Abu Dhabi, Dubai & Ras Al Khaimah, 9 Nights

This trip flies into Abu Dhabi and home from Dubai, so no stretch of road is driven twice. The private transfer from Zayed International to the city takes about thirty-five minutes. After check-in, from about two, the evening is for the Corniche, the long promenade on the city's northern shore, or the heritage village on the breakwater with its reconstructed palm-frond houses and view back to the skyline.

A guided half day around the capital, built on the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: eighty-odd white domes, reflecting pools, and chandeliers of coloured crystal over a single enormous carpet. Modest clothing is required, with long sleeves and trousers or long skirts, and women cover their hair. The tour continues along the Corniche and past the landmarks of the city. The afternoon is free for the pool.

A free day, with three good ways to use it that we can arrange. The Louvre Abu Dhabi and teamLab Phenomena on Saadiyat Island suit those who like museums. Yas Island's indoor parks — Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World and SeaWorld — suit families. The BAPS Hindu Mandir, carved in pink sandstone and opened in 2024, is about forty-five minutes out on the Dubai road and is often the day's highlight for Indian travellers.

After breakfast the private car heads up the coast road to Dubai, about an hour and a half; the BAPS Mandir is on the way if it was not visited yesterday. Check-in is from around two. In the evening a shared transfer takes you to Dubai Marina for a dhow dinner cruise, two hours along the lit canal among the towers, with a buffet and music on board.

The city tour covers the photograph stop at the Burj Al Arab, the drive along the Palm Jumeirah, and the original Dubai around the Creek, where abras still ferry passengers between the souks. It ends at Dubai Mall with the lift to level 124 of the Burj Khalifa in a non-peak slot, and the aquarium and underwater zoo. Stay on for the fountain show outside, which starts in the early evening.

A free morning, with the option of Dubai Outlet Mall on the Al Ain road for discounted brands. In the afternoon a 4x4 collects you for the desert: a dune drive, sunset on the sand, and a camp with Arabic coffee, camel rides, henna painting and a barbecue dinner with vegetarian choices, followed by a tanoura dancer. Anyone who prefers not to bounce over the dunes can ride straight to the camp.

A private transfer north, about an hour and a quarter, through Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain to Ras Al Khaimah, where the Hajar mountains come close to the coast. Check-in on Marjan Island is from around two. The afternoon is for settling in by the water, after six days that have moved steadily, with dinner at the resort or in the old town.

A free day on Marjan Island, where the resorts face the calm, shallow Gulf and offer pools, children's clubs and water sports. For something active, we can arrange a car up Jebel Jais, the highest mountain in the UAE, where the air is cooler and the Jais Flight zipline runs down the slopes. Otherwise, the spa and a long lunch by the sea.

Another unscheduled day. For a short outing, Al Jazirat Al Hamra is a coral-stone pearling village left empty in the late twentieth century and gradually being restored, and the National Museum in the old fort tells the emirate's story. Dhayah fort, on a hill in the date groves further north, has a steep stair and a wide view. A beach dinner is a good way to end the holiday.

Breakfast and check-out, then the private transfer to Dubai International, about an hour and a quarter, with extra time allowed for traffic through Sharjah in the late afternoon. Ras Al Khaimah's own airport is an alternative for a small number of routes; we confirm the better option with your flights. A late check-out can be requested for evening departures, and we confirm it with the hotel.