Weekend Getaways from Dubai: 20 Short Trips by Road and Air

The short answer: the best weekend getaways from Dubai are either a drive away or about three hours by air. By car, with no visa, you can reach Hatta (about 80 minutes), Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah, the Fujairah coast, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain or the Liwa dunes. With an Oman e-visa you can also drive to Musandam's fjords or to Muscat. By air, Doha and Bahrain are just over an hour away, and Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan are about three hours, which makes them the classic three- or four-day trips from the UAE. For a longer weekend, Jordan, Cairo, Uzbekistan, Almaty and the Maldives are all within about five hours.

This guide lists 20 short trips from Dubai, grouped by how long it takes to get there. For each one it gives the visa most UAE residents need and how many days the trip deserves. Visa rules depend on your passport and your residence, and everything here was checked in October 2026. For a hotel weekend in the city itself, see our Dubai staycation guide.

Weekend getaways from Dubai at a glance

Getaway	From Dubai	Visa for most UAE residents	Ideal length
1. Hatta	About 80 minutes by car	None	1–2 days
2. Jebel Jais, Ras Al Khaimah	About 2 hours by car	None	1–2 days
3. Fujairah and the east coast	About 90 minutes by car	None	2 days
4. Abu Dhabi	About 90 minutes by car	None	2 days
5. Al Ain	About 90 minutes by car	None	1–2 days
6. Liwa	About 4 hours by car	None	2 days
7. Musandam, Oman	About 3 hours by car, with the border	Oman e-visa, from OMR 5	2 days
8. Muscat, Oman	1 hour 10 minutes by air, or 4.5–6 hours by road	Oman e-visa, from OMR 5	3 days
9. Salalah, Oman	Under 2 hours by air	Oman e-visa, from OMR 5	3–4 days
10. Doha, Qatar	About 1 hour 15 minutes by air	Hayya A2 visa, QAR 100	2–3 days
11. Bahrain	Just over 1 hour by air	E-visa or visa on arrival, from about BD 5	2–3 days
12. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	About 2 hours by air	Tourist eVisa for UAE residents	3 days
13. Baku, Azerbaijan	About 3 hours by air	Visa on arrival for some, or the ASAN e-visa	3–4 days
14. Tbilisi, Georgia	About 3 hours 10 minutes by air	Visa-free for many residence-permit holders, with conditions	3–5 days
15. Yerevan, Armenia	About 3 hours 10 minutes by air	Visa-free for 111 nationalities with UAE residence, or an e-visa from USD 8	3–5 days
16. Amman and Petra, Jordan	About 3 hours by air	Depends on your passport	4–5 days
17. Cairo, Egypt	Under 4 hours by air	E-visa, USD 30	3–4 days
18. Tashkent and Samarkand, Uzbekistan	3.5–4 hours by air	E-visa, about USD 20	4–5 days
19. Almaty, Kazakhstan	Under 5 hours by air	Depends on your passport	4–5 days
20. The Maldives	About 4 hours by air	Free visa on arrival	3–4 days

Driving times are door to door from central Dubai; flight times are non-stop. Emirati citizens need no visa for any of these trips.

Within the UAE: no visa, no airport

All six are a drive away on a resident's driving licence, and most work as a day trip if you leave early. They are at their best from October to April. From May to September, head for Jebel Jais, which stays cooler than the coast.

1. Hatta

Dubai's mountain enclave is about 80 minutes inland, in the Hajar Mountains by the Oman border. Hire a kayak or a pedal boat on the turquoise water of Hatta Dam, and ride the mountain-bike trails and zip lines at Hatta Wadi Hub. Then walk through the restored stone houses of Hatta Heritage Village. Stay overnight in one of the lodges, caravans or campsites around the town to have the dam to yourself at sunrise. Winter evenings are cool enough for a jacket.

2. Jebel Jais, Ras Al Khaimah

The UAE's highest mountain is about two hours from Dubai, up a road of hairpin bends above Ras Al Khaimah. The top is often around ten degrees cooler than the coast, so this is the one UAE getaway that works in summer. Ride the Jais Flight zip line, one of the longest in the world, and watch the sunset from the viewing decks. Add a night on Ras Al Khaimah's beaches, where five-star hotels are among the cheapest in the country.

3. Fujairah and the east coast

Around 90 minutes across the mountains, the Gulf of Oman coast is quieter than Dubai's, and the water is clearer. Snorkel off Snoopy Island at Al Aqah, dive the reefs off Dibba, and stop at the small Al Badiyah Mosque, often called the oldest in the UAE. Khor Fakkan, on the way, has a long beach under the mountains.

