24 hours in Abu Dhabi, 48 hours in Abu Dhabi, 1 week in Abu Dhabi
A 24 hour travel guide to Abu Dhabi and more
You may be visiting Abu Dhabi on a stopover for a few hours or even for a few days. However long you are here for, Abu Dhabi is an incredibly easy city to navigate and get around. It’s easy to take a taxi from the airport and once you are in the city you can quite easily hail a taxi from any safe point on the road. The majority of taxi drivers speak a decent amount of English or at least understand it. You just need to have major landmarks or hotel names to hand.
24 hours in Abu Dhabi
If you are here for a brief stopover and have only 1 day in Abu Dhabi, we recommend the following if you are here for a full day.
- Start the day by getting to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque for the free tour followed by a visit to the Souk at Qaryat al Beri, Shangri La
- Go upper class with Afternoon Tea at the Emirates Palace Hotel
- For a historical journey back to the olden age of Arabia, take a taxi to the breakwater for a free visit to the UAE Heritage Village, followed by, spending some time at the Marina Mall to people watch, get a bite to eat and indulge in some spend therapy
- Stroll along the Corniche, followed by grabbing some Arabic Mezze and Shisha at Layali Zamaan.
48 hours in Abu Dhabi
If you have 2 days in Abu Dhabi Cover everything in the 24 hours in Abu Dhabi itinerary plus:
- Take a drive to Yas Island and visit the F1 Grand Prix race track and if you fancy a few white knuckle rides head to Ferrari World. On the way to or from Yas Island, consider visiting the exhibition, Manarat Al Sadiyat on Sadiyat Island.
- Gold shopping in either Madinat Zayed Gold Souk or along Hamdan Street. Head to Khalidiya towards the Lebanese Flower, for the best shawarma this side of the universe.
72 hours in Abu Dhabi
If you have 3 days in Abu Dhabi Cover everything in the 48 hours in Abu Dhabi itinerary plus:
- Wake extremely early to see the dunes by hot air balloon.
- Return by 9am to spend the morning by the beach, either the public one on the Corniche or at the Intercontinental
- Grab some brunch at Flavours at the Sheraton
- Take a taxi to the Falcon Hospital and watch the birdies swoop!
- Go dune bashing, sand surfing, and watch the sun set on the Desert safari (half a day)
1 week in Abu Dhabi
If you have 5 days in Abu Dhabi Cover everything in the 72 hours in Abu Dhabi itinerary plus:
- Wake early, to watch the Camel Racing at Al Wathba
- Drive across Abu Dhabi to the Emirates National Auto Museum
- Return to Abu Dhabi City to shop for souvenirs and trinkets at the many small shops dotted round Abu Dhabi city for example the Khalifa Complex opposite Abu Dhabi Mall or at the Hamdan Centre
- Grab a meal at the Yas Hotel at either Kazu if you like Japanese food or Frankie’s for a great Italian, and then dance the night away at the best bar in the Abu Dhabi – Skylite, also in the Yas hotel
- If you fancy a couple of hours pampering head to the spa of the moment, Chi Spa at the Shangri La and indulge in their Chi Balance massage. Then dine at one of their superb restaurants, we like Hoi An for beautiful Vietnamese.
And:
- Start the day at the Women’s Handicraft centre, and get your hands painted in Henna
- Follow that by grabbing lunch at the new Central Market and Souk on Khalifa Street
- Walk down Hamdan Street and feel the buzz of the street
- Take a taxi to Al Bateen Dhow Building Yard
- Relax before going to Chamas at the Intercontinental to eat dinner like a caveman.
The itineraries, although quite hectic are realistically possible in the time frame available, although with a week in Abu Dhabi, you would probably want to spend some down time soaking up some vitamin E. If you are spending more than a week in Abu Dhabi, it would be worthwhile taking a day trip to Al Ain and visiting the Wildlife Park. It might also be interesting to go to the Desert Islands and stay at Anantara. With even more time, combining a trip to Abu Dhabi with some time in Dubai or a few days in Oman will more than round off your experience in Arabia.