How to See Abu Dhabi in 1 Day from Dubai
TL;DR
Why we think a tour is the most convenient way to see Abu Dhabi from Dubai.
We chose to go on a tour from Dubai to Abu Dhabi because it was the most convenient option – and surprisingly cost-efficient.
This blogpost has two parts:
- How to see Abu Dhabi in 1 Day from Dubai.
- An honest review of the guided tour we have booked.
Ways to See Abu Dhabi in 1 Day from Dubai
1. Public Bus
Taking a public bus from Dubai to Abu Dhabi is rather cheap and easy. Buses leave around every 20 minutes from Dubai’s Al Ghubaiba Bus Station (E100) or Dubai’s Ibn Battuta Bus Station (E101) to Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station. A one-way ticket only costs 25 AED (around 7$).
The problem is moving around in Abu Dhabi. We have identified three ways of doing this:
I Public Bus
With a 2 AED boarding fee plus 5 fils (100 fils is 1 AED so less than 1 Cent) for each kilometre, it’s definitely the most cost-effective way.
BUT it will take you a lot of time.
Example:
There is a direct bus from Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station to Sheikh Zayed Mosque but according to Google Maps, the journey takes around 50 minutes.
There is a direct bus from Sheikh Zayed Mosque to Abu Dhabi Heritage Village but according to Google Maps, the journey takes 1.5 hours.
There is a direct bus from Abu Dhabi Heritage Village to Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station but according to Google Maps, the journey takes around 1 hour.
Only with these two sights, you will be in transport for around 3.5 hours – and you have not visited the sights yet.
Bus times add up and you also have to account for waiting times around 30 minutes in between buses. Additionally, there is some walking involved which might be especially unpleasant in the summer.
II Taxis
Distances in Abu Dhabi are far and taxi prices can add up:
A taxi from Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station to Sheikh Zayed Mosque costs around 9$.
A taxi from Sheikh Zayed Mosque to Abu Dhabi Heritage Village costs around 10$.
A taxi from Abu Dhabi Heritage Village to Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station costs around 5$.
Even if you only visit these two places, it will add up to 38$.
III Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
A Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour is a convenient way to mix and match all the sights you want to see in Abu Dhabi at your own pace. They are by no means a budget option though. Expect to pay around 80$.
2. Guided Tour
For the reasons mentioned above, we chose to go on a guided tour from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi Sightseeing Tour
Abu Dhabi Sightseeing Tour – Our Personal Review
The main pro of our tour was that it was cheap and it was fairly convenient.
The hotel pickup and drop-off worked like a charm. Additionally, it makes a lot of sense to go in a car because they have a much higher speed limit (140 km/h) than buses which means you spend less time on the road.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is an absolute must-visit when you’re in the area. Emirates Palace was super cool to see and the Heritage Village was a nice stop as well.
We are not so sure about the Date Market and Ferrari World.
A major drawback of this tour is that it is not guided in the strictest sense. Your driver will give you information but he will not enter the sights with you.
Additionally, we would recommend skipping lunch – especially if you’re on a budget. We paid 75 AED per person for an Indian buffet which was mediocre at best. You can buy snacks in the mall at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque or Ferrari World or just bring your own snacks.
All in all, the value for money was fine but the tour was not quite what we hoped for. It was still worth it just to see the Grand Mosque, Emirates Palace, and Heritage Village.
What Other Travellers Say About the Abu Dhabi Sightseeing Tour
⭐ Rating: 4.7 / 5 (17 reviews)
It was really nice trip today with Naeem.. The car was comfortable, Naeem was driving safely and gave us explanation of many things, everything went according the schedule with small delays after lunch so we arrived one hour later, but it was worthy because the lunch was really good. I can only recommend
What to Expect on the Abu Dhabi Sightseeing Tour?
These are the stops:
- Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Definitely the highlight! You’ll have enough time for your visit here but no guide inside.
- Emirates Palace
We loved this stop. We had enough time to take photos and venture quite far inside.
- Heritage Village
The Heritage Village itself is nice to see but if you ask us, the main event here is the Corniche views.
- Date Market
This was just a quick pit stop to try some dates and camel milk chocolate. We had the option to buy things but the vendor was not very persistent.
- Ferrari World
Honestly, we’re not sure why we had a 45-minute photo stop outside of Ferrari World. I think nobody on our tour was.
What Does the Abu Dhabi Sightseeing Tour Include?
Included:
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque visit
- Emirates Palace photo stop (visit inside if open)
- Heritage Village visit
- Abu Dhabi Dates Market
- Ferrari World photo stop
Not included:
- Guide that enters the sights with you
- Lunch (75 AED, around 20$)
Conclusion: Should You Book the Abu Dhabi Sightseeing Tour?
We are very much in favour of booking a guided tour from Dubai to Abu Dhabi for time and convenience reasons. We chose our sightseeing tour because it was cheap. Would we book this same exact tour again? Probably not.
Next time, we would pay a bit more for a more reputable company like OceanAir Travels.
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