Eid holidays are a good excuse to finally leave the city and see what’s been sitting within a few hours’ drive the whole time. The weather in late March is genuinely on your side. Not summer hot, cool enough at altitude to actually walk around. Moreover, the region around the UAE has more variety packed into short distances than most people have got around to exploring. Mountains, old ports, fjords, dunes, East Coast beaches. None of it requires a flight. Whether you’re after a half-day drive to something green and quiet or a proper border crossing into Oman for a few nights, there’s a trip on this list of best road trips from Dubai this Eid al-Fitr long weekend. Here’s where to go.
Inside the UAE
1. Hatta, 1.5 hours from Dubai
Hatta is the trip everyone in Dubai means to do and keeps putting off. This is a good weekend to actually do it. No border crossing anymore, the newer route stays entirely in the UAE, which means no passport required and no queues at Hatta 1.
The dam is the obvious draw once you’re there. Turquoise water, jagged rock walls on both sides, a fleet of kayaks to rent. You can spend two or three hours out on the water, and it doesn’t get old. The Wadi Hub next to it has mountain biking (beginner to expert), zorbing, and a water slide if you have competitive friends or actual children to entertain.
The Heritage Village is small, maybe an hour, but worth it. It shows you what settled life looked like in these mountains before the 1960s oil boom, and it sits in a way that feels genuinely old rather than staged. Stay over at the Hatta Wadi Hub camping pods or the Damani Lodges if you want a proper overnight without hauling gear. The morning air up there is noticeably cooler than Dubai after a month of late Ramadan nights, which alone might be worth the drive.
2. Fujairah and Dibba, 1.5 to 2 hours from Dubai
The East Coast is one of those places that everyone mentions, and fewer people actually get to. Eid al-Fitr long weekend is the push you need to take one of the best road trips from Dubai.
Dibba sits where the Hajar Mountains meet the Gulf of Oman, which gives you the rare situation of mountains and clear water in the same afternoon. Snoopy Island is a rocky outcrop just offshore from the Sandy Beach Hotel. It has some of the most accessible coral in the country. You can snorkel there without a boat and without a guide. The water is clear enough that it’s worth it even if you’re not usually an underwater person.
For divers, the waters around Dibba run deep, and there are a few dive centres in the area with long-weekend packages.
If you’d rather skip the water entirely, the road through the mountains between Fujairah city and the inland wadis is a good drive. Wadi Maidaq in particular is worth the detour, with narrow canyon walls, a bit of shade, and much quieter than the coast on a public holiday.
3. Jebel Jais, Ras Al Khaimah, 2.5 hours from Dubai
RAK doesn’t get enough credit. It’s close, it’s different, and the mountain road up to Jebel Jais is one of the better drives in the country. Jebel Jais is the highest point in the UAE at just over 1,900 metres. The zipline at the top of Jais Flight runs for nearly 3km, and hits speeds around 160km/h. If that sounds like something you want to do, book ahead; it fills over long weekends. There’s also a via ferrata route and hiking trails at different difficulty levels if you’d rather keep your feet slightly more on the ground.
One more thing worth knowing for this Eid Al Fitr long weekend: from March 17 to 22, kids under 16 ride Jais Flight free when accompanied by a paying adult. They also get free dining at 1484 by Puro, the UAE’s highest restaurant, during the same window. If you’re going with family, that’s a meaningful saving and a pretty good reason to put this one at the top of the list.
Also Read: Jebel Jais Is Free for Kids This Week – Here’s the Deal
4. Liwa Oasis, Abu Dhabi, 3.5 to 4 hours from Dubai
This is the longest UAE drive on this list, and it earns it. Liwa is inside the Empty Quarter, and the dunes out there are on a different scale from what you see around Dubai. The Moreeb Dune is 300 metres high. Beyond the dunes, Qasr Al Sarab, the desert resort built into the sand near Liwa, is one of those stays that sounds expensive until you see what you get. The Sheikh Hamad Palace Museum is also worth an hour or two if you want some context for where you are.
5. Al Ain, 1.5 hours from Dubai
The Al Ain Oasis is a UNESCO site with actual date palms, irrigation channels, old town. Walking through it in the morning while it’s still cool is one of the quieter good things you can do on a long weekend. Jebel Hafeet, the mountain at the city’s edge, has a paved road to the top and a view that works at either sunrise or sunset. March is honestly one of the better months to visit Al Ain. The temperatures are mild enough to be outside.
6. Al Zorah Nature Reserve, Ajman, 1 hour from Dubai
Al Zorah is a mangrove and creek reserve in Ajman with kayak trails, stand-up paddleboard rentals, and flamingos. Nearly 60 bird species pass through, and the flamingos tend to come out near sunset. Not everyone’s looking for birdwatching on Eid al fitr long weekend. But if you’re exhausted and you just want fresh air and water somewhere that isn’t loud, this is a solid half-day option that doesn’t require much planning.
Outside the UAE
7. Musandam, Oman, 3.5 hours from Dubai (including border)
Musandam is technically Oman despite sitting at the tip of the UAE. You get there through Ras Al Khaimah on the E11, cross the border into Khasab. Arrive at a coastline that looks nothing like anything else in the region. Rocky cliffs dropping straight into still water, narrow inlets, no resort strip. It’s the “Norway of Arabia.”
The thing to do is the dhow cruise. You sail into the fjords, swim off the boat, and if the timing is right, dolphins follow alongside. You can book half-day or full-day tours from Khasab with most of the local operators. The mountain jeep tours are also good if you want to see the interior. The Hajar range up there is a different character from the RAK side.
Visa info: UAE residents get a visa on arrival, 14 days, cost is 5 OMR (roughly AED 47). Passport needs 90 days of validity remaining; same for your UAE residency visa. Exit fee from the UAE border is AED 35. Check whether your car insurance extends to Oman before you go; if not, top-up cover is available at the border for around AED 106.
8. Muscat, Oman, 4.5 to 5 hours from Dubai
If you’re going to cross into Oman anyway, keep driving. Muscat is worth the extra time and works well as a 3 or 4-night trip over the Eid al Fitr long weekend.
The city is calm in a way that Oman does well. The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is a daytime visit, which needs no hype. Wadi Shab, a few hours south, involves a short boat crossing and a swim through a gorge that opens into a waterfall cave.
Visa info: UAE residents get a visa on arrival, 14 days, cost is 5 OMR (roughly AED 47). Passport needs 90 days of validity remaining; same for your UAE residency visa. Exit fee from the UAE border is AED 35. Check whether your car insurance extends to Oman before you go; if not, top-up cover is available at the border for around AED 106.
Also Read: Everything You Need to Know About Reaching Oman from Dubai (March 2026)
So, which road trip are you taking from Dubai this Eid Al Fitr long weekend?
Images: Canva/Wow Emirates Archives
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