JOURNEYS

Follow Your Personal Pleasure on an Epic Trip in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Experience the ultimate in flexibility on a vacation that lets you pursue your bliss in the United Arab Emirates.

Abu Dhabi’s expansive harbor

Abu Dhabi’s expansive harbor

Courtesy of Godubai

They may be less than 90 miles away from one another, but the metropolises of Abu Dhabi and Dubai can be worlds apart in the experiences they offer travelers. Godubai’s DUO experience highlights these differences in one incredible trip, allowing travelers to embrace the thrilling culture of Abu Dhabi alongside the ultramodern dazzle of Dubai. With up to four days in the former and a week in the latter, travelers will have plenty of time and freedom to get to know the distinctive identities of these majestic cities with this semi-guided tour. With Godubai’s superior service and hospitality thrown in for good measure, this is certain to be the vacation of a lifetime.

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TRIP HIGHLIGHT

Mangrove National Park

For all of Abu Dhabi’s modern skyscrapers and avant-garde art, a visit to Mangrove National Park might feel like a world away, but this aquatic preserve is right in the middle of the urban action. Dive into the seven square miles of a thriving ecosystem, including more than 60 species of birds and the eponymous trees which can grow up to 15 feet from the salty blue waters. Explore by kayak with an expert guide leading the way.
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TRIP DESIGNER

Godubai

With an entire staff boasting first-hand knowledge and expertise when it comes to the United Arab Emirates, the Canada-based tour operator Godubai is uniquely geared to help its clients gain a deeper understanding of the United Arab Emirates and its culture so that they can experience a side of the country that’s lesser known to travelers.
The Royal M’s secluded Crown Island

The Royal M’s secluded Crown Island

Day 1Hello to Abu Dhabi

Touching down from Toronto, you’ll be personally welcomed with Godubai’s exclusive “VIP Meet & Greet” at the airport before transferring to Abu Dhabi’s Royal M Hotel and Resort. Upon your arrival, you’ll be astonished by the hotel’s urbane yet contemporary style, with infinity pools and maritime-inspired decor. Spend a restorative afternoon in the sauna, gym, or spa, dine in style at one of six restaurants and lounges, or charter a boat to the hotel’s private Crown Island. Here, in less than a 30-minute journey from the mainland, you’ll be able to enjoy white-glove service and unmatched tranquility, whether in your own beachside cabana, at the island’s beachside restaurant, or at one of their onsite food trucks, making for the perfect place to spoil your group with a private banquet.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Courtesy of Godubai

Day 2Assimilating in the Capital

Spend the day discovering the best of Abu Dhabi with a visit to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, whose white marble halls feature intricate floral inlays of semi-precious stones imported from all over the world. On your Godubai holiday you’ll also visit Yas Island, where you can browse the city’s largest and most stylish shopping mall, or test drive a real sports car and ride the world’s fastest roller coaster at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. Of course, no trip to Abu Dhabi would be complete without a visit to Saadiyat Island, where Louvre Abu Dhabi awaits. A model of international elegance and a true symbol of the city, the museum features some two acres of galleries, including permanent exhibitions of the world’s masterworks as well as roving exhibits which help tell the story of the ever-evolving creativity of humankind.
Abu Dhabi at night

Abu Dhabi at night

Courtesy of Godubai

Days 3–5Abu Dhabi at Will

Over your final few days in Abu Dhabi on this particular Godubai tour package, you’ll have plenty of time to get to know the intricate aspects of the capital on your own, with plenty of appealing options to augment your experience. Working from the tips provided by your Godubai consultant, you might learn about—and taste—the regional produce to be discovered at the date souk. You could also pay a visit to the sailors and fishmongers in the dhow harbor and at Mina Market, hit the seas yourself with a kayak expedition through Mangrove National Park, or sunbathe among the powdery sands and boutique eateries of Al Bateen.
Step into Dubai’s picturesque desert.

Step into Dubai’s picturesque desert.

Courtesy of Godubai

Days 6 and 7Dubai and the Desert

Pointing toward Dubai, you’ll be escorted to your new digs, the modern TRYP by Wyndham Hotel in Barsha Heights, one of the city’s most lively and multicultural neighborhoods. Spend the afternoon relaxing with a cold drink among new friends at the hotel’s breezy, Mediterranean-inspired Haze Lounge while exploring the neighborhood on your own.

Once you’re feeling refreshed, Godubai will arrange for you to be ushered into the desert in a 4x4 for a sunset safari, followed by camel rides, shisha (hookahs), and then dinner and entertainment among the dunes.
Dubai’s beloved “Blue” Mosque

Dubai’s beloved “Blue” Mosque

Courtesy of Kirandeep Singh Walia/Pexels

Day 8Old Dubai

You’ll kick off the day with a visit to the Al Farooq Omar bin Khattab Mosque, a stunning example of Spanish and Ottoman architecture inspired by Turkey’s famous Blue Mosque. Once you’ve admired its stained glass windows and majestic minarets, you’ll head down to the shore to cross Dubai Creek on a wooden water taxi known as an abra. From there, you’ll have some time to treat your senses to some lamb kofta and other traditional delicacies in the throwback courtyard Al Khayma Heritage House, followed by an evening of even more cultural immersion, Godubai style.
Burj al Arab overlooks Dubai from its own private island.

Burj al Arab overlooks Dubai from its own private island.

Day 9Dubai of Tomorrow

Wake up early for a coffee and a pastry at the hotel’s Hello Cafe, then catch the monorail out to Palm Jumeirah, the largest man-made island in the world. Among the many recommendations your Godubai travel expert will provide you, don’t miss a visit to Burj Al Arab, an incredible seven-star hotel built on its own island, whose terrace combines the best of a beach, restaurant, and pool all in one.

For an experience ahead of its time, head to the Museum of the Future. This otherworldly, ovoid structure is inscribed with poetry which stands in homage to a hopeful tomorrow, featuring exhibits designed by visionary artists from the UAE and beyond. You’ll cap your evening by taking an elevator ride up an unbelievable 124 floors to enjoy the sunset from the observation deck on the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa.

Palm Jumeirah is a manmade island known for its epic hotels and resorts.

Palm Jumeirah is a manmade island known for its epic hotels and resorts.

Courtesy of Godubai

Day 10Coastal Dubai

From the highest highs you’ll head back down to sea level, where you can spend a leisurely afternoon getting a hot stone massage onsite at the Rayya Wellness Spa or heading to Palm Jumeirah for exclusive access to the Soluna Beach Club. By evening, Godubai will arrange for you to be picked-up from your hotel and escorted away for a night of global chow on a dhow—a buffet featuring international cuisine served on a type of Arabian sailboat once used in global trade.

A bird's-eye view of the many wonders to be discovered in Dubai

A bird’s-eye view of the many wonders to be discovered in Dubai

Days 11 and 12Exploring the City

Now that your party has had the better part of a week to get a sense of Dubai, you’ll have two full days to branch out as you please. Godubai’s consultant will have already armed you with plenty of recommendations, including an optional round of golf at one of the city’s eleven championship-level courses, or a more than 3,000-foot-long thrill ride on a zipline through Dubai Marina at speeds up to 50 miles per hour, so there will be no lack of thrills to discover.

As your chauffeur drives you back to the airport for your return flight home on your final day in the country, you might consider signing up for one of Godubai’s many packages designed to reveal new sides of the United Arab Emirates, whether it’s centered around F1 Racing, a cruise on the open seas, or a tie-in trip with a fabulous neighboring country like Oman.
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