PRIVATE Day Trip to Abu Dhabi from Dubai

Depart your Dubai hotel by private, air-conditioned vehicle, and travel south through the desert to Abu Dhabi. On route, listen as your guide shares snippets on Abu Dhabi’s history and architecture. Learn how the city grew from a small port in the early 1900s to today's gleaming metropolis in just a few decades. Head first for Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the world’s largest mosques. Step out here and enjoy a guided tour of this modern Islamic masterpiece, with its glittering white domes, minarets, and courtyards. Admire the Mamluk-, Ottoman- and Fatimid-inspired architecture, and view the opulent main prayer hall, home to what’s considered to be the world’s largest Persian carpet and third-biggest chandelier. Pass the 7-star Emirates Palace hotel, one of Abu Dhabi’s best-known landmarks, and savor a delicious Arabic lunch (own expense) at Tarbouche, a traditional souk restaurant. Next, call at the Dhow Harbor, one of Abu Dhabi’s oldest areas. Sit at the waterside to admire the wooden dhows against a backdrop of glittering high-rises, and learn how these boats have been used for centuries to carry merchandise around the Arabian Gulf. Continue to the Date Market and trawl the stalls selling different varieties of fresh dates from wooden barrels. Sample the juicy wares as you browse, and perhaps purchase some (own expense) as gifts. Then, travel to Yas Island, the man-made entertainment island just outside the city. Visit Yas Marina and admire the futuristic Viceroy Hotel, built to span the water and the Formula I Yas Marina Circuit. Marvel at the hotel's steel-and-glass roof canopy, and get a glimpse of the racetrack: with luck, you might spot cars practising on the circuit. Finally, return to Dubai and get recommendations for places to visit here before ending your tour with a hotel drop-off.

• Local guide

• Private driver in an air-conditioned van

• Hotel pickup and drop-off

• Lunch