What can you do in Abu Dhabi?

Abu Dhabi is one of the seven emirates from the United Arab Emirates. It has an approximate population of 1.5million, compared to Dubai, this is only less than half of Dubai’s population. This is also noticeable when you walk outside. Abu Dhabi is less dazzling than Dubai, but it is exactly that which I found so charming about Abu Dhabi. There are less tall buildings, it is more laid back, feels more traditional to me and I saw more locals rather than expats.

Most visitors visit Abu Dhabi just for a day trip. Personally, I recommend to stay at least a couple of nights in Abu Dhabi. Below I will sum up all the sightseeings and main attractions that you could visit, so you can decide for yourself how long you will be staying in Abu Dhabi.

~ Qasr al Watan

Qasr al Watan is the presidential palace with capital P. This palace stands as a symbol of governance, and it is also used for political meetings, e.g., diplomatic, or for hosting leaders of states. While the construction was completed in 2017, it was only until 2019 that this palace was accessible to public. I could describe all the greatness that I saw in this palace but it is better seen with your very own eyes. White granite and limestone, Islamic motifs, chandelier of 350000 crystals, gold and bling. Other than it’s architecture you could also see the library which houses over 50 000 books and there is an exhibition of all the diplomatic gifts from around the world. In the evening, there is also a light and sound show, you could buy the tickets online upfront. See for details: https://www.qasralwatan.ae/

~ Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Another great architecture that you should not miss out is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It is one of world’s largest mosque consisting of 82 white domes of varying sizes, 24-carat-gold gilded chandeliers and the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet made by around 1200-1300 female artisans which took approximate two years to finish. The materials used for the mosque include marble stones, crystals, ceramics which are derived from various countries such as, Syria, India, Italy, Germany, Pakistan and many more. There is so much more to uncover about its architecture, and skipping the free guided tour would hardly do it justice. The entrance to the mosque itself is also free of charge. Note that you have to register upfront, you could do this underground when entering the visitors entrance. Do mind that this mosque is used for prayers so mind the prayer time and your clothing etiquette. There are quite some vendors selling abaya (Muslim garments), so you could get them at location too.

~ Louvre

When you hear Louvre you might think France, which is quite right. The UAE and France formed an partnership for cultural exchange, which means that the UAE can use the Louvre name until 2047. This basically results in a beautiful museum in Abu Dhabi which exhibits artworks from around the world, spanning prehistoric times to the present day. I was so delighted to see all these artworks in chronological order, literally from ancient till modern times across different civilisations. This also includes work from Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh and some impressive religious art, like Islamic, Christianity and Buddhism. At the end of the exhibition you could go up , go outside and enjoy the wonderful dome architecture -casting a magical “rain of light” through its 7,850 star shaped openings- while sitting near the water. This museum is located on the Saadiyat island and thus surrounded by water.

~ Yas Island

Moving away from all the beautiful architecture and art, we should consider Yas Island too when in Abu Dhabi. Yas Island is mostly known for the four different types of theme parks: Ferrari world, Yas waterworld, Warner Bros, and Sea world. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the time and opportunity yet to visit all of them. So far I have only visited Ferrari world and Yas waterworld. Let me briefly tell you about my experience of these places.

~ Ferrari world

This is the world’s first Ferrari-themed park which is mostly known for its world’s fastest roller coaster, Formula Rossa, launching you from 0 to 240 km/h in just 4.9 seconds. I need to admit that I did not visit this roller coaster, I was scared and mostly I was dizzy due to some other ride, so my day was pretty much ruined already. I did not like the theme park since it was indoor and it felt dark to me at times. My observation was that the visitors were mainly from India, I assume Indians like Ferrari a lot. If you like cars and rollercoasters, do take a visit, especially if you have kids travelling with you.

~ Yas waterworld

Yas Waterworld is just heaven for those who likes water slides. They have a variety of slides which you can take individually or with a group of people, like the tornado water coaster that you can take with up to six persons. Other than adrenaline-filled or thrilling rides, you could also opt for more relaxing activities, such as floating along the lazy river or lounging on a sunbed. There are so much to explore and you will be occupied the entire day. Obviously, it has plenty of child friendly things to do at the Yas Waterworld. We enjoyed our day and it was a great activity to do outside.

~ Swim and relax at your hotel’s pool

If there is one tip I could give you is to have at least one day of rest. We were so lucky to be able to find a five star hotel at an affordable rate at the time we booked. There is plenty of good hotels in Abu Dhabi, so recommend to find a nice one where you can just relax for the entire day. There is not much more I could say, except for enjoy your rest!

Honestly, I feel like I am short in time when it comes to visiting all that I wanted to see in Abu Dhabi. I am planning to have another travel to Abu Dhabi and definitely will visit the other two theme parks from the Yas Island. The Jubail Mangrove Park is still on my list. In addition, a Guggenheim museum is being built (across Louvre). And this is supposed to be the largest Guggenheim museum in the world. At this time of writing (July 2025), the museum is still under construction and no date of opening is yet announced. To be continued…..