Journey to the Heart of the Emirates

Off the beaten track across the Emirates

Embark on an adventure and learn about fauna & flora, geology, geography & heritage while venturing deep into the Heart of the Emirates! Let the passionate guides from Unveil Arabia bring you along on this off the beaten track self-drive educational journey across the less known interior regions of the country, filled to the brim with natural beauty. This accessible yet off the beaten track journey will lead you across 5 Emirates and a wide variety of landscapes, from deserts and ancient riverbeds, across vast alluvial plains that feel like Africa, to the winding wadis of the Hajar Mountain chain. During the drive, the stops and mini hikes along the route, our guides will share a treasure trove of knowledge about the magnificent geological and natural history of the Emirates, about adaptations of the encountered plant and animal life to the climate conditions and you will learn how water has defined nearly every aspect of life in this magnificent country. Each participant family or individual will be able to take part in our fun Quiz with a surprise at the end of the day. Suggestion: Instead of returning back to Dubai, you can end your Journey by the Indian Ocean, where you and your family can enjoy a well deserved plunge in a refreshing resort pool. You can extend this tour by one or more nights at one of our fabulous partner hotels in Al Aqqah Fujeirah. From there it is also possible to tie in with our Journey to the Soul of Ras al Khaimah.

Have fun by driving your own car

If you have a personal 4x4 you will be able to drive your own car. If you'll need to rent one, please inform us.

The more, the merrier!

Have some friends or other families who would like to join? It is possible to go with different cars for a lower price!

Professional Guides

Our multilingual guides are well experienced and know the land by heart. They have been living in the Emirates for a long time, know the local partners and are fully licenced.

Worthwile picture time

Our Journey will bring you to amazing sightseeing locations and wildlife encounters. Be sure to bring your camera to take those memorable pictures!

#1 - The City

Departure from the parking lot of Cityland Mall in front of Organic Foods & Café (upon request for private tours, pick-up at other locations in Dubai can be arranged)

#2 - The Desert

We travel eastbound through the Sharjah desert landscape

#3 - The Wadi

We stop in an ancient river bed where we learn about the climatic changes that have shaped the surrounding landscape, how the plant life has adapted and the geological story behind the magnificent limestone outcrops found in this area

#4 - Refreshment

We have a stop for refreshments at the Al Faya Lodge (by Mysk), possibility to go to the toilet

#5 - The Alluvial Plain

The Journey continues towards the east across a vast alluvial plain, where we learn about ancient river banks, while enjoying wide open vista’s reminiscent of Africa

#6 - The Mountains

Next we drive north along the Hajar mountains and learn about the economy that drives these central areas, the quarrying and the food production while crossing the Emirate of Ajman

#7 - Local Life

We see how the desert hugs the Hajar mountains on the outskirts of the Fujeirah Emirate, before entering the Ras Al Khaimah Emirate where we have lunch in an Oryx farm and traditional Emirati Majlis

#8 - Distant History

Venturing in one of the many winding Hajar mountain wadis we learn how volcanoes and geological forces shaped these magnificent mountains and how water has continued to define the landscape during the last tens of thousands of years

#9 - Local Abundance

We see how the local inhabitants have managed to develop farms in the wadis with exotic and diverse fruit crops

#10 - Into the Heart

Our Journey ends in the bustling heart of Masafi with a traditional Emirati snack

Adults

with different groups

695 AED/person

Drive your own vehicle
Full day tour
Water included
Historic Locations

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Children

(-12 years old)

495 AED/person

Children activities
Full day tour
Water included
Historic Locations

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Private Tour

you are our only client

3000 AED/car

Drive your own vehicle
Full day tour
Water included
Historic Locations

BOOK THIS TOUR

Brilliant day! Joined the trip based on recommendations from other friends who had attended this earlier. Salua @ Unveil Arabia has a passion for what she does and hence goes the extra mile to not only take you through the journey but along the way get you in touch with the authentic Arabia - be it the landscape, flora and fauna or traditional culture and people. All you do the whole day is make memories from the journey! Very well done Salua!!

Zeeshan A

April 2021

Excellent and beautiful hiking in Fujairah We took part in an organized (intermediate) hiking trip in Fujairah. Unveil Arabia was just excellent with professional and prepared guides. A unique experience overal. Well done Salua, Koen and Kim.

