TOP attractions and experiences in Abu Dhabi

Luxurious, shinig, mysterious, unusual, luxurious, friendly, unforgettable, amazing, megalomaniac, attractive. If we wanted to choose only one of these adjectives to characterize the city that we present to you today, we would have a problem. Do you feel that getting to know the place that is a mixture of all this would be quite a lot of fun? Then you are in a good place. A virtual tour of the Emirates’ capital, Abu Dhabi, is just beginning.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Sheikh Zayed Mosque is the typical unique attraction. It ranks eighth among the world’s largest mosques, and when we say it’s huge, we mean it. It has a capacity of 40,000 visitors and covers an area of ​​4 football fields. So it is worth to see it because of its breathtaking dimensions. But if you like architecture and design, then what will have an even greater impact on you is its multicultural character. Turkish, Moroccan, Pakistani, Egyptian and other elements come from architects from the Emirates, Italy and England. Pay attention to the details, but also the “influence of the whole”. Where else would you see 82 white marble domes, 1,096 outer pillars, glittering pools, 24-carat gold, and crystal chandeliers within a single complex?

Opening hours:

Saturday-Thursday: 09: 00-22: 00

Friday: 16: 30-22: 00

Ramadan opening hours:

Saturday-Thursday: 09: 00-15: 00

Admission: free

Falcon Hospital (ADFH)

Amazing things are happening near Abu Dhabi International Airport, along Sweihen Road. There you will find the famous Falcon Hospital (Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital), where sick and injured birds spend their days in the hands of experts and wait patiently for healing. In the meantime, they also have time for visitors, and the hospital also welcomes the general public. The tour for tourists will allow you to see the falcons up close, in addition, thanks to the local museum, you can learn some interesting things about their history.

Opening hours (start of organized tours)

• Sunday-Thursday10: 00 and 14:00
• Saturday (1 October to 31 May only): 10:00

Opening hours (start of organized tours) during Ramadan:

Sunday-Thursday: 10:00

Admission: 170 AED / adult, 60 AED / child

Admission to organized tours is only available online:

https://www.falconhospital.com/services/adfh-tourism/online-tour-booking

Abu Dhabi Louvre

224 years after the founding of the Louvre Museum, an institution was born with the courage to become the bearer of the same name. It happened in Abu Dhabi. Jean Nouvel, a French architect and Pritzker Prize winner, is behind this project. One of his amazing creations in the Louvre is the Nouvel dome. It is a complex geometric structure consisting of 7850 stars. The stars repeat in eight different layers, in different sizes and angles. When alternating parts of the day through the perforations of the dome, the light always filters differently, thus creating a magical atmosphere. This phenomenon is called “light rain“. The palm trees in Abu Dhabi served as the inspiration for his creation, and symbolize respect for nature.

The Louvre displays the artistic activities of mankind from the Neolithic to the present through 12 galleries and its awesome collection. But it does not follow the usual museum standards. It groups works by theme and time frame, not by country or specific civilization, thus pointing to the universality of art and culture.

Opening hours:

Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 10: 00-20: 00
Thursday, Friday: 10: 00-22: 00

Entry: 63 AED

Central market, which is not so much a market

Souk Central Market is a market in Arabic, if we translate the word “souk” literally. But this modern complex is more like a shopping center. It is a replacement for the old central market, which burned down in 2003. Here you will find everything from luxury goods, traditional food to various “consumption experiences” until your cup of material abundance is filled.

Three Hundred View

The view of Abu Dhabi from a bird’s eye view is really exclusive, the city does not even intend to hide this panorama from tourists. Observation Deck at 300 is located at Jumeirah Etihad Towers. Those who are not afraid of heights can enjoy a 360-degree view from the 74th floor and from a height of 300 meters. It is such a scenery and the face of a pulsating city that you would only find “down” on postcards.

Opening hours:

Monday-Sunday: 10: 00-19: 00

Entry:  https://www.jumeirah.com/en/dine/abu-dhabi/etihad-towers-observation-deck-at-300

Yas Island

Travelers who love luxury certainly know Yas Island, they probably already have it on their bucket list. It is a part of the city full of luxurious hotels, megalomaniac attractions, a place for carefree lounging on a deck chair, no one can blame you for hedonistic appetites. It is home to some of Abu Dhabi’s most famous tourist attractions, such as Yas Beach, Yas Mall, Yas Marina Circuit, Warner Bros. World and many more.

