Layover Abu Dhabi: Urban & Desert

Experience the best of your layover Abu Dhabi with a perfectly designed city and desert combination tour. Start your Abu Dhabi layover tour with a morning visit to the Grand Mosque, Emirates Palace, Heritage Village, and Yas Island. Continue your adventure in the afternoon with a thrilling desert safari featuring dune bashing and sandboarding. Enjoy a camel ride, live belly dancing, and entertainment under the desert sky. End the day with a delicious BBQ dinner before returning comfortably to the airport.

Layover Abu Dhabi Package Inclusions:

• 10 Hours touring service.
• Pick up and drop off services.
• Transfers in modern a/c vehicles.
• One bottle of mineral water for each.
• Entry fees for the mentioned sites.
• BBQ dinner.
• Camel ride.
• Belly dance shows.
• Folklore show.
• Henna painting for women (Oriental tattoo).
• All taxes and charges.

Layover Abu Dhabi Package Exclusions:

• UAE entry visa. Buy your visa now from 99.99 USD.
• Kitty tipping.

Tour Itinerary:

• Your layover Abu Dhabi experience begins the moment you step out of Abu Dhabi International Airport. About forty five to sixty minutes after landing, once you have cleared formalities, your private driver guide welcomes you and leads you to a comfortable vehicle waiting just outside the arrivals hall. This marks the start of your Abu Dhabi layover tour, a journey designed for travelers who want to make the most of their transit time by discovering both the cultural and modern highlights of the capital.
• Your first destination is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the most impressive architectural landmarks in the region and the top rated attraction for any Abu Dhabi transit tour. As you approach the mosque, its white domes and elegant minarets rise beautifully above the city. The mosque, completed in 2007 after a decade of construction and nearly two billion dirhams in investment, represents a vision of unity and coexistence.
• The mosque is a house of fine decorative elements were sourced from across the old world, including Spanish white marble, hand woven Iranian carpets, and German chandeliers made with twenty four carat gold and thousands of crystals. Walking through its vast courtyard and peaceful interior halls gives you time to appreciate its spiritual atmosphere and sophisticated design.
• After leaving the mosque, your tour continues toward Emirates Palace. Once built as a royal residence and later converted into one of the most luxurious hotels in the world, this property represents elegance on a grand scale. Although your visit is brief, it offers a glimpse into the refined lifestyle and heritage of the city. The hotel’s architecture, landscaped grounds, and shoreline views create a memorable impression and add a touch of luxury to your Abu Dhabi layover tour.
• Your driver guide then takes you to the Heritage Village, a cultural stop that brings to life the traditional lifestyle of the Emirates before the discovery of oil. As you explore the reconstructed village, you see workshops, exhibits, and displays that show how people lived, worked, and built their communities in earlier times. This stop adds perspective to your layover Abu Dhabi journey by connecting the past with the modern city you see today.
• From heritage to innovation, the tour continues to Yas Island, one of the most vibrant destinations in Abu Dhabi. Yas Island is home to several major attractions, including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld, the Formula One racing circuit, Warner Bros World, and Yas Mall. During this part of the Abu Dhabi transit tour, you enjoy a sightseeing drive around the island with time to stop at Yas Mall for refreshments or lunch, which are at your own expense. The island showcases the energetic and modern side of the city, balancing the earlier cultural highlights with entertainment and leisure.
• After completing the city portion of the tour, the second experience begins with your driver guide picking you up from Yas Island to begin the desert adventure. You leave the city skyline behind and travel toward the open desert, where golden dunes stretch into the distance. Soon you arrive at the starting point for dune bashing, one of the most thrilling parts of any layover Abu Dhabi experience. Your guide navigates the soft sand for twenty to thirty minutes, driving skillfully across the rolling dunes. This part of the Abu Dhabi transit tour offers excitement, scenery, and a unique sense of adventure.
• Next, you visit a camel farm and then continue to a traditional desert camp where you are greeted with a soft drink. You have time to enjoy camel riding and sandboarding before sampling appetizers. As the sun begins to set, you take your seat to watch live performances, including a belly dancing show, Tanura spinning, and regional folklore entertainment. The atmosphere in the desert camp is warm and inviting, creating an ideal setting to relax and enjoy the evening.
• Dinner is served shortly after the shows begin, offering a wide selection of barbecue dishes. You can also enjoy Arabic coffee and additional cultural activities. Women are welcome to try traditional henna tattoo art, and there is an opportunity to take photos wearing national dress.
• As your experience comes to an end, your driver guide leads you back to the vehicle and begins the return journey to Abu Dhabi International Airport. You arrive in time for your onward flight, completing a seamless and memorable Abu Dhabi layover tour that transforms your transit hours into a meaningful and enriching travel experience.

Important to Know:

• The tour requires at least 14-16 hours of stopover to be completed.
• Tour operates daily from 0800 am. except Fridays from 0200 pm.
• A stopover tour is provided only on a private basis.
• Abu Dhabi airport is about 37 KM from the city`s downtown. Airport transfers are included in the quotation.
• Visiting the Grand Mosque requires a certain conservative dress code in order to be allowed to go in, Check the grand mosque dress code

Rate per Person:

 Payment Policy

• Sightseeing Tours: A 45% to 55% down payment is required to confirm your booking.
• Travel Packages with Accommodation: Full payment of accommodation costs is due upon booking confirmation.
• Accepted Down Payment Methods:
  • PayPal
  • Online Payment Gateway
  • Bank Transfer
• Balance Payment on Arrival:
  • Accepted in Cash or Credit Card
• Important: All transaction or bank transfer fees are the responsibility of the guest.
• Accepted Currencies:
  • USD ($)
  • EUR (€)
  • GBP (£)
  • CAD (C$)
  • AUD (A$)
  • AED (د.إ)

 Children Policy

• Infants (0 – 1.99 years): Free of charge.
• Children (2 – 12 years): Charged 80% of the adult rate when joining a private tour.
• 12 years and above: Considered an adult and charged at the full adult rate.

 Cancellation Policy

• Free Cancellation: Cancellations made more than 72 hours before the tour start time are fully refundable,
  except for the cost of any pre-purchased tickets, which are non-refundable and will be deducted from the down payment.
• Refund Timeline: Eligible refunds for cancellations made more than 72 hours in advance will be processed within 10 business days.
• Partial Refund: Cancellations made between 24 and 72 hours before the tour start time are subject to a 50% cancellation fee.
• No Refund: Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the tour start time or in no-show cases are non-refundable.
• Force Majeure: In cases of force majeure (e.g. natural disasters, emergencies), a 100% refund will be issued.

TripAdvisor Guest Testimonials

Juan Jesus – Spain – ★★★★★
A very good experience exploring some of Abu Dhabi’s most iconic sites. We took advantage of this tour during a long layover. The service was magnificent, from Bassem who organized everything to our driver Kamal, who was exceptionally friendly and attentive. Highly recommended.

Zoros – Spain – ★★★★★
For years, we’ve been using the excellent service of Abu Dhabi Sightseeing to visit the city during our overnight stay. A friendly driver picks us up at the airport, shows us all the beautiful sights, and drops us back on time.

Amina A – USA – ★★★★★
Bassem helped customize a ten hour tour for my family during our transit in Abu Dhabi. He organized everything over WhatsApp and, upon arrival, our guide Majid was there to receive us.

Belinda N – USA – ★★★★★
This tour was a wonderful way to fill a long layover. We had a great time and couldn’t have been happier with what we were able to see in Abu Dhabi.

Barbara W – UK – ★★★★★
Abu Dhabi in a day. Five stars. Such a beautiful city.