The 8 Best Abu Dhabi Guided Tours and Desert Safaris

Your super detailed guide to the 8 best guided tours, desert safaris and guided day-trips in Abu Dhabi with my reviews and all pros and cons of each tour. What are the best guided tours in Abu Dhabi? What is the best desert safari experience you can book to explore the desert around Abu Dhabi? Are you looking for an excursion by private car and a personal guide or do you wish to join a group tour? Guided tours of Abu Dhabi include visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Corniche, the Emirates Palace and the option to see Yas Island Circuit and Ferrari World. 4WD desert safaris, camel safaris and desert tours including dinner and an excursion to the far and less visited Liwa Oasis. Guided day-trips from Abu Dhabi to visit Dubai in one day: where you go, what you visit and how the tour is organised. A comparison and detailed description of the 8 best guided tours and desert safaris in Abu Dhabi, with direct links to book online by credit card.

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

What Are the Best Abu Dhabi Guided Tours and Desert Safaris?

The 8 Best Abu Dhabi Guided Tours and 4WD Desert Safaris

Do you wish to visit Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque on a guided city tour? Are you looking for a private car and a personal guide? Are you travelling alone and would like to join a group tour?  You do not know which desert safari to book to see the sand dunes of the desert? You are in Abu Dhabi and looking for a small groups guided day-trip to Dubai?

• I have selected tens (maybe hundreds) of guided tours and desert safaris from Abu Dhabi organised by locally based travel suppliers and sold online, and have chosen 8 different tours. These are not the only ones you can book but in my opinion they are among the best and most complete guided day-tours and desert safaris available on the market.  

• The 8 best Abu Dhabi guided tours and desert safaris. Best of Abu Dhabi Tour: small group guided tour to visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Presidential Palace including Etihad Towers observatory ticket. Abu Dhabi City Tour: group tour to visit Abu Dhabi and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in half-day. 4WD Desert Tour: Abu Dhabi desert safari with BBQ dinner at a safari camp in the desert. Morning Desert Safari: Abu Dhabi desert tour by 4WD in the morning. Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter) Desert Tour: private 4WD desert safari to the remote high dunes of Liwa Oasis from Abu Dhabi. Dubai Day-Trip from Abu Dhabi: guided day-tour to Dubai from Abu Dhabi. The Louvre Abu Dhabi: entrance ticket to the most interesting museum in the Middle East. Yas Marina Circuit Self-Drive Experience: behind the wheel of a supercar at Yas Marina Formula 1 Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

• All tours and desert safaris from Abu Dhabi are described below, in a very detailed way, with full descriptions, my considerations, some suggestions, all the pros and all the cons of each tour, and all the important things you need to know before choosing. Have a look and see if there is a tour you like.

• You can book all these guided tours easily by credit card through Get Your Guide and Viator, the two biggest travel companies specialising in selling tours and activities online. Viator is part of the TripAdvisor family and Get Your Guide gives you the benefit of a customer service reachable by phone 24/7 in all the main western languages. For the great majority of tours you get instant confirmation, while for some, tour confirmation is subject to availability and will be given within 48 hours of your booking.

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

Best of Abu Dhabi Tour: Small Group Guided Tour to Visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Presidential Palace including Etihad Towers Observatory Ticket

This is the perfect tour if you are in Abu Dhabi and in a single morning without spending too much money you want to visit the 3 greatest attractions of Abu Dhabi with a guide: the spectacular Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque located far from the center, the pharaonic Qasr Al Watan complex namely the presidential palace of the United Arab Emirates, and the imposing Etihad Towers with the ticket included for the panoramic observatory. While travelling, you can admire the beautiful Abu Dhabi Corniche and get a general idea of the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

The price includes the guided tour of Abu Dhabi by van/bus, the visit to the Grand Mosque, the entrance ticket to both the gardens and inside the Qasr Al Watan, and the entrance ticket to the 74th floor observation deck of the Etihad Towers. The tour is offered by the excellent local operator OceanAir Travels and although it is not the cheapest it is in my opinion the most complete for visiting the city of Abu Dhabi in just half a day.

• Duration of the tour: about 5 hours, departure in the morning except on Fridays when the tour departs at lunch time, please be ready half an hour before the pick-up time written in your confirmation voucher.

• Guide: English, German, Spanish, Italian and French.

• Tour features: shared small group tour together with other participants, usually with a maximum of 15 people, you can participate even if you travel alone. 

