Can I Drive Across All 7 Emirates in One Day?

Wondering if you can drive and travel across all 7 Emirates in a single day? The answer is YES. You can explore all of the UAE—Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah within 24 hours. However, it’s a massive challenge to undertake. This guide delves into the strategic planning and execution of an itinerary for exploring and discovering some of the most popular attractions of each emirate. It also offers a few insightful tips to make your Emirates journey a wholesome and stress-free experience. Let’s get started!

Is The One-Day 7-Emirates Trip Feasible?

Yes, the one-day 7-Emirates trip is feasible for adventurous individuals who thrive on exciting challenges filled with mesmerizing views, enthralling routes, and spectacular attractions. The following are the generalized metrics that indicate the feasibility of this remarkable adventure of the seven (7) Emirates:

• Distance: ~400 km (Abu Dhabi to Fujairah).

• Drive Hours: 5 Hours 40 minutes (behind the wheel without traffic).

• Total Time: 9-9.5 Hours (including 15 minutes of attraction visits & traffic).

• Challenges: Early start (5 AM), minimal traffic delays, and fatigue management.

• Best Car Choice: Subcompact sedan (e.g., Toyota Yaris; Starting at ~AED 100/day) for comfort and optimal fuel efficiency.

The Optimal Route & Must-Visit Attractions

Knowing the feasibility of the seven Emirates trip in a single day, let’s take a look at the most optimal route you can plan, which includes a few of the most popular attractions and landmarks on each Emirate. We assume or plan our trip from the capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi

Start early (approximately at 5 AM) from Abu Dhabi. First, explore the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque—Abu Dhabi’s arguably the most famous landmark. Remember the limitation of time and make the most of your visit within the above-specified time. After that, take the Al Majd St and Wahat Al Karama St to Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan St/E10, heading to the Ferrari Island Yas Island. Here, you just explore around (assuming you don’t have tickets & time), take some pictures, and hit the road towards Dubai.

Target Attractions: 

• Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

• Ferrari Island, Yas Island

Dubai

After about an hour of an enthralling drive on the E10 and E11 highways, you enter the buzzing metropolis of Dubai, passing by some of the most coveted tourist attractions, like Motiongate Dubai and Dubai Marina. Exit Sheikh Zayed Road (SZR) and take the ramp to Palm Jumeirah Rd and enjoy a scenic ride along the spectacular wonders of the man-made archipelago.

Hit the crescent road and make your way back to the SZR, drive past the iconic Mall of the Emirates to the world’s tallest building—Burj Khalifa in Downtown Dubai. Park your car at Dubai Mall Parking and make your way to the Burj Khalifa. Relish its magnificence, capture some memories, start your car, and head towards the next destination—Museum of the Future.

Time is of the essence, make quick visits, skip less appealing attractions, and drive to the next Emirate-Sharjah.

Target Attractions: 

• Palm Jumeirah

• Burj Khalifa

• Museum of The Future

Sharjah

Just about half an hour of driving on the Sheikh Rashid Rd, you will reach the Emirate’s most popular tourist attraction, the Sharjah Aquarium. Enjoy the amazing spectacles in the available time and make your way towards the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization via Corniche Rd, extending to Al Khalidiya St.

On your way, you pass through Flags Island, a small yet amazing piece of land full of several tourist attractions, like the Pearls Kingdom Waterpark, Eye of the Emirates, Al Montazah Parks, and the Outdoor Amphitheatre. At the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, manage your time accordingly, explore the most prevalent areas, and hit the road again.

Target Attractions: 

• Sharjah Aquarium

• Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization

Ajman

Driving along S103 Street, about a 20-minute drive, you enter Ajman—the fourth Emirate—and head towards the Ajman Museum. Here, you follow the same routine of exploring the most significant parts and getting on your way as soon as possible. After that, you drive along Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum St, extending tothe  E11 highway towards your next Emirate—Umm Al Quwain.

Target Attractions: 

• Ajman Museum

Umm Al Quwain

After an approximate 30 km drive from the Ajman Museum, you reach the Mangrove Beach, where you can take a quick sigh of relief, relishing the mesmerizing view of the beach. You have a small window for a few fresh drinks to refuel for the remaining part of your 7-Emirate challenge in a day.

As soon as you hit the estimated time mark, you start your engine and make your way towards the sixth Emirate—Ras Al Khaimah, taking the same E11 highway.

