Abu Dhabi is 130 km from Dubai along the E11 highway, known as Sheikh Zayed Road. The road is straight, six lanes each way, with a 120 to 140 km/h limit for most of the drive. From the Marina to the Grand Mosque is 1 hour 15 minutes, from Deira 1 hour 40. Public transport takes two and a half hours with a bus station transfer, and a one-way taxi costs AED 300 to 350. A car at AED 90 a day pays for itself on a single trip, with several rental days still left over.
The route
Get on Sheikh Zayed Road heading to Abu Dhabi and stay on it to the end; there are almost no turns or interchange choices to make. Near Jebel Ali you will pass a Salik gantry, AED 4 to 6, part of Dubai's system. Further on the highway becomes the E11 and eventually reaches the Sheikh Zayed Bridge, where a Darb gantry from Abu Dhabi's own system charges AED 2 to 4 depending on the time. Both are billed automatically; there is nothing to stop for.
Two things worth remembering on the way. First, at the emirate border, roughly 60 km from Dubai, Dubai's 20 km/h speeding tolerance disappears. In Dubai a camera fires at 141 when the limit is 120; in Abu Dhabi at 121. Second, on 140 km/h sections the left lanes carry a 120 km/h minimum. Driving at 100 in the left lane there costs a AED 400 fine.
Petrol stations sit every 20 to 30 km along the highway, large ADNOC branches with shops, cafes and clean restrooms, good spots to stretch your legs. Traffic on the highway is light except on Monday mornings towards Abu Dhabi, when workers commute on a rotational basis, and Thursday evenings on the way back before the weekend.
A one-day itinerary with timing
- 7:00 am. Leave Dubai.
- 8:30 am, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The first stop as you enter the city, 15 minutes from the bridge. Free entry, huge free parking, the mosque itself is reached through an underground shopping area with souvenirs. Women without covered shoulders and legs are given an abaya at the entrance, men may not wear shorts. Mornings have fewer visitors and better light for photographing the white marble. Allow two hours.
- 10:30 am, Qasr Al Watan. The presidential palace museum, 20 minutes from the mosque. Entry AED 65, free parking. Cool and spacious inside, good for midday when it is hot outside. The gold-domed library and the evening light show if you stay until sunset.
- 12:30 pm, lunch on the Corniche. An 8 km waterfront promenade with sea views, cafes and restaurants for every budget. Paid parking via Darb-Mawaqif, AED 2 to 3 an hour.
- 2:30 pm, Louvre Abu Dhabi. Saadiyat Island, 20 minutes from the centre on a free road with no Darb charge. Entry AED 63, free parking. The dome's "rain of light" effect and a collection spanning antiquity to modern art. Closes at 6:30 pm and is shut on Mondays, worth checking against your day of the week.
- 5:00 pm, optional Yas Island. 20 minutes from Saadiyat. Ferrari World, Warner Bros World, Yas Waterworld and the Formula 1 circuit with guided tours. This is a full day on its own, but you can see the Ferrari World building and the Yas Marina Circuit in passing.
Head back before 5 pm to avoid the evening rush at the bridge, or after 8 pm when the road is clear again. You will be home in Dubai by 7 to 9 pm.
Parking in Abu Dhabi
The Mawaqif system: blue and white markings are paid, AED 2 to 3 an hour, from 8 am to midnight except Sundays, which are free all day. Pay via the Darb app or SMS to the short code shown on the zone sign. Every major sight, including the mosque, the palace and the Louvre, has free parking; you only pay near restaurants and malls in the city centre.
What the trip costs beyond the rental
On an economy sedan: fuel about AED 40 round trip at 6 to 7 litres per 100 km, Salik and Darb combined AED 12 to 16, restaurant parking AED 10 to 20. Total under AED 80 above the rental, for any number of passengers. The same trip by taxi would cost AED 700 one way, and a guided coach tour starts at AED 250 per person while tying you to a group schedule.