• Pros: the tickets already included for the presidential palace and the observation deck of the Etihad Towers in addition to the visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

• Good to know: to enter Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque you must be dressed accordingly, this means no transparent (see through) clothing, no shorts and skirts, no sleeveless shirts, no clothing with profanity, obviously no tight clothing, no swimwear and no beachwear. Usually this is not a big problem for women, for the very simple reason that all girls and women receive a djellaba to cover themselves at the entrance gate; boys and men, however, must pay attention as  they are not given anything, so they must be dressed correctly before arriving, including long trousers and short-sleeved shirt, otherwise they have to stay outside. On Fridays visiting hours are more restricted than other days of the week, during Ramadan SZGM is usually closed to visitors on Friday, and also during some specific islamic holidays.

• Check prices and book with: GetYourGuide | From Abu Dhabi: Grand Mosque, Royal Palace, and Etihad Tower

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

Abu Dhabi City Tour: Group Tour to Visit Abu Dhabi and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Half Day

It’s a more budget-friendly Abu Dhabi city tour compared to the previous one, but still interesting and, above all, with an excellent quality/price ratio. This half-day guided small group tour of Abu Dhabi excludes the visit to Qasr Al Watan and the Etihad Towers observatory deck, but includes a guided tour of the fabulous Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the jewel of Abu Dhabi, the Corniche, a visit to the Founder’s Memorial, and a bus tour of Abu Dhabi with several photo stops to admire the exterior of the Etihad Towers, the luxurious Emirates Palace Hotel, and the Ferrari World theme park located on Yas Island.

The tour is recommended if you want to get a general idea of Abu Dhabi in a short amount of time without spending too much. The local operator is the renowned and acclaimed OceanAir Travels.

• Duration of the tour: usually over 5 hours.

• Guide: English speaking guide.

• Tour features: shared small group tour.

• Pros: in a city where there is no subway, and where getting from one point to another means having to take a taxi, here you are picked up at your hotel, taken to the Mosque located far from the city center and then brought back to your hotel. You don’t need to do anything or think about how to get there.

• Check prices and book with: GetYourGuide | From Abu Dhabi: City Sightseeing and Sheikh Zayed Mosque 

• Other Abu Dhabi city tour options: there are several panoramic tours of Abu Dhabi, all are very similar and all will bring you to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque; one of the most interesting and valid is GetYourGuide | Abu Dhabi: Half-Day Guided City Tour operated by Desert Rose Tourism; this last tour includes a visit to a fish and date market and a visit to the not as significant Heritage Village, sometimes the tour reaches the Formula 1 circuit at Yas Island. Always check prices before booking.

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

4WD Desert Tour: Abu Dhabi Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner at a Safari Camp

Of all the excursions in the desert departing from Abu Dhabi this safari offers, probably, the best value, and is recommended as a first desert safari experience for those who have never been into the desert before.

How the tour is carried out? In the mid-afternoon they came to pick you up at your hotel in Abu Dhabi, about an hour drive by Land Cruiser to reach the first sand dunes, on the way you stop to visit a camel farm. Then enter into the desert, some dune bashing before approaching a desert bedouin camp (it’s a fake bedouin camp, obviously, do not expect to see the true bedouin, you are late of 30 years or more…) where you have a great buffet dinner with a show. Usually you can get on a camel to take a picture and experience henna painting, shisha pipe smoking and posing with a falco. For mid-evening you are back to you hotel in Abu Dhabi.

You can book even if you travel alone and price includes transportation by 4WD Land Cruiser, dune bashing among the sand dunes, sandboarding, a very short camel ride (a few minutes), falcon photos, shisha pipe, henna painting and barbeque buffet dinner at the desert camp with belly dance performances, unlimited mineral water and soft drinks.  

There are no cons for this tour. If you consider that dinner is included, value for money of this safari is great; then, of course, it is a very touristic experience, but at least you know in advance.

• Duration of the desert safari: 5 or 6 hours, departure from the hotel between 2.30pm and 4pm (exact pick-up time depends of the season and the location of your hotel in Abu Dhabi), you will be back between 9pm and 10pm. 

• Guide: English speaking driver/guide.  

• Safari features: this is a join tour with other people, usually maximum 6 passengers per 4WD. The local supplier is OceanAir Travels which is very well known in the UAE and very much appreciated on TripAdvisor, both in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.  If you wish there is the option to book a private tour, it could be interesting if you travel with a small group of friends.

