UltimateCity Guide Abu Dhabi
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The old Al Maqta watchtower on its island in the creek The white watchtower and courtyard of Qasr Al Hosn, with towers behind Brass dallahs, the traditional coffee pots The lobby of Emirates Palace: twin staircases under a golden dome and chandeliers The palm-lined approach to the Grand Mosque, with its white domes and minarets

The city guide to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Best of Abu Dhabi · This week

Article of the weekAbu Dhabi fun factsFun facts about Abu Dhabi, each with its source: Qasr Al Hosn’s watchtower of the 1760s, the Falcon Hospital (1999), Al Ain Oasis’s 147,000 date…Read the article In depthAbu Dhabi at the table: stars, the souk and the Emirati kitchenThree MICHELIN stars, two of them inside Emirates Palace and one in the shadow of Qasr Al Hosn; Lebanese mezze by the sea; the fish of Al Mina; and…Read the article In depthEmirati FoodGahwa poured from the dallah, dates, machbous, and hammour from the charcoal grill by Zayed Port: the Emirati table, and where to taste it in Abu…Read the article In depthWhere Abu Dhabi sleeps: the palace, the islands and the creekEmirates Palace on its private beach, the resorts of Saadiyat beside the turtles’ shore, the towers of Al Maryah, the Ritz-Carlton and the Shangri-La…Read the article In depthThe white city on the water: reading Abu Dhabi’s great sightsThe white domes of the Grand Mosque, the silver dome of the Louvre, a fort of the 1760s among the towers, a palace you can walk through, and the…Read the article

Launch edition · Autumn 2026

The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakSister guideULTIMATE Rail JourneysThe great train journeys and where to book themA cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, MontenegroSister guideULTIMATE CruisesLines, ships and itineraries, from river to expeditionThe Matterhorn in winter above ZermattSister guideULTIMATE Ski ResortsSeason dates, hotels and ski schools, resort by resortThe Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratSister guideULTIMATE PropertySaadiyat, Yas, Al Reem and the investment-zone rules

Abu Dhabi, a city of islands

Abu Dhabi grew from a pearling settlement around the watchtower of Qasr Al Hosn into the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and it has spread across the islands around it: Saadiyat with its museums and turtle beach, Yas with its theme parks and Grand Prix circuit, Al Maryah with its towers and restaurants.

Here are the palace hotel and the island resorts, the three MICHELIN-starred kitchens and the Emirati tables, the mangroves, the beaches and the desert, with journeys to Al Ain, Liwa and Sir Bani Yas Island. Every listing is checked against the venue’s own website or an official source, and anything we can’t confirm is left out.

In depth

The white city on the water

Abu Dhabi·In depth

The Grand Mosque, the Louvre’s dome, the fort where the city began and the islands of turtles and theme parks: how to read Abu Dhabi.

Read the story

Hotels

Where to stay in Abu Dhabi

All 19 hotels

Our favourite hotels in Abu Dhabi. Each links to the hotel’s own page on Booking.com.

Areas

Abu Dhabi, island by island

Eight areas, each with its own guide: Saadiyat’s museums and beach, the theme parks of Yas, the towers of Al Maryah, the fort at Al Hosn and the Corniche, the palaces of Al Ras Al Akhdar, the port at Al Mina, the Grand Mosque on the creek and the mangroves of the eastern shore.

Saadiyat beach: white sand and a turquoise seaNeighbourhood guideSaadiyat IslandMuseums and the turtle beachA Ferrari Formula 1 car on show at Ferrari WorldNeighbourhood guideYas IslandTheme parks and the circuitThe waterfront promenade of Al Maryah Island, facing the city across the channelNeighbourhood guideAl Maryah & Al ReemTowers and terracesOld wooden dhows on the Corniche beach, with the skyline across the waterNeighbourhood guideThe Corniche & Al HosnWhere the city beganEmirates Palace and the Etihad Towers lit up at night under a full moonNeighbourhood guideAl Ras Al Akhdar & Al BateenPalaces and the marina

Which island?

Stay on Saadiyat for the beach and the museums, on the Corniche for the city, and on Yas for the theme parks and the Grand Prix.

  1. Neighbourhood guideAl Mina & Zayed PortThe working port
  2. Neighbourhood guideKhor Al Maqta & the Grand MosqueThe white domes on the creek

History

History & heritage

The oases of Al Ain and their Bronze Age tombs, the pearling town around Qasr Al Hosn, the union of 1971 and the museum island of today.

