Depart your Dubai hotel at 9am. m. in an air-conditioned vehicle and follow the desert roads of the United Arab Emirates south to the capital, Abu Dhabi. As you travel, listen as your guide tells stories about your destination, including how it is located on an island and how it grew rapidly after the discovery of oil in the 1950s.

Visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world and with capacity for 40,000 worshipers. Admire the luxurious prayer hall and exquisite white marble courtyards, dotted with reflecting pools.

Continue downtown to Heritage Village, home to a replica oasis village, a souk, and Bedouin tents. Explore this open-air museum independently and see its craft demonstrations and other exhibits that illustrate life here before the oil boom. Stop for a tasty lunch during your tour.

Drive along the Corniche boardwalk for stellar panoramas of the city skyline. Pause for photos outside the Emirates Palace, one of the most luxurious hotels in the world.