The 6 Best Driving Experiences to Sign Up for in Abu Dhabi

A driving experience day is the ultimate gift you can give yourself if you are a thrill-seeker who wants to speed around a track or simply loves driving.

Since sports and racing cars are ultra-expensive, owning one may be impossible. A driving experience day can give you the opportunity of a lifetime of taking one of these vehicles for a spin at a lower price.

Once you get behind the wheel of an incredible car and go for a lap or more around a racing circuit, an off-road track, an open road, or even the city streets, you’ll feel the adrenaline course through your body. This experience will be something you’ll remember for a long time.

Because a driving experience day won’t cost you an arm and a leg, you can still try it repeatedly throughout your lifetime.

With the different vehicles, venues, and packages, you will definitely love rewarding yourself with driving experiences over and over again. Whether you want to try driving various performance sports cars, exotic hypercars, or top-of-the-line 4×4 SUVs, you will be able to live out your dream without too many hurdles.

Top Driving Experiences in Abu Dhabi

If you’re wondering which driving experiences you have to try in Abu Dhabi, you won’t go wrong with putting the five below on the top of your list:

1. Ferrari Driving Experience

Ferrari cars are one of the most expensive and luxurious vehicles in the world. If you’ve always wanted to get behind the wheel of a Prancing Horse, you’ll get this chance at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.

The Ferrari Driving Experience lets you drive one of the luxury cars from the renowned Italian automotive brand. There are different models to choose from, allowing you to get your hands on the one you’ve always dreamed of taking for a spin.

All drivers are given instructions and tips on how to handle a Ferrari before taking the car out. Because of this, you don’t have to be nervous when you get behind the wheel. Before heading out, you can choose to bring your family or friends with you during your drive or experience it all on your own.

If you don’t want to get behind the wheel, you can sign up for the Passenger Experience. This package lets you hop aboard a Ferrari car of your choosing while a trained professional driver takes you around Yas Island.

2. Drag Racing

If you’ve always been fascinated by the drag racing scenes in the Fast and Furious movie franchise, get the chance to experience burning rubber and going head-to-head with another racer at Yas Marina Circuit through their Drag Racing Experience.

Yas Drag Night allows you to compete with another driver on a National Hot Rod Association or NHRA-accredited drag strip. You’ll get the chance to drive a Chevrolet Camaro or Mercedes AMG and experience what drag racing is all about under the bright lights of the Yas Marina Circuit.

Yas Marina Circuit also hosts Yas Drag Roll Nights. Roll drag is a variation of drag racing where racers roll from the starting line at an agreed speed and go faster at the first gate.

Once the lights go green, racers can let loose and go head-to-head down the strip.

Regardless of which drag racing type you choose and whether you’re a newbie or not, you’ll have fun throughout the driving experience and you’ll likely do it more than once.

3. Drifting

Drifting is another driving technique popularized by the Fast and Furious movie franchise. It is also something you can experience at the Yas Marina Circuit.

This experience lets you ride shotgun on a Chevrolet Drift Taxi while a professional takes you around the circuit with plenty of rubber-burning and adrenaline-pumping sideways driving.

If you’re already into drifting and have your own drift car, you can also join Drift Night at the Yas Marina Circuit, a regular motorsport event.

Depending on the schedule, you’ll either race around the North Circuit or Vehicle Dynamics Area.

If you’re joining the competition, you need to focus on mixed steering and throttle control if you’re racing around the North Handling Circuit. On the other hand, the Vehicle Dynamic Area calls for mastery of the skidpad and kick plate.

4. Karting

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi gives guests of different ages a fun and amazing driving experience – karting.

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi boasts of a modern electric go-kart circuit, the first in the region. The 290 meter-long track is inspired by the Yas Marina Circuit, giving drivers plenty of thrilling chicanes and corners to navigate and straightaways that give them overtaking opportunities.

To complete your go-karting experience, you’ll have access to a live, timed leaderboard, allowing you to take note of your times.

The karts also look like miniature Ferrari racing cars; driving one will make you feel like a professional race car driver.

5. Polaris Venue Tour

If you haven’t tried driving a sport UTV before, grab the chance to do so in Abu Dhabi and go on a fantastic tour of one of the most modern race tracks in the world – the Yas Marina Circuit.

Through the Polaris Venue Tour, you can go around the world-famous Yas Marina Circuit while driving a Polaris RZR RS1. Throughout your journey, you’ll be guided by a team who’ll share fascinating facts about the track.

You’ll also stop at key locations around the track so that you’ll have more idea about what happens behind the scenes during a Grand Prix race.

The entire tour takes around 45 to 60 minutes.

6. Dune Bashing

Although not technically a driving experience, you won’t go wrong with trying dune bashing in Abu Dhabi.

Aboard a big 4X4 SUV, such as a Toyota Land Cruiser or Nissan Patrol, you’ll be in for an adrenaline-pumping adventure as you traverse rolling dunes in the desert. Be prepared to skid, slide, and slip across your seat as you make your way through the desert.

Dune bashing is usually part of a desert safari package. After the thrilling ride, you can enjoy a picnic or barbecue at a Bedouin camp. You can even stay overnight here by renting a tent so that you can have a great view of the sunset and the clear starry sky at night.

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With these driving experiences in Abu Dhabi, you’ll love every minute you spend behind the wheel or passenger seat and have an unforgettable time.

Photo by Vincenzo Malagoli