About 35 kilometers north of Fujairah city, the mud-brick Al-Bidyah Mosque is the oldest in the United Arab Emirates and was named after the town that once surrounded it. The engineering features are a major accomplishment for the period of construction. The mosque consists of a prayer hall, decorated with arches and featuring ventilation openings and a mihrab (prayer niche pointing to Mecca). A central pillar divides the internal space into four squares of similar dimensions, covered by domed ceilings.

The site surrounding the mosque has been excavated to reveal that it has been inhabited for 4,000 years. A large Islamic graveyard just to the north contains a massive tomb dating back to the Iron Age, which when unearthed revealed fragments of pottery, metal arrowheads, and other artifacts dating back to at least 1000 BC.

Built in 1670, Fujairah Fort was badly damaged by a British attack in the early 20th century. Considered the oldest fort in the United Arab Emirates, it has served previously as both a defensive building and a home for the ruling family. And for many centuries, it was the only stone building along the Fujairah coast. The fort has three major sections, several halls, one square tower, and two round towers. In recent years, it has been fully restored to its former glory.

The area surrounding the fort is now part of a Heritage Village set up by Fujairah's Department of Archaeology and Heritage. Here, you can see restored old houses, exhibits about traditional life, and a display of the Al Yazrah irrigation system that Emirati farmers used in their fields.

Location: Fujairah city

About 45 kilometers north of Fujairah City, Al Aqah beach, dominated by the rocky outcrop of "Snoopy Island" just offshore, is the emirate of Fujairah's top beach resort. This slither of coast, sitting on the Gulf of Oman, offers the United Arab Emirate's best opportunities for scuba diving and snorkeling and is a must-do for underwater enthusiasts.

The scatter of hotels that line the shore are all set up for water activities, with diving operators and plenty of other water sports on offer, but don't worry if you just want to laze on the beach, this strip of sand has everything you want for an easygoing day of sunbathing.

Outside Fujairah city, 13 kilometers away along the main highway, Bithna Fort once stood watch over the strategic routes crossing the Hajar Mountains through Wadi Ham. Built in 1735, the fort was considered of vital importance to the defense of the United Arab Emirates' eastern region. The fort's bulky frame of thick golden-stoned walls, edged by a chunky circular watch tower, makes it particularly photogenic, while the views from the ramparts over the countryside of palm groves and jagged mountains behind are spectacular.

The Hajar Mountains separate the western coast of the United Arab Emirates from Fujairah, making this emirate an excellent base for further exploration of the rocky and arid terrain. This area of the mountains is well known for its wadis (a wadi is essentially a dry riverbed that can contain water after a heavy rain but can also refer to any valley oasis), and wadi-bashing (four-wheel-driving or hiking through the wadis) is one of Fujairah's major things to do for visitors.

Among the most beautiful wadis in the area are Wadi Siji, Wadi Saham, and Wadi Maidaq. Wadi Ham is the longest valley, and Wadi Al Taiwan is fun to visit just as much for the stunning mountainous route it takes to reach it.

North of Fujairah, Wadi al-Wurayah is the UAE's most famous wadi, though it has been closed to the public by the authorities to preserve its sensitive and unique ecology for the past few years.

Fujairah's modern Sheikh Zayed Mosque covers a site the size of three football pitches and boasts six minarets 100 meters high. The mammoth prayer hall has space for 32,000 worshipers. Its white facade has made it one of the city's major landmarks, and it ranks as the second biggest mosque in the United Arab Emirates after the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque of Abu Dhabi.

Unfortunately, the interior of the mosque is not open to non-Muslims for sightseeing, but you can take photos of the exterior of the mosque.

Just south of Fujairah Fort, the Fujairah Museum has an excellent collection of artifacts, dating from the early Bronze Age, that were unearthed during archaeological digs at Qidfa and Bithnah. Exhibits include Bronze and Iron Age weaponry, painted pottery, carved soapstone vessels, and pre-Islamic silver coins.

