Best Things to See in Abu Dhabi

As you may know by now, I am a huge traveling fan and I go on vacation with every opportunity that I get. Here I am putting up a guide based on my experience with what to see in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

There are a few nice places to mention, but let’s make the not-to-miss list in order:

1. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

My top of the list of things to see in Abu Dhabi definitely goes to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. This is one of the world’s largest mosques. The beauty of this place is mesmerizing and for me being an orthodox, it is clearly interesting to explore other cultures and religions.

The outside of the mosque is clearly a masterpiece but what about the inside? It is in the same tone as the exterior, with big colorful chandeliers and painted in nice colors.

The details on the walls are stunning. Everything is sculpted in marble. While seeing it, it reminded me of Taj Mahal.

How to enter: There is no entry fee for the mosque but you do need to register online on their website. You will find there at the entrance QR codes which you can scan and register for free.

How to dress: In the past, they used to give abayas but not anymore. You have to come prepared with your own clothes. You do find abayas for sale in the mall before entering the mosque but they are pricey and not that nice. My suggestion is to order a nice abaya from Shein or another place wich you can use once for your nice photos. Don’t forget to also take a matching scarf to cover you hair.

2. Qasr Al Watan Palace

Qasr Al-Watan is the presidential palace of the United Arab Emirates. The building is huge and it looks amazing. It has a very big yard where you are not allowed to walk much, they bring you to the palace by bus.

The interior can also be visited. It is very big and it has a lot of rooms with different destinations, I would say it is definitely on top of the what to see in Abu Dhabi list if you are here.

The palace looks wonderful also in the night. The lights in which it is surrounded are mesmerizing. On top of this, if you go before sunset and wait till the end, you will see it by day and also by night and you will catch the light show. Every night, on the walls of the palace, there is projected in colorful light, the story of past, present and future of the UAE. A very interesting view to see.

Tickets: Entrance to the palace is with a ticket. It costs 65 AED per person and it can be bought online from their official website.

How to dress: It will be mandatory to have your shoulders and knees covered.

3. Yas Island – Ferrari World

The entrance to Ferrari World is through the Yas Island Mall. It is a huge mall with all the shops you can think of and also a lot of options for food, even healthy and fancy ones.

Inside the park you can see walking around a few nice cars from their collection. Also, you get the feeling like being a kid again having fun on the rides.

Apart from the roller coasters, there are a lot of interactive rides for children.

Tickets: Entrance to the park is with a ticket. They have packages with other parks or other places combined. The best is to book in advance for a discount but if you decide on it late, the price for a daily general admission day ticket is 345 AED per person. You can check the options and book the tickets here.

4. Other places

Other nice places to see in Abu Dhabi are:

• Marina Mall Abu Dhabi – it is a huge mall near Qasr-Al-Watan Palace and it has a lot of shops
• Corniche Beach
• Corniche Street
• Etihad Towers – here you can go up to the observatory and see the city from above
• Warner Bros. World – an alternative to Ferrari World, more for the little ones

How to get around Abu Dhabi

There are a few ways to get around the city depending on your budget.

Buses: The city has a big network of buses. You can easily get anywhere by bus for a fair price. To be able to use them, you have to buy a 10 AED card which you can charge with the amount you need for your stay. This can be bought at the information counter in the airport or at any other station/mall from the machines.

The easiest way to get the correct bus is Google Maps. I used it to get from point to point without any issues. Keep in mind that distances are big and the travel time is also long.

Careem: Careem is a UAE app that you can use to book a taxi or order food. It works like Uber but it is cheaper. Clearly more expensive than taking the bus but it will be faster and more comfortable if you don’t have much time.

Uber: Uber also works in Abu Dhabi but it is more expensive than Careem which offers the same services.

How to dress in Abu Dhabi

Clearly, Abu Dhabi is a more conservative place when compared to Dubai. Here, you need to have your legs covered and also your shoulders. Of course, on the streets, you can walk however you want but you will get some looks and when wanting to go to the mall or other places, you might not be allowed to enter because of the unrespectful attire.

For a deep dive in what to wear in UAE, you can read the article “What to wear on a vacation to UAE“.

Key Takeaways

Abu Dhabi is a great city to visit preferably in winter due to the pleasant temperature. You can see some amazing landmarks, and do so many cool things in the adventure parks, with or without kids, you will have an amazing vacation.

To keep in mind, that the distances are long, and be careful how you dress. Inside all the places, air conditioning is turned on at pretty low temperatures, you might be cold if you are underdressed.