• Pros: well, for a really very reasonable amount of money you are picked up at your hotel, taken into the desert, have a buffet dinner and taken back to your hotel, it is hard to ask for more.  

• Check prices and book with: GetYourGuide | Abu Dhabi: Desert Safari with BBQ, Camel Ride & Sandboarding

• A very similar desert safari: this tour program is almost identical to the previous tour and it is worth checking both prices before booking, here is the link Viator |  Abu Dhabi Evening Desert Safari BBQ, Camel Ride, Entertainments, local supplier is Emirates Tours and Safaris.

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

Morning Desert Safari: Abu Dhabi Desert Tour by 4WD in the Morning

Are you going to Abu Dhabi and want to see the desert for very little money? This budget-friendly desert tour from Abu Dhabi which includes a desert safari in the morning is the solution.

The tour takes place in a 4WD Land Cruiser, the departure is scheduled early in the morning, generally between 7 and 8, and before 1pm you will already be back at your hotel having the whole afternoon available for other activities or to enjoy the beach. The price of the tour includes pick-up and drop-off at your hotel, the desert tour aboard the off-road vehicle driven by a professional driver, dune bashing in the dunes lasting approximately 30-40 minutes, sandboarding and a short 5 minute camel ride.

Just as for all the desert tours and safaris departing from Dubai, also for those from Abu Dhabi do not expect to see the grandiose Saharan dunes, with a few exceptions the great majority of desert areas near Abu Dhabi and Dubai offer small and medium size dunes tens of meters high. This desert safari is recommended if you don’t care about dinner and want to see the desert while keeping costs as low as possible. With a few exceptions, 

• Duration of the desert safari: approx. 4 hours.

• Guide: driver/guide English speaking.

• Safari features: small groups shared 4WD desert tour.

• Pros: if you’re looking to see the desert from Abu Dhabi while spending as little as possible.

• Check prices and book with: GetYourGuide | Abu Dhabi: Morning Desert Tour, Camel Ride, & Sandboarding

• If you want to try camel riding: it is a morning tour of about 4 hours that includes a 30-minute off-road 4WD dune bashing experience, sandboarding and a camel ride, this is the link to book GetYourGuide | From Abu Dhabi: 4-Hour Morning Desert Excursion; keep in mind that the camel ride usually lasts about 30 minutes and that you are on the camel but you don’t lead it, your guide walks ahead holding the camel with a rope.

Photo Credit: Viator

Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter) Desert Tour: Private 4WD Desert Safari to the Remote High Dunes of Liwa Oasis from Abu Dhabi

Do you want to witness the vast dunes of the Rub Al Khali Desert? Reach the edges of the legendary Empty Quarter? If budget is not a concern, and you don’t mind the long hours on the road to get there, then the desert safari from Abu Dhabi to the great dunes of the distant Siwa Oasis might be just what you’re looking for.

The excursion to Siwa is a long and expensive day-toury, because there are over 200 km one-way separating the Abu Dhabi Corniche from the Liwa Oasis, which means at least 3-hour jouney each way. However, it is here, on the border with Saudi Arabia, that you’ll find the largest and most majestic dunes in all of the United Arab Emirates, towering over 200 meters high.

Keep in mind that more than the dune of Moreeb, now quire exploited by locals, the trip to Liwa Oasis is worthwhile for the road you travel. The last kilometers are a real, authentic spectacle, the landscape is truly magnificent – nothing like the small dunes you see near Abu Dhabi. The Liwa Oasis safari is conducted in a 4WD vehicle and includes a packed lunch with non-alcoholic beverages and mineral water.

• Duration of the desert safari: approx. 10 hours.

• Guide: driver/guide English speaking.

• Safari features: private day-tour with exclusive 4WD and driver.

• Pros: go and see the desert, the real one.

• Check prices and book with: Viator | Liwa Oasis Desert Drive from Abu Dhabi

• An alternative desert safari to Liwa Oasis from Abu Dhabi: a one-day desert safari to Liwa Oasis from Abu Dhabi with a private off-road vehicle is also offered by the excellent Desert Rose Tourism, and can be booked with Viator | Liwa Full Day Desert Safari from Abu Dhabi. Depending on the number of participants, one tour or the other may be more convenient.