4. Abu Dhabi

About 90 minutes down the coast, the capital feels like a different city for a weekend. See the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island and the Qasr Al Watan palace. Families can spend two days in the Yas Island theme parks with a hotel on the island.

5. Al Ain

The garden city on the Oman border is about 90 minutes from Dubai. Walk the shaded paths of Al Ain Oasis, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, drive the mountain road up Jebel Hafeet at sunset, and spend a morning at Al Ain Zoo. It is calmer and greener than the coast, and a good first road trip for new residents.

6. Liwa

For the desert at its biggest, drive about four hours south-west to the Liwa Oasis, on the edge of the Empty Quarter. Moreeb Dune, one of the highest in the region, and the red sand around it are best from November to March. Stay at a desert resort or a licensed camp. It is a long drive for one night, so make it a full weekend.

Oman: across the border

Oman is the closest real change of scenery from Dubai. Most UAE residents enter on an online e-visa: the GCC resident visa costs OMR 5 if your UAE residence has at least three months left. Apply before you set off, and budget AED 35 per person for the UAE exit fee. To drive, you need insurance that is valid in Oman, plus written permission if the car is financed, rented or owned by your company. Our guide to Dubai to Oman by bus or car covers the border crossings, and the Oman visa guide explains the visa categories.

7. Musandam

Oman's northern peninsula is about three hours from Dubai, through Ras Al Khaimah and the Al Darah (Tibat) border crossing, which serves only Khasab and Musandam. Take a dhow cruise through the fjords, where dolphins often swim alongside. Snorkel in the clear coves and drive the cliff road along the coast. It works as a long day trip from Ras Al Khaimah, but a night in Khasab is more relaxed.

8. Muscat

Muscat is about 1 hour 10 minutes by air, or four and a half to six hours by road through the Hatta–Al Wajajah border. The Al Khanjry bus costs about AED 100 each way. See the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the Mutrah corniche and souq, and the Royal Opera House. Then drive down the coast to swim in the Bimmah Sinkhole and walk into Wadi Shab, both within two hours of the city. With a third day, add the mountains at Jebel Akhdar or the fort at Nizwa.

9. Salalah

Southern Oman is under two hours by air, and more than 1,000 km by road from Muscat, so fly. From about late June to late September, the khareef monsoon turns the hills green and misty, with waterfalls and daytime highs in the high 20s, while the Gulf swelters. Outside the khareef, Salalah is a quiet coastal town with long white beaches and the old frankincense port of Al Baleed.

An hour or two by air: the Gulf capitals

These flights are short enough to leave after work on Friday and fly back on Sunday evening. Each of these countries has a quick visa route for Gulf residents.

10. Doha, Qatar

Doha is about an hour and a quarter from Dubai. Spend a day at the Museum of Islamic Art and the National Museum of Qatar, an evening in Souq Waqif and a morning on the beaches up the coast. UAE residents apply online for the Hayya GCC Resident Visa (A2). It costs QAR 100, and both your passport and your UAE residence need at least three months left. See our Qatar visa guide.

11. Bahrain

Just over an hour away, Bahrain moves at a slower pace. Wander the souq by Bab Al Bahrain and the pearling trail in Muharraq, and see the Bahrain Fort and the Formula 1 circuit at Sakhir. You can get the visa online, or on arrival if you qualify as a GCC resident, from about BD 5. Who qualifies depends on your nationality, your job title and how long your residence has left, so check before you fly. Our Bahrain visa guide has the detail.

12. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Riyadh is about two hours by air. See the Masmak Fortress and the mud-brick old town of At-Turaif in Diriyah, then take a day trip into the desert to the cliffs of the Edge of the World. Most UAE residents can get Saudi Arabia's one-year tourist eVisa online, whatever their job, if their residence has at least three months left, and it covers Umrah too. Read our Saudi visa guide.

About three hours: the Caucasus, Jordan and Egypt

Three hours by air puts you somewhere completely different: mountains, forests and, in winter, snow. flydubai and Air Arabia fly to all three Caucasus capitals. Take a Friday or a Monday off and you have three full days.

13. Baku, Azerbaijan

Baku is about three hours away, the shortest flight of the three. Walk the walled Old City below the Flame Towers and see the Heydar Aliyev Center. Take a day trip to the rock carvings of Gobustan and the mud volcanoes beyond, or a longer one to the mountains at Gabala. Some passports and residents can get a visa on arrival; everyone else can get the ASAN e-visa, usually in about three working days. Our National Day package to Azerbaijan is six days from AED 3,199, leaving on 2 December 2026. See the Azerbaijan visa guide.

