Abu Dhabi Holiday Guide: Things to Do, Saadiyat, Yas Island and When to Go

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and a calmer, more cultural alternative to Dubai, 90 minutes up the coast. It has one of the world’s largest mosques, a presidential palace you can walk through, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and a new museum quarter on Saadiyat Island, long white beaches, mangroves you can kayak through, and theme parks and a Formula 1 circuit on Yas Island. Beyond the city are the oasis town of Al Ain and the dunes of the Empty Quarter. Here are the best things to do, the islands and areas, the best time to visit, getting there and where to stay.

Where is Abu Dhabi?

Abu Dhabi is the largest of the seven emirates, taking up most of the UAE’s land, and its capital city sits on an island just off the coast of the Arabian Gulf. The name covers both: the city, and the emirate that runs west to Saudi Arabia, south into the Empty Quarter and east to Al Ain on the border with Oman.

The city is laid out on a grid of wide avenues, with the Corniche running along its northern shore. To the north-east, bridges link it to a string of islands: Saadiyat for beaches and museums, Yas for theme parks and the circuit, and the mangrove islands in between. Dubai is about 140 km up the coast.

Things to do in Abu Dhabi

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Abu Dhabi’s unmissable sight, and one of the largest mosques in the world. It was the vision of Sheikh Zayed, the UAE’s founding president, who is buried here, and it is built of white marble inlaid with flowers in semi-precious stone, with 82 domes, four minarets, gold-leaf calligraphy, vast crystal chandeliers and one of the largest hand-knotted carpets ever made in the main prayer hall. Entry is free and visitors of all faiths are welcome, but book your visit online in advance. Free guided tours in English are available. Go late in the afternoon to see it lit up after sunset. On Fridays the main prayer hall is closed to visitors from 12pm to 3pm for prayers. Respectful clothing is required: loose clothes covering arms and legs, and a headscarf for women.

Qasr Al Watan

Qasr Al Watan is a working presidential palace, where state visits and official summits are still held, that opened its doors to the public in 2019. You walk through white stone halls beneath a huge central dome, past gifts from visiting heads of state, to the great library.

The Great Hall is the highlight, with its painted vaulted ceilings and huge chandelier. In the evening a light and sound show is projected onto the palace facade. Allow two hours, and combine it with the Grand Mosque on the same day: they are both on the edge of the city near the bridges to the mainland.

Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Saadiyat Cultural District

The Louvre Abu Dhabi opened in 2017 on Saadiyat Island, under a vast latticed dome by the architect Jean Nouvel that lets light fall through in what he called a “rain of light”. Its galleries tell the story of human art, with works from every culture side by side. You can walk out to the water’s edge beneath the dome, and kayak tours paddle around the outside.

The museum is now the centrepiece of a whole cultural quarter. The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi opened in November 2025, with a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton and a blue whale, and the Zayed National Museum, designed by Foster + Partners and telling the story of the UAE and its founder, opened in December 2025. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by Frank Gehry, is due to open in December 2026; check the opening date before you go. There is also an immersive digital art museum next door.

The Corniche and the old city

The Corniche is an 8 km promenade along the city’s seafront, with cycle paths, gardens and a public beach with lifeguards. It’s at its best early in the morning or at sunset, when families come out to walk.

Qasr Al Hosn, in the centre, is the city’s oldest stone building: a white fort that grew around an 18th-century watchtower guarding the island’s fresh water. It’s now a museum on the ruling family and the city’s pearl-diving past, with the House of Artisans next door, where Emirati craftswomen weave and embroider.

At the western tip, the Heritage Village recreates a traditional village, with views back to the skyline.

Mangroves and wildlife

Mangrove forest fringes the coast, right beside the city towers. In the Eastern Mangroves, beside the city, you can kayak or paddleboard through the channels with a guide, looking for herons, crabs and, with luck, turtles. Go early in the morning or near sunset in the cooler months.

On Jubail Island, the Jubail Mangrove Park has a raised wooden boardwalk through the trees. For something different, the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital runs tours on falconry in Emirati life.