One of the museum's prized pieces, discovered at Qidfa, is a bowl made from ostrich egg dating back 2,200 years. There is also a good ethnography section, with displays of traditional Emirati daily life and craft work.

Al-Hayl Castle was once used as the headquarters for Fujairah's ruling family. Built approximately 250 years ago, it has played an important role in the area's defense, used as a base for surveillance and patrolling to guard Fujairah from attack. Not much remains today-the original fortifications have long since been demolished-except one two-level tower, which sits on the hill as a reminder of the days when these forts were scattered all across strategic hillsides in what is now the United Arab Emirates.

In the foothills of the Hajar Mountains, outside Fujairah city, the Ain al-Madhab Hot Springs are a popular local retreat. The mineral springs here produce warm sulphuric water that is pumped into two swimming pools. There are separate bathing areas for males and females. It's a family-friendly place that gets packed on weekends. If you've been traveling and need some downtime, this is a great place to relax and allow the warm, mineral-rich waters to soothe any niggly pains.

About 33 kilometers northwest from Fujairah, the village of Masafi is on the edge of the Hajar Mountains near Fujairah. It was originally a trading post and refueling stop before the region's modern highways were built in the 1970s. Masafi sits on the border between two emirates, with the larger section of town part of Fujairah, and the smaller section belonging to the Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah.

Masafi is famous in the United Arab Emirates for its natural springs, and the Gulf's leading mineral water producer (named after the town) is nearby. On the Dubai-Fujairah Road as you approach Masafi, the excellent local market is a great place to bargain for carpets, earthenware products, antiques, and local handicrafts.

This distinctive fort in Aouhlah village, with its thick, high walls, is one of the best preserved forts in the Emirate of Fujairah. It lacks the over-restored "new" look of many of the other forts in the United Arab Emirates and so is a great place for history buffs to come and capture a sense of Emirati heritage. It sits 30 kilometers from Fujairah city itself, on a hillside in an excellent strategic position to guard the countryside. Inside, the circular watch tower is 20 meters high and has narrow windows built into the walls for archers and excellent views.

Bull butting was introduced to the United Arab Emirates by colonizers from Portugal. In Fujairah, bull butting takes place every Friday during the cooler months and is a popular family event. The day begins with 20 bulls battling each other, and numbers slowly dwindle as winners move on to the next round.

The prize for the winning bull is to have his value increased. For tourists, the contest has an extra frisson of danger, as even though bulls are tied up and handled by attendants, they sometimes break free and have been known to charge spectators.

About 55 kilometers northeast of Ras Al-Khaimah, Jebel Jais, part of the Hajar Mountain Range, is the United Arab Emirates' tallest mountain, with its summit at 1,934 meters. A recently opened 20-kilometer-long road to the top (not quite to the summit) snakes in a switchback all the way up the mountain's flank, with viewing platforms along the route to take in the beautiful far-reaching vistas.

Near the top of the road, a series of landscaped terraces with viewing platforms and cafes offer up spectacular views that tumble over craggy peaks down to the coastal plain, making this prime territory for photographers, particularly in the late afternoon when the orange-hued rocks glow.

Ras Al-Khaimah has plenty for sun seekers and relaxation fans. The emirate's long shoreline is strung with luxury resorts all offering their own private patch of golden sand. Most will also allow non-guests to use their facilities with a day pass. The beaches are well cared for and packed with facilities, including sun loungers, sun shades, cafes and restaurants right on the sand, freshwater showers, and pretty much everything you need for a day of topping up your tan. Various water sports are also on offer, including kayak hire and jet-skis.

The world's longest zipline (stretching for 2.8 kilometers) on Jebel Jais has become one of the United Arab Emirates' major adventure activities and a main draw for adrenaline junkies visiting the country. From the take-off point, near the summit of Jebel Jais, the zipline whips down the mountain, with zipliners traveling at speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour. As well as the thrill of the flight itself and the stupendous mountain scenery, a major highlight is landing on the halfway platform, which is suspended in mid-air.