Shopping centre Yas Mall

Souk Central Market did not satisfy your shopaholic tastes? This is excellent news for the Abu Dhabi mentality. You have a good reason to visit Yas Mall, whose shops are not just a place of a soulless buying and selling process. Today, there are almost such small cultural centers, and Yas Mall lives nowadays a bit like a platform for social events. It looks like a luxury hotel, you enter this classy cave through the entrance in a futuristic style.

Opening hours:

Saturday-Wednesday: 10: 00-22: 00
Thursday-Friday: 10: 00-22: 00

Warner Bros. World, the world of movie heroes

Imagine that you only visit one attraction and you get to 6 places that you have seen a few times on your TV screen, at once. Doesn’t this sentence sound logical? We are introducing the theme park Warner Bros. World on the Yas Island. It has something to offer each generation, it allows you to “visit” 6 film or fairy-tale stages. The little ones can walk in the world of Cartoon Junction, but adults longing for some excitement await the roller coaster leading to Gotham City. Are the futuristic recesses of your mind awakening? Let them run their course, you will definitely not regret visiting Warner Bros. World.

Opening hours: currently unavailable

Entry: https://www.wbworldabudhabi.com/en/park-overview#park-updates

World of Speed, Ferrari World

Ferrari World is mostly an indoor amusement park on the island of Yas, the first from Ferrari. If you love speed and adrenaline, then you should really visit this attraction, for example, because of the fastest roller coaster in the world, Formula Rossa. Or, if you prefer quiet programs, you can spend a few hours on an old Ferrari model, you can even take part in various quizzes. If you think that these activities are more compatible with the world of adults, then look at the offer of Ferrari World, you will find a few interesting programs for children.

Opening hours: currently unavailable

Entry: https://www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com/en/booking

Where the Grand Prix is ​​born, Yas Marina Circuit

Another attraction on Yas Island is the Yas Marina Circuit. But it is not just a tourist place. It has been home to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009, and this is probably nothing new for Formula 1 fans. Such a competition is always accompanied by a powerful atmosphere, the euphoria is experienced even by those who do not sit behind the wheel. So imagine what it would be like if you were given the opportunity to drive in such a place? You can go to Yas Marina Circuit.

Old Qasr Al Hosn

So that this virtual tour is not boring for a single moment (although this word is not completely compatible with Abu Dhabi), we invite you to the past after the attractions of the 21st century. Would you expected that even in this city you can get into the world of historical past and art? Abu Dhabi’s oldest stone building is Qasr Al Hosn. Built at the end of the 18th century, its watchtower played an important role in managing commercial traffic. However, it has been a cultural center since 2018, and if you have already been stimulated by the nature of the city, you can get lost here for a few hours in the quiet hiding place of an exhibition.

Opening hours:

Saturday-Thursday: 09: 00-19: 00
Friday: 12:00 to 22:00

Entry: from approx. 44 AED

Desert safari

If you type the phrase Empty Quarter into your browser, you’ll probably see some photos of empty quarters first. However, you will certainly find some sand dunes in the search results. The “Empty Quarter”, or Rab-el-Hali, is one of the largest smooth sand deserts in the world. Although you have to leave town for this experience, it’s definitely worth to pend a few hours there, maybe all day. Organized trips offer interesting programs at different times (even in the evening).

Entry and opening hours: https://www.abudhabi-desert-safari.com/

The power of nature in Mangrove National Park

Mangrove National Park is located very close to the town. It is considered to be almost a miracle of nature. This biodiversity center is protected by the Abu Dhabi Environmental Society and represents about 75% of the total mangrove forest area in the United Arab Emirates. In a world of mangrove forests, salt marshes, mud and algae and 60 species of birds, you can enjoy the calming effects of nature, and it will be a completely different type of experience than you would expect in Abu Dhabi. When looking for organized trips, give priority to those that offer environmentally and nature-friendly services so that your visit leaves only a minimal ecological footprint.

Opening hours:

Sunday-Sunday: 10: 00-24: 00

The village of Arab nomads, and Heritage Village

How was life in the Emirates before oil came to power? You can find it in Heritage Village, a traditional village that is actually a Bedouin open-air museum. You will see what tools the Arab nomads used, you will witness the work of craftsmen and weavers, you can go back with them to a time when the country’s main source of income was not oil, but agriculture and pearls.

Opening hours:

Saturday-Thursday: 09: 00-16: 00
Friday: 15: 30-21: 00