Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, was on my bucket list for years, and finally I have a chance to share my recommendations with you!
Some of the landmarks were even more astonishing than I expected, others really disappointing, and some which are not usually covered by other guides, were the highlights of our trip. There is lots of construction going on in the city, so new attractions will probably emerge soon too.
1. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the main mosque of the country, and this enormous stunning building was commissioned by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, a former president of the UAE called the Father of the nation.
It was completed in 2007, and Sheikh Zayed who died in 2004 was also buried here in a mausoleum. Everything about this mosque is symbolic, and materials such as marble and inlaid precious stones create a magical impression indeed. Also pay attention to the carpet and chandeliers!
Don’t forget to dress up modestly. Girls, remember that abayas are not available for hire after the pandemic! I had a scarf and a maxi dress with long sleeves (I visited a large number of mosques in this exact outfit) but still I wasn’t allowed to enter from the first go because my socks were too short, and I wore the coolest duck socks from a Korean shop nearby. Yes, there is a whole underground shopping mall at the entrance, you can buy some coverings there or to get a drink at Starbucks or McDonalds! I still don’t know what was wrong with my maxi dress and socks because there were ladies in sandals, flip flops and bare ankles, and I had just a strip of bare skin between my socks and a skirt showing only when I was on the move, but the rules are rules.
Also for those who come with kids: at the entrance we were told to leave George’s activity books and to collect them later at the exit because “this sort of books are not allowed inside the mosque”. What was wrong with the Paw Patrol activity book, I don’t know, but just be aware that this can happen to you too.
The entrance to the mosque is located in the underground shopping centre, and you can find there many cafes, and shops of all kinds!
2. Louvre Abu Dhabi
The Louvre Abu Dhabi is the unmissable attraction in Abu Dhabi and you have to visit it whatever it takes. Actually in 2007, Abu Dhabi paid 272 million pounds to be able to use the Louvre’s name for 30 years!
And yes, the masterpieces exhibited there are temporary loans from the Louvre too. The collection is not very big, but the exhibits are very good and illustrate the history of East and West together.
And of course, the building itself is breathtaking: it’s surrounded on an island and surrounded by water, with a floating silver dome and light and shadow combo. It was designed by Jean Nouvel.
And a cafe there was very nice too: it serves delicious Italian food.
BUT…
Unfortunately, I must say that it’s the least family friendly museum I’ve been with George so far (and we’ve been to over 30 countries together, in Europe, Middle East and Asia!). It’s promoted as a family friendly space but it’s not – I might be a bit used to the British museums which I keep for a golden standard, where you can do anything with you at any time, but the staff in Abu Dhabi was just plain rude. I can understand why we were asked to keep a stroller in the cloakroom. I can theoretically understand why we were asked to leave the baby bottle (but you should be told so at the beginning at the visit: we asked a person there who reassured us that it’s fine, and when we finally reached one of the galleries, we were told that even the closed bottles are not allowed, and we had to go all the way back to the cloakroom and to stay in queue again. And no, there are no free water stations inside). But we were told we can’t hold George in our arms, how crazy is that? Moreover, apparently you can’t bring soft toys inside galleries too! Basically, the first two halls of the permanent exhibition were filled with kids sobbing, because they were deprived of their possessions. And yes, there were at least one third of visitors who came with kids during our visit, so it was massive. I don’t know if these are official rules or these are just some things invented by staff, but this is ridiculous.
Finally, they also have a special Children museum which is actually pretty cool and very well made: it’s like a spaceship! your kid gets a bracelet with a barcode, and proceeds with doing various quests to get the points. But actually if there are more than 6-7 kids in the first hall, it gets completely crowded, and come on, 7 kids for a museum should be nothing!
If you can buy a name, you should be able to adopt the attitude too.
3. Qasr Al Watan
Qasr Al Watan, or the Presidential palace, is a working administrative office of the President. It was completed in 2017 and opened to the public in 2019.
You arrive at the security gate and then proceed to the palace itself by bus. As you can see, it’s a breathtaking building with intricate decorative elements and huge chandeliers.
Inside, you can explore the grand hall, a small museum called the House of knowledge, presidential gifts, the Qasr Al Watan Library and a few halls for the official meetings.
