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Shore excursions from Dubai and Abu Dhabi cruise ports

Assure runs private shore excursions from Mina Rashid, Dubai Harbour and the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal at Zayed Port. Your chauffeur meets you outside the terminal with a name board and plans the day around your ship's all-aboard time, with a return buffer. Send the ship, date, arrival and all-aboard times, and passengers on WhatsApp for a quote.

Updated Checked by Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing Partner

Sunset over the cranes and ships at Port Rashid, Dubai, with white lifeboats on the quay
Iwona Rege / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Service

Opens WhatsApp with your trip filled in. Answered 24/7 on +971 56 684 8148.

The day, stop by stop

Times are a guide. Your driver keeps to your group's pace.

  1. Cruise terminal pickup

    Your chauffeur waits outside the terminal and confirms the exact spot on WhatsApp on the morning your ship docks.

  2. Al Fahidi and Dubai Creek

    From Mina Rashid, a short drive into old Dubai for the wind-tower lanes and an abra crossing.

  3. Gold and Spice Souks

    About 1 hour in the covered lanes of Deira.

  4. Jumeirah Mosque and Burj Al Arab

    The Burj Al Arab is about 21 km from the souks, around 25 minutes without traffic.

  5. Downtown Dubai

    Mina Rashid to Downtown Dubai is about 13 km, 21 minutes without traffic.

  6. Return to the ship

    Planned to reach the terminal at least an hour before all-aboard.

What the trip includes

Included

  • Private car and chauffeur for your party for the booked hours
  • Meeting outside the cruise terminal with a name board
  • A planned return to the ship with a time buffer before all-aboard
  • Waiting at each stop

Not included

  • Entry tickets, such as Burj Khalifa At the Top and Louvre Abu Dhabi
  • Meals and drinks
  • Tours organised by the cruise line

What to bring

  • Passport and ship boarding pass
  • Modest clothing for mosque visits
  • Water and sun protection

A shore excursion is only as good as its return. The plan below starts at the ship’s all-aboard time and works backwards, so the day ends at the gangway with time to spare.

Which ports do we serve?

Port Where it is To Downtown Dubai or the Grand Mosque
Mina Rashid (Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal) Port Rashid, northern end of Bur Dubai Downtown Dubai about 13 km, 21 min
Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal Marsa Dubai, between Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah Downtown Dubai about 21 km, 23 min
Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, Zayed Port North-east of Abu Dhabi island Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque about 19 km, 19 min

Times are without traffic, from OSRM on OpenStreetMap data. For the terminals, drop-offs and airport links, see our cruise terminal transfers page. Pickups at Zayed Port come through our partner network, subject to availability.

A half-day outline: old Dubai from Mina Rashid

About 4 hours of car time, which suits a call of 8 hours or more.

  1. Leave the terminal and drive to Al Fahidi, in Bur Dubai.
  2. Walk the wind-tower lanes, then cross Dubai Creek by abra to Deira.
  3. Spend about 1 hour in the Spice and Gold Souks while the car meets you in Deira.
  4. Drive to Jumeirah Beach for the Burj Al Arab view, about 21 km from the souks.
  5. Return to Mina Rashid with the buffer you agreed.

The stops follow our Dubai city tour, cut to the hours you have. Abra fares and entry tickets are paid by you.

A full-day outline: Dubai in a long port call

For calls of 10 hours or more, add Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Downtown Dubai to the half-day plan above. Lunch sits near the middle. Leave Downtown by mid-afternoon if the ship is at Mina Rashid, and earlier if it is at Dubai Harbour, so a slow Sheikh Zayed Road does not eat the buffer.

Can you reach Abu Dhabi on a Dubai call?

Rarely. Mina Rashid to Zayed International is about 125 km, 1 h 30 min each way without traffic, so a day trip eats about 3 hours on the road. It only works on a call of 10 hours or more. The Abu Dhabi city tour is a 10-hour day from Dubai, which is longer than most calls allow. If your ship docks at Zayed Port, the Grand Mosque is 19 km away.

How do we handle the time risk?

You give us the ship’s all-aboard time. We set the return pickup for at least an hour before it, and we work backwards from there.

  • The first leg ends with a clock time, not a distance.
  • The chauffeur watches traffic and calls the turn back early if the roads slow.
  • We send you the plan on WhatsApp the night before, with a number to call.

We cannot move the ship’s sailing time. If you are not on board in time, the ship sails.

What about luggage?

On embarkation day you may arrive with cases. Add up the large cases and match the total to the vehicle. A Mercedes-Benz V-Class seats 6 with room for 4 large cases. A larger party can compare vans and minibuses on our group transport page.

How do I book?

Send these on WhatsApp:

  1. The ship’s name, the port and the date.
  2. The time you expect to leave the ship and the all-aboard time.
  3. The number of passengers, large cases and any children.
  4. What you want to see, or ask for a suggested plan from our private tours list.

For more help choosing between ship tours and private cars, read our guide to Dubai cruise shore excursions or browse all our tours.

The Dubai cruise shore excursions guide covers the ports, and the Mina Rashid cruise terminal and the Abu Dhabi cruise terminal cover the two main terminals.

Add an airport transfer

Landing the same day? The same booking can include your pickup from any UAE airport, with your name on a board in arrivals.

Airport transfers

Questions and answers

Can I explore Dubai on a cruise stop?

Yes, if the call is long enough. Mina Rashid is about 13 km from Downtown Dubai, around 21 minutes without traffic, and Dubai Harbour is about 21 km away. Many guests do a half day of old Dubai, the Burj Khalifa area and the beach. Tell us when the ship docks and sails and we plan to fit.

How long do I need from the port?

A half day in Dubai needs about 4 hours of car time, a full day about 8. Abu Dhabi from the Dubai ports is a long drive: Mina Rashid to Zayed International is about 125 km, 1 h 30 min each way. Only book it on a call of 10 hours or more, and leave a margin before all-aboard.

Is private or ship-organised better?

A ship tour is simple and the ship waits for its own coaches. A private car lets you choose the stops, leave when your party is ready and skip the group queue. The cost of that is that the time risk is yours to manage, so we plan a return buffer and watch the clock for you.

What if we run late back to the ship?

We plan the return before you set out, so the schedule ends at the terminal well before all-aboard. Send us the all-aboard time when you book. Your chauffeur watches the traffic and calls the turn back early if the roads slow. We cannot control the ship's sailing time, so we do not push the buffer.

Where does the chauffeur meet us?

Outside the cruise terminal, holding a board with your name. You leave the ship and walk through the terminal building with your bags first. Port rules on cars differ by terminal and by day, and DP World, Dubai Harbour and AD Ports list no pickup point for private cars. We send the exact spot on WhatsApp on docking morning.

Do you cover Abu Dhabi and Khor Fakkan calls?

Drop-offs at Zayed Port that start in Dubai run in Assure's own cars under our RTA licence. Pickups at Zayed Port and at Khor Fakkan need a car licensed in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah. We arrange those through our partner network, subject to availability, and confirm the car with your quote.

Can the car carry our luggage as well?

Yes. If you are joining or leaving the ship the same day, tell us the number of large cases. A Mercedes-Benz V-Class seats 6 with room for 4 large cases, a 13-seat Mercedes-Benz Sprinter takes 6, and a second vehicle can carry the surplus.

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