Al Ain Full Day Trip from Abu Dhabi with Lunch
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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- 9 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover the picturesque city of Al Ain on a day trip from Abu Dhabi. Travel through the desert to the ‘Garden City,’ framed by the rugged Hajar Mountains and witness the water channels that irrigate the palm groves. Gain insight into traditional life at the markets and camel race circuit; and admire city views from nearby Jebel Hafeet mountain. Dip your feet into Al Ain’s springs and seal your trip with an included buffet lunch.
- Explore the UAE’s oasis “Garden City,” known for its green parks
- See the traditional falaj water channels amid the oasis palms
- Walk around a food market, camel racetrack and mountain springs
- Savor a buffet lunch of international cuisine at a 4-star hotel
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Professional guide
- Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
- Lunch
- Gratuities
- Drinks with lunch (available to purchase)
- Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum is closed for renovation.
- Camel Market is currently under renovation, it will not be available to visit for a short period
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We will pick you up from hotels in the Abu Dhabi city area. Please mention your hotel name when booking. Our guide will meet you in the hotel lobby at the specified pick-up time. Please note that the mentioned tour time is an approximate pick-up time; our team will inform you of the exact time based on your hotel's location and any schedule adjustments. If there are any changes, we will communicate them to you promptly.
Operating hours.8:00 am
Itinerary
Leave your central Abu Dhabi in the morning by air-conditioned coach, and travel through the desert toward Al Ain, located near the UAE-Oman border.
Often dubbed the ‘Garden City,’ this picturesque town is one of the UAE’s oldest and lies at the foot of the craggy Hajar Mountains. During your journey, hear about Al Ain’s past, and how the discovery of ancient tools and burial mounds nearby has revealed that people settled here as far back as the Bronze Age.
Then, visit three top Al Ain attractions — the camel racing circuit, the livestock market, and the food market — for a peek into the daily rituals and dealings of its citizens.
See the ‘falaj’ channels dug to transport water around the date palms, and hear how this simple system has been used to irrigate crops for thousands of years.
Drive the winding roads up the high slopes of Jebel Hafeet, the 4,098-foot (1,249-meter) mountain that towers over Al Ain. Stop here to drink in the bird’s-eye views over the city and the surrounding peaks.
Then, head back down to the hot springs in the foothills. Soak up the gorgeous scenery and perhaps cool your toes in the springs. Then, relax over lunch at a local hotel. Dig into buffet dishes such as grilled meat and fish, and enjoy drinks at your own expense.
Your experience finishes with a drop-off back at your Abu Dhabi hotel.
Often dubbed the ‘Garden City,’ this picturesque town is one of the UAE’s oldest and lies at the foot of the craggy Hajar Mountains. During your journey, hear about Al Ain’s past, and how the discovery of ancient tools and burial mounds nearby has revealed that people settled here as far back as the Bronze Age.
Then, visit three top Al Ain attractions — the camel racing circuit, the livestock market, and the food market — for a peek into the daily rituals and dealings of its citizens.
See the ‘falaj’ channels dug to transport water around the date palms, and hear how this simple system has been used to irrigate crops for thousands of years.
Drive the winding roads up the high slopes of Jebel Hafeet, the 4,098-foot (1,249-meter) mountain that towers over Al Ain. Stop here to drink in the bird’s-eye views over the city and the surrounding peaks.
Then, head back down to the hot springs in the foothills. Soak up the gorgeous scenery and perhaps cool your toes in the springs. Then, relax over lunch at a local hotel. Dig into buffet dishes such as grilled meat and fish, and enjoy drinks at your own expense.
Your experience finishes with a drop-off back at your Abu Dhabi hotel.
1
Qasr al Muwaiji
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Al Jahili Fort
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Jebel Hafeet
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Al Ain Oasis
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Green Mubazzarah
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
lcongeev
Aslam our Tour guide was great, he provided us with so much
information about UAE, the history, traditions.
