Tour 11
Desert First
6 nights, 7 days
- Length
- 6 nights, 7 days including 1 night in the air
- Shape
- The desert first, then the Jumeirah coast, Abu Dhabi, and two nights at Atlantis The Royal with a free day.
- Overnights
- Al Maha 1, Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab 1, Emirates Palace 1, Atlantis The Royal 2
Every itinerary runs at two paces. Full: three or four stops a day, most meals booked, early starts. Relaxed keeps the same length, the same hotels and the same arrival and departure, and books less into each day: one anchor per half day, later starts, lunch mostly at leisure, and a free afternoon or evening every second day. Either pace can run from the same booking, because the rooms do not change. What changes is tickets, meals and guide hours.
The program at a glance
- Day 1Dubai
- Day 2Dubai Frame - abra water taxi, Gold Souk, Spice Souk - Al Maha Desert Resort and SpaAl Maha
- Day 3Al Maha Desert Resort - Dubai - Souk Madinat Jumeirah - photo stop at the Burj Al Arab - check in at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, dinner in the hotelJumeirah Marsa Al Arab
- Day 4Dubai - Ferrari World Abu Dhabi - check in at Emirates PalaceEmirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
- Day 5Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi - Dubai - check in at Atlantis The RoyalAtlantis The Royal
- Day 6a full free day at the Atlantis hotelAtlantis The Royal
- Day 7The View at The Palm - Palm Jumeirah Mall - photo stop at the Museum of the Future - The Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa At The Top Sky on level 148, the Dubai Fountain - airport
Desert First
- Day 1Dubai
Dubai
Today you fly to Dubai, the brightest star of the United Arab Emirates. It is the second largest city in the UAE and a modern metropolis with a culture all its own. East meets West here, old customs live alongside new, and ancient tradition stands in sharp contrast to modern life. Gentle sunshine, romantic beaches, desert without end and the quiet mystery of Arabia together make one beautiful scene after another.
Night of day 2
Al Maha desert- Day 2Dubai – Al Maha desert
Dubai Frame - abra water taxi, Gold Souk, Spice Souk - Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa
The Dubai Frame. After the Burj Khalifa, this is another work built at great expense, a surrealist piece of architecture whose outer surface is covered in gold patterning. The frame stands about 50 stories high inside Zabeel Park and became Dubai's most eye-catching new landmark in 2018. It took four years to complete.
The full day
The Gold Souk, where shop windows hang full of dazzling gold work: necklaces, rings, bangles, earrings and brooches, all of it astonishing to look at. And nearby,
the Spice Souk, where you find imported spices of every kind. It is the best place to feel the character of the place. Then ride
The abra water taxi, the oldest and simplest form of transport local people use on Dubai Creek.
On to Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa, the only hotel in the world built inside a desert wildlife reserve. It covers 27 square kilometers, every unit is a free-standing tented suite, and every suite has its own private pool and outdoor garden. Guests receive one complimentary afternoon desert activity from the resort. The choices include a camel ride, sunset drinks and a nature drive.
Night of day 3
Jumeirah- Day 3Jumeirah – Al Maha desert – Jumeirah
Al Maha Desert Resort - Dubai - Souk Madinat Jumeirah - photo stop at the Burj Al Arab - check in at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, dinner in the hotel
Guests receive one complimentary morning desert activity from the resort: a falconry display, a nature walk or archery. Dune driving and horse riding can be added as optional extras.
The full day
Souk Madinat Jumeirah is designed in imitation of a traditional open-air market and sits inside a large resort. Among all the high-end retail in the city it has the most atmosphere, and it became a popular destination the moment it opened. Wind towers stand out above the lower buildings of the souk, and when they light up at night the whole area is bathed in a romantic glow. Winding waterways and excellent outdoor dining sit nearby. It is no surprise at all that the souk draws visitors like a magnet.
A photo stop at the Burj Al Arab, the sail-shaped hotel on its own island off Jumeirah Beach, for the photograph everyone wants.
Check in at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Jumeirah's newest resort, on the headland beside the Burj Al Arab. The resort has 386 rooms and suites, its own marina and two private beaches, and Souk Madinat Jumeirah is a few minutes away. Dinner in the hotel.
Night of day 4
Abu Dhabi- Day 4Abu Dhabi
Dubai - Ferrari World Abu Dhabi - check in at Emirates Palace
Mornings like this are rare: warm sun on your face, sunlight burning off the last of your sleep. Wake naturally, then use the hotel facilities as you please, including the gym and the indoor and outdoor pools.
