People who plan a UAE holiday often spend most of their days in Dubai. However, they treat Abu Dhabi as a side trip. Just one visit to the Grand Mosque in the capital – and that’s it. Abu Dhabi actually deserves a lot more attention than that. The city has a quiet charm. It showcases a lovely culture. There are great places for families with kids. And that’s why families now prefer staying for two or three days here. If you are planning that too, here is what you can do.
Why Booking an Abu Dhabi City Tour Makes Sense
Before moving into the list of popular activities in Abu Dhabi, simply start with a normal city tour if visiting with your family. You get to see the best that the city features in one day – from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Qasr Al Watan to the Corniche, Heritage Village, Emirates Palace and a quick photo stop at Yas Island. The only way to visit from one spot to another is by taxi. With a family, cab rides are slow and the cost builds up before you know it. While if go with Abu Dhabi city tour package then the transport, guide and hotel pickup and drop is already included. And shared tours from Dubai start from around AED 150 to AED 250 per person. Big plus point is that kids and elders don’t get tired in planning, they just sit in the vehicle and enjoy the places. So it saves your time and money both.
Now here are 7 unique experiences that you can add to your Abu Dhabi city tour but make sure to either go through a travel agency or hire a cab with guide to have a worry less travel experience:
1. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque at Sunset
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is beautiful at any time, but the sunset visit is something different. The white marble changes colour with the sky. Entry is free but you have to book a time slot online and follow the dress code, so ladies should carry abaya or long clothes with scarf. My suggestion is to reach around one hour before sunset so you get both day and night view.
2. Qasr Al Watan Palace
Qasr Al Watan is the working presidential palace of UAE which is open for public visit. Inside there is a big library, the Great Hall with a huge dome and some rooms where they show gifts given to UAE by other countries. Palace ticket is around AED 65 for adults. In the evening there is also Palace in Motion light show on the outside of the building, which families enjoy a lot.
3. Louvre Abu Dhabi
Louvre Abu Dhabi is on Saadiyat Island and even if you are not much into art, the building itself is worth seeing. The roof is made like a big dome with holes, so the sunlight comes inside in small spots and it looks like rain of light. Adult ticket is around AED 63 and kids below 13 enter free, which is good for families.
4. Kayaking in the Mangroves
Most of the tourists don’t know that Abu Dhabi has green mangrove forests right inside the city. At Eastern Mangroves and Jubail Mangrove Park you can do guided kayaking where you paddle slowly between the trees and sometimes see crabs, herons and small fishes. Guided kayak tours are around AED 150 to AED 200 per person. Morning or late afternoon is the best time for it.
5. Ferrari World on Yas Island
Now if your family has teenagers who love speed, then Ferrari World comes into the picture. It is an indoor theme park with Formula Rossa (one of the fastest roller coaster in the world) and also many slow rides for small kids. Single day ticket is around AED 345 per person, and if you have two days then combo tickets with Yas Waterworld or Warner Bros World gives better value.
6. Emirates Palace and the Corniche
Emirates Palace is one of the most luxurious hotels in the world and you can visit the lobby and cafe even if you are not staying there. Many tourists go there only to try the famous gold flakes cappuccino which costs around AED 70 to AED 100. After that you can take a walk or cycle on the Corniche, which is around 8 km long beach side walkway with clean beaches and play areas for kids.
7. Heritage Village and Qasr Al Hosn
Suppose you want to understand how Emiratis lived before the oil time, then Heritage Village and Qasr Al Hosn are the right places. Heritage Village is free to enter and it shows old tents, a small souk and traditional crafts like pottery and weaving. Qasr Al Hosn is the oldest stone building in Abu Dhabi and its ticket is around AED 30 for adults.
Having said that, Abu Dhabi is a more relaxed city than Dubai and it is best enjoyed at a slow pace with family.