14. Tbilisi, Georgia

Tbilisi is about 3 hours 10 minutes from Dubai or Sharjah. Spend a day in the old town and its sulphur baths, and another tasting wine in Kakheti. On a third day, drive the Georgian Military Highway to Kazbegi, where Gergeti Trinity Church stands below Mount Kazbek. Georgia has let most holders of a UAE residence permit in without a visa. But the conditions, such as how long the permit has left, are checked at the border, so read our Georgia visa guide first. Our National Day package to Georgia is six days from AED 2,999, leaving on 2 December 2026. Our Georgia Cultural Heritage Tour runs seven days from AED 4,799 per person, with flights quoted on top.

15. Yerevan, Armenia

Yerevan is also about 3 hours 10 minutes away, and the best value of the three. Climb the Cascade for the view of Mount Ararat on a clear day. Drive out to the Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery, both within an hour of the city, and spend an afternoon by Lake Sevan. From 1 July 2026 to 1 July 2027, nationals of 111 countries can enter without a visa if their UAE residence permit is valid for at least six months. Everyone else gets an e-visa online, from USD 8. Our National Day package to Armenia is five days from AED 2,799, which fits the 2026 holiday with one day of leave. Details are in our Armenia visa guide.

16. Amman and Petra, Jordan

Amman is about three hours by air, and Petra is a three-hour drive south of it, so give Jordan at least four days. Spend one on Amman and the Roman city of Jerash and two on Petra, and stop to float in the Dead Sea on the way back. The desert camps of Wadi Rum need a fifth day. Jordan's visa depends on your passport. Emiratis need no visa in advance. Indian and most Western passport holders get a visa on arrival for JOD 40, or pay nothing for it if they buy a Jordan Pass before they fly and stay the minimum number of nights. Some nationalities need approval before they travel. See our Jordan visa guide.

17. Cairo, Egypt

Cairo is under four hours from Dubai. Two or three days cover the pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza, the mosques of Islamic Cairo and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar. Most UAE residents get the e-visa online, at USD 30 for a single entry, and GCC citizens need no visa. For the temples of Luxor and Aswan, take a week: our nine-day Egypt Nile Adventure with Felucca Cruise starts from AED 3,838 per person. See our Egypt visa guide.

Four to five hours: for a long weekend

These need four or five days to be worth the flight, so save them for the Eid and National Day breaks.

18. Tashkent and Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Tashkent is about three and a half hours from Dubai, and Samarkand about four. Samarkand's Registan is one of the great sights of the Silk Road. Fast trains link Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara, so four or five days covers two cities. April and October are the most comfortable months. Most UAE residents need the e-visa, widely reported at USD 20 for 30 days, and Emiratis need no visa. Our National Day package to Uzbekistan is seven days from AED 3,499, taking in Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. See the Uzbekistan visa guide.

19. Almaty, Kazakhstan

Almaty sits below the snow peaks of the Trans-Ili Alatau, under five hours from Dubai. Ride the cable car up to Shymbulak, drive to Big Almaty Lake and spend a day at Charyn Canyon. From December to March, Shymbulak is a proper ski resort within a long weekend's reach. Kazakhstan's visa depends on your passport. Emiratis and Filipinos can visit visa-free for 30 days and Indians for 14. Other passports need an e-visa backed by an invitation from a Kazakh travel company, which takes at least a week. Our National Day package to Kazakhstan is seven days from AED 3,899. Read the Kazakhstan visa guide.

20. The Maldives

The Maldives is about four hours away by non-stop flight, close enough for three or four nights on an island. Every visitor gets a free 30-day visa on arrival. You need a confirmed booking at a registered resort, hotel or guesthouse, and the free IMUGA declaration filed within 96 hours before you arrive. The dry season runs from about December to April. Our 3-night Maldives package starts from AED 5,000 per person. See our Maldives visa guide.

A few more places are within about five hours: Kuwait City (two hours), Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan and Kathmandu (four hours each), Colombo (four and a half hours) and Istanbul (4 hours 45 minutes). Our guide to the cheapest countries to visit from Dubai covers most of them.