The full day
We travel to Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, to visit Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the largest indoor theme park in the world. This racing-themed park took three years to build and folds the details and colors of car design into the architecture. The roof of the main building takes the double curve of the Ferrari GT body and its dazzling classic red, built on the newly developed Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, and set with a prancing horse emblem almost 66 meters across that shows Ferrari at its most commanding. The F1 circuit sits right alongside. The park brings innovative technology and tradition together and is presented for Ferrari fans and car enthusiasts worldwide. For family travel it holds real appeal for men, women and children alike.
The Emirates Palace. Built with tens of tons of gold across 100 hectares, it was originally built for the heads of state of the Gulf countries to hold their meetings. From the moment you step into the high, elegant lobby, everything in sight is gilded and magnificent and you feel the sheer scale of the place. The fine detailing in Arabian gold tones gives every corner the dreamlike air of aristocratic luxury.
Nights of days 5–6
Palm Jumeirah- Day 5Abu Dhabi – Palm Jumeirah
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi - Dubai - check in at Atlantis The Royal
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is the largest mosque in the Arab world and one of the most beautiful anywhere. Its clean white exterior is built from marble imported from Italy. In the main prayer hall you can see the world's largest carpet, designed by Iranian artists, and chandeliers imported from Germany. It is a remarkable sight.
The full day
Check in to Atlantis The Royal, which opened officially on 7 January 2023 next door to Atlantis The Palm. This 795-room resort rises 43 floors and is a brand new Dubai landmark, crafted by leading designers, architects and artists. Its bold architecture is crowned by a sky pool 90 meters up, and through its dreamlike rooms, 17 restaurants and bars (eight of them led by world-famous chefs), a 3,000 square meter fitness and spa center, and a spectacular lobby holding more than 4,000 jellyfish in what is billed as the world's largest jellyfish tank, Atlantis The Royal takes guests on a remarkable journey of the senses.
- Day 6Palm Jumeirah
a full free day at the Atlantis hotel
Today you can wake naturally and enjoy an unhurried day in the pools of Atlantis Aquaventure, or simply take your time wandering the hotel's facilities.
- Day 7Palm Jumeirah – Dubai
The View at The Palm - Palm Jumeirah Mall - photo stop at the Museum of the Future - The Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa At The Top Sky on level 148, the Dubai Fountain - airport
The View at The Palm, new in 2020. Take the elevator to the observation deck on the 52nd floor and look down over the whole of Palm Jumeirah. You can photograph the full frond pattern of the island, with the skyline laid out in front of you.
The full day
Palm Jumeirah Mall is an upscale lifestyle, retail, dining and entertainment destination at the heart of Palm Jumeirah. It opened at the end of 2019 with more than 300 stores, restaurants and entertainment venues. Shopping highlights include the MODO department store, H&M and a Waitrose supermarket, alongside leisure venues such as Trampo Extreme trampoline park, the Fabyland indoor playground and a Vox Cinemas complex with 14 screens.
The Museum of the Future, Dubai's new landmark, with avant-garde architectural design. The museum is designed as an asymmetric ring wrapped in steel and glass, and National Geographic named it one of the fourteen most beautiful museums in the world. The 77-meter-high open ring stands apart in the busy financial district, its flowing lines rising at the center like an eye that sees through time, showing the shape of the future.
The world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, stands 828 meters, 320 meters higher than Taipei 101, and the scale of it is extraordinary. We have arranged the world's fastest elevator to take you to the observation deck on the 148th floor, reaching the At The Top Sky deck in under a minute. Everywhere you look are ultra-modern skyscrapers. Experiencing this desert wonder rising from the ground to compete with the sky is something you should not miss while you are in Dubai.
Next to the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, this is the largest shopping, entertainment and leisure destination in the world. It houses more than 1,200 stores, two large department stores and hundreds of food outlets across more than one million square meters, the size of 200 football fields.
In Downtown Dubai you see the tallest performing fountain in the world. The Dubai Fountain gives you a rare chance to lose yourself in a captivating show of water, music and light.
- All hotel accommodation as listed, with partner-rate benefits.
- All transfers in chauffeured vehicles. Vehicle class scales to pax count.
- Mandarin-, English- and Arabic-capable guide on every operating day.
- All entrance tickets named in the itinerary.
- Meals as listed (B / L / D).
- Bottled water on coach. 24/7 on-call dispatch.
- International flights to and from Dubai.
- UAE visa support (verified third-party processor, per-program).
- Optional desert add-ons — dune-bashing, camel/horse.
- Personal expenses, alcohol outside listed meals.
- Gratuities for driver and guide.
What this itinerary does well
Best for
Groups with an extra day who want Ferrari World and a full free day at Atlantis.
Why it sells
A seven-day program with a free day built in, which sells to families and to groups that have done the sights before.
Send us the brief
Group size, target dates, preferred hotel tier and any non-negotiables are enough for us to start. A costed proposal follows within two working days.