Target Attractions: 

• The Mangrove Beach

Ras Al Khaimah

After a continuous 40-45 minutes drive from Umm Al Quwain (The Mangrove Beach), you reach your next destination—Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village at the heart of Ras Al Khaimah. Here you have a few things to explore and make your way to the next stop in the same Emirate—the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah.

It takes about 25 minutes to get there. Here, you follow the same routine and manage your exploration time accordingly. Quick tour and hit the road again to our final Emirate—Fujairah. Now, it’s going to be a long drive, so you need to eat something before leaving.

Target Attractions: 

• Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village

• National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah

Fujairah

Take the E11 highway and then the E18, which takes you to Al Taween Roundabout, from where you take the E87 highway (Al Shuhada’ Rd). After about 110 km (1 hr 35 min), you reach your final destination—Khorfakkan Waterfalls. You can call it a day at the Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort & Spa, after a savory dinner.

Target Attractions: 

• Khorfakkan Waterfalls

After about 9-9.5 hours of a relay stop-and-go, you will have completed your challenge of driving across all 7 emirates of the UAE in a single day—just like that. It is difficult but possible. Though you are under an extreme time constraint, you can explore the seven Emirates if you dare and plan well.

Practical Driving Tips

To reiterate, though you can complete the seven emirates in a single day in a car, you will need to plan it extremely well and manage your itinerary to its optimal effect to achieve it in the expected time frame. Failing to do so will lead to incomplete explorations, or rather just driving without exploring the targeted attractions. To achieve this demanding journey, you need to carefully implement these driving tips:

• Car Rental: Book a Toyota Yaris, Toyota Camry, or Honda Accord (~AED 100–200/day) via reputed agencies (local or international). Consider comfort and fuel efficiency over elaborate style and luxury for this trip. Fuel-hungry cars are not ideal, as you’ll waste time with constant refueling. Electric cars are also no good in this context.

• Rental Agreement Clarification: Make sure you understand every detail of your rental. Generally, the mileage limit is only 250 km/day, which is not ideal for this trip. You will need to rent the car for at least 3 days to cover the return mileage as well. Other aspects like the Salik, cross-emirate fees, refueling policies, parking, and return policies also matter equally for a stress-free post-rental experience.

• Carry the Necessary documentation: Whether tourist or local, all cross-Emirate travel may require all the documents, like driver’s license, insurance, IDP (if required), visa copy, and rental agreement papers during examination at borders (which is rare but possible).

• Navigation: Use top-tier navigation apps like Google Maps/Waze with a local SIM for proper route planning and live updates. A proper utilization of these apps will help you ensure the best routes, saving you time and avoidable road blocks.

• Refuel Planning: Typically, renting a fuel-efficient car, like the Toyota Yaris requires one time full tank fueling for this trip. However, if you need, fill up at ADNOC/ENOC stations (~AED 2.5 - 3/L). Refueling in Dubai and Fujairah can be ideal to avoid any fueling inconveniences.

• Adhere to UAE Traffic Rules: Always adhere to the UAE traffic rules, like red lights, posted signs, and speed limits (100–140 km/h highways, 60–80 km/h urban). Keep yourself clear from speeding fines that range from AED 300–3,000.

• Ensure Safety with timely rests & refueling: Start rested, take breaks every 2–3 hr, carry water (June heat: 35–45°C). Eat, rehydrate at every possible location so that you don’t drive hungry and suffer from fatigue halfway to achieving your 7-emirate trip goal.

• Parking: Always park your car at the most convenient spots, so that you don’t waste much time in the parking lot. Pay for parking to avoid fines, wherever needed.

Why Do This Trip?

This road trip offers a whirlwind taste of the UAE’s diversity: Abu Dhabi’s grandeur, Dubai’s skyscrapers, Sharjah’s culture, Ajman’s beaches, UAQ’s mangroves, RAK’s mountains, and Fujairah’s history. It’s perfect for adventure-seekers with limited time.

Final Thoughts

Can I Drive Across All 7 Emirates in One Day? Of course, you can drive and explore the most prominent attractions of all the emirates within a day. However, it’s going to be a hectic trip, where you need to manage your time optimally, considering the traffic and any inconveniences that may arise. Keep your visits short and precise, as you need to spend most of the time driving. Above all, you’ll need to start well to finish better. So, plan it well before you initiate this journey. Stay strong, drive well, adhere to traffic rules, take rests, eat well, and leverage the latest and live-updated maps to manage your travel route the finest. Also, rent the best cars for the fullest and most wholesome trip! Nothing is impossible!