Itineraries for Your Trip to Sharjah
1 Day in Sharjah for First Timers
When I first arrived in the UAE, I temporarily lived in Sharjah before relocating to Dubai. While I yearned to move to the bigger emirate, I warmed to Sharjah, whose cultural heritage and Asian-expat bazaars and restaurants made it feel more authentic than its neighbor. Years later, I recommend Sharjah to anyone wanting a glimmer of the UAE before the showy architecture took over. While this city-emirate toys with glitz, it has concentrated on its roots: revamping its old quarter with museums and galleries and unveiling Ottoman-style mosques, palm-fringed waterfronts, and a lagoon island nature reserve. Add the lure of the desert, and there’s plenty here. If you have a day to explore, try my recommended must-dos.
Sunscreen alone isn’t enough when outdoors: Sharjah’s sun is so fierce that you need a sunhat and long shirts and pants.
If you only have time for one thing, make it a visit to the museum-filled Heart of Sharjah district.
Get an overview of Sharjah on a hop-on hop-off bus tour. Cruise by sights like the Al-Noor Mosque, Sharjah Aquarium, Al Majaz Waterfront, and the edge of the Heart of Sharjah, the restored historical core. Make a mental map of the landmarks for later sightseeing and disembarking to visit attractions such as Sharjah Fort, Sharjah Art Museum, and the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization. For convenient door-to-door transport, book a Sharjah tour that drops you at must-see sights and souks and includes guided commentary; many originate in Dubai but incorporate handy Sharjah hotel pickups and drop-offs.
It’s time to explore Sharjah further or hit the desert on its doorstep. After lunch and a poolside recharge at your hotel, take off on an afternoon and evening desert safari. Crush the dunes by 4WD, ride camels and sandboards, and enjoy a sundown barbecue and shows at a Bedouin-style camp. Or, for high adventure, book an exhilarating dune buggy drive-and-dinner experience to the fossil-speckled Fossil Rock in Sharjah’s Mleiha Desert. If you fancy something slower, wander around the Heart of Sharjah’s galleries and museums. Alternatively, make the short cab journey to Sharjah’s Classic Car Museum to see its vintage auto collections.
This evening, get a dose of Dubai’s beauty and buzz: Sharjah’s neighboring emirate is extra exciting when ablaze with lights. Book a night tour that departs from Sharjah hotels to experience this stunning metropolis: visiting the illuminated Dubai Marina, Burj Khalifa, and Dubai Fountain—the world’s largest performing fountain—without transport hassles. Or, settle for Sharjah’s quieter charms. See butterflies, stroll lush gardens, and stargaze on Al Noor, a natural island oasis in Sharjah’s Khaled Lagoon. Then, meander along the scenic Al Majaz waterfront to watch the multicolored, dancing jets of Sharjah Fountain before dinner at a city restaurant or your hotel.