Photo Credit: Colin Capelle

Dubai Day-Trip from Abu Dhabi: Guided Day-Tour to Dubai from Abu Dhabi

If you are in Abu Dhabi and want to visit Dubai in a day-trip, leaving in the morning and coming back in the late afternoon, this is a great guided day-tour. You leave your hotel in Abu Dhabi, travel for one hour and a half on a highway, reach Dubai and start exploring! The first stop is usually The Palm Jumeirah where you get an outside view of the spectacular Atlantis building. Then proceed to Jumeirah Beach for another photo stop, the iconic Burj Al Arab, the most famous 7-star hotel in the world. Now things change, Old Dubai awaits you, visit the Al Fahidi Historic District, take an abra ride across the Creek with a short walk inside Spice Souk and Gold Souk. The grand finale is the Dubai Mall to admire at ground level the famous Burj Khalifa, the highest tower on the planet and Khalifa Lake. At Dubai Mall you have free time to walk about, explore the shops and have lunch, then drive back to Abu Dhabi.

Price includes transportation from and back to your Abu Dhabi hotel, guided tour of Dubai, entrance to Dubai Museum and Creek crossing aboard a traditional abra boat; lunch is not included, you can decide where to eat at the Dubai Mall, there are hundreds of cafes, fast food stalls and restaurants.

Of course, do not expect an in-depth visit of Dubai, nor to reach the top of Burj Khalifa, this is a quick and fast day tour just to take a look at the most important sights in Dubai. This guided day-tour from Abu Dhabi to Dubai is recommended if your travel plans bring you to Abu Dhabi and you have never visited Dubai, and would like to visit the city on an easy guided day-trip, without having to think about arranging transportation on your own and without spending too much money.  

• Duration of the tour: between 8 and 9 hours, it depends on traffic, departure around 8.30am, back in Abu Dhabi for mid-afternoon.  

• Guide: English speaking guide.  

• Tour features: this is a join tour together with other participants, you travel by minivan/small bus, at the update of this post tour departs daily except on Friday, check the link below to see if things have not changed. The local supplier is Emirates Tours and Safaris, one of the best in UAE together with OceanAir Travels, reviews on TripAdvisor are excellent. 

• Pros: the convenience of the pick-up and drop-off directly at your hotel, travel to Dubai, move extensively around the city, even crossing the Creek aboard the boat, then travel back to Abu Dhabi without having to think about arranging the logistic of transportation.  

• Check prices and book with: Viator | Dubai Sightseeing Day Trip from Abu Dhabi

• Another option: it is a very similar tour, usually you travel in a minivan, it’s worth checking out the price, click here to get all the info Viator | Dubai City Tour from Abu Dhabi  

• Dubai with Burj Khalifa 124° Floor Observatory: if you are in Abu Dhabi and wish to do an orientation tour of Dubai and at the same time visit the world’s tallest building you can consider this tour; the price includes transportation from/to Abu Dhabi, a short tour of Dubai and entry to Burj Khalifa 124th floor observation deck, here is the link to book Viator | Dubai Tour Including Entrance to Burj Khalifa 124th Floor from Abu Dhabi

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

The Louvre Abu Dhabi: Entrance Ticket to the Most Interesting Museum in the Middle East

Do you wish to explore the Louvre Abu Dhabi? If you find yourself in Abu Dhabi and wish to visit the newest museum in the entire Middle East, you can avail this service that offers entrance tickets to the museum. Although a guide is not included, it is not a drawback. For two reasons: the museum is worth visiting for its architecture rather than for the works on display; furthermore, if you prefer, you can rent an audio guide at the museum entrance for a nominal fee. Keep in mind that the Louvre Abu Dhabi is closed on Mondays, at least at the time of updating this article.

• Duration of the tour: for the visit to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, plan between an hour and a half to two hours.

• Guide: no guide, you visit the museum on your own.

• Tour features: the service includes only the museum entrance ticket.

• Pros: already have tickets for the museum in your hand without having to queue at the ticket office.

• Check prices and book with: GetYourGuide | Louvre Abu Dhabi: Entry Tickets 

• The other combinations that include the Louvre Abu Dhabi: there are various combo offers that, in addition to admission to the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum, include other attractions in Abu Dhabi. You can find them all featured on the Louvre Abu Dhabi page on GetYourGuide.

