Abu Dhabi to Al Ain transfers, to the garden city.

The Abu Dhabi to Al Ain transfer

Al Ain sits inland on the border with Oman, around 160 kilometres from central Abu Dhabi. Our Abu Dhabi to Al Ain transfer covers it door to door on the E22, a wide, straight highway that leaves the coast behind and crosses a landscape of farms, ghaf trees and low red dunes before the date palms of the oasis city appear. Allow around an hour and a half from the Corniche or Al Maryah Island, a little less from Zayed International, Khalifa City or Mohammed Bin Zayed City on the mainland.

People make the trip for many reasons: students starting at UAE University, families visiting relatives, patients and visitors heading to the city’s hospitals, consultants with meetings, and travellers who simply want to see the emirate’s greener, older side.

One way, return, or a day with the chauffeur waiting

A one-way transfer suits moves, appointments and hotel stays. For a day trip, book a return with waiting time: your chauffeur stays with you in Al Ain, moves the car between stops and drives you home in the evening. If you are staying a few nights, book two one-way transfers instead, so you only pay for the driving you need.

Every option is quoted in writing, with the waiting time and the rate for any extra hours shown before you confirm.

A day in Al Ain with your own driver

Al Ain rewards a slower pace, and having the same chauffeur all day means you can follow your own order. A typical day might include:

• Al Ain Oasis — shaded walkways through thousands of date palms, watered by the ancient falaj channels and part of the UNESCO-listed Cultural Sites of Al Ain
• Al Ain Palace Museum, the former family home of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
• Al Jahili Fort and Qasr Al Muwaiji, two of the city’s restored mud-brick landmarks
• Al Ain Camel Market, best visited in the morning when trading is busiest
• Al Ain Zoo, a favourite with families and school groups
• Jebel Hafeet, whose mountain road climbs to viewpoints high above the city — spectacular at sunset

Opening hours vary through the year and during Ramadan, so check before you go; entry tickets are not included in the transfer.

Students, families and appointments

Not every Abu Dhabi to Al Ain transfer is a day out. Moving a student into UAE University with a term’s luggage is a job for the SUV or V-Class, and the chauffeur can wait while boxes are carried in. For hospital appointments, tell us the department and the expected time, and the chauffeur waits nearby rather than leaving you to find a taxi afterwards. Families visiting relatives often book an early start and a late return, with the vehicle on hand all day for visits between homes in different parts of the city.

Whatever the reason for the journey, the chauffeur keeps to your timetable rather than a fixed route, and the price is agreed before you set off.

Timing your day trip

Leave Abu Dhabi early and you can walk the oasis before the heat builds, see the museums in the middle of the day and finish on Jebel Hafeet as the light softens. From October to April the weather makes outdoor stops a pleasure; in summer, plan air-conditioned interiors around midday and keep the walking for the cooler hours. The return drive is around an hour and a half, so a ten-hour day comfortably covers most plans.

Vehicles for the Al Ain road

For up to six guests, the luxury SUV is the most requested choice: high seating, generous luggage space and a composed ride on the highway. Seven travel well in the V-Class, and up to sixteen in the Sprinter. For tour groups and company outings, the 35-seater coach brings reclining seats and luggage holds for everyone’s bags and shopping.

What the quote includes

Your fixed quote includes the vehicle, chauffeur and fuel, any Darb toll gates crossed on the way out of the city, and the waiting time agreed for your day. Changes are free up to 24 hours before pick-up. See our intercity transfers for other routes, combine Al Ain with a trip to Liwa, or go straight to the booking page for a written price.

Related: Dubai & Al Ain Transfers · Luxury SUV · Abu Dhabi to Liwa · Abu Dhabi Tours · Book online