Things to do in Ras Al Khaimah
The emirate has the UAE's highest mountain, its longest zipline, 64 kilometres of coast and 7,000 years of settlement — inside an hour and a half of Dubai. These are the guides to all of it, written by people who live here.
1,934m
Jebel Jais summit
2.83km
World's longest zipline
64km
Coastline
7,000
Years of settlement
Jebel Jais & the mountain
The UAE's highest point, roughly ten degrees cooler than the coast and open year-round.
Adventure
Jais Flight zipline
The world's longest zipline at 2.83km, reaching 150km/h across the wadi.
Booking required · From AED 399
Adventure
Jais Sledder
A 1.8km toboggan run down the mountainside, the longest in the world.
Walk-up · From AED 130
Hiking
Via Ferrata and the Jais trails
Guided cliff routes plus marked hiking paths at several difficulty grades.
Guided · Seasonal
Viewpoint
1484 by Puro and the Viewing Deck Park
The UAE's highest restaurant and the free summit viewing platform.
Free entry · Open daily
Drive
Driving the Jebel Jais road
The full ascent, where to stop, and what the drive is actually like.
Guide · 6 min read
Camping
Camping and stargazing on Jais
Permitted sites, the Bear Grylls camp and what to bring.
Guide · Oct–Apr
Beaches, islands & water
Sixty-four kilometres of coast, protected mangroves and the emirate's growing marina scene.
Beaches
The best beaches in RAK
Public, resort and island beaches, with access, parking and facilities.
Guide · 9 min read
Nature
Flamingos and the RAK mangroves
Where to see the winter migration, and the kayak routes through the creek.
Guide · Nov–Mar
Water
Water sports in Ras Al Khaimah
Kitesurfing, diving, wakeboarding and paddleboarding, by district.
Guide · 7 min read
Marine
Boat charters and dhow cruises
Al Hamra marina operators, half-day routes and seasonal pricing.
Guide · Year-round
Islands
Al Marjan Island, explained
Four coral-shaped islands, what is on each, and what opens in 2027.
Guide · 8 min read
Desert
Desert safaris from RAK
Dune operators, the Al Wadi reserve and how they differ from Dubai's.
Guide · Oct–Apr
Heritage & culture
Seven thousand years of continuous settlement, most of it within a half-hour drive of the corniche.
Heritage
Dhayah Fort
The 18th-century hilltop fort, the climb, and the view from the top.
Guide · Free entry
Heritage
Al Jazirah Al Hamra ghost town
An abandoned pearling village, the best-preserved in the Gulf.
Guide · Free entry
Museum
The National Museum of RAK
The old fort, its archaeology collection and what to see first.
Guide · From AED 5
Archaeology
Shimal and the archaeological sites
Bronze Age tombs and the emirate's older settlements.
Guide · 7 min read
Culture
The RAK pearling story
How pearl diving built the emirate, and where its traces survive.
Feature · 10 min read
Souks
The old town and the souks
Where to find the gold, spice and fish markets, and when to go.
Guide · 5 min read
Family, indoors & city
What works with children, what works in August, and what fills a rainy afternoon.
Family
Things to do with kids in RAK
Water parks, beaches, farms and the indoor options that hold up.
Guide · 8 min read
Indoors
RAK in summer: the indoor guide
What is actually worth doing when it is 45 degrees outside.
Guide · Jun–Sept
Golf
Golf in Ras Al Khaimah
Al Hamra and Tower Links, green fees and tee-time notes.
Guide · Year-round
Wellness
Spas and hot springs
Khatt Springs, resort spas and the emirate's wellness offer.
Guide · 6 min read
Shopping
Shopping in RAK
Al Naeem, Manar Mall and the independents worth the detour.
Guide · 5 min read
Day trip
48 hours in Ras Al Khaimah
A two-day route for first-time visitors, mountain and coast.
Itinerary · 9 min read
Originals
Written by the InsideRAK newsroom
Essay
The mountain that changed the emirate
Before 2018 Jebel Jais was a road to nowhere. How one zipline rewrote RAK's tourism identity — and what it cost.
InsideRAK Newsroom · 11 min read
Editorial
Ras Al Khaimah does not need to be Dubai
The emirate's advantage is space, quiet and the mountain. Every attempt to compete on spectacle spends that advantage down.
InsideRAK Newsroom · 6 min read
Reported
What the flamingos tell you about RAK's coastline
The mangroves are a tourism asset and a development constraint at the same time. Ecologists and developers on where the line sits.
InsideRAK Newsroom · 9 min read
Explainer
Why RAK's season is getting longer
Altitude, air access and domestic demand are flattening a calendar that used to collapse every summer.
InsideRAK Newsroom · 7 min read
What's on this season
Sept — MarOCT
22
RAK Leaders Forum 2026
Waldorf Astoria · 8:00 AM
Business
NOV
27
RAK Half Marathon
Al Hamra Village · 6:00 AM
Sport
DEC
04
RAK Food Festival
Al Marjan Island · 4:00 PM
Food
DEC
31
New Year's Eve fireworks
Al Marjan Island waterfront
Free
FEB
14
Jais Sky Tour season peak
Jebel Jais summit
Adventure
Visiting Ras Al Khaimah: frequently asked
What is Ras Al Khaimah best known for?
Jebel Jais — the UAE's highest mountain at 1,934 metres, home to the world's longest zipline at 2.83 kilometres — alongside 64 kilometres of coastline, protected mangroves and archaeological sites spanning 7,000 years.
How long is the Jebel Jais zipline?
2.83 kilometres, the longest in the world. Riders reach speeds up to 150 km/h on the descent near the summit.
Is Ras Al Khaimah good for a day trip from Dubai?
Yes. The drive takes roughly 45 to 90 minutes depending on your start point, which puts both the coast and the mountain within reach in a single day.
When is the best time to visit Ras Al Khaimah?
November through March for the coast. Jebel Jais sits roughly ten degrees cooler than sea level, which extends the comfortable season at altitude into spring and autumn.
When can you see flamingos in Ras Al Khaimah?
Through the winter months, when the migration returns to the mangroves and creek areas around Mina Al Arab and the corniche.