At the end of your tour there’s a shop and a cafe …with a perfect view over Etihad towers. Come to the palace in the evening to enjoy the evening light or see the guard horses here!
Qasr Al Watan is the most amazing landmark of Abu Dhabi, and I don’t know why it’s less popular than the Louvre and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. And yes, it’s super visitor friendly!
4. Observation deck at 300
Right in our hotel Conrad Etihad towers, we had the observation deck at 300! It’s free for all hotel guests, however you can buy tickets to visit it if you don’t stay here.
It’s located at the 74th floor of our hotel which is 300 metres high (hence the name), at the tallest point of Abu Dhabi, in one of the Etihad Towers. The views from here are spectacular, come and enjoy the city’s skyline and have a coffee in a cafe!
5. Heritage village
The Heritage village located on Marina Mall Island is a spot where you can learn about everyday life and arts and crafts of Emirati people of the past.
It’s pretty small: there is a small market, a museum in a fort-like building, a Bedouin like camp with animals (there were a camel, a horse and a few gazelles), a mosque and a few rooms showcasing homemade goods. It’s a nice place to spend 30-60 min especially if you’re not familiar with pre-modern history of the country and don’t know about their craftsmanship.
And it’s fun for kids too! George had his first independent camel ride and a horse ride there on a mare called Olga!
The entry is free, you only have to register at the entrance.
6. Qasr al-Hosn and Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation
The Qasr al-Hosn is the oldest building in Abu Dhabi – some parts of it were built in 1761 (but of course, the fort and its towers were all restored now). It feels absolutely surreal to see it surrounded by the modern skyscrapers at night.
Originally it was nicknamed the White Fort, and it was erected around this tower to protect the only fresh water well in this land. Now you can learn about the Abu Dhabi crafts and traditions here too visiting the small rooms along the fort walls.
The White Fort is a part of Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation. Walk around it, explore the monuments there, pop inside the cultural centre and visit the Children’s library!
7. Emirates palace
Don’t miss the most well known hotel of the UAE capital: Emirates palace, even if you don’t stay there!
It’s all glittering with gold and embellishments, and looks really impressive.
Emirates palace, a luxury 5 star hotel, was originally operated by Kempinski but since 2020 it belongs to Mandarin Oriental. It’s one of the top three most expensive hotels built in the world!
I must say that it looks really impressive, with a dome and lots of gold everywhere. But we came here to have their afternoon tea at the Episodes cafe! And I must say that it was one of the best afternoon teas I’ve ever had (and I had at least three or four dozens of them!) we started with a welcome drink – oolong with pineapple juice, then had a cold amuse bouche, canapés, selection of delicious sandwiches, mushroom quiche, a honey flavoured palate cleanser and a selection of scones with raspberry jam, dates jam and clotted cream and of course French pastries. And of course, there’s a nice range of teas and even a gold cappuccino!
The whole experience took us over 1,5h. I’d recommend you to book your experience in advance to avoid disappointment.
8. SeaWorld Abu Dhabi
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi is a fresh out the water theme park and animal centre opened in 2023. It’s absolutely massive (to the point that sometimes it feels a bit empty because of the long hallways) and has 8 zones all dedicated to various animal habitats and activities.
When you enter, first you see Abu Dhabi Ocean where kids can interact with some stingrays and sharks. Also for an additional fee you can ‘catch’ an oyster with pre implanted pearl – reminded me of China! After that, you continue to the One Ocean, a central zone connecting all others located radially, with 360 degrees screen. MicroOcean has only rides but if your kid is below 95 cm only a limited number of rides would be available for him/her while the majority are suitable for over 120 cm tall children.
The Endless Ocean section reminded us of the lost Atlantis! This part has some spectacular attractions such an escalator coming through the tank and the Ocean vista (itinerary there is not very clear especially if you’re exploring with a stroller so get ready to get a bit lost). And you can also have a food break there with a view.
The Antarctica section is all about penguins, right in front of you! Get some warm clothes with you if you’d like to stay longer there because it’s freezing! The Arctic section is about walruses, otters, puffins, arctic foxes. In the Rocky Point you’ll find yourself in California and will watch the sea lions and the harbour seals.
