UAE Off-road : travel maps, tips & GPS routes
Our tips to organise your road-trip in the United Arab Emirates
In this article, you will find all our advice to organise your road-trip in the United Arab Emirates: itinerary, vehicle choice (4×4, motorbike, van, etc.), practical information about the country, budget, etc.
- If you are planning a trip to Oman, the book UAE OFF-ROAD will be of great help to you.
Hello! We're Olivia & Victor, authors of the OunTravela guides.
Over the years, our passion for adventure has led us to create original travel guides sold in over 70 countries worldwide. Our mission is to spread a travel philosophy based on adventure, freedom, improvisation and exploration. Our guides inspire travelers to explore the world's forgotten paths, encountering wilderness and civilizations.
We hope you find this article, based on our own experience, useful.
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Why explore the UAE by 4×4 ?
Dubai and Abu Dhabi megacities aside, United Arab Emirates offers great spaces to be explored. Notice to lovers of sand-driving and desert landscapes! Indeed, almost the entire territory is a sandy desert, featuring a mountainous region in the north and some oasis such those of Al-Ain and Liwa. Sunsets in the desert of Rub Al-Khali offer magnificent lights. In addition, you can admire the milky way with no light pollution and you may have the chance to come across an Arabian Oryx. Do not forget to attend a camel race!
On the map below, we have mapped our itinerary over 12 days. Of course, this is not the optimal route since it is always better to improvised! Our itinerary was inspired by the “UAE Off Road” book.
Our itinerary inspired by the book UAE Off-Road
Schould you want to get out of the paved or marked traffic lanes, it is mandatory to use a powerful 4×4 (see article what 4×4 to rent). In addition, we recommend you to have some basic knowledge of sand-driving or to split the team in two cars (which will allow you to quickly get out of sand in case of trouble).
The desert climate requires you to have your trip scheduled between October and May, because during the rest of the year, temperatures can reach 122°F.
Download our GPS routes
Useful infos about the UAE
Spoken languages
Arabic and English
Visa
No visa required if staying less than 90 days
Flight tickets
From Paris : € 300 – 400 round trip
Best season: from October to May. During the rest of the year, temperature may reach 122°F.
Cost of living
– Food: €7 – 10 for a hearty meal in an Indian restaurant. Expect way higher prices in tourist restaurants in big cities.
– Airbnb: at least 25 euros/person. If you are a numerous group, we recommend you rent an entire apartment in a Dubai or Abu Dhabi tower for a night.
– Wild camping allowed throughout the country
4x4 rental
- Price: €60 to 130/day
- In 2018, we rented an automatic Toyota PRADO for 12 days for €57/day with Rental Car's comparator.
Motorbike rental
We tried to rent a motocross bike (and even a buggy) by sending emails to different agencies in the country. Impossible to find one for a reasonable price.
Nevertheless, you can rent a buggy (4 people) : hourly rate arround €80/hour
Our budget for a road-trip to the UAE
Budget for a group of 9 people – 12 days with two 4wd vehicles – 2 days in Dubaï (February 2018)
| Price | Days | Group Total | Indiv Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rental 4x4 (Toyota LandCruiser) | 68 € /day | 12 | 816€ | 90,6€ |