Abu Dhabi · Desert & dunes
Into the Empty Quarter
Drive south past Liwa to where the dunes stop being scenery and start being terrain. Moreeb rises more than 300 metres and the silence at the top is total.
Full day or overnightAED 650 from
City · Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi city
The capital sits on an island joined to the mainland by bridges, which is why it feels ordered rather than sprawling: a corniche along one edge, the mosque and the palace inland, and the cultural district on Saadiyat next door. It is the emirate's administrative centre and the quietest of the country's big cities after dark.
What marks it out
- Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, open to visitors outside prayer times
- Qasr Al Watan, the working presidential palace
- The corniche, eight kilometres of it, walkable at dusk
Getting there
About ninety minutes from Dubai on the E11 in clear traffic, and Abu Dhabi's own airport is twenty-five minutes from the centre.
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24.4539, 54.3773
Abu Dhabi
Experiences in this emirate
Abu Dhabi · Heritage & forts
The Grand Mosque before the crowds
Arrive as the courtyard marble is still cool. Eighty-two domes, a carpet woven in one piece, and light that changes the building every twenty minutes.
2 hoursFree
Abu Dhabi · Arts & museums
Louvre Abu Dhabi, slowly
Twelve chapters of human history under a dome that rains light. Two hours is the minimum; the sea-facing galleries are the ones people miss.
2–3 hoursAED 63 from
What's on
What is on in this emirate
Sport
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Early December
The closing round of the Formula 1 season at Yas Marina, run into the dusk, with concerts on the same tickets.
Ticketed
Grandstand and general-admission tickets are sold by the race promoter, and the concerts are included in the race ticket.
Abu Dhabi
Heritage
Sheikh Zayed Festival
November to March
A months-long heritage and culture festival in Al Wathba, with national pavilions, souks and a nightly fireworks record attempt or two.
Free entry
Entry to the festival grounds is free. Individual rides, shows and food inside are paid at the stand.
Abu Dhabi
Heritage
Al Dhafra Festival
December
A camel beauty and heritage festival deep in the Western Region, where the judging criteria are older than the country.
Free entry
Entry is free. It is a working competition rather than a show, and the days start early.
Abu Dhabi
Cities
Elsewhere in Abu Dhabi
City
Al Ain
The garden city inland, and the country's on…
Neighbourhood
The Corniche, Abu Dhabi
Eight kilometres of waterfront, with a publi…
Island
Saadiyat Island
The capital's cultural district, and a turtl…
Island
Yas Island
The entertainment island: a Formula 1 circui…
Island
Sir Bani Yas
A wildlife reserve island in the western Gul…
Island
Delma Island
An inhabited pearling island with archaeolog…
Region
Al Dhafra
Abu Dhabi's western region: oases, salt flat…