Top 5 Major Tourist Attractions in Abu Dhabi

 Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. It is the largest of the seven Emirates which combine to form the UAE. It is the biggest producer of oil among the seven Emirates. So, most of its economy directly comes from the export of oil. Though, it's consistently trying to diversify its economy in line with Dubai. With the sole intention of diversifying its economy, the government of Abu Dhabi has been investing hundreds of billion dollars in infrastructure, malls, hotels, bankings and other leisure and recreation projects. Abu Dhabi has made some amazing infrastructure which is driving millions of tourists to the city. Here are the top 5 major tourist attractions in Abu Dhabi:

1. Yas Island

     Yas Island is the entertainment and luxury capital of Abu Dhabi. It is one of the biggest tourism project in the world and is spread across 25 square kilometres area. It is an artificial island built on the Persian Gulf. The Island houses one of the most expensive hotel, the best shopping mall of Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld ( a waterpark), SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, Clymb Abu Dhabi, Yas Links ( a Golf Course), a formula 1 race course ( named as Yas Marina Circuit), Viceroy hotel and many more. All these exotic places in a single Island is simply amazing. Because of these vary reasons, it has become one of the major tourist attractions in Abu Dhabi. It attracts millions of tourists a year.

 Some important information about the Yas Island, Abu Dhabi-

     How to reach the Yas Island - The Yas Island, Abu Dhabi can be reached by car, bus, taxi, flight and by ships/ waterways also. The Yas Island is located at a distance of about 12 km from the Abu Dhabi International Airport and it is hardly a 16 minutes drive to reach the Yas Island from the Abu Dhabi International Airport. There are so many buses plying to the Yas Island every day. The major bus stops in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi are -  Yas Mall, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi etc. You can also take ride hailing services like Uber, Kareem etc. to reach the Yas Island along with other local taxis. 

     Hotels in the Yas Island -There are several luxury hotels in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi e. g, Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi, Yas Island Rotana, W Abu Dhabi, Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi, Centro Yas Island, Hilton Abu Dhabi, Staybridge Suites Yas Island- Abu Dhabi etc. All these hotels are located within a few square kilometres of area and so, it provides you a better choice to stay in the best of the best in class hotels in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. And most importantly, all of the major tourist attractions in the Yas Island are located within a few square Kilometres of area and from these hotels that makes it easier for you to visit those destinations and saves your time too. 

     Shopping & Dining Spots/ restaurants - There are several shopping and fine dining spots in Abu Dhabi. Among them the Yas Mall is the largest shopping and dining destination in Yas Island. Some of the other widely popular restaurants in Yas Island are - Cipriani, Amici, Amerigo Mexican Bar and Restaurant, Diablito, Stars N Bars, Angar, Barouk Restaurant etc. 

     Important (events) - The Yas Marina Circuit is the 2nd of it's kind in the middle-east after Bahrain. Since 2009, Abu Dhabi is hosting Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island. It has recently become the venue for most of the WWE ( World Wrestling Entertainment) and MMA Fight held in the middle East. The Russian MMA star and the undefeated world champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is often spotted here. 

     Nearby tourist attractions - The famous and most frequented tourist attractions near the Yas island are - Qasr Al Watan ( The UAE Presidential Palace), Louvre Abu Dhabi, Marina Mall, Emirates Palace etc. 

2. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

     The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the largest and the most beautiful mosque in the UAE. It is completely made with white marbles and has a capacity of around 41,000 people. The entire building is crafted with amazing designs which made the building even more beautiful. This is why it has become everyone's attraction whoever visits Abu Dhabi. It has a pool by its side. It's interior is excellent, it is so beautiful that it can be termed as the modern Taj in terms of it's beauty. Simply speaking, it's beauty is beyond ones imagination. So, if you are planning a visit to Abu Dhabi then this place must be on your visit list.

 Some important information about Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque -

     Location - The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is located at a distance of about 3.3 km from the Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Also, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is located at a distance of about 20 km from from the Abu Dhabi International Airport, UAE. 

     Timings - The visiting hours for tourists into the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque starts from 9AM and last till or closes at 10PM ( from Saturday to Thursday). And in Friday, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque opens for tourists late in the afternoon i.e, it opens for the tourists at 4:30PM and closes at 10PM.

     How to reach Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque - The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi can be reached by car, bus, taxi, flight and by ships too. The nearest bus station to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is The Eastern Ring Road or Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Stop. And the nearest airport is the Abu Dhabi International Airport, UAE. 

     Parking area - There's a dedicated parking space for vehicle in Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE. 

     Entry Fee - Yeah! It's free i.e, entry to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is free to all tourists coming from all around the world. 

