Neighbourhood guide
Saadiyat Island
The museum island: the Louvre, Zayed National Museum and teamLab, and a beach where turtles nest.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Tms2007 · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsSaadiyat Island, 15 minutes’ drive from the city centre, joins two worlds: on its western shore the Cultural District of the Louvre, Zayed National Museum, the Natural History Museum and teamLab Phenomena, and along its northern coast a long natural beach where hawksbill turtles nest, backed by low resorts.
Sights
Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, the Natural History Museum, teamLab Phenomena, Manarat Al Saadiyat and, from 11 December 2026, the Guggenheim; the beach and its turtles.
Eating and drinking
Fouquet’s at the Louvre; Beirut Sur Mer, NIRI, Antonia and Coffee Architecture on Mamsha Al Saadiyat; afternoon tea at the Park Hyatt’s Library.
Staying
The Park Hyatt, the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Jumeirah Saadiyat Island and the Rixos.
Museums in the morning, the sea in the afternoon.
Our advice: buy the museum pass, then swim at Mamsha before dinner.
Why it's on our list
- Sights
- Eating and drinking
- Staying
What’s nearby
Distances from Saadiyat Island are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 12 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- Louvre Abu Dhabi4.8 kmCycle 24 minCar or taxi 14 min
- The Galleria7.4 kmCycle 37 minCar or taxi 19 min
- Qasr Al Hosn11 kmCar or taxi 26 min
- The Corniche13 kmCar or taxi 29 min
- The Grand Mosque15 kmCar or taxi 32 min
- Qasr Al Watan17 kmCar or taxi 35 min
- Ferrari World18 kmCar or taxi 37 min
- Zayed International Airport23 kmCar or taxi 45 min
Location
The map comes from Google Maps, which sets its own cookies once it loads.
More in depth
The back storyAbu Dhabi at the table: stars, the souk and the Emirati kitchenThree MICHELIN stars, Lebanese mezze by the sea, the fish of Al Mina and Emirati breakfasts.
The back storyEmirati FoodGahwa from the dallah, dates, machbous and grilled hammour: the Emirati table and where to taste it.
The back storyWhere Abu Dhabi sleeps: the palace, the islands and the creekEmirates Palace, the Saadiyat resorts, Al Maryah’s towers and the creek facing the Grand Mosque.