The white watchtower and courtyard of Qasr Al HosnHistory & heritageAbu Dhabi: from the oases to the island capitalA pearling town, a fort and a capital of islands

Practical

Before you go

Visas and the seasons, the airport and the complimentary visitor shuttles, and the itineraries that work for a first visit.

The Corniche promenade at golden hour, with the towers of the city behindBefore you goAbu Dhabi essentialsVisas, 999 and the seasonsThe vaulted terminal of Zayed International AirportGetting aroundGetting aroundShuttles, taxis and the trainThe dome of Louvre Abu Dhabi casting its “rain of light” over a gallery wallItineraryAbu Dhabi in three daysThe fort, the mosque and the LouvreUnder the dome of Louvre Abu Dhabi: white galleries, steps and the sea water insideItineraryA day on the museum islandOne pass, three museumsQasr Al Sarab and its pool among palms, with the Empty Quarter’s dunes beyondLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addresses

Getting about

The Experience Abu Dhabi shuttle links the airport and downtown with the Louvre and The Galleria, at no charge.

  1. ItineraryThe Gold weekendThe palace and two stars
  2. ItineraryThe Platinum weekendSaadiyat and the Empty Quarter

Our advice

Book the Grand Mosque for late afternoon

Visitors pre-book an online access pass; go in the late afternoon, when the white marble turns gold and the courtyard fills with light. The Grand Mosque

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Day trips

Beyond Abu Dhabi

The oasis city of Al Ain, the great dunes of Liwa, the wildlife island of Sir Bani Yas, and Dubai an hour away by train.

A walled path through the date palms of Al Ain OasisBeyond Abu DhabiAl AinThe oasis cityThe sun setting over the dunes of LiwaBeyond Abu DhabiLiwa & the Empty QuarterThe great dunesAn Arabian oryx on a red sand duneBeyond Abu DhabiSir Bani Yas IslandThe wildlife island
  1. Beyond Abu DhabiDubai by trainAbout 64 minutes

Our advice

Kayak the mangroves at high tide

Mangrove National Park is best explored by kayak or paddleboard at high tide, with a licensed operator from the Eastern Mangroves promenade. Mangrove National Park

In depth

In depth: the stories behind Abu Dhabi

The great sights from the Grand Mosque to Yas, the table from Erth to the fish market, the arts under the Louvre’s dome, the hotels, getting around and what a foreign buyer should know: the stories behind Abu Dhabi.

A white beach and channel in Mangrove National Park, the skyline in the distanceIn depth: nature & wildlifeWild Abu DhabiFlamingos, turtles and oryxThe Al Hosn site: the fort’s tower and arcades under a blue skyThe back storyAbu Dhabi at the tableStars, the souk and the Emirati kitchenThe back storyUnder the domeFrom the Louvre to the Guggenheim

At the table

Three MICHELIN stars, two of them in Emirates Palace; but start with the Emirati kitchens: Erth, Al Mrzab and Meylas.

  1. The back storyWhere Abu Dhabi sleepsPalace, beach or creek

The ULTIMATE City Guides around the world

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Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

The pyramids of Giza across the desertEgyptULTIMATE CairoThe Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, the minarets of Islamic Cairo, feluccas on the Nile and journeys to Luxor and Aswan.Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hourUnited Arab EmiratesULTIMATE DubaiBurj Khalifa and the Fountain, abras on the Creek, resorts on the Palm, every MICHELIN star of 2026 and day trips to Abu Dhabi and Hatta.The Koutoubia minaret rising above the palms of its gardens on a clear morningMoroccoULTIMATE MarrakechJemaa el-Fna and the Koutoubia, the souks and the riads, La Mamounia and Majorelle, and the Atlas, the Agafay and Essaouira beyond.The Riyadh skyline at dusk, with the Kingdom Centre and Al FaisaliahSaudi ArabiaULTIMATE RiyadhMud-brick At-Turaif on the wadi, the Masmak and the souqs, the towers of KAFD, Saudi kitchens with a Bib Gourmand and the Edge of the World.Canal houses and bridges in Amsterdamthe NetherlandsULTIMATE AmsterdamThe canal ring, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, canal-house hotels, twenty MICHELIN-starred tables, brown cafés, and day trips to Haarlem and Keukenhof.The Alhambra in Granada in the evening lightSpainULTIMATE AndalusiaSeville, Granada and the Alhambra, Córdoba, Málaga, Cádiz and Jerez, Ronda and the white villages, Doñana and Cabo de Gata.