Which car to take
The road does not call for an SUV: the asphalt is perfect, there are no sharp interchange turns, and every car in the fleet has air conditioning. For four people with children a crossover like the Hyundai Creta or Kia Sportage is more convenient; the boot and higher seating make frequent stops easier. For two people any economy car, Kia Pegas or Toyota Yaris, is enough. For a memorable drive, a Ford Mustang or BMW 420i convertible turns the road itself into part of the day, especially early morning or at sunset.
Mileage and drive time with traffic
A Dubai to Abu Dhabi and back loop with stops in the city adds up to 280 to 300 km, slightly above the 250 km daily cap on most rates. The extra 30 to 50 km typically costs AED 30 to 100 depending on the class, or agree unlimited mileage in advance if you also plan to drive around Abu Dhabi itself. Drive time grows by 15 to 20 minutes each way if you leave at 8 am instead of 7, because of the morning flow of workers heading to industrial zones on the approach to the capital.
Stops along the way if you have time
The E11 passes several places worth a detour on an unhurried trip.
- Dubai Parks and Resorts, 35 minutes from the Marina: Motiongate, Legoland and Riverland. A full day in itself, not combinable with Abu Dhabi.
- Outlet Village, a Tuscan-village-styled outlet mall at the Al Ain interchange, a good coffee stop.
- Ghantoot, a village on the emirate border with a beach and a polo field.
- The Al Rahba service area, an ADNOC complex with a restaurant, the standard driver stop.
- Yas Island, just before the city: Ferrari World, Warner Bros World, Yas Waterworld, the Formula 1 circuit and Yas Mall. No Darb charge applies here.
- Masdar City, an experimental eco-city with driverless transport, interesting architecturally.
Abu Dhabi in winter and summer
In winter, November to March, the capital is perfect for walking: 22 to 28 degrees, the Corniche with cycle paths, beaches and open-air cafes. That is when to plan a full day on foot between the sights.
In summer the itinerary changes: the mosque early morning or after sunset when the white marble is lit, the palace and the Louvre as the main stops for their air conditioning, and the Corniche in the evening. Abu Dhabi is easier than Dubai in summer: humidity is lower and the evening breeze off the gulf is noticeable.
The night trip
A rarely suggested option that works well: leave Dubai at 18:00 and arrive in Abu Dhabi by 19:30. The Grand Mosque is open until 22:00 and floodlit in the evening, the most striking time for photographs. The Corniche is lively and restaurants serve until midnight. Head back at 23:00 on an empty highway, an hour and twenty minutes. This suits anyone unwilling to start at 7 am and avoids the daytime heat in summer.
Note that the Louvre and the palace are closed in the evening, and on Fridays the mosque only opens to visitors after 16:30.
The Grand Mosque: visiting rules
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is open to visitors daily from 9:00 to 22:00, and on Fridays only from 16:30 to 22:00. Entry is free, but online registration is required in high season, so check before travelling.
Dress code: women need arms covered to the wrists, legs to the ankles and hair under a scarf. Abayas are provided free at the entrance if needed. Men need long trousers and a sleeved shirt; shorts and vests are refused. Shoes come off before entering the prayer hall.
What is not allowed: photographs in poses that could be read as disrespectful, loud conversation, eating and drinking inside, and entering restricted areas.
Logistics: entry is through the underground Souk mall, which also has toilets, cafes and souvenirs. Parking is free and vast but fills by midday at weekends. A visit takes ninety minutes to two hours, and free English-language tours run to a schedule.
Where to eat in Abu Dhabi
On the Corniche: restaurants overlooking the gulf, from budget Lebanese at AED 40 to 60 to hotel dining rooms at AED 150 to 300. Mawaqif paid parking applies.
In the old town: authentic Indian, Pakistani and Lebanese places with bills of AED 25 to 50, around Al Markaziyah and Hamdan Street.
On Yas Island: Yas Mall and the Yas Bay waterfront with chain and independent restaurants, free parking.
At Emirates Palace: the famous gold-flecked cappuccino and luxury restaurants, with free parking for guests.
Unlike Dubai, Abu Dhabi carries fewer tourist markups, and lunch at a local restaurant costs noticeably less.
