Things to do in Abu Dhabi

Top attractions in Abu Dhabi at a glance

Prices are for one adult, as of October 2026.

Within Saadiyat, the Cultural District is 10–15 min by taxi from the beach hotels.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The Grand Mosque is the city's best-known building and the first stop for most visitors. It opened in 2007, has 82 domes and four minarets of about 104 m, and holds more than 40,000 worshippers. Sheikh Zayed, the founder of the UAE, is buried on the grounds.

Since September 2026, visitors pay for entry: AED 10 (≈ $3) for tourists, with a pass booked online in advance; visitors aged 60 and over enter free. The mosque is open 09:00–21:00 and closes to visitors on Fridays from 12:00 to 14:30 for prayers. There is a strict dress code for men and women, and the mosque does not lend abayas.

Allow 1.5 to 2 hours including a free guided tour. Hours, the dress code, tours and getting there are in our guide to visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

Museums on Saadiyat Island

Abu Dhabi's main museums are in one place: the Cultural District on Saadiyat Island, about 15 min from downtown. Each museum sells its own ticket, and there is no combined pass. Entry to the Louvre, Zayed and Natural History museums is free for under-18s.

• Louvre Abu Dhabi. Art from the ancient world to the 20th century under Jean Nouvel's dome, open since 2017. Ticket AED 65 (≈ $18), closed on Mondays; allow two to three hours. It had 1.4 million visitors in 2025.
• Zayed National Museum. The UAE's national museum, opened in December 2025 in Foster + Partners' falcon-feather towers. Ticket AED 70 (≈ $19); allow 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi. Dinosaurs, a meteorite and 13.8 billion years of Earth's history, opened in November 2025. Ticket AED 70 (≈ $19); good for children.
• teamLab Phenomena. Rooms of light, water and sound that react to visitors, open since April 2025 and until 22:00 daily. Ticket AED 150 (≈ $41).
• Abrahamic Family House. A mosque, a church and a synagogue on one plaza. Free, with a time slot booked in advance.
• Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. Modern and contemporary art in a Frank Gehry building, opening on 11 December 2026.
• Manarat Al Saadiyat. A cultural center with temporary exhibitions, open until 20:00.

Two days cover all of them comfortably: the Louvre and the Zayed National Museum on one day, the Natural History Museum, teamLab and the Abrahamic Family House on another. The full list is on things to do on Saadiyat.

Qasr Al Watan

Qasr Al Watan is a working presidential palace that opens its halls to visitors, including the Great Hall under the main dome, the Presidential Gifts room and the library, the House of Knowledge. A ticket costs AED 65 (≈ $18) for adults and AED 30 (≈ $8) for children. The palace opens daily; check the official site for current hours and the time of the evening show. Palace in Motion, a light show of about 15 minutes, has its own ticket of AED 25 (≈ $7). Parking at the Visitor Centre is free. Allow around three hours. What is inside, the rules on photos and bags, and how to combine it with Emirates Palace are in our Qasr Al Watan guide.

Qasr Al Hosn

Qasr Al Hosn is the oldest stone building in the city, in downtown Abu Dhabi. It began in 1761 as a watchtower guarding the island's only freshwater well, grew into a small fort in 1793 and became the home of Abu Dhabi's ruling family. After a decade of conservation it reopened in 2018 as a museum of the city's story, together with the National Consultative Council building and the Cultural Foundation next door.

What you can do there:

• The fort. The inner fort and the outer palace make up the museum; the fort has a ticket from AED 31.5 (≈ $9), free for under-18s, though you still pick up a ticket at the entrance.
• The House of Artisans. A workshop space for traditional crafts, with demonstrations, performances and courses, including beginner classes in Sadu, the Bedouin weaving. Free to enter.
• The Cultural Foundation. Sheikh Zayed founded it in 1981 as a cultural center; it reopened in 2018 and hosts exhibitions and events. Free.
• The grounds are free too.

Qasr Al Hosn is open Sat – Thu 09:00–20:00, Fri 14:00–20:00, so on Fridays it opens only from 14:00. In 2025 it had 843,000 visits. Allow one to two hours; a visit combines well with the Corniche, which is a short drive away. The Al Hosn Festival of Emirati heritage was held on the site in January 2026; see our events guide for what is announced.

Abu Dhabi landmarks and architecture

If you are interested in buildings, much of Abu Dhabi can be seen in one loop by car or taxi:

• The Grand Mosque (2007), the white marble landmark described above.
• Louvre Abu Dhabi (2017), Jean Nouvel's dome, on Saadiyat.
• Zayed National Museum (2025), the falcon-feather towers by Foster + Partners, also on Saadiyat.
• Qasr Al Watan (opened to visitors in 2019), the presidential palace.
• Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental (2005), the palace-style hotel at the western end of the Corniche; you can see it from the road and from the water.
• Etihad Towers, five glass towers on the Corniche. The Observation Deck at 300, on the 74th floor, is open to ticket holders; its ticket costs AED 95 (≈ $26), part of which you can spend in the café.
• Qasr Al Hosn (1761), the oldest building in the city.

