Abu Dhabi city tour from Dubai, private or shared

The day at a glance

The tour leaves Dubai at 8:00 and is back by about 18:00. Drive times are without traffic, from OpenStreetMap routing. The E11 between Dubai and Abu Dhabi is busiest in the morning and evening rush, so allow extra time on the first and last legs.

Stop	Time at the stop	Drive from the stop before
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque	1 h 30 min	129 km from Downtown Dubai, 1 h 25 min
Qasr Al Watan	1 h 30 min	21 km, 20 min
Emirates Palace and lunch	1 hour	2 km, 5 min
The Corniche and Qasr Al Hosn	20 min	6 km, 8 min
Louvre Abu Dhabi	1 h 30 min	10 km, 10 min
Back to Downtown Dubai		136 km, 1 h 27 min

From Dubai Marina, the mosque is 109 km away and about 1 h 10 min. Starting there saves about 15 minutes on the first leg. The route is the same one our Dubai to Abu Dhabi transfer drives.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: hours, access pass and dress code

The mosque stands on the road into Abu Dhabi from Dubai, about 20 km before Qasr Al Watan, so it comes first. Visitors who are not there to pray book an online access pass on the mosque’s official site before the day.

Visiting hours, from the mosque’s official site:

• Saturday to Thursday: 9:00 to 20:30, last entry 20:00.
• Friday: 9:00 to 11:30, then 14:30 to 20:30. On a Friday the tour runs the other way round, with the mosque in the afternoon.
• Ramadan: hours change. Check the official page for your dates.

The dress code applies to everyone. Women wear loose clothes to the ankles, sleeves to the wrists and a scarf covering all the hair. Men may wear any style, with the whole leg covered preferred. Tight, see-through and sleeveless clothes are not allowed for anyone.

Qasr Al Watan, the presidential palace

Qasr Al Watan is 21 km from the mosque, at the western end of the Corniche. The general admission ticket covers the Great Hall, the Presidential Gifts and the Qasr Al Watan Library. It also includes entry to the Palace in Motion light show and a free shuttle bus from the car park.

Two rules shape the visit. The ticket is single use, so once you leave you cannot go back in. Knees and shoulders must be covered. The palace sells its own tickets; we do not show prices for them here because they change.

Lunch and the Corniche

Emirates Palace is 2 km from Qasr Al Watan. It works as a photo stop and a lunch break before the drive along the Corniche, the waterfront road along the island’s north-west shore.

The car then runs east along the water to Qasr Al Hosn, the white fort in the city centre, for a short stop. Lunch is at a restaurant you choose and is paid separately.

Louvre Abu Dhabi, or Yas Island instead

The Louvre sits on Saadiyat Island, 10 km from Qasr Al Hosn. It is the last stop on the standard day because it keeps the afternoon heat indoors. Buy the ticket on the museum’s site, or ask us to add it through our attraction tickets page, and check the museum’s opening hours for your date.

Families with children can swap the Louvre for Yas Island. Ferrari World is 25 km from Saadiyat, and Yas is closer to Dubai: about 112 km from Downtown, 1 h 15 min. The Yas Island theme parks page covers the parks. For an evening in the dunes before the drive back, add an Abu Dhabi desert safari.

Where the day ends

A private car does not have to go back to Dubai. Shared tours return to the Dubai pickup area, so this choice comes only with a private car.

• Back to Dubai: about 136 km from the Louvre to Downtown, 1 h 27 min without traffic.
• Zayed International Airport (AUH): about 38 km from the Louvre to Terminal A, 32 minutes. Bring your luggage and your passport. The AUH airport page explains the terminal.
• An Abu Dhabi hotel: the drop-off can be any hotel on the island, Saadiyat or Yas.

Cruise passengers berthed at Zayed Port are about 19 km from the Grand Mosque. A pickup at the port starts inside Abu Dhabi, so it comes through our partner network, subject to availability. Our cruise terminal transfers page covers the port.

Pickups from Abu Dhabi hotels

Pickups in Dubai run in Assure’s own cars under our RTA licence. A tour that starts at an Abu Dhabi hotel needs a car licensed in Abu Dhabi. We arrange that through our partner network on request, subject to availability, and confirm the car with your quote. For other days in the capital, see our chauffeur service in Abu Dhabi.

Private or shared

	Private	Shared
Pickup	Your Dubai address at 8:00, or the time you choose	A pickup window, with several hotels collected in turn
Order of stops	Set by your group, and reversed on Fridays	The same for everyone
Time at each site	As long as you want	Fixed by the departure
End of the day	Dubai, AUH or an Abu Dhabi hotel	Back at the Dubai pickup area

Shared seats are on request, where a shared departure runs on your date.

What sets the price

Assure shows no tour prices on the site. The quote is per car and is sent on WhatsApp.

Factor	What changes it
The car	A Lexus ES 300h for 3, a GMC Yukon or Cadillac Escalade for 6, a 13-seat Mercedes-Benz Sprinter for a group
Where you start	Dubai Marina is 109 km from the mosque; Deira is further
Where the day ends	Dubai, AUH Terminal A or an Abu Dhabi hotel
Tickets added	Qasr Al Watan, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Palace in Motion
Road tolls	Salik gates in Dubai, and the Darb gate at Ghantoot, AED 4 per crossing since 4 May 2026

Who the day suits, and limits to check

• Long drive: the whole day covers about 300 km from Downtown Dubai, with about 3 h 30 min in the car. A three-row GMC Yukon or a Mercedes-Benz V-Class gives a family room to spread out.
• Walking: the Grand Mosque courtyards and Qasr Al Watan halls take about 3 hours on foot between them. Ask the sites about wheelchairs before the day.
• Heat: from May to September, the mosque’s outdoor courtyards are hot at midday. Start at 7:30 or plan the mosque for after 17:00.
• Children: send each child’s age and ask for child seats when you book; we confirm them with the quote, before the 8:00 pickup.

How to book

1. Send the date, your pickup address, the number of people and where the day should end. Use WhatsApp on +971 56 684 8148 or the trip form on this page.
2. Say whether you want Qasr Al Watan, the Louvre or Yas Island, and add your flight time if you finish at AUH.
3. The quote comes back on WhatsApp with the car, the clock times and what is included. Accept it in the same chat to book.

If you only need the drive, book the car by the hour through our car with driver service and set your own stops. Assure is RTA licensed and has 10+ years on the Dubai to Abu Dhabi road. WhatsApp and phone are answered 24/7, so a change of plan the night before still reaches someone.

Before you go, read our guide to the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque visitor guide. If you are staying overnight, where to stay in Abu Dhabi compares the districts.