     Nearby tourist attractions - The nearby tourist attractions to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque are - Qasr-Al-Watan, The Emirates Palace, Yas Island, Ferrari World and the Zayed sports city etc. 

3. The Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

     The Ferrari World is the largest and the first Ferrari branded theme park in the world. It is the fastest roller coaster in the world. It offers a thrilling experience of ride at a speed of about 266 km/h. In addition to the ride it also offers a unique shopping experience and different varieties of Italian cuisines. The Ferrari World is situated in the Yas Island, which is a man made Island famous for providing luxury, recreation and thrilling adventure.

 Some important information about the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi -

     Location - The Ferrari World is located in the Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 

     Timings - The Ferrari World Abu Dhabi remains closed on Sunday and Monday. And on the rest of the day the timing is from 1PM to 8PM.

     Entry Fee - There are generally two types of tickets issued to the visitors in the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. e.g, Single Day ticket for adults is AED 295 and for Juniors ( child's/ kids) is AED 230. And the other type of ticket issued is a Annual Pass to the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. The annual pass will cost you AED 990. These are the most popular tickets issued by the Ferrari World, though, there are several other types of ticket issued to the visitor's. To know in detail about them, please visit the official website of the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. 

     How to reach the Ferrari World - You can reach the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi by car, taxi, bus and by flight also. The nearest airport is the Abu Dhabi International Airport and is located at a distance of only about 3 km from the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. 

     Parking Area - There's a dedicated parking lot to park the vehicles of the visitors. 

     Hotels nearby - The best hotels located near the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi are - W Abu Dhabi, Yas Island Rotana, Radisson Blu Abu Dhabi, Centro Yas Island, Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi, Hilton Abu Dhabi and The Emirates Palace Hotel etc. 

     Nearby tourist attractions - The top nearby tourist attractions to the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi are - Qasar-Al-Watan, the Emirates Palace, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque etc. 

4. Desert Tours

     The Abu Dhabi desert tour is another major attraction in Abu Dhabi. Dune bashing and dining in the middle of the desert are some of the most popular things to enjoy in a tour in Abu Dhabi. Also, it gives you a thrilling experience while riding in the desert. Moreover, you will be able to discover the natural scenery of the desert. People generally take ride in the morning and in the evening time. Although, evening time ride is  most popular among tourists. You could be able to take your dinner in midst of the desert which will be an amazing experience while on your tour to Abu Dhabi. 

 Some important information about Desert Tours, Abu Dhabi -

     Tour charges/ fees - Tour packages is different based on at what time you are taking the tour and the package keeps changing time to time. So, here I give you an estimated cost of a particular desert tour taken on different time of the day - For full day desert tour ( 8AM-6PM) charge is AED 2400, for the Overnight Desert tour ( 1PM-12PM) charge is AED 3000 & for the Dine only ( no dune bashing) Desert tour from 3PM to 10 Pm will cost you AED 250 - AED 1200 ( based on what type of car you use i.e, whether you use a private car or a sharing car. Please note: sometimes you may get a big discount also as they run discount campaign from time to time. 

     How to reach the Desert ( Tour area) - Actually you need not to reach the Desert by yourself. When you book your desert safari ride from any any one of the sites that provides/ arranges the desert tour in Abu Dhabi, based on the time you provided there, they will come down to your hotel or shopping mall to pick you up at that particular time. 

     Nearby tourist attractions - Every major tourist attractions in Abu Dhabi will be nearby to your Desert Safari/ tour venue in Abu Dhabi, UAE. e.g, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Yas Island etc. 

5. Emirates Palace

     The Emirates Palace is especially a 5 star hotel. It is currently the third most expensive hotel in the world with an estimated construction cost of about 5.5 billion dollars. The Palace is unique in its style, it has an authentic design. Most of the Palace is decorated with Gold. A very unique thing can be seen in this Palace, it has gold vending ATM machine. Even the toilets of this Palace are decorated with Gold. It provides every kind of amenities that a person can think off.

 Some important information about the Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi -

     Timings - There's no specified time to visit the Emirates Palace. Being a hotel, The Emirates Palace is open for 365 a year and you can visit the Palace at any time of the day. 

     How to reach the Emirates Palace - You can reach the Emirates Palace by private car, bus, taxi and by flight also. The Abu Dhabi International Airport is located at a distance of about 36 km from the Emirates Palace. Though, it is roughly a 29 minutes ride to reach the Emirates Palace from The Abu Dhabi International Airport. 

     Entry fee - There's no entry charge to enter the hotel. Though, as it is a hotel, so the dining and staying charges will be applicable. 

Parking area -

     Nearby tourist attractions - The nearby tourist attractions to the Emirates Palace are - Qasar-Al-Watan, Yas Island, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque etc. All these tourist attractions are located within a few kilometres from the Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.