Asia
The United Arab Emirates is a country in Western Asia. Its capital is Abu Dhabi and its official language is Arabic.
Explore United Arab Emirates on mapDestinations covered
11
Published guides
14
Region
Asia
Explore United Arab Emirates
Discover cities, regions and experiences worth building a trip around, then go deeper with practical guides and local context.
Keep exploring
10 destinations
Ajman is the coastal capital of the Emirate of Ajman, between Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain on the Arabian Gulf; the emirate's inland areas of Masfout and Manama are separate places. XTOUR maps the Ajman Museum, in the city's restored 18th-century fort.
Explore destination →
Al Ain is a city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi which Visit Abu Dhabi describes as lying east of the city of Abu Dhabi and bordering Oman, and as known for its oasis, watered by an ancient irrigation system called falaj.
Explore destination →
Dubai is the city on Dubai Creek that the UAE government portal names as the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, founded in 1833 when members of the Bani Yas tribe led by the Maktoum family settled by the creek. XTOUR maps a museum, markets, a mosque with public visits, an arts centre and parks inside the city, and lists further places, among them Creek-side souks and heritage museums, with Dubai as their base.
Explore destination →
Fujairah is the city on the Gulf of Oman coast that is the capital of the Emirate of Fujairah, the only emirate lying wholly on the UAE's eastern coast. XTOUR maps the Fujairah Museum in the city; Fujairah Fort in the old quarter and Al Hayl Castle near Al Hayl village have records of their own.
Explore destination →
Hatta is a town in the Hajar Mountains that belongs to the Emirate of Dubai; Visit Hatta places it on the east side of the Emirates, and it is not part of Dubai city. XTOUR maps the restored Hatta Heritage Village in the town.
Explore destination →
Kalba is a town on the east coast of the Emirate of Sharjah, on the Gulf of Oman, which the UAE government portal describes as known for its old forts.
Explore destination →
Khor Fakkan is a town on the east coast of the Emirate of Sharjah, which the UAE government portal says lies on both the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman; the portal places the town midway between Dibba Al Hisn and Fujairah and says it has a container terminal and port.
Explore destination →
Ras Al Khaimah is the capital city of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, which the UAE government portal places near the northernmost point of the country; the portal says a creek divides the city into the western old town and Al Nakheel to the east, and lists Al Jazirah Al Hamra, Digdaga, Khatt and Masafi as other towns of the emirate.
Explore destination →
Sharjah is a city on the Arabian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates, distinct from the wider Emirate of Sharjah; the emirate's tourism authority describes Sharjah City as a place of museums, souks and waterfronts. XTOUR maps Sharjah Museums Authority museums, Al Noor Mosque and Al Noor Island in the city; Mleiha and Fossil Rock lie outside it, in the emirate's Central Region.
Explore destination →
Umm Al Quwain is the capital city of the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain, which lies on the Arabian Gulf coast between Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah; the UAE government portal says the city is built on a narrow peninsula called Khor Al Bidiyah.
Explore destination →
Plan better
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is a working congregational mosque that a government centre opens to visitors through an online access pass, free cultural tours, a night-time Sura tour and a museum. This guide sets out what the centre's own pages say about each, including where those pages disagree with each other and with Visit Abu Dhabi.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre in Abu Dhabi publishes a visitor code of conduct covering clothing, prohibited items, behaviour and photography, and its FAQ restates part of it in different words. This article sets out what the code says, where the FAQ and the code's English and Arabic texts differ, what an official tourism page says about which other UAE mosques admit visitors, and why none of the rules can be assumed elsewhere.
The United Arab Emirates is seven emirates, and each shares its name with a city, so the first planning decision is whether you mean the emirate or the city. This guide sets out what each of XTOUR's eleven UAE cities and towns is a base for, which sites lie outside the base you plan them from, and which XTOUR guide takes over for each.
Al Ain is in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi but is not part of Abu Dhabi city: the emirate is divided into three regions, Abu Dhabi City, Al Ain and Al Dhafra. This article explains how the government, tourism and culture pages name those regions, where they disagree, and why an official 'Al Ain' or 'Abu Dhabi' address does not tell you which city a site is in.
Camel racing is inscribed by UNESCO as a social practice and festive heritage of the UAE and Oman. This article explains what that listing describes, how the federal portal and two tourism boards describe racing today, and what their pages say, and do not say, about watching a race.
According to the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, its own conservation team runs no tours: visits go through approved tour operators or the Al Maha resort, and there is a visitor centre with a walk-in fee. This guide sets out what the reserve's pages say about access, zones, activities and operators, and where its own pages disagree.
The Sharjah Museums Authority sells one Heritage Joint Ticket for five of its museums in the Heart of Sharjah: Sharjah Fort (Al Hisn), Bait Al Naboodah, Sharjah Heritage Museum, Sharjah Calligraphy Museum and Al Qasimia School, although on 11 October 2026 the Heritage Museum's own page said it was closed until further notice. This guide sets out what each one is, what the authority's pages say about the ticket, and where those pages contradict each other.
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism presents Jebel Jais as a mountain in the Hajar range with a viewing-deck park, hiking trails, the Jais Flight zipline, the Jais Sky Tour and a ropes course at Bear Grylls Explorers Camp. This guide sets out what each of those is according to the emirate's tourism pages, who those pages say runs them, and where the pages contradict each other.
Mleiha is a protected desert area in the central region of the Emirate of Sharjah, made a national park by Emiri decree in 2024 and developed and managed by Shurooq. This guide explains what the Archaeological Centre and the park's listed experiences are, who runs them, and where the official figures for Mleiha's age and size disagree.
Qasr Al Watan is a working presidential palace in Abu Dhabi whose halls, library and gardens are open to ticketed visitors. This guide sets out what the palace's own pages say a ticket includes, how tours, the Palace in Motion show and the visitor rules work, and where those pages contradict each other.
Ramadan's start in the UAE follows an official moon-sighting announcement, so its dates are known only shortly before. This guide sets out what the federal portal, Abu Dhabi's tourism board and individual site operators say changes for visitors, and where those official pages do not agree.
Three Ras Al Khaimah heritage places offer different kinds of visit: an abandoned pearling town, a hilltop fort above a date oasis, and a museum in the old ruler's fort. This guide compares them as the emirate's antiquities department, its tourism authority and the heritage village's own site describe them, including where those pages disagree.
Before you go
Our country and destination guides are designed to bring together practical information, accessibility, timing, culture and the details that make a trip easier to understand.