It was like a private tour since it was just me and my friend.
Al Ain was great , in Beauty and Traditions.
Every one who visits UAE should make time to see Al Ain.
Thanks to our wonderful tour guide we were able to have a
wonderful time
Reviews
4.5
based on 141 reviews
Ashley_L, Feb 2026
I had a wonderful time seeing Al Ain Oasis, Old Fort, Jebal Hafeet, camel race track and the camel market. My guide was amazing, he took plenty of photos of me when asked and was most informative on the history and significance of the places we visited.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for this wonderful review, Ashley! We're thrilled you had such a great time exploring Al Ain.
It sounds like you got to see some fantastic places, from the oasis and old fort to Jebel Hafeet, the camel race track, and camel market. We're glad our guide was so amazing, taking plenty of photos and sharing informative insights about the history and significance of each location. That context really does bring the experience to life.
Thank you for choosing us for your Al Ain day trip from Abu Dhabi. If you're ever back in the area, we'd love to welcome you for a desert safari or one of our other experiences.
Thanks again for sharing your feedback!
lcongeev, Feb 2026
Aslam our Tour guide was great, he provided us with so much
information about UAE, the history, traditions.
It was like a private tour since it was just me and my friend.
Al Ain was great , in Beauty and Traditions.
Every one who visits UAE should make time to see Al Ain.
Thanks to our wonderful tour guide we were able to have a
wonderful time
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you so much for this wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you had such a great Al Ain experience.
It's fantastic that our tour guide provided so much valuable information about the UAE, its history, and traditions. Having what felt like a private tour for just you and your friend clearly made the experience even more special and personal.
We're glad Al Ain's beauty and traditions left such a strong impression on you. Your recommendation that everyone visiting the UAE should make time to see Al Ain is really meaningful, and we're so happy our guide made the day so wonderful for you both.
Thank you for choosing us for your Al Ain day trip from Abu Dhabi. If you're ever back in the area, we'd love to welcome you for a desert safari or one of our other experiences.
Thanks again for sharing your feedback!
YoSoyDan_R, Dec 2025
Overall, its a great routing ... including the places that are part of the day tour. Car is clean and driver was very courteous.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much for your positive review, Dan! We're glad to hear you enjoyed the routing and the variety of places included in the Al Ain day tour.
It's great to know the vehicle met your expectations and that our driver was courteous throughout the journey. Providing a comfortable and respectful experience is something we take pride in.
We appreciate you choosing us for your Al Ain adventure. If you're ever back in the area, we'd love to welcome you for a desert safari or one of our other Abu Dhabi experiences.
Thanks again for sharing your feedback!
Mark_H, Mar 2025
Fantastic tour and the tour guide was excellent and very knowledgeable. I would certainly recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are thrilled to hear that you loved your experience with us. Your kind words mean a lot to our team!
Your recommendation is highly appreciated and hope to see you again on your next visit.
Jade_A, Jun 2024
Our driver and guide was incredible! Food delicious and sights interesting and varied. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and had a lot of fun.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Seeing that you had a 5-Star experience is the best thing we could hope for! Your review means a lot to us. Thank you for choosing Emirates Tours and Safari LLC. Looking forward to seeing you again soon!
Andrejs_S, Jan 2023
Places to see- old oasis and old royal palace - one can enjoy. Something different for foreigners id camel market. Butifull views from Jebel Hafid and nice hot spring. In short - full day which we enjoed.
Response from Host, Jan 2023
It's great to hear that you had an enjoyable full day Al Ain trip. Thanks for sharing your positive experience. We're thrilled that you had a memorable time and appreciate your recommendation. We hope to have the chance to serve you on another tour soon!
Angela_S, Nov 2022
Nice day tour. a little expensive for what’s offered, but the only one to book as a single traveler.