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

Yas Marina Circuit Self-Drive Experience: Behind the Wheel of a Supercar at Yas Marina Formula 1 Circuit in Abu Dhabi

Do you like extreme experiences? Are you looking for something highly adrenaline-pumping? If budget is not a concern and you’d like to personally drive a high-performance car on the Yas Marina Circuit track in Abu Dhabi, you’re in luck. Yes, on that exact same track where Formula 1 races. In Abu Dhabi this is possible, and depending on the car you choose to drive the costs may not be prohibitive, quite the opposite. If you prefer, you can also opt to sit in the car as a passenger. Among the cars that you can personally drive on the track of the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, taking the driver’s seat, there is the splendid Aston Martin GT4 4.7-litre V8 or a 3000 cc engine Formula Yas 3000 V6. Alternatively, as a passenger, you can settle into a Radical SST car.

• Duration of the driving experience: the actual driving experience lasts approximately 15-20 minutes, but plan for at least an hour from the time you arrive until you leave the circuit.

• Guide: the instructors at the Yas Marina Circuit speak English.

• Experience features: there is an initial technical briefing by a racing instructor. Then, the instructor will guide you to settle into the car and explain the various controls. Before you set off from the pit lane for a few laps on the track, you’ll follow the instructor’s guidance to learn the optimal racing line and how to navigate the complex curves of the circuit.

• Pros: one of the most unique and adrenaline-filled experiences to have in the United Arab Emirates.

• Check prices and book with: GetYourGuide | Abu Dhabi: Aston Martin GT4 Driving Experience or GetYourGuide | Abu Dhabi: Formula Yas 3000 Driving Experience; alternatively, as a passenger see GetYourGuide | Abu Dhabi: Yas Marina Radical SST Passenger Experience

• If you want to spend less with Karting: at much more affordable costs, you can try a 10-15 minute driving session on go-karts at Yas Kartzone, the 800-meter go-kart track inside the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Here’s the link for information and booking: GetYourGuide | Abu Dhabi: Yas Marina Circuit Kartzone

• Just want to visit Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit? If without risking anything you want to take part in an interesting 2-hour guided tour of the Yas Marina circuit, including the paddock area and the control room, book the excursion GetYourGuide | Abu Dhabi: Yas Marina Circuit Guided Tour. Reading the reviews, it seems well organised.

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

Important Things To Know Before Booking a Guided Tour in Abu Dhabi

• I am not the organizer of these tours, I do not arrange any of the excursions and day trips you can read about in this blog. And I have never even taken part in them. To write all the guides published in the blog I travel independently arranging all transfers and all visits on my own. 

• But not everybody likes or has the time to study and prepare where to go, what to visit, how to organise things and transportation in advance. So, I have researched and compared tens of guided tours in Abu Dhabi sold by the two main online travel companies and have described the tours which I think are the best and the most complete. The results are the tours presented in this article.  

• Before booking read the full description of the tour you like in the official page of Viator and GetYourGuide carefully, please check what is included and what is not, meeting points, times of departure and cancellation policies. If you have any queries or doubts, immediately contact Viator Customer Care or GetYourGuide Customer Service in order to receive assistance.

• And, most importantly, the day before the tour, please reconfirm the pick-up time with the local supplier. You receive phone and email of local supplier of the tour immediately after your booking. Maybe your hotel can help.  

• Read the reviews of the guided tour you like. If the majority of the reviews are positive that’s a good thing. And always check all the info you read here in the official page of each tour, things change and the official site provides the latest updates.

• Does your travel plan take you to Dubai? Are you looking for a guided tour? Hopefully you might be interested in reading my technical reviews of the most complete and value for money day-trips and excursions in Dubai. The post The Best Dubai Desert Safaris and 4WD Tours offers you some idea of the better excursions to discover the sand dunes of Dubai, including desert tours by 4WD, ATV quad and buggy excursions, dinner safaris and camel rides into the dunes. For last, The Best Guided Tours to Abu Dhabi and Oman from Dubai include very detailed descriptions and pros and cons of both group and private day-tours from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and Oman, with all the information you need to book the very long but rewarding guided day tour with dhow cruise and snorkeling trip from Dubai to Khasab Fjiords in Oman Musandam Peninsula, with a real chance to see the dolphins in addition to swimming and snorkelling in the clear waters of the most spectacular area in all the Persian Gulf.

Last Update: November 17th 2023

Front cover photo credit: Abu Dhabi guided tour with Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, courtesy GetYourGuide.