And finally, the Tropical Ocean features flamingoes and dolphins. We got completely splashed over but other people came here already prepared, well done! I presume it’s not their first time attending this show and they’ve been here before.
It positions itself as an animal rescue and rehabilitation centre, and I hope it’s truly so and animals feel good there. I’m just not so sure about the animal shows, limited amount of vegetation in some tanks and areas where you can touch animals.
9. Jubail Mangrove Park
Mangrove forest is an ecosystem where shrubs and trees grow in salt water creating a unique environment for animals.
Abu Dhabi has a few places like this, and we came to Jubail Mangrove Park, and there are a few activities you can do here: book a 20 min ride in an electric car, kayaking tour, or simply walk along the ramps and observe birds and animals from special platforms along 2 km long Boardwalk.
And our car tour was very nice, we were even able to spot a few birds! You can also choose between low tide and high tide: the latter might be better for the photos as the landscape is filled with turquoise water, but we went for the low tide to observe the roots of Grey Mangrove better!
We spotted Western Reef Heron, some sort of Calidris bird, Metopograpsus messor crab and fish but if you’re lucky you can spot flamingoes, turtles, eagles and more! We would gladly stay longer but it was too hot – at least, there’s an air conditioned cafe at the entrance to the park.
10. Abrahamic family house
I actually haven’t seen Abrahamic family house in tourist recommendations much – but it’s a really cool place.
he Abrahamic Family House is an enclosed square where a church, mosque and a synagogue – all in operation – function within a few metres from each other and are connected by a Forum, a building with a cafe, a shop and a garden in the top.
The architectural style of all buildings is the same, but they have their own special features: church has straight lines in the exterior and interior, synagogue has a zigzag and the mosque has waves.
The centre opened in 2023, and to visit it you have to book a free ticket in advance. Cafe there is very good – and I swear I had the best saffron dessert there in my life! The security service is pretty strict there – for instance, I was told that I cannot use my camera inside the premises.
11. Al Ittihad Square Heritage Park
There is also another culturally important spot: Al Ittihad Square Heritage Park (meaning Union). It highlights the cultural heritage of the country by presenting various objects transformed into the monuments which includes the monument to the Incense burner, Dallah coffee pot, and rose water sprinkler among others.
12. Souk central market
Finally we’ve reached the Souk central market! It’s a freshly made covered market where you can find spices, fabrics, souvenirs, food and so on (all the standard set of arts and crafts, souvenirs and foods for the Middle East). It’s also combined with a shopping centre located inside the World trade centre.
The whole complex of the Central Market Project completed in 2014 includes a few hotels and two shopping malls.
13. Founder’s Memorial
The Founder’s Memorial is a national tribute to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan – you can easily spot this monument while travelling around Abu Dhabi. It was created by Ralph Helmick and called The Constellation, and you can see the portrait of the late president created by the ’stars’ on the strings.
14. Shopping: Yas Mall plus Ferrari World, The Galleria at Al Maryah Island, Marina mall
Very close to the SeaWorld you can find the Yas Mall, the largest shopping mall in Abu Dhabi! And it’s also directly connected to Ferrari World.
The Galleria at Al Maryah Island is a luxury shopping centre with international high end and luxury brands (including Dior, Chanel, LV etc) and it has very good restaurant selection: Georgian Cuisine, international cuisine, many Asian options and so on.
Marina mall, a shopping mall located on corniche very close to other touristic destinations. It opened in 2001 and was extended later. It doesn’t have many shops or restaurants but I presume there is a project to enlarge it. The Heritage Village is located not far away from it.
Where to stay in Abu Dhabi
Our Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers was located right inside the main skyscrapers of Abu Dhabi: Etihad towers! We have a spacious room – and the views were fantastic both by day and by night.
There is a pool and an observation deck open to all the visitors (see above), a small shopping mall called the Avenues and a few restaurants, including José by Pizarro, a modern Spanish restaurant with good cuisine and live music.
The breakfast area is a bit chaotic, and service is lacking for a 5 star hotel, however in general we had a good stay.
You might also like my other blogs about the Middle East.
Hope you liked my blog,
Yours,
Anna xxx
