Ras Al Khaimah: mountain and coast.

A day or a night: the first decision

Ras Al Khaimah, usually shortened to RAK, has two different faces. One is the mountain: the Jebel Jais range, home to the highest peak in the UAE. The other is the coast: beaches, mangroves, an old town and the resort islands. A day can cover one of them well, or both at a push.

Our advice is plain. If your group wants the mountain and one coastal stop, a day is possible but long. If the group wants activities at the top, a proper lunch and a swim, make it an overnight. The driver then rests, the group does not watch the clock, and the road is not a worry in the dark.

The drive and the road home

RAK is about 1 to 1.5 hours from most of Dubai in normal traffic, on a good motorway that runs north past Sharjah and Ajman. The part that changes is the first stretch out of Dubai, where the morning and evening traffic can add a lot of time. Leave after about 09:00 and you are mostly past it.

Add time for the approach to the mountain. The road up to the high viewpoints is a climb with bends. Large coaches do not always use every mountain road, so tell us what you plan and we advise on the vehicle. The coast has no such limit.

Because the day is long, drivers have limits on how many hours they may work. We plan within the driver hours rules and the quote states the hours. If your day looks very long, we may suggest a second driver or an overnight stay.

What groups do on the mountain

The mountain draws people for the view, the cooler air in winter and a range of outdoor activities. Which activities are on offer, what they cost and what the age, weight and health limits are, is up to the operators on site. Check the organiser or venue for dates, opening hours and entry rules, and book for the whole group in one booking if the venue allows it.

Our part is the road. The coach drops the group at the arrival point, waits, and returns at the agreed time. For activities with a start time, tell us the slot and we plan the journey so the group arrives with a margin.

What groups do on the coast

The coast offers quieter beaches, the old pearl-diving quarter, a fort that tells the history of the emirate, and the Al Marjan island resorts. A beach day suits a family group or a corporate day out. Some beaches are private to a resort, so the group leader should ask the resort in advance about day-guest rules.

Pick one coastal stop, not three. RAK is wider than it looks, and the drive between the old town and the island is long enough to eat a lunch break.

Which vehicle for which group

If you have more than 50 people, we send two vehicles. A common choice is a 50-seater for the main party and a mini coach for the mountain, so the group can split for the activity and meet again for lunch.

Price: what the starting figures mean

The price page shows starting prices for a full day of up to 10 hours within Dubai with driver and fuel, such as the mini coach from AED 1,100 per day and the 50-seater from AED 1,450 per day. RAK is outside Dubai, with more kilometres and often more hours, so we do not stretch those figures to fit. The written quote sets the price for your date, route and hours. As an example only, two 50-seater coaches on a Dubai day would start from AED 2,900 together.

For a one way trip, such as a group moving to a RAK resort and not coming back the same day, see the Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah transfer page.

An overnight plan for 45 guests

Here is how a two day trip might work, as an example. Day one, a 50-seater leaves Dubai at 09:30 and reaches the mountain around noon. Activities and lunch, then the coast and the hotel in the late afternoon. The driver stays nearby and rests. Day two, a later start, a morning at the beach, and the return to Dubai in the early afternoon, ahead of the evening traffic.

The quote shows both days, the driver's overnight allowance and the waiting hours. If you plan a conference dinner on the first night, tell us. A coach that waits at a hotel for several hours is quoted differently from one that goes away and returns.

Practical notes

Weather changes the plan. Summer is hot on the coast, and winter evenings on the mountain can be cold, so ask the group to bring a layer. Public holidays and Ramadan or Eid dates vary year to year and affect opening hours.

If your group will also visit the capital on the same trip, our Abu Dhabi group day trip page sets out a different kind of day. For a calm coast day, Fujairah is the other option. When you are ready, send the date and headcount and we reply with a fixed written quote.

Prices for these vehicles

Starting prices with driver and fuel, within Dubai. Hourly hire has a minimum number of hours, confirmed on your quote. Monthly prices are for a daily staff route; the route, hours and working days are confirmed on your quote. Your written quote gives the exact price for your date and route.

Related: Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah · Coach rental Dubai · Minibus rental Dubai · Bus rental prices · Get a quote

Keep reading

• Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah: From DXB or your Dubai hotel to the resorts of Al Marjan and Al Hamra, or up the Jebel Jais road.
• Al Ain day trip: Al Ain for groups: the oasis, the old fort, an optional drive up Jebel Hafeet, about 1.5 hours each way and a plan for the heat.
• Dubai to Al Ain: The Garden City in about 90 minutes: one-way, return, or a full day with the oasis and Jebel Hafeet.
• Al Maktoum Airport (DWC) transfer: Groups landing at Al Maktoum International (DWC): the one terminal, drive times to the Marina, JLT, Expo City and Downtown, and the right van or coach.
• Fujairah day trip: A coach day from Dubai to the east coast: the mountain road, a beach stop, the long return and how driver hours shape the plan.
• Abu Dhabi day trip: A coach day from Dubai to Abu Dhabi for groups of 13 to 100: the mosque, the Corniche, the return drive and the buffers that keep the evening on time.