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Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque reflected in its pools

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi

A calmer capital: the Sheikh Zayed Mosque late in the day, Louvre Abu Dhabi and the dunes.

  • Typical stay: 2–3 days

Why ⁨Abu Dhabi⁩?

  1. Sheikh Zayed Mosque

    The white marble Sheikh Zayed Mosque, best in the last light.

  2. Saadiyat's museums

    Louvre Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum in the Saadiyat Cultural District.

  3. Towards the Empty Quarter

    Dunes running south towards the Empty Quarter for a day out.

Before you go

  • Currency

    United Arab Emirates Dirham

  • Language

    Arabic

  • Time difference

    GMT+4

  • Getting around

    Ride-hailing

  • Driving

    On the right

  • Airports

    AUH

Best time to visit ⁨Abu Dhabi⁩

November to March

  • January

    Average high: 24°C

    Average low 18°C

    Coldest month

    2 days of rain

    Wettest month

    Best time to go

  • February

    Average high: 25°C

    Average low 18°C

    1 day of rain

    Best time to go

  • March

    Average high: 28°C

    Average low 20°C

    2 days of rain

    Best time to go

  • April

    Average high: 32°C

    Average low 23°C

    1 day of rain

    Good time to go

  • May

    Average high: 36°C

    Average low 27°C

    0 days of rain

  • June

    Average high: 39°C

    Average low 30°C

    0 days of rain

  • July

    Average high: 40°C

    Average low 32°C

    0 days of rain

  • August

    Average high: 41°C

    Average low 32°C

    Warmest month

    0 days of rain

  • September

    Average high: 39°C

    Average low 30°C

    0 days of rain

  • October

    Average high: 35°C

    Average low 27°C

    0 days of rain

    Good time to go

  • November

    Average high: 30°C

    Average low 24°C

    0 days of rain

    Best time to go

  • December

    Average high: 26°C

    Average low 20°C

    2 days of rain

    Best time to go

Places in ⁨Abu Dhabi⁩

Compare flight tickets to ⁨Abu Dhabi⁩

Trip plans for ⁨Abu Dhabi⁩

Local tips

  • Insider tips

    1. Do not plan the mosque and Saadiyat for the same half-day: opposite ends of a city with no metro.

    2. The mosque is best in the last light, when the white marble takes the sky's colour.

  • Customs and safety

    1. The Sheikh Zayed Mosque asks for ankles, wrists and hair covered; during prayers, visitors step aside.

    2. Between May and September heat and humidity push life indoors and into the night; November to March is pleasant.

  • Food and prayer

    1. Halal is the ordinary case across the city. Where a hotel serves pork it is a separate, labelled section.

    2. Mosques in every district; prayer rooms in malls, museums and the airport. Sheikh Zayed closes to visitors during prayers.

Getting around ⁨Abu Dhabi⁩

  • Ride-hailing

    How the city is covered. There is no metro, the landmarks are far apart, and the fare is settled in the app.

    Recommended

  • Taxi

    Plentiful and metered, and the usual alternative to an app.

  • Car

    Worth it if you are going to Saadiyat, the mosque and out to the desert in the same trip; the roads are fast and parking is easy.

From the airport

  • AUH

    Zayed International Airport

    Taxi, Ride-hailing, and Bus

Things to do in ⁨Abu Dhabi⁩

Tours, tickets and experiences.

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eSIM plans in ⁨United Arab Emirates⁩

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Continue your ⁨United Arab Emirates⁩ trip

About ⁨Abu Dhabi⁩

The city is on an island, joined to the mainland by bridges, and it was laid out rather than grown. The result is wide, low and orderly, with long distances between the things a visitor comes for.

Two things anchor a visit and they are at opposite ends: the Sheikh Zayed Mosque on the mainland side, and the museums on Saadiyat off the north-eastern shore. Everything else sits between them along the corniche.

Photo credits

Photographs on this page, with their licences.

Data sources