Abu Dhabi’s islands and areas

Most visitors stay on one of the islands or along the city’s coast. Each has a very different feel:

Saadiyat Island

• Beaches and museums
• 20 minutes from the city

Saadiyat has the best beaches in Abu Dhabi: a long stretch of soft white sand facing the open Gulf, backed by dunes, where hawksbill turtles nest in spring and summer. The beach resorts, a golf course and a public beach line the north shore, and the Louvre and the new museums are at the southern end. Best for a beach and culture together.

Yas Island

• Theme parks
• 10 minutes from the airport

Yas is Abu Dhabi’s entertainment island: several big theme parks (including a water park and a marine-life park), the Yas Marina Circuit, which hosts the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (held in early December), a beach, a marina, a golf course and the Yas Bay waterfront. Best for families.

The Corniche and the city

• City and seafront
• Walk to the beach

Towers along the Corniche, the Breakwater and the Marina area at the western end, close to Qasr Al Hosn, Qasr Al Watan and the malls. Good for a short city stay, with the public beach and promenade on the doorstep and quick taxi rides to everything.

Around the Grand Mosque

• Near the Grand Mosque
• Quieter

The mainland side of the city, around the Grand Mosque and the canal, has resorts with their own man-made beaches and views of the mosque. Handy for both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and for the airport. Al Maryah and Al Reem islands, beside the city, are the modern business districts, with a waterfront promenade and the mangroves next door.

Day trips from Abu Dhabi

Al Ain

• About 1.5 to 2 hours
• UNESCO World Heritage

The UAE’s garden city, on the border with Oman. Walk the shady lanes of the Al Ain Oasis, with tens of thousands of date palms watered by the ancient falaj channels, visit the restored Al Jahili Fort, and drive the winding road up Jebel Hafeet, at about 1,240 m the emirate’s highest mountain, for sunset. Al Ain’s oases and ancient tombs are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Liwa and the Empty Quarter

• About 2.5 to 3 hours
• Stay a night

The edge of the Rub’ al Khali, the world’s largest sand desert, with some of the highest dunes in Arabia, including the Moreeb Dune, around 300 m tall. It’s too far to enjoy as a day trip: stay a night or two at a desert resort or camp for sunset, stars and a dawn walk on the dunes. Closer to the city, half-day desert drives run to the dunes inland.

Sir Bani Yas Island, off the western coast about 3 hours’ drive and a short boat ride away, is a desert island reserve set up by Sheikh Zayed to protect Arabian wildlife. You can see Arabian oryx, gazelles, giraffes and cheetahs on game drives, then kayak and snorkel; you stay in one of a handful of lodges and resorts on the island. Dubai is close enough for a long day out, to go up the Burj Khalifa and see the old souks by the creek, but it’s far better to split your holiday and stay a few nights in each: see our Dubai holiday guide.

Food and drink in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi eats from all over the world, but look out for Emirati food, which you’ll find in heritage restaurants and cafes. Machboos is spiced rice with chicken, lamb or fish; harees is slow-cooked wheat and meat, especially eaten during Ramadan; and luqaimat are small fried dumplings drizzled with date syrup. You’ll be offered gahwa, Arabic coffee spiced with cardamom, with dates as a sign of welcome, and sweet karak tea is sold everywhere. Try grilled hammour (grouper) too. Alcohol is served in licensed venues, mostly in hotels, and weekend brunch at the beach resorts is a local institution.

Best time to visit Abu Dhabi

The heat decides everything. November to March is the best time to visit Abu Dhabi: days are warm and sunny, from about 23°C in January to 30°C in March and November, the sea is warm enough to swim and it’s pleasant to be outdoors all day. December to February is peak season, with Christmas, the Grand Prix in early December and New Year busiest of all. October and April are hot (around 33 to 35°C) but still good for a beach holiday. From May to September it’s extremely hot, often 40°C or more, and humid in late summer: you’ll move between air-conditioned museums, malls, indoor theme parks and the pool. It almost never rains.