Jan_Ottenbourg

March 2021

Our family loved going off the beaten path on this tour of the UAE! Salua and Konrad have created a totally different experience of this region, and it's a fantastic opportunity to learn about the geology and culture of the various Emirates. They are very knowledgeable and take you to places you wouldn't typically go. They also paid attention to all the details to keep us feeling safe and comfortable (even within a larger group of a few families/couples) both in terms of Covid precautions and making sure we had good food and rest stops. I'm looking forward to more Unveil Arabia experiences so we can learn and enjoy more!

Ambika A

March 2021

Fun team building activity with work colleagues. The tour guide was very professional and helped us every step of the way. It was difficult but rewarding. Would definitely recommend!!

Gina H

March 2021

Fun with family and friends. We did an amazing tour with friends during a full day and never had one dull moment. Visiting places we never imagined they would exist in the UAE. And all this under the excellent, professional and witty guidance of Salua. Don’t miss this!

Olivier Six

March 2021

Amazing tour with professional guides Living for 14 years in the Emirates, I was pretty excited to learn a lot of things about the geology, the landscapes and the nature. We drove through 5 Emirates in one day, with frequent stops, a little hike, had lunch at an amazing picnic spot, we passed mountain and desert, drove through a wadi, all in one day. Nice guides, giving the tour a personal touch. Even children, young and old, are kept busy during the drive with quizzes and little projects. Highly recommended ! You will not regret.

Els Van Acoleyen

December 2020

Great Tour. We went in the hot summer together with our teenage kids. Salua and her lovely husband just started with this tour and due to corona it was a very safe and great opportunity to join in our own car. Salua and Tim are a lovely couple that love to share their knowledge and love for the uae. Its a great tour to get to know the uae and even for expats you will be surprised that uae has so much different nature and culture to offer.

Shirley V

March 2021

Super concept for a day trip. They’ll take you on a tour through the UAE, everybody safely in his own car, hence in his own bubble. With walkies, they explain and tell stories about all the things you encounter. I live here for a couple of years already and they managed to teach me a few things and bring me to a few places I didn’t know. We did the trip with our kids and they prepared a quiz to keep them motivated. Salua was a super host. The trip is worthwhile. You can combine it with a stay over on the east coast.

Frank S

October 2020

Traveled as a couple. Worth to ride. It was a lovely time to see cultural, natural and unique side of the emirates. Thanks to Salua who is really dedicated to her work, enjoyable, full of love and fun. Definetly recommended. Read less

Osman

Feburary 2021

Excellent. Review of: Full-Day Guided Self-Drive Journey to the Heart of the Emirates Friendly and knowledgeable organizers, with respect to environment and guest. An enjoyable experience!

Panayiotis

November 2020

Traveled with friends. Genuine Bespoke and Exciting. I am an expat in the UAE and have been living here for 2.5 years but have NEVER experienced this country like this before. It was absolutely breathtaking! Also, the tour guides were so knowledgeable about the land and the culture and it was easy to tell that they had not only “done their homework” but TRULY enjoyed the experience with us. I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone looking for a bespoke, genuine, thrilling, and enriching experience in the UAE.

Delma Iris

February 2021

Hidden Gems: a discovery tour. We booked this tour in January 2021 for our family that visited the UAE and we also joined the tour, despite having lived here for more than 10 years. Unveil Arabia and the team (I believe Salwa and Tim were the names of our guides) are extremely knowledgeable and professional. We visited places that we would otherwise have never seen. If you enjoy amazing landscapes and want to visit places that you would normally never have the chance to see, I highly recommend this self drive tour throughout the Emirates. Our family found this tour to be the highlight of their 7 day stay in Dubai. Thanks Salwa and Tim!

Rita Y

February 2021

+1 Traveled with family. Seeing the Emirates differently, even after living 15 years in Dubai. Thanks ! Excellent tour to get out of Dubai and discover the various landscapes of the UAE ! Driving my own car was a big plus for me ! Lots of creativity to keep the kids busy ! I highly recommend for people that want to get out of the city but don't know where to start !

Patrice de WERGIFOSSE

November 2020

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