How to choose by the time you have

Time off	Where to go
One or two days	Hatta, Jebel Jais, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Musandam
Three days (a Friday or Monday off)	Muscat, Doha, Bahrain, Riyadh, Baku, Liwa
Four days	Tbilisi, Yerevan, Cairo, Salalah, the Maldives
Five days or more	Jordan with Petra, Uzbekistan, Almaty, Sri Lanka

The long weekends to plan around

The UAE weekend is Saturday and Sunday, so a public holiday next to it gives the best short trips. These are the expected dates:

Holiday	Days off	Good for
National Day 2026	Wed 2 – Thu 3 December; take Friday 4 off for five days, to Sunday 6	Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan
New Year 2027	Fri 1 – Sun 3 January	Muscat, Doha, Hatta, Liwa
Eid Al Fitr 2027	Around Tue 9 – Sun 14 March, up to six days	Jordan, Cairo, Uzbekistan, the Maldives
Eid Al Adha 2027	Sat 15 – Tue 18 May	Baku, Tbilisi, Yerevan, Almaty
National Day 2027	Thu 2 – Sun 5 December	The Caucasus, Muscat, Liwa

The Islamic holidays depend on the moon and can move by a day. Our UAE public holidays 2027 guide shows how to stretch the Eid breaks to nine days. For National Day 2026, all of our National Day packages leave on 2 December:

• Armenia, five days, from AED 2,799
• Georgia, six days, from AED 2,999
• Azerbaijan, six days, from AED 3,199
• Turkey, six days, from AED 3,299
• Uzbekistan, seven days, from AED 3,499
• Kazakhstan, seven days, from AED 3,899

Seats are limited.

Tips for short trips from the UAE

• Check the visa first. It sets your lead time. Visas for Armenia, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain take anything from minutes to a few days, while a Kazakh e-visa with an invitation takes at least a week. Our guide to visa-free countries for UAE residents lists the easy ones.
• Check your passport and residence validity. Qatar wants three months left on both, Armenia six months on your residence, and many countries six months on your passport.
• Avoid the first evening. Flights and the Hatta border crossing are busiest on the first evening of a long weekend and on the last evening back. Leaving a day early or coming back a day late often costs less.
• Compare all three airports. Check fares from Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Air Arabia flies from Sharjah, and the same weekend can cost very different amounts.
• Go high in summer. From June to September, choose Jebel Jais, Salalah in the khareef, the Caucasus or Almaty. Hatta, Liwa and Muscat are best from October to April.
• Carry your Emirates ID. You need it with your passport at the Oman border.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best weekend getaways from Dubai?

Within the UAE, Hatta, Jebel Jais, the Fujairah coast and Abu Dhabi are all about two hours or less by car. Across the border, Musandam and Muscat in Oman are easy drives. By air, Doha and Bahrain are just over an hour away, and Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan are about three hours, which makes them the most popular three- and four-day trips from the UAE.

Where can I go from Dubai for 3 days?

Muscat, Doha, Bahrain, Riyadh and Baku are all three hours or less by air, and most UAE residents can get their visas online or on arrival. Tbilisi and Yerevan also work in three days, though four is more relaxed.

What are the best places to visit near Dubai by road?

Hatta (about 80 minutes), Fujairah and the east coast, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain (about 90 minutes each), Jebel Jais (about two hours) and Liwa (about four hours). With an Oman e-visa, you can also drive to Musandam in about three hours or to Muscat in four and a half to six.

Which short trips from Dubai need no visa?

Anywhere in the UAE. Abroad, until 1 July 2027 Armenia lets nationals of 111 countries in without a visa if their UAE residence permit is valid for at least six months. Georgia has let most residence-permit holders in if the permit meets its conditions. The Maldives gives every visitor a free visa on arrival. Emirati citizens need no visa for any trip in this guide.

Where can I go for a weekend from Dubai in summer?

Go up into the mountains, or north. Jebel Jais is often around ten degrees cooler than the coast. Salalah turns green in the khareef, from about late June to late September. Tbilisi, Yerevan and Baku are around ten degrees cooler than Dubai in July, and Almaty is cooler still.

How much does a weekend trip from Dubai cost?

A trip within the UAE costs the fuel and a hotel. The bus to Muscat is about AED 100 each way, plus the AED 35 UAE exit fee. In the Caucasus, a comfortable day costs roughly AED 220 to 440 per person once you land, before flights. Our National Day 2026 packages start from AED 2,799 for five days in Armenia.

Plan your weekend away

Tell us your dates, how many people are travelling and their passports, and we will suggest short trips that fit, with flights, hotels and visas arranged. See our National Day packages, browse our tour packages from Dubai and guided tours, check our visa services, or contact us.

Related guides

• Dubai staycation guide
• Dubai to Oman by bus or car
• Flight times from Dubai
• UAE public holidays 2027
• Cheapest countries to visit from Dubai
• Best holiday destinations from the UAE
• Visa-free countries for UAE residents

Last checked 9 October 2026 against our visa guides, our live package pages and the expected 2027 holiday dates. Travel times are approximate. Visa rules depend on your passport and residence, and they change.