Abu Dhabi visitor guide: mosque rules, Louvre, getting there

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE and, by Visit Abu Dhabi’s own estimate, about a 60-minute drive from Dubai. Most visitors come for three places: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Louvre Abu Dhabi and the other museums on Saadiyat Island, and the presidential palace Qasr Al Watan. The Corniche and Yas Island fill the rest of the time.

Getting to Abu Dhabi from Dubai

Full guide: an Abu Dhabi day trip from Dubai

Visit Abu Dhabi says car or bus is the easiest way to get there.

Intercity bus (RTA)

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority lists two intercity routes:

• E100: Al Ghubaiba Bus Station (Dubai) to Abu Dhabi Bus Station.
• E101: Ibn Battuta Bus Station (Dubai) to Abu Dhabi Bus Station.

RTA sells seats on both routes as online e-tickets, with a dedicated boarding lane at the stations. Its page does not state the fare or timetable, so check both on the RTA intercity e-ticket page. If you fly into Zayed International Airport but are staying in Dubai, the AUH Express shuttle runs between the airport and Ibn Battuta bus station 24 hours a day, all year.

By car or taxi

The drive takes about an hour. The mosque directs visitors to its southern car parks, Qasr Al Watan has free parking (valet is AED 35), and the Corniche has more than 1,100 free spaces within a five-minute walk of the beach.

Getting around once you are there

Taxis are the most common way around the city. The free Experience Abu Dhabi shuttle runs eight routes linking Yas Island, Jubail Island, Saadiyat Island, the city centre and the Grand Canal area, and the free Yas Express runs on Yas Island.

The main sights at a glance

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: hours, fees and rules

Full visit guide: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Visiting hours

In Ramadan, hours change: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily (Friday from 2:30 PM), plus 9:30 PM to 1:00 AM in the first 20 days only.

Booking and entry fee

Visitors must pre-book and get an online access pass from the mosque centre’s booking page. The centre’s FAQ lists these admission fees:

• Visitors from outside the UAE: AED 10.
• Emirates ID holders: AED 5.
• Visitors through tour operators: AED 8.

Free guided walk-in tours run daily, led by the centre’s cultural specialists, and last about 30 to 45 minutes according to the tours page (the FAQ says 45 to 60). Arrive 15 minutes before a tour time to join.

Dress code

• Women: loose clothing to the ankles, sleeves to the wrists, and full hair coverage. Nothing transparent, tight or revealing.
• Men: clothing that covers the legs is preferred. No transparent, tight-fitting or sleeveless tops.
• Everyone: the centre asks visitors to avoid excessive jewellery, heavy make-up, vibrant colours, and clothes with slogans or inappropriate images.

Behaviour and items not allowed

• Photography only at the designated photo stops; personal photos and videos are allowed, professional filming needs a permit.
• No food or drink except water. No smoking, sleeping or lying down.
• Keep voices low and phones on silent. Any display of intimacy is prohibited.
• Not allowed in: lighters, e-cigarettes of any kind, sharp items, weapons, fireworks, whistles, laser pointers, loudspeakers, dolls and stuffed toys, masks, flags and slogans.

Children are welcome but must stay under their parents’ supervision throughout the visit.

Louvre Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Island

Louvre Abu Dhabi, in the Saadiyat Cultural District, shows works from antiquity to the contemporary period. The museum’s plan-your-visit page lists gallery hours from Monday to Thursday (10am to 6:30pm), while its FAQ and Visit Abu Dhabi still say it is closed on Mondays, so check before a Monday visit. It opens at 10 AM with closing times that vary by day, and that the dome area stays open later. Entry is free for under-18s, senior UAE residents and People of Determination; check adult prices and the hours for your date on the museum’s official site. Allow 2 to 3 hours. Admission includes a Children’s Museum, wheelchairs are lent free, and access is step-free throughout.

The district also has Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi and Manarat Al Saadiyat, with Guggenheim Abu Dhabi listed as coming soon. Under-18s enter most Saadiyat museums free year-round. On the coast, Mamsha Al Saadiyat is a waterfront dining strip, and Kai Beach is the main public beach, with paid entry.

Qasr Al Watan

The general admission ticket to the presidential palace covers the palace zones (including the Great Hall, Presidential Gifts and the Qasr Al Watan Library), the Palace in Motion show, and the free shuttle bus and parking. Non-commercial photography is allowed.

Clothes must cover knees and shoulders; shorts, sleeveless tops, see-through garments and flip-flops are not allowed. Last entry to the palace is at closing time, and to the Palace in Motion show 30 minutes before it starts. We could not verify hours or prices on the palace’s website, so confirm both on qasralwatan.ae or with its contact centre on 600 544 442.

Yas Island

Full guide: Yas Island parks, tickets and getting there

Visit Abu Dhabi lists Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Mall, Etihad Arena and the Yas Bay Waterfront among the island’s attractions. The island and its public areas such as Yas Bay and Yas Marina are free; each park is ticketed. It is about 30 minutes’ drive from central Abu Dhabi and 15 minutes from Zayed International Airport.

The Corniche

The Abu Dhabi Corniche is an 8 km waterfront with separate cycle and walking paths, children’s play areas, cafés and a lifeguarded beach. The 2 km beach has three sections: Al Sahil at Gate 4 (free, for singles and groups) and the family sections at Gates 2 and 3. Visit Abu Dhabi lists entry to the family and singles sections at AED 10 for adults (AED 5 for children on its Corniche Beach page). Bikes can be hired from Fun Ride Sports from AED 30 an hour for adults and AED 20 for children.

Free things to do

Full guide: what is officially free in Abu Dhabi

• The Corniche paths and the public section of Corniche Beach.
• Yas Bay, Yas Marina and the other public areas of Yas Island.
• The mosque’s guided tour, once you have your access pass.
• The Experience Abu Dhabi and Yas Express shuttles.

Abu Dhabi with children

Free museum entry for under-18s makes Saadiyat the easiest cultural stop with children, and the Louvre’s admission includes its Children’s Museum. The Corniche has play areas and family beach sections. Yas Island’s parks fill a whole day, but price them first. At the mosque, children must stay with their parents.

Rules and etiquette to know

• Clothing: Visit Abu Dhabi calls the attitude to dress fairly liberal, but says short or tight clothing will attract attention, and advises covering shoulders and legs in government offices and dressing more conservatively in Ramadan.
• Alcohol: sold only in licensed venues, mainly hotel bars and restaurants, to people aged 21 and over.
• Fridays: plan the mosque for the morning or after 2:30 PM.
• Weather: November to April is the most pleasant time to visit; summer daytime highs reach around 42°C.

Much of the general advice in our first-time-in-Dubai guide applies here too.

How many days, and a sample day

One full day covers the mosque, one museum and the Corniche. Visit Abu Dhabi itself recommends at least 2 days for the Saadiyat Cultural District alone, so add a day if you want several museums, and another for Yas Island.

1. Morning: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which opens to visitors at 9:00 AM (book the access pass in advance).
2. Midday: Qasr Al Watan.
3. Afternoon: Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island (check opening first if it is a Monday). Full Louvre guide.
4. Evening: the Corniche, then the bus or drive back to Dubai.

Where to check prices and opening times

Mosque: szgmc.gov.ae. Louvre: louvreabudhabi.ae. Palace: qasralwatan.ae. Beaches, islands and shuttles: visitabudhabi.ae. Bus from Dubai: rta.ae. For places to eat, stay and visit, browse our Abu Dhabi directory.

Checked against the official sources listed on this page on 7 October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so confirm on the official site before you go. See our editorial policy.