City tours in Abu Dhabi allow you to experience this glittering city from all angles.
Between the skyscrapers lie immaculate palace lawns, adventure islands and natural refuges, such as Mangrove National Park. A city tour of Abu Dhabi places all the highlights of this diverse city and the great outdoors within reach.
There are several travel and tours agency providers in Abu Dhabi – Big Bus Tours has two routes, which can be enjoyed from a refreshingly breezy open-air bus.
Other excursions combine cultural attractions such as Heritage Village with Yas Island theme parks, while boat tours glide between landmarks on the glittering Arabian Gulf.
Abu Dhabi tour rides make seeing all the best parts of the city simple, so all you need to worry about is making unforgettable memories.
See many of the most important landmarks on the Abu Dhabi city tour by bus – it’s a hop-on, hop-off experience which transports you between key attractions and neighbourhoods.
There are two routes. The red route focuses on urban attractions such as Corniche Beach, Marina Mall and Qasr al Hosn. The Presidential Palace and Emirates Palace can also be admired on this route.
The green route, meanwhile, begins at Abu Dhabi Mall and takes a wider tour of the Abu Dhabi region, with the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque taking star position.
The green route stops on Yas Island, where a range of exciting family attractions lie, including Yas Waterworld, Yas Marina Circuit and Ferrari World™ Abu Dhabi.
On this route, the Abu Dhabi tour bus also stops at Eastern Mangroves, on the cusp of the luscious natural landscapes of Mangrove National Park.
This Abu Dhabi tour is a planned excursion lasting for a full day, which can be booked with Etihad.
The first stop is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which is a majestic place of worship and magnificently marble clad. Inside, you can expect to see intricate works of Islamic craftmanship.
Next up is Heritage Village, where traditional Bedouin life is revived via a reconstructed desert village complete with craft workshops. From here, it’s on to Saadiyat Island – where you’ll find the Louvre Abu Dhabi, an architectural wonder and home to impressive artefacts from across the globe.
This Abu Dhabi city tour package also comes with entry to one of Yas Island’s most popular attractions – Ferrari World™ Abu Dhabi.
Here, you’ll get to experience the thrills of the famous Formula Rossa, one of the world's fastest rollercoasters.
Tour the city from the water with the Yellow Boats tour – to get spectacular views of Abu Dhabi’s most iconic buildings. In a coastal city whose history is entwined with the Arabian Gulf, travelling upon the waves on a guided tour just makes sense.
There are several Abu Dhabi city tour options with the Yellow Boats, which can be experienced in less than half a day in the morning, afternoon or evening.
The Corniche Tour takes just one hour, brushing the iconic coast and sweeping past Heritage Village towards man-made Lulu Island.
The Yas Tour provides plenty of facts about Abu Dhabi’s most action-packed area, and you’ll see Yas Marina and Yas Marina Circuit, home to the Formula 1™ Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
During your tour, look out for marine life, which is abundant near the mangroves.
An Abu Dhabi city tour is an enriching journey – there are several types, each presenting a unique itinerary and travel style. Here’s how to experience three of the best.
The red and green routes of Big Bus Tours intersect at Abu Dhabi Mall, so it’s a great place to hop on. You’ll find it just off Al Maiyani Street, a 12-minute drive from Corniche Beach.
The Abu Dhabi Yellow Boats tour takes off from Emirates Palace Marina. This is located near the UAE Presidential Palace and Qasr al Watan.
Etihad’s Modern Abu Dhabi City Tour, which comes with access to Ferrari World™ Abu Dhabi, offers pickup from any location in central Abu Dhabi – airport or hotel pick-up can be requested when you book a tour.
If you’re using a hop-on city tour to acquaint yourself with big attractions such as the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi, then be sure to plan enough time for each segment of your day.
Allow two hours each for both the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Louvre Abu Dhabi, which are both full of things to do. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the UAE’s largest mosque, with a main prayer hall that can accommodate 7,000 worshippers and plenty of smaller rooms to marvel at, too.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi has 23 permanent galleries to discover. Leave yourself with plenty of time to get the most from the Arabian peninsula’s largest art museum.
Abu Dhabi city tours are always warm, no matter what time of year you visit so it’s important to be well prepared. Pack plenty of water, sun cream and a hat for shelter from the sun, especially if your tour is via boat or open-top bus.
Long and lightweight clothing can help you to keep you cool – however, since many attractions are air-conditioned, it is also a good idea to carry a warmer layer, too.
Big Bus offers an informative, pre-recorded tour commentary in nine languages: English, Arabic, French, Spanish, Russian, French, German, Italian and Mandarin. Other providers predominantly use English, such as the Yellow Boats tours.
Abu Dhabi is an international city where English and Arabic are the most-used languages, but it’s also possible to find guided tours in languages such as Japanese.
The typical opening times at Louvre Abu Dhabi are 10am to 6:30pm Tuesday to Sunday. The museum is closed on Mondays.
Standard tickets allow you to browse the galleries for up to three hours and last entry is at 5:30pm. It is also worth noting that the museum administers entry with arrival time slots.
Etihad’s modern Abu Dhabi city tour includes a stop at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Ferrari World™ Abu Dhabi, with tickets to the latter included in the price.
Other Etihad excursion tours come with admission to attractions such as Warner Bros. World™ Abu Dhabi, Heritage Village and even Louvre Abu Dhabi. These can be booked with Etihad holidays.
Hop on the Big Bus tour at Abu Dhabi Mall. Watch the morning sun rise above the Corniche, then exit at Heritage Village for an introduction to Emirati culture.
Return to the mall to change onto the green line towards Louvre Abu Dhabi. Get there just before 10am for a great spot in line and explore until around midday.
Artistically enriched, board again to reach Yas Island for lunchtime. In Yas Mall and on the marina, you’ll find restaurants offering different international cuisines for a spot of lunch.
Select one theme park and expect to stay until mid-afternoon – although some attractions, such as Yas Waterworld, could easily be enjoyed all day. It’s possible to purchase Yas Island tickets through Etihad for multiple parks and days.
Return to the bus to head towards the marvellous Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Arrive at around 4pm for cooler temperatures and expect to stay for an hour or two. On the final leg of your tour, watch the sun set over Mangrove National Park.
All great city tour journeys in Abu Dhabi lead to sightseeing. Find out more about the landmarks you shouldn’t miss, from the Louvre Abu Dhabi to Emirates Palace.
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