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United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi: Grand Mosque, Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Yas Island in One Port Day

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is built largely on an island, laid out in large blocks divided by wide, multi-lane roads. The regional situation can change quickly, so read your government's current travel advice for the UAE shortly before your trip.

Good to know

Zayed Port & the Basics

Ships berth at the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal in Zayed Port, in the northeast of the city. Inside are restaurants and a currency exchange, and public transport serves the port.

  • Terminal 2 opened in late 2022, and three very large ships can berth at the same time.
  • The United Arab Emirates uses the dirham (AED), which is pegged to the US dollar.
  • Abu Dhabi keeps Gulf Standard Time, UTC+4.

Abu Dhabi on Your Own

Abu Dhabi's sights are spread out, so an independent day here means taxis between two or three stops rather than a walk. Pick Qasr Al Hosn downtown and the Grand Mosque, or the Louvre on Saadiyat Island, and leave plenty of time to get back.

  • Qasr Al Hosn: The fort downtown grew from an 18th-century watchtower. You can walk the grounds and visit the House of Artisans without a ticket; the fort itself is ticketed.
  • Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: Visitors book an entry pass online before they go, and must meet the mosque's dress code. On Fridays visiting is split around midday, so check opening times before you go.
  • The Corniche: An 8-kilometer waterfront promenade runs along the western side of the island.
  • Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own.
  • Watch the clock: All-aboard is given in ship's time, which may not match local clocks or your phone.

Getting Around

Taxis are the usual way for visitors to get around Abu Dhabi, and the official ones are metered. Walking is hard work for visitors, since summer temperatures can pass 45 °C.

  • Taxis: Official taxis are silver with a yellow roof sign, and can be booked through the Abu Dhabi Taxi app as well as hailed.
  • Ride-hailing: App-based services also work in the city.
  • Buses: City buses take the Hafilat smart card, which you tap when you board and again when you get off so the right fare is charged. Cards are sold from machines at the main bus station, near Abu Dhabi Mall and at the airport.
  • Yas and Saadiyat: Both islands are off the main island, so plan on a taxi each way.

Food & Drink

Emirati cooking brings together the food of desert herders, Gulf fishermen and date farmers, with meat, fish and rice as its staples. For a quick meal on a port day, the cafés at Marsa Mina are beside the terminal.

  • Dates and coffee: Guests are traditionally welcomed with dates and gahwa, Arabic coffee, often flavored with cardamom or saffron.
  • Luqaimat: These small balls of fried batter are rolled in sesame and drizzled with date syrup or honey.
  • Meat and fish: Lamb and mutton are the preferred meats, and camel meat is kept for special occasions.

Culture & Museums

Abu Dhabi's cultural sights include a working mosque, a presidential palace and museums on Saadiyat Island.

  • Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: Built between 1994 and 2007, it is the country's largest mosque, with 82 domes, more than 1,000 columns and the world's largest hand-knotted carpet. Women must wear loose clothing to the ankles with sleeves to the wrists and cover their hair; men should cover their legs and avoid sleeveless or tight tops. Photos are allowed only at marked photo points.
  • Louvre Abu Dhabi: Opened in November 2017 on Saadiyat Island under an agreement with France, it is the largest art museum in the Arabian Peninsula, beneath a dome designed by Jean Nouvel.
  • Zayed National Museum: The UAE's national museum opened on Saadiyat Island in December 2025.
  • Qasr Al Watan: The presidential palace, completed in 2017, opened to visitors in 2019 and is still used for state occasions.

History

Abu Dhabi began in the 1760s, when the Bani Yas tribe of the Liwa Oasis found fresh water on the island and built a watchtower to guard it. Pearling made the town prosperous, oil transformed it after 1939, and in 1971 it became the capital of the new United Arab Emirates.

  • 1760s: The Bani Yas found water on the island, and Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa had a watchtower built from coral and sea stone.
  • 1795: Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab moved his seat from the Liwa Oasis to the island, and during his rule more towers were joined to make the fort.
  • 1855 to 1909: Under Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa, known as Zayed the Great, Abu Dhabi had more than 400 pearling boats by the late 1800s.
  • From the late 1920s: Cultured pearls from Japan undercut the Gulf's natural pearl trade.
  • 1939: Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan signed the first oil concessions, and later enlarged the fort into a palace.
  • 1968 to 1972: Zayed Port was established and opened, named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
  • 1971: The United Arab Emirates was formed, with meetings on the union held at Qasr Al Hosn.
  • 2002 to 2004: Land was reclaimed from the sea to extend the Corniche.
  • 2007: The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was inaugurated in December.
  • 2017 and 2025: The Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Zayed National Museum opened on Saadiyat Island.
  • To learn more ashore: Qasr Al Hosn, on Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street downtown, is the city's oldest building. Check opening times before you go.

With Kids

Plan a family day in Abu Dhabi around the heat: mix one indoor sight with time by the water.

  • Younger children: The Corniche has children's play areas and separate paths for walking and cycling.
  • School age: Parents are responsible for their children during a mosque visit, so go over the dress code and photo rules with them first.
  • Teenagers: Yas Island has the Ferrari World and Warner Bros. World theme parks and the Yas Waterworld water park. Ferrari World's Formula Rossa held the record as the world's fastest roller coaster from its opening in 2010 until a faster coaster opened.

Accessibility

Distances and heat make taxis the practical way to get around Abu Dhabi with limited mobility. Plan short walks between air-conditioned stops.

  • At the Grand Mosque, visitors are responsible for anyone with a disability who comes with them, so ask about assistance when you book your pass.
  • Booking a taxi by app saves waiting outside in the heat.

Shopping

You can shop without leaving the port: the cruise terminal has souvenir shops, and Marsa Mina, built beside the terminal in 2019, has shops and cafés. Downtown, Qasr Al Hosn's House of Artisans is a place to see Emirati crafts.

  • House of Artisans: Crafts are part of Qasr Al Hosn's cultural program.
  • Malls: Abu Dhabi Mall and Marina Mall are both served by city buses.

Beaches

Corniche Beach, on the western side of the main island, is Abu Dhabi's city beach. Saadiyat Island, home of the Louvre, has beach clubs.

  • Corniche Beach: Sand has built up along parts of the Corniche, and people use it as a public beach.
  • Saadiyat Island: Besides its cultural institutions, the island has some beach clubs.
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