Response from Host, Nov 2022
We are delighted to hear about your pleasant experience with us. Thank you for taking the time to write your feedback. I'm hoping to see you again soon.
Sajidul_S, May 2022
Awesome day out at Al Ain away from the city bustle full of culture and heritage with a hearty lunch. Amer was a great abd we even got to see some big sand dunes on the way back
Response from Host, May 2022
Hi Sajidul,
We would like to thank you for taking time in giving your feedback with your experience with Emirates Tours! its our pleasure to know that you have enjoyed the Al Ain tour, I am glad that your appreciates Amer's help in creating a remembrance of your experience with us. Looking forward to see you again.
Stanislawa_M, Apr 2022
Views from the mountain were really panoramic. the camel market was interesting and the knowlegable driver/guide.
Marco_D, Dec 2019
Nice tour to Al Ain. The guide was really nice and supportive.
The place Al interesting. The trip to Jebel Hafeet turned to be disappointing. We just stopped somewhere along the way to the top for a photo shoot. Not impressive at all.
Lunch was buffet but not bad.
The oasis is also pretty standard.
All in all, a nice way to spend a day outside Abu Dhabi.
Explorer35340133509, Jun 2019
Was a very good day.Driver was very informative.Saw many interesting places.Lunch provided was very good.So all in all despite the heat a good day
Thomas_B, Dec 2018
it was good to get away into the country for a day. We were lucky enough to be in time for a camel race, and the camel market was interesting. Bit disappointed by the Oasis and palace - not quite the desert experience we were expecting as they are in the middle of the new city!
HILARY_B, Nov 2018
Good day with excellent guide. No water at the hot springs and no time for the camel race track but otherwise good value.
Louisa M, Apr 2018
Our tour was outstanding in every way. Our guide picked us up at our hotel. There were only 4 of us which allowed our guide to create the perfect tour. His knowledge of history and the most important areas to see was amazing. He even took the time to take us out into the beautiful desert and to see the camels being trained to race. I totally encourage anyone with an interest in touring this beautiful and fascinating place to book this tour.
Julie S, Feb 2018
This is a great tour because it's outside of the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai....It seemed, in a sense, to be a more authentic experience because of the emphasis on the natural landscape - from the Oasis, to the dunes, to the climb up the mountain. You get a sense of how royalty lived pre-oil, or shortly after the discovery of oil with the visit to Sheikh Zayed's former home before he became president. And, if you have kids - they'll like it. I went alone with my kids who are 5 and 8.
kellyfeng1987, Feb 2018
There was not much to see at Al Ain. Beside this, everything else was great.
maurizio s, Jan 2018
This trip to a town very different from bustling Abu Dhabi is a must-do for anyone interested in having a look into the past of the country and into real Emirates. The tour reflects 100 listed in the programme, and the guide Tomy was very professional and informative, besides being fluent both in English and German. In the old palace of Al Ain can feel the flavour of a past gone forever, while the ethnographic section of the national museum is of great interest. The camel market is simply exciting, and the view from Jebel Hafeet is wonderful. The lunch provided plenty of delicious food. Maybe we would have loved to spend some more time at some location, but there are really lots of sightseeing in the programme, and we would also not have lost any of them. I take this opportunity to commend the driver of our bus who, after having dropped us at the hotel, at 10 pm drove back good 20 km to bring me back my mobile phone that I had inadvertently left in the bus: thank you once more, our kindness and honesty reflect great credit upon you and your agency, who was very helpful in getting me in touch with you. An highly recommended excursion!
Carol F, Jan 2018
Nizar transported 3 of us in a safe, timely, friendly, and informative manner to the sights, each better than the last. Be aware that the map and signage at the Oasis are not very explicit, the route is not straight like shown- get name and number of gate. The mountain drive is jaw dropping and the green bbq park gave me the oportunity to interact with an amazing family that offered to share their food after I complimented them on the aroma. And there is nothing more fun than interacting with hundreds of curious camels. Go.
