How many towns to visit: Aim for
four to six towns on a trip of a week. That gives each place a half day or more, leaves room for a long lunch and a dawn walk, and keeps driving under about two hours on any given day. Beyond six, you are collecting car windows, not places.
Choosing between kinds of towns: For
history and culture, favor the old trading and pearling towns on the Gulf coast, with their forts, museums and souks. For
nature and hiking, choose mountain and east-coast settlements, where wadis, coves and snorkeling cost almost nothing. For
slower oasis life, pick inland date-palm towns with shaded falaj walkways and farm lanes. Budget travelers should lean on the second and third types, because entry is mostly free and nights are cheaper. If you only get a short trip, pair one heritage …
read more 👉 How many towns to visit: Aim for four to six towns on a trip of a week. That gives each place a half day or more, leaves room for a long lunch and a dawn walk, and keeps driving under about two hours on any given day. Beyond six, you are collecting car windows, not places.
Choosing between kinds of towns: For history and culture, favor the old trading and pearling towns on the Gulf coast, with their forts, museums and souks. For nature and hiking, choose mountain and east-coast settlements, where wadis, coves and snorkeling cost almost nothing. For slower oasis life, pick inland date-palm towns with shaded falaj walkways and farm lanes. Budget travelers should lean on the second and third types, because entry is mostly free and nights are cheaper. If you only get a short trip, pair one heritage town with one mountain or coastal town for contrast.
What it costs: Budget about US$60 to 90 a day (roughly 220 to 330 AED) if you sleep in hostels or simple hotels, eat at South Asian cafeterias and use buses or shared rides. A midrange day with a private room, a restaurant dinner and a rental car runs US$130 to 200. Fort and museum entry is typically 5 to 25 AED (US$1.50 to 7). Guided desert or mountain tours cost about 150 to 400 AED (US$40 to 110). A rental car is around 100 to 180 AED a day plus fuel, and fuel is cheap by Western standards. Buses between emirates cost roughly 10 to 30 AED. Cafeteria meals run 10 to 25 AED, while resort drinks easily top 40 AED each.
Safety and cultural considerations: The UAE is among the safest countries for travelers, with very low street crime. Rules matter more than risks. Cover shoulders and knees in small towns and at mosques, and ask before photographing people, especially women. Public displays of affection and drunkenness can bring trouble, and drinking is only legal in licensed venues. Sharjah is dry. Drones need permits, and photographing government buildings and military sites is banned. Respect prayer times, and during Ramadan avoid eating or drinking in public by day. In summer, carry at least 3 liters of water and never hike mountain wadis when rain is forecast, since flash floods are the real hazard.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.