The Eid Al Adha public holiday will soon be here and it is time to start thinking about how you want to make the most of the extra days off work.

Everyone will get a 4-day long weekend, running from Saturday June 15 to Tuesday June 18, plenty of time to pack in some short road trips from Dubai.

Lucky for you, all of these road trips you can see the sights from the comfort of your car, and stay surrounded by that glorious AC.

If you like reading this: 35 incredible UAE hotel deals for Eid al Adha to book right now

All less than 2 hours drive, if you do want to get an up close look, you can park just a few metres away for a quick dash from the car.

Now, all you need to do is download some podcast episodes or create a driving playlist, load up the car with water and snacks, fill the tank with and get going.

Abu Dhabi

Driving time: 1 hour and 30 minutes.
A trip to the UAE capital is an easy road trip to do. It takes around an hour and a half on the E11 highway and is close enough for a day trip, and from the car you can check out the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque or pull up at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, nip inside and ogle at some art.

Al Wathba Salt Lake

Driving time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Found alongside the Al Ain highway, close to Al Bihouth, the Al Wathba Long Salt Lake has recently exploded in popularity, garnering social media fame for its crystal clear waters and mushroom-like stacks of sodium chloride. Park for free and nip over to see the distinctive salt formations. Stable enough for visitors to hop across, the site makes for ridiculously fantastic frames for the ’gram. And with less compacted grains lining the water’s edge, some photo ops even give off a snowy aesthetic – a major novelty in this part of the world but one we can get right behind.
Abu Dhabi.

Fossil Rock

Driving time: 1 hour and 20 minutes.

This one is pretty cool and probably one of the best short road trips from Dubai. You can drive all the way to Fossil Rock in Sharjah, but if you don’t want to get up close, that’s fine – you can see it from up to 25km away.
An impressive natural feat in the sand, in the cooler months you can even camp around it, but maybe save that one for the winter.

visitsharjah.com

Love Lakes

Driving time: 1 hour

The Love Lakes in Al Qudra are definitely one to add to your road trip list, and have no doubt made it onto your Instagram feed plenty of times in the past. The interlocked heart-shaped lakes even have trees next to them that spell out ‘love’, and were unveiled by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai in 2018. If you want to beat the heat, drive up for sunrise or sunset and watch the sun shimmer over the waters.
Al Qudra.

Sharjah

Driving time: 1 hour.
When it comes to this Emirate there is loads to see and do; making it ideal for a long weekend road trip. The Khor Fakkan Waterfalls, carved into the natural rock, are a sight to be seen and there’s a viewing window at the top, or you can watch on from the car.

*Time Out Dubai has taken the travel times from Google Maps. Before heading off on your journey you should always check the route and travel time in case of any delays.

Looking for things to do in Dubai?

13 fantastic free things to do indoors in Dubai
Let the fun continue, come rain or shine

110 best things to do in Dubai in 2024
Everything to tick off your Dubai bucket list

50 things to do for under Dhs50 in Dubai
Record-breaking attractions, cheap drinks and bargain days out