The Abu Dhabi Corniche and Heritage Village

The Corniche is the waterfront promenade along downtown Abu Dhabi, about 8 km long, with a public beach. Corniche Beach has Blue Flag status and is open 07:00–24:00; swimming is allowed from 07:00 until sunset. Gates 1 to 3 lead to the family section, gates 4 to 6 to the section for single visitors and groups. Entry to the beach costs AED 10 (≈ $3) for adults.

Heritage Village, next to Marina Mall, is free to enter and open Mon – Sun 09:00–16:00, Fri 07:30–12:00 and 15:00–21:00; on Fridays it reopens in the afternoon and stays open into the evening.

Emirates Palace and the Observation Deck at 300 are at the western end of the Corniche; see the landmarks list above.

Things to do with kids in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi has more for children than the museums suggest. Indoor options matter from May to September.

• Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi. Dinosaurs and a meteorite on Saadiyat; indoors, and free for under-18s.
• Warner Bros. World and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi on Yas Island. Warner Bros. World is built around cartoon characters and superheroes; SeaWorld is about marine animals rather than rides. Both are indoors; see the Yas Island guide.
• Emirates Park Zoo, in Al Bahia on the Abu Dhabi to Dubai highway, about 30 minutes by car from the city according to Property Finder. It is open 09:00–21:00 daily; a standard ticket is from AED 50 (≈ $14). Expect to be outdoors for a good part of the visit.
• The National Aquarium at Al Qana, on the Abu Dhabi waterfront. When it opened it was described as the biggest aquarium in the Middle East, with ten zones and more than 300 species, among them more than 200 sharks and rays. It is open Sun – Wed 10:00–20:00, Thu – Sat 10:00–22:00. It is indoors, which makes it a good summer choice.

Masdar City

Masdar City, started in 2008 as a planned low-carbon city, is about 10 minutes from the airport and is open to the public. Its design uses shaded streets and wind towers to cool the air without much energy. It is worth a short stop for the architecture if you are near the airport.

Yas Island theme parks

Yas Island, about 15 min from Saadiyat by taxi, has four theme parks: Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. Single-day tickets start from AED 280 (≈ $76), and multi-park tickets cover two, three or all four parks within six days. Three of the four are indoors, which makes them a summer option. Each park needs a full day. Prices, ages and the free shuttle between parks are in our Yas Island guide.

Mangroves, kayaking and nature

• Eastern Mangrove National Park. Guided kayak tours through the mangroves take 1.5 to 2 hours and typically cost AED 160–250 (≈ $44–68) per person. Go in the cooler months, early or late in the day.
• Jubail Mangrove Park. Raised boardwalks about 2.3 km long run through the mangroves. Check the entry fee and opening hours on the park's website before you go.
• Saadiyat's beaches. Hawksbill turtles nest on Saadiyat from March to July. Kai Beach is the easiest place for a day visitor to see the protected nesting area; all Saadiyat beaches charge entry.

Day trips from Abu Dhabi

• Al Ain. About 154 km by road. Its oasis has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011.
• Liwa desert. About 200 km and 2.5 hours by road, for the dunes; Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort is there if you want to stay overnight.
• Dubai. About 136 km by road, or around an hour between stations on the new Etihad Rail train; see Dubai to Abu Dhabi.

Organized day trips, desert safaris and city tours are collected on Abu Dhabi tours.

Where to go in Abu Dhabi at night and in summer

At night. The Grand Mosque stays open to visitors until 21:00. The Louvre's galleries stay open later from Friday to Sunday, and the area under the dome stays open after the galleries close. teamLab Phenomena is open until 22:00. At Qasr Al Watan, the Palace in Motion show starts after dark. The Corniche beach area is open until midnight, and Heritage Village has evening hours on Fridays. For bars and clubs, and which venues serve alcohol, see our Abu Dhabi nightlife guide.

In summer. From May to September daytime temperatures reach 44°C (111°F), so plan indoor sights for the middle of the day: the Saadiyat museums, the indoor parks on Yas, Qasr Al Watan and the malls. Keep outdoor plans, such as the Corniche and the mosque's courtyards, for early morning or after sunset. For the weather month by month, see best time to visit; for festivals and concerts, see Abu Dhabi events.

How many days do you need in Abu Dhabi?

Visit Abu Dhabi recommends three to five days. A simple plan, with Saadiyat as a base:

• Day 1: Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Zayed National Museum, sunset under the Louvre dome.
• Day 2: the Grand Mosque in the morning, Qasr Al Watan in the afternoon and Palace in Motion in the evening. The palace is about 15–20 min from the Louvre by taxi.
• Day 3: Qasr Al Hosn, the Corniche and Heritage Village; or a beach day on Saadiyat.
• Days 4–5: Yas Island theme parks, the Natural History Museum and teamLab, or a day trip to Al Ain.

With only one day, pick the Grand Mosque plus the Louvre: the mosque is open from 9:00, and the Louvre is on Saadiyat, about 20 min from the mosque by taxi. Saadiyat's beach hotels put the museums within 10–15 min by taxi; see the map for where everything is. For the bigger picture, start with our Abu Dhabi travel guide.