive Time
Dubai → Sharjah	20km	20–40 min (traffic-dependent)
Sharjah → Ajman	12km	15–25 min
Ajman → Umm Al Quwain	20km	20–30 min
Umm Al Quwain → Ras Al Khaimah	40km	35–50 min
Ras Al Khaimah → Fujairah (via Masafi)	120km	90 min
Fujairah → Abu Dhabi	240km	2–2.5 hours
Abu Dhabi → Dubai	140km	1.5 hours

---

Stop 1: Dubai — 1–2 Days

Start in Dubai — collect the hire car from the airport and use it for day trips rather than driving within the city, where traffic and parking make taxis or the Metro more practical.

What to see: Old Dubai (Gold Souk, Al Fahidi, Creek), Downtown (Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Fountain), Dubai Marina. Desert safari operators depart from the city into the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve.

Minimum time: 1 full day for highlights, 2 for a comfortable pace.

Where to stay:

• Budget: Premier Inn Dubai Airport (approximately AED 280/night)
• Mid-range: Rove Downtown (approximately AED 450/night)
• Luxury: Address Downtown (approximately AED 3,200/night)

---

Stop 2: Sharjah — 3–5 Hours

Sharjah is 20km northeast of Dubai on the same coastal strip — technically a separate emirate but almost continuous urban sprawl. The drive from Dubai to Sharjah is one of the most traffic-congested in the region during peak hours; aim to travel before 8am or after 9pm.

Sharjah is the cultural capital of the UAE — it has banned alcohol and enforces more conservative public standards than Dubai, but it also has the country’s best cluster of museums.

What to see:

• Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization: One of the best Islamic art and science museums in the region. Free entry. Allow 90 minutes.
• Heart of Sharjah: The restored old city district around the Creek. The Al Hisn Fort (Sharjah Heritage Museum, approximately AED 5) and Bait Al Naboodah heritage house (approximately AED 5) are both worth an hour each.
• Blue Souk (Central Souk): Blue-tiled 1970s market building near the waterfront — carpets, antiques, gold, and handicrafts. One of the better souks in the country for authentic goods at negotiable prices.
• Sharjah Art Museum: Free entry, rotating exhibitions, well-curated permanent Arab art collection.

Minimum time: 3–4 hours for the museums; 5–6 for a full day.

Eating: Al Fanar Restaurant in the Heritage Area (Emirati and Lebanese, approximately AED 60–120 per person) or the food stalls around the Blue Souk.

---

Stop 3: Ajman — 1–2 Hours

Ajman is the smallest of the seven emirates — 259 sq km — and 12km north of Sharjah. It’s not a major destination but a worthwhile hour or two.

What to see:

• Ajman Museum (inside Ajman Fort): The fort dates to the 18th century; the museum inside covers the history of the emirate from pearl diving to modernisation. Entry approximately AED 4. Well-maintained and rarely crowded.
• Ajman Corniche: A quiet waterfront promenade, much less busy than Dubai or Abu Dhabi’s equivalents. The dhow-building yard near the creek shows traditional wooden boat construction still in practice.

Minimum time: 1.5 hours.

---

Stop 4: Umm Al Quwain — 1–2 Hours

Umm Al Quwain (UAQ) is the least populated emirate — approximately 100,000 people on a lagoon peninsula 50km north of Sharjah. It’s quiet, genuinely unhurried, and largely untouched by the tourism development seen elsewhere.

What to see:

• Umm Al Quwain Fort and Museum: Small museum in a 19th-century fort overlooking the old town. Entry is free or minimal charge. The surrounding old town lanes are genuinely atmospheric.
• UAQ Lagoon: A large tidal lagoon with mangroves and flamingos (seasonal). Kayaking and boat tours available from local operators — approximately AED 80–150 per person.
• Dreamland Aqua Park (if travelling with children): One of the UAE’s original waterparks, approx AED 130–180. Less polished than modern Dubai parks but far cheaper.

Minimum time: 1–2 hours.

---

Stop 5: Ras Al Khaimah — 1–2 Days

RAK is the most scenically dramatic of the northern emirates. The Hajar Mountains rise immediately to the east; the coast stretches north towards Musandam. It’s also becoming a serious destination in its own right, with a hotel and tourism offer that has grown significantly since 2022.