Average daily high and low temperature and monthly rainfall in Abu Dhabi city, 10-year ERA5 data (2014 to 2023).

Ramadan: in 2027 Ramadan is expected to start around 8 February and last about a month (the dates depend on the moon). It’s a lovely time to see the city’s evening life, but some restaurants close in the daytime and you should not eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours. See our where to go in December and Christmas and New Year sun guides for other winter-sun ideas.

Abu Dhabi or Dubai?

They are only 90 minutes apart, so many people combine the two. If you have to choose:

Getting to Abu Dhabi from the UK

Flights: direct flights from London Heathrow take about 7 hours, and there are also direct flights from Manchester. You land at Zayed International Airport, about 15 to 20 minutes from Yas Island and 30 minutes from Saadiyat and the city. Many people fly into Dubai instead, which has more UK departures, and drive down in about 1.5 hours.

Stopovers: two or three nights here split a long journey to the Maldives, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka or Asia.

Time difference: the UAE is on GMT+4 all year, so 4 hours ahead of the UK in winter and 3 hours ahead in summer.

Getting around

Taxis are plentiful and the easiest way to get around; use licensed taxis or a recognised ride-hailing app. Hiring a car makes sense for Al Ain and Liwa, but driving is fast and the rules are strictly enforced. Public buses link the city and the islands, and air-conditioned intercity buses run to Dubai and Al Ain. For the desert, the Grand Mosque at dusk or a day in Al Ain, we can arrange a private driver and guide.

Where to stay in Abu Dhabi

• Saadiyat Island for the best beach and the museums: large beach resorts and villas, quiet and stylish. Our pick for couples.
• Yas Island for families and theme parks: hotels from mid-range to luxury, some with direct access to the parks, plus the circuit, a beach and the marina.
• The Corniche for a city stay: towers with sea views, close to the old city and the public beach.
• Near the Grand Mosque for resorts with their own beaches between the city and the airport, handy for Dubai too.
• The desert for one or two nights in a desert resort or camp near Liwa or Al Ain.

Tell us how you like to travel and we’ll match the right resort or hotel; see our UAE holidays for places we book across Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

How many days in Abu Dhabi? Sample routes

Two full days covers the Grand Mosque, Qasr Al Watan and the Louvre. Four or five nights lets you add the beach, the mangroves, Yas Island and a trip to the desert or Al Ain.

More ideas: our Dubai and Maldives holidays guide, multi-centre holidays and a tailor-made holiday built around your dates. For the wider country, see our UAE holiday guide.

Practical tips

• Entry: British passport holders get a free visit visa on arrival for up to 90 days in any 180, and your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you arrive.
• Travel advice: check the FCDO UAE advice before you go. It warns that the situation in the wider Middle East is unpredictable, that flights may be cancelled or airspace closed at short notice, and that you should follow local instructions, including any advice to take shelter. Sign up for FCDO email alerts and take out good travel insurance.
• Dress: in public places such as malls, cover your shoulders and knees; swimwear is for the beach and pool only. Dress more modestly again for mosques and the palace.
• Alcohol: drink only in licensed venues. Drinking or being drunk in public is illegal, the legal age is 21, and there is zero tolerance of drink-driving.
• Medicines: the UAE has zero tolerance of drugs, including CBD products, and some prescription and over-the-counter medicines are controlled. If you take any controlled medication, get approval from the UAE Ministry of Health before you travel.
• Behaviour: public displays of affection, swearing and rude gestures (including online) can lead to arrest. Don’t photograph people, especially women, without permission, or government and military buildings.
• Sea: swim at beaches with lifeguards and flags; rip currents can occur.

Frequently asked questions

Keep planning

• Dubai holiday guide
• UAE holidays
• UAE holiday guide
• Abu Dhabi and Maldives
• Dubai and Maldives holidays
• Oman holiday guide
• Qatar holiday guide
• Maldives holiday guide
• Multi-centre holidays
• Tailor-made holidays