The Ras Al-Khaimah National Museum is in a fort that was the residence of the ruling family up until the early 1960s. The museum houses an excellent collection of archaeological and ethnological artifacts.

The Qawasim Room on the first floor is particularly interesting, with a collection of documents, manuscripts, and treaties between the rulers of Ras Al-Khaimah and Great Britain. There are also exhibits of traditional weapons belonging to the ruling family, as well as archaeological displays about the earliest settlers in the area up to the late Islamic period. The museum's ethnographic section introduces traditional life in the emirate, including architecture, pearl diving, date growing, farming, and fishing.

To learn more about the region, the Private Full-Day Tour of Ras Al-Khaimah delves into its cultural and historical sights, as well as showcasing its scenic coastal scenery, with plenty of photo stops along the most scenic parts of the Corniche and at the marina along the way. Major included sights are the museum, Dhayah Fort, and Jazirat al-Hamra. All transport including pickup and drop-off from Ras Al-Khaimah hotels is included.

This 16th-century mud-brick fort, about 20 kilometers north of Ras Al-Khaimah city, was built in a strategic hilltop position facing the gulf to defend the region from attack by the British. As a defensive military tower, the Dhayah Fort played an important role in the history of Ras Al-Khaimah.

Other ruined fortifications and watchtowers can be seen to the south of the hill. A battle in 1891 between the emirate and British forces resulted in the destruction of much of the fortifications here. The panoramic views from the fort's ramparts are well worth the trip here, and for anyone interested in history, exploring the fort itself is one of this small emirate's top things to do.

If you like ruins, this abandoned fishing village, about 20 kilometers south of Ras Al-Khaimah city, will be right up your alley and provides a very photogenic sightseeing opportunity. Jazirat al-Hamra has been left to slowly decay, with its traditional coral-block architecture now a reminder of the simple local life before the oil boom.

The Emirati inhabitants here would have made their living out of pearl diving and fishing, but the villagers all left in the 1960s, and the dry desert climate has helped preserve the buildings. The entire place is infused with a lost-in-time atmosphere.

The rugged and raw Hajar Mountains dominate the Ras Al-Khaimah scenery and create a beautiful area to head out into nature on a day trip. The surrounding desert has ever-changing, rust-colored sand dunes, while in the mountains, the awe-inspiring jagged landscapes are the kind of big-sky country that most visitors don't expect to find in the United Arab Emirates. The Hajar are of tremendous interest to geologists as they have the world's greatest surface exposure of ophiolites (igneous rock from the oceanic crust).

About 26 kilometers southeast of Ras Al-Khaimah, Khatt Springs is an area of mineral-rich hot pools, where the water is noted for its relaxing and therapeutic properties. The resort lies amid a palm-tree-strewn oasis, backed by mountains. The healthy waters are a top get-away-from-it-all holiday draw for locals as well as tourists.

As well as soaking your cares away in one of the steaming pools, the surrounding area is home to approximately 170 archaeological sites. Items uncovered in the area by archaeologists include prehistoric tombs and 19th-century mud-brick fortification towers, pointing to the long and continuous settlement of this area.

About 12 kilometers north of Ras Al-Khaimah city, near the Hajar Mountains, the little village of Shimal is the site of several hundred pre-Islamic tombs and a settlement that has been dated from 2000-1300 BC. The area is one of the most important archaeological sites in the United Arab Emirates, though visitors will probably have to be avid history lovers to appreciate the site.

Pottery, stone vessels, weapons made of bronze and copper, and beads have all been uncovered from archaeological digs. One of the most important discoveries here was a large circular tomb from the Umm al-Nar period. The small Islamic-era Husn al-Shimal Fort is perched on a rock outcrop above and offers a good view of the entire area.