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HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

The latest from our readers: visitors and residents talking about Abu Dhabi, its museums, beaches, restaurants and islands.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    Mangrove National Park

    This week's pick

    Mangrove National Park

    Eastern Mangroves·National park

    Take a kayak or a paddleboard into Mangrove National Park from the Eastern Mangroves promenade, at high tide, with a licensed operator; herons and flamingos come and go with the seasons.

    Find out more

    Itineraries

    Plan your day

    A cheetah resting in the shade at Al Ain ZooItineraryA day in Al AinOne dayItineraryA property viewing day: Saadiyat, Al Reem and YasOne day

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants

    1. 1Abu Dhabi at the table: stars, the souk and the Emirati kitchenAbu Dhabi · In depth
    2. 2Emirati FoodAbu Dhabi · In depth: food
    3. 3ErthAl Hosn · Restaurant
    See all 27

    Cafés

    1. 1Le Café, Emirates PalaceEmirates Palace · Café
    2. 2Observation Deck at 300Etihad Towers · Tea room
    3. 3Majlis by Pierre HerméAl Maryah Island · Tea room
    See all 9

    Bars

    1. 1Ray’s BarEtihad Towers · Bar
    2. 2ImpressionsEastern Mangroves · Lounge
    3. 3W LoungeYas Island · Bar
    See all 8

    Hotels

    1. 1Where Abu Dhabi sleeps: the palace, the islands and the creekAbu Dhabi · In depth
    2. 2Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu DhabiAl Ras Al Akhdar · Grand hotel
    3. 3Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad TowersCorniche West · Grand hotel
    See all 19

    Sights

    1. 1The white city on the water: reading Abu Dhabi’s great sightsAbu Dhabi · In depth
    2. 2Abu Dhabi: from the oases to the island capitalAbu Dhabi · In depth: history and heritage
    3. 3Sheikh Zayed Grand MosqueKhor Al Maqta · Mosque
    See all 18

    Arts & Culture

    1. 1Under the dome: Abu Dhabi’s arts, from the Louvre to the GuggenheimAbu Dhabi · In depth
    2. 2Louvre Abu DhabiSaadiyat Island · Museum
    3. 3Zayed National MuseumSaadiyat Island · Museum
    See all 16

    Parks

    1. 1Wild Abu Dhabi: Flamingos, Mangroves, Turtles and OryxAbu Dhabi · In depth: nature & wildlife
    2. 2Mangrove National ParkEastern Mangroves · National park
    3. 3Jubail Mangrove ParkJubail Island · Nature park
    See all 7

    Walks

    1. 1The Corniche promenadeCorniche · Seafront walk
    2. 2Mamsha Al SaadiyatSaadiyat Island · Beachfront walk
    3. 3Yas Bay WaterfrontYas Island · Waterfront walk
    See all 6

    Shopping

    1. 1The Galleria Al Maryah IslandAl Maryah Island · Mall
    2. 2Yas MallYas Island · Mall
    3. 3Marina MallBreakwater · Mall
    See all 9

    Health

    1. 1Emergencies: call 999UAE · Emergency numbers
    2. 2The sun, the heat and the seaAbu Dhabi · Safety
    3. 3Cleveland Clinic Abu DhabiAl Maryah Island · Hospital
    See all 10

    Property

    1. 1Buying in Abu Dhabi: investment zones, DARI and the rules for foreign buyersAbu Dhabi · In depth
    2. 2Foreign buyers: the investment zonesAbu Dhabi · The rules
    3. 3DARIAbu Dhabi · Official platform
    See all 5

    Developments

    1. 1Guggenheim Abu DhabiSaadiyat Island · Museum
    2. 2Etihad Rail passenger trainsUAE · Railway
    3. 3Disneyland Abu DhabiYas Island · Theme park
    See all 6

    Cars & boats

    1. 1Yas Marina CircuitYas Island · Race circuit
    2. 2Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand PrixYas Island · Grand Prix
    3. 3Taxis and ride-hailingAbu Dhabi · Taxis
    See all 6

    Getting Around

    1. 1Getting around Abu Dhabi: the airport, the shuttles, the buses and the new railwayAbu Dhabi · In depth
    2. 2Zayed International Airport (AUH)Abu Dhabi · Airport
    3. 3Experience Abu Dhabi shuttle busAbu Dhabi · Visitor shuttle
    See all 7