The Best Things to Do in Abu Dhabi

A visit to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is worth every minute of the drive out of Dubai (about 45 minutes). This facility, the only one in the world, is devoted to the preservation and health of these amazing birds which play a central role in the history of the Emirates. On a visit to this facility, you’ll be able to hold a falcon on your wrist, learn about the different types of falcons, watch the staff perform some “maintenance” on a bird (typically talon and beak trimming), and even see a feeding. You’ll learn how falcons came to this region (they are not indigenous) and how they travel (with their own passports!). You need to book your tour in advance and while you’re there, you might take a brief side trip to see the beautiful Salukis, hunting dogs that are house in a nearby facility. http://www.falconhospital.com/ Visits are easily booked through the website, the staff are warm, and they do a thorough job accommodating all visitors. Just a short drive outside of Abu Dhabi, it’s well worth the trip.

No matter where you are staying in the UAE, you can’t leave without visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. The mosque, the third-largest in the world, is the final resting place of Sheikh Zayed, the nation’s founder. Even on the hottest summer day, the white marble floors—inlaid with mosaic flowers and vines—remain cool underfoot, and the scale of the space will impress even the most casual observer: The main hall can hold about 7,000 people. Take a tour and learn about the iconography of the intricate tiles and mosaics. Marvel at the huge rug that covers the floor in the main worship space; it’s the largest handmade rug in the world. If you happen to be visiting during Ramadan, you could consider joining one of the community iftar dinners, which sometimes serve as many as a thousand people in an evening.

Manarat al-Saadiyat, Arabic for “place of enlightenment,” is a unique gallery and visitor center dedicated to the future. As Saadiyat Island undergoes a massive transformation into a modern cultural hub, Manarat al-Saadiyat tells the story of its booming development. Two main spaces here are open to the public: one houses a permanent display on the history and culture of Saadiyat Island; the other, an ever-changing series of exhibitions and educational displays. The center is on the northwest side of Saadiyat Island just off the Sheikh Khalifa Highway.

A hub of new development, Marina Island (bridged to Abu Dhabi Island) draws people in to the Marina Mall, fishing, local restaurants, and Marina Eye—a ferris wheel that opened in time for the winter holidays in 2015. Right across the street from Marina Mall, shoppers can enjoy a ride overlooking the city lights at night before popping back indoors for dinner and a movie. Seating up to eight people, the cabins on the wheel are all air conditioned which is an important element of design during the summer in the UAE.

Water sports abound in Abu Dhabi, especially in its many inland tributaries. One of the more popular kayaking spots is the Mangrove National Park, which emerges in a tangle of roots from the Khor al-Baghal Bay, southeast of Al-Reem Island. Kayaking during the day allows you to see the beautiful herons and flamingos that nest in the park, but Noukhada Adventure Company offers a special twist on the mangrove kayak tour. Once a month, on the evening of the full moon, you can be a part of a guided kayak tour of the pristine lagoon and appreciate the natural beauty of the mangrove trees under the moonlight. The tour is ideal for people over 10 years of age who have previous kayaking experience; it costs about $60 per person.

One of Abu Dhabi‘s great pleasures is the ease with which one can escape to a seemingly remote paradise within minutes. If you’d like a tropical getaway without a drive or flight, take a 10-minute ferry from Saadiyat Island and stay at the luxury villas at the Zaya Nurai Island resort. Those who can tear away from the private infinity pool that comes with every villa will find nature walks, snorkeling, outdoor movie nights, and just about any water activity imaginable, from kitesurfing to Flyboarding. Nurai’s dining scene offers a variety of memorable experiences, too—from Book Cellar, a library where guests recline and read with cheese and wine, to Smokin Pineapple, an unapologetically fun beachfront pizza grill.

The annual Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Yas Island is one of the UAE’s top annual tourist attractions, but you may wonder: What is the track—the Yas Marina Circuit—used for during the other 51 weeks of the year? Well, of course, there are races at other times (you can even take the sports car of your dreams out for a spin yourself), but every Tuesday night, the track is turned over to TrainYas. TrainYas welcomes the public to use the 3.5-mile circuit for bicycling, running, and walking. The adrenaline rush of just imagining the Formula One cars speeding by you on the track at speeds of more than 200 miles per hour certainly keeps you motivated during your workout! Admission is free with advance registration.

While the United Arab Emirates is young, the region’s rich heritage is timeless. Warehouse421 is an Abu Dhabi space like no other—it serves as a cultural center, museum, art gallery, and creative-community hub for regional artists who put together exhibitions and events based on Emirati traditions. Presentations focus on everything from the classic garb to the legendary perfumes of the UAE and the bedouin tribes whose existence here precedes the nation’s founding. Warehouse421 also hosts workshops where you can learn traditional art and object-fabrication skills from experts in their fields. On your way out, take a look across the street at the lot filled with old dhows waiting to return to the waters of the Persian Gulf in the shadow of the Abu Dhabi skyline.

Just a few short years after its opening, the NYUAD Art Gallery has made its presence known on Abu Dhabi‘s growing contemporary-art scene, with its unexpected exhibitions by students, local artists, and international creators like Chinese sculptor Ai Weiwei and Syrian-born Diana al-Hadid (Phantom Limb). The gallery hosts plenty of events, too, like an interactive spray-paint-art experience and the Seed, a “live-music, video, dance, and spoken-word performance mash-up.” After viewing whatever’s currently on display, be sure to stop by the new Blacksmith Coffee Company on campus for an espresso. The gallery space is easily accessible at the front of the NYUAD campus on Saadiyat Island, and admission is free.

Whether you’re rolling with kids or hunting for a bar and DJ by the clear waters with other partygoers, the amenities at Yas Beach will be sure to accommodate your needs. It’s situated along Al-Raha Creek, an inlet off the Persian Gulf, and the first decision you’ll need to make here is whether you want a beach chair, a draped cabana, or a private chalet with an air-conditioned indoor lounge, a shower, a TV with karaoke, and a minibar. Or if you’re the restless type, you can just wander from the complex’s pizza bar, to the infinity pool, to the volleyball court...and, well, you get the idea. Take off on a Jet Ski to cruise the waterways surrounding Yas Island if all of the decision-making gets to be too much.

Some experienced travelers would never consider a hotel a “sight,” but Emirates Palace is a full-blown spectacle. A world onto itself, this luxurious spot opened in 2006 to the tune of roughly $6 billion with every conceivable amenity—plus a few you never knew you needed. There’s a beach club with a lazy river, football fields, and nearly four miles of jogging paths; a golf course where you can get tips from a PGA pro; a Bedouin tent for relaxing before a beachfront camel ride; and a luxury spa complete with Moroccan hammam. Marble and gold embellish surfaces everywhere on the property, including in the magnificent tiled dome above the lobby. Whether or not you feel like shelling out serious dough to say you stayed here, you won’t regret a stroll in the lobby for curiosity’s sake.

As a visitor in Abu Dhabi, you often ask yourself: “But where are the Emiratis?” Many of the attractions in the city were designed specifically for tourists, and you may not get a sense of how the typical Emirati family spends their leisure time. Open until midnight daily, Umm Al Emarat Park is a wonderful place to seek out such interaction with the locals. An oasis in the heart of Abu Dhabi, Umm al-Emarat offers visitors a botanic garden, a small zoo, and an amphitheater that hosts films and performances from all over the world. Be sure to enter the Shade House, an open-air structure that houses warm-climate plants and trees and employs louvered mechanical shades to regulate the sunlight, providing a cool space with no artificial air-conditioning.