What to see:

• Jebel Jais: The UAE’s highest peak at 1,934 metres. The mountain road is an attraction in itself — switchbacks through stark rock scenery unlike anywhere else in the country. The Jebel Jais Flight zip line (world’s longest as of 2026 at 2.83km) costs approximately AED 699 per person. Book well in advance. The scenic viewing points are free to access.
• Dhayah Fort: A hilltop mud-brick fort with 360-degree mountain and coast views. Free entry. The climb takes 15–20 minutes. One of the most photogenic sites in the northern emirates.
• RAK old town and Creek: The historic fishing settlement around the mangrove creek is quiet and worth an hour’s walk.
• Al Hamra and Al Marjan Island: The main beach and marina development areas — where most of the hotels concentrate.

Minimum time: Half day for Jebel Jais; full day for a proper mountain and coast combination.

Where to stay (if overnight):

• Mid-range: DoubleTree by Hilton Marjan Island (approximately AED 500/night)
• Luxury: Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort (approximately AED 2,200/night)

---

Stop 6: Fujairah — Half to Full Day

From RAK, the drive to Fujairah runs through the Hajar Mountains via the Masafi crossroads — one of the best driving stretches in the UAE, around 90 minutes through mountain valleys. Fujairah is the only UAE emirate entirely on the Gulf of Oman rather than the Arabian Gulf, which makes it feel like a different country from the coast you’ve driven along.

What to see:

• Snoopy Island (near Sandy Beach Hotel): The best snorkelling on the UAE’s east coast. The rocky outcrop is just offshore from Sandy Beach — a short swim or kayak trip. Sandy Beach Hotel charges approximately AED 75–100 for beach day use. Snorkel hire approximately AED 30.
• Fujairah Fort: Built in the 16th century, the oldest in the UAE. Entry approximately AED 5. Views from the battlements cover the old town and mountains.
• Friday Market at Masafi: A roadside market in the mountains (open most days despite the name) selling fresh fruit, pottery, carpets, and produce from the mountain villages. Worth a stop on the Fujairah drive.
• Khor Fakkan waterfront: A coastal town technically part of Sharjah on the east coast — Sharjah’s exclave on the Gulf of Oman. Clean Corniche, calm water, good for a swim.

Minimum time: Half day for the beach and fort; full day for snorkelling and the mountain road.

Where to eat in Fujairah: Seafood restaurants along the Fujairah Corniche serve fresh catch — approximately AED 60–150 per person. The catch reflects what was brought in that morning.

---

Stop 7: Abu Dhabi — 1–2 Days

The final leg of the circuit is the longest drive — 240km from Fujairah through the desert interior back to the capital. The E11 and E22 highways are fast and well-maintained.

What to see:

• Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: Free entry, one of the largest mosques in the world, extraordinary architecture. Allow 90+ minutes.
• Louvre Abu Dhabi (Saadiyat Island): Entry approximately AED 63. Jean Nouvel’s dome building over the museum is architecturally as significant as the collection inside.
• Qasr Al Watan (Presidential Palace): Open to the public — entry approximately AED 60. A genuinely unusual attraction.
• Abu Dhabi Corniche: 8km waterfront promenade with bike hire (approximately AED 30–50/hour) and a public beach (approximately AED 10–20 entry).
• Yas Island: Ferrari World (approximately AED 335), Yas Waterworld (approximately AED 295), and the Formula 1 circuit. Worth it for motorsport fans or families with children.

Where to stay:

• Budget: Premier Inn Abu Dhabi Capital Centre (approximately AED 250/night)
• Mid-range: Traders Hotel by Shangri-La (approximately AED 550/night, Corniche waterfront)
• Luxury: Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental (approximately AED 3,800/night)

The return drive from Abu Dhabi to Dubai takes approximately 1.5 hours on the E11 — a fast, well-lit four-lane highway.

---

Road Trip Practical Notes

Speed cameras: Throughout all emirates. Fixed cameras at many points on intercity highways. Fines are issued to the hire car company and billed to your card — they range from AED 300 for minor infringements to AED 3,000+ for serious ones. The posted limit is the actual limit.

Salik toll (Dubai): Dubai’s road toll system charges AED 4 per pass through toll gates. Hire cars have a Salik tag fitted — you’ll be billed for passes used.

Navigation: Google Maps and Apple Maps both work well in the UAE and cover all seven emirates accurately.

Border crossings: The UAE has internal checkpoints between some emirates, but no passport checks for tourists — you cross freely. The only international border is into Oman (Musandam requires a separate Oman visa for most nationalities).

Petrol stations: ENOC and ADNOC stations throughout all emirates. Fill up in any major town before heading into mountain or desert stretches.