Suzan H, Jan 2018
I had one day in Abu Dhabi to spare so signed up for this tour. Breathtaking fantastic day away from the main city. Small coach, only half full so not overcrowded, which was great. Saw a bit of the desert, the camels which were ever so cuddly, the fort and museum. Definitely a day for those wanting more culture rather than just mickey mouse style glam and glitz. Tour company was very organised and professional, kept me updated re pick up times and location and also answered my email queries very quickly within a few hours. Definitely recommend this one for anyone with a day to spare who is interested in the more traditional cultural side of the Emirates. I will be using this tour operator for more trips when I return in the future.
Anthony M, Nov 2017
Great trip. Great guide who went the extra mile and who provided excellent commentary.
ROBERT p, Nov 2017
My first visit to Al Ain. Worth the trip guide was outstanding and very knowledgeable. There is a need to remind oneself that while the culture is old, permanent structures are younger than many would expect.
John_W, Sep 2017
This is a must do ,full day out brilliant guide ,lovely buffet lunch .stops for tea or coffee on way and back ,mountain views incredible
arthur b, Aug 2017
Interesting tour .... excellent guide and saw a lot of things in one day that I would not have seen on my own.
Christine V, Jul 2017
Not recommended. My tour guide is better described as a personal driver and did not speak English very well. He did not offer any interesting insights into the region and simply read off the signs along the road and in the museums as his contribution as a guide. He was often talking or texting on his phone leaving me alone to explore the sites by myself-- honestly a relief since it was clear he could not offer additional information that wasn't already provided by the museum signs. Hugely overpriced for what is offered: what you are paying for is round trip transportation and an average buffet-style lunch. The sites themselves are free and open to the public except the National Museum which costs 3 AED. Skip the hot springs: the water comes out of a pipe. The only real highlights are the camel and goat markets which is truly a fun, regional experience and a chance to interact with locals. Al Ain itself is worth a visit, just not with this tour. PS: I was the only one who booked for the day so I was alone on the trip and felt pressured by my guide to take photos with him. Uncomfortable...
Moneeza K, May 2017
Fantastic tour with a fantastic tour guide, really interesting and great to be shown around beautiful Al-Ain with someone so enthusiastic
LENA D, Apr 2017
This is a fantastic tour. Our driver and guide Mr K.Gafoor was excellent.
He has shown us a lot and gave us a lot of explanation. AL AIN is definitely worth the visit and the viator tour is definitely high recommended. Thanks a lot to Mr K.Gafoor and the good organization of Viator !
Karen M, Apr 2017
Al Ain provided a nice break from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It is a very long drive though. There were only 5 of us so we were in a van which didn't have the best air conditioning. Our guide was professional and knowledgeable if a bit bossy. Jebel Hafeet had some wonderful views but I wish we had done the museum visits first. After the long, hot day I was too tired to concentrate on the exhibits by the time we got there in the afternoon.
Stephanie M, Apr 2017
The weather was awful it was raining all day, therefore the indoor museum trip was great. The mountains looked stunning but full with clouds and rain and super cold and you weren't able to look down. Our group was Australian, American and British tourists and the tour guide didn't speak proper English unfortunately, we asked him questions and he gave us no answer or answers which didn't make any sense.
Al Ain is definitely worth seeing and the palace, date plantation, mountains are interesting, but the overall tour experience could have been much nicer.
Penne_S, Apr 2017
Our family had a fantastic time on this tour. We were lucky enough to get private tour with Majeet, who was attentive, humorous and was able to share his extensive knowledge of UAE and Al Ain with us. Jabel Halfeet was amazing and inspiring. We would recommend this trip to anyone wanting a great day
Cheryl C, Apr 2017
Fantastic tour, very interesting, great views from Jabel Hafeet, magnificent buffet lunch, recommend
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Al Ain Full Day Trip from Abu Dhabi with Lunch
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