Dubai Road Trip Itinerary: Best Places to Visit with a Rental Car

So, picture this—you’re standing under the blazing Dubai sun, car keys in hand, engine humming, and a stretch of adventure laid out before you like an endless dessert buffet (yes, dessert—Dubai’s like a baklava of surprises). The city’s shimmering skyline fades in the rearview as you veer off into the unknown—or at least into lesser-known corners of the UAE. If you’ve been thinking about doing a Dubai road trip with a rental car, let me just say: good call. There’s something ridiculously liberating about being behind the wheel here, with complete freedom to chase mirages, mountain views, or spontaneous camel crossings.

Let’s be honest. Most people think of Dubai as a place of record-breaking skyscrapers and flashy shopping malls. And yes, there’s all that. But trust me, there’s a whole world beyond the Burj Khalifa if you’re willing to explore it. And renting a car? That’s your golden ticket.

We kicked off our trip early—painfully early, actually. You know those mornings where you’re not entirely sure if you’re still dreaming? Yeah, one of those. But sunrise in Dubai? Worth every groggy blink. The sky starts out this soft peach, slowly bleeding into gold. It’s almost poetic if you’re into that sort of thing. And it lights up the whole city like it’s been dipped in honey. That’s when you hit the road.

First stop: Hatta. It’s about a 90-minute drive from the heart of Dubai, but honestly, with some good tunes and coffee from a roadside gas station (surprisingly decent), the drive just flies by. Hatta is like stepping into a completely different world. Gone are the steel and glass towers—instead, you’re surrounded by jagged mountains and wadis. We rented a kayak at the Hatta Dam, and I won’t pretend I’m some outdoor sports guru, but gliding through those turquoise waters with nothing but silence around? That sticks with you.

Now, here’s a tip from one mildly sunburned traveler to another—pack snacks. There’s a café or two in Hatta, but options are limited. We made the mistake of thinking we’d “just grab something there.” Spoiler: we ended up sharing a melted protein bar and a questionable banana. Learn from our hunger.

After Hatta, we didn’t rush back to Dubai. Instead, we let the road pull us a bit further, veering off into Fujairah. The landscape here morphs again—less mountain, more beach. There’s something almost meditative about driving those coastal roads, waves crashing on one side, sleepy little villages on the other. We pulled over more than once just to breathe it all in. Fujairah Fort is a decent detour—quiet, kind of rugged, and full of that “ancient stones, ancient stories” vibe. We walked through it barefoot (probably not recommended), and it felt like touching history with your toes.

Here’s where it gets interesting—by the third day, we were in full road trip mode. No real schedule, just a vague list of spots saved on Google Maps and a car that had started to feel like home. We decided to loop back toward Dubai but take the long way through Al Ain. And wow. You’d never guess a lush, green oasis like this exists in the middle of the UAE unless you saw it for yourself. Palm trees, cool breezes, and the Al Ain Zoo (yes, we went, and yes, it was surprisingly fun—especially the giraffes). It’s more laid-back than Dubai, more grounded somehow. Less flash, more heart.

Al Ain is also home to Jebel Hafeet, one of the tallest mountains in the country. The road up? It’s like a race track made for dreamers.We parked at the top just in time for sunset. The light wrapped the desert below in this soft, dusty glow, and for a few minutes, everyone around us just… stopped talking. One of those rare moments where silence says everything.

By the way, if you haven’t already figured it out: rent a car. Seriously. The buses and trains in Dubai are fine, but the real magic starts when you ditch the schedule and take control of your own path. With a rental car, every little detour—every unexpected sign, every local diner that smells like heaven, every wrong turn that ends up being the best part—is yours. We would’ve missed half the fun without it.

We saved Abu Dhabi for the tail end of the journey. Some might say that’s backward—most folks go from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, not the other way around. But sometimes, you gotta break the mold. And it worked. The city is a bit more refined than Dubai. It’s got that quiet confidence, like someone who doesn’t need to show off because they just know they’re cool.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque blew us away. I mean, I’d seen photos. I’d read the blogs. But nothing prepares you for that feeling when you walk into a space so pristine, so intricate, that you feel tiny in the best way possible. The white marble, the golden chandeliers, the endless symmetry—it’s hypnotic. We ended up staying longer than planned, shoes in hand, necks craned toward ceilings that looked like dreams carved in stone.

We also stumbled across Louvre Abu Dhabi, which is… honestly, incredible. A little pocket of art and serenity floating on the water. It’s one of those places where you forget what time it is. You get lost, but in a good way. It’s like each gallery whispers, “Slow down.” So we did.

After a couple of days soaking in Abu Dhabi’s more mellow vibe, we finally pointed the car back toward Dubai. The drive back was quiet. Partly because we were exhausted in that happy, well-traveled way. And partly because none of us really wanted it to end. Road trips do that to you, don’t they? They sneak into your soul when you’re not looking.

Driving through the desert that final stretch, we talked about all the weird and wonderful things we’d seen. The impromptu coffee break at a random gas station that turned into an hour-long chat with a local guy who insisted we try his homemade dates. The flat tire scare outside Dibba that ended with a mechanic blasting Bollywood music and teaching us how to patch a tube. The missed exit that led to a pristine beach with not a soul in sight.

All of that happened because we had the freedom to go where the wind took us. Because we didn’t just stick to the “top 10 tourist attractions in Dubai” list. And yeah, because we decided to rent a car and write our own story, one mile at a time.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. There’s something about the open road, especially in a place like the UAE, where every turn feels like it could lead to a new world. Where sleek cities, sleepy villages, endless deserts, and sparkling seas all co-exist like pages in the same book.

And that’s the beauty of it. You can plan your heart out—or you can just drive. Get lost. Find something you weren’t even looking for. Maybe that’s the real reason road trips stick with us long after the GPS says, “You’ve arrived.”

So if you’re sitting there, wondering whether it’s worth the hassle to rent a car in Dubai… let me save you the internal debate. It is. The freedom, the unexpected gems, the late-night falafel stops and early morning vistas—they’re all waiting. All you have to do is turn the key.