Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The city of Abu Dhabi is located on an island in the Persian Gulf, off the Central West Coast. It’s a beautiful city with architecture that will blow your mind away. My husband and I visited back in November of 2017. We also went to Dubai, but that’s a whole other world that I’ll share in another post. Below are my favorite things to do in Abu Dhabi.
1. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
The Grand Mosque is by far the most popular and beautiful sight in Abu Dhabi. It’s enormous and a perfect example of modern Islamic architecture. It’s also only one of the two mosques in the UAE that’s open to non-Muslim tourists. That means tourists from all over the world can walk across the world’s largest handwoven rug and stare at one of the largest chandeliers. This mosque features 82 domes and more than 1,000 columns with gold accents. You may explore the mosque on your own or schedule a free guided tour which needs to be scheduled in advance. My hubby and I explored the mosque on our own as we like to take pictures and take in the beauty at our own pace. Ladies, if you’re planning to visit, make sure to wear conservative, loose fitting clothes. You will be asked to cover up per traditional customs. Men are not allowed to wear shorts. I also suggest you bring a pair of socks, as you need to remove your shoes prior to entering.
2. Yas Island
The Yas Island is an island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It’s a popular leisure island and one of the top tourism projects in the city. Yas Island holds the Yas Marina Circuit, which has hosted the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009. My husband and I were lucky enough to be there during the Formula One back in 2017. There’s a lot of outdoor restaurants to savor the beautiful views while dinning. We enjoyed daily concerts held outdoors while consuming drinks and eating different items from the various food trucks.
3. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
Ferrari World is a mostly indoors amusement park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It is the first Ferrari-branded theme park and has the record for the largest space frame structure ever built. Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster, is also located here. It is something to consider if traveling with the family.
4. Emirates Palace
Head to the world-famous Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi for a one-of-a-kind coffee. The Golden Cappuccino at the hotel’s Le Cafe is a delicious cup of fragrant coffee topped with the hotel’s logo and sprinkled with real 24-carat gold leaf.
The coffee is served on a silver tray and accompanied with a sweet date and dark chocolate and a slice of cake for a real a taste of luxury.
5. The Louvre Abu Dhabi
The Louvre Abu Dhabi is an art and civilization museum. The museum is named after the original Louvre in Paris thanks to an agreement between the governments of Abu Dhabi and France that to this day is unparalleled. It also features temporary expositions from the original Louvre. The metallic ceiling of the Louvre Abu Dhabi was designed to reflect light into the museum like a natural palm frond. Standing underneath, the dome itself seems to float above you without any apparent supporting structure that keeps it in place. When you know it has the equivalent weight of the Eifel Tower (7,500 tons), that’s a bit scary but really shows the greatness of its architecture.
Rosa Chalekian 