5 days in Abu Dhabi Itinerary

Lying at the coast of the Persian Gulf, Abu Dhabi is one among the seven emirates that form the country of United Arab Emirates(UAE). The city of Abu Dhabi, which is within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, is the capital of the country. The city of Abu Dhabi comprises of the Island of Abu Dhabi and several other islands like Reem, Yas, Saadiyat and many suburban areas on the mainland. In this article ‘5 days in Abu Dhabi itinerary’, I craft an itinerary focused mainly on Abu Dhabi city and a little bit of the experiences outside the city as well, but still within the boundaries of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Click here to read about the history of Abu Dhabi. This would take five minutes but empower you with the basic knowledge and prepare you better to visit the country.

P.S – For Youtube videos please click here .

Is this ‘5 days in Abu Dhabi itinerary’ right for you?

This itinerary has something for everyone. It has history, architecture, art and crafts, adventure, natural beauty, entertainment and food. It is suitable for people travelling solo, or with friends or with family. You can easily drop off places that does not suit your interest and increase time at places that piques it.

Is Abu Dhabi safe?

UAE shares land borders with Saudi Arabia and Oman. UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi is located centrally along the (north) coast of the country by the Persian Gulf, across Iran. Abu Dhabi is very safe for foreign travellers. However, being an Islamic country, they follow the Sharia Law, so certain things that are allowed in India and in other democracies of the world are not permitted on Emirati soil.

Scams, frauds, pick-pocketing and sexual assault on tourists are rare. Show of physical affection in public spaces is not welcome in UAE. The LGBTQ+ community is not recognized and homosexuality is considered a criminal offence.

Modern Emiratis are private people and are generally not receptive to sudden casual chat sessions with random foreigners, ones that are so common in India that I almost take them for granted.

What should women tourists wear?

Apparently, foreign women tourists can wear anything of their choice within the city limit but while visiting religious places or homes of people, modest clothing is advised. It is best to be dressed in conservative outfits if moving outside the city.

I wore a combination of modest half-sleeved and full-sleeved t-shirts and kurti-tops with trousers, denim pants and leggings. I carried a scarf all the time. The only time I wore a (above the knee) dress was when I roamed around within the premises of the hotel. I have noticed women tourists/expats in short outfits in the tourist hubs of Abu Dhabi.

Since I travelled during Ramadan, a religiously revered time of the year for the Emiratis, I had been asked by my guide to be more conscious of the way I dress, particularly when we drove outside the city to visit a small town.

IMPORTANT

Details on the individual sites, with their historical backgrounds and my own experiences have been documented as separate articles. Please click on the respective links if you wish to read more.

The 5 days in Abu Dhabi Itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi sight-seeing.

• Reach Abu Dhabi in the morning. Check in to your hotel, take a rest and have lunch.
• Visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (SZGM), the most beautiful building of the Abu Dhabi island.
• Present just opposite to the SZGM, Wahat Al Karama is a thoughtfully built memorial. A visit to the mosque can be followed by a visit to Wahat Al Karama.
• Qasr al Hosn is the oldest brick structure of Abu Dhabi city. It is now a museum and a visit here would be incredibly educational in nature.
• Fulfill your shopping needs at WTC Souk— an open-air market of the past now housed in a plush building.
• Saunter along the Corniche or the promenade where the warm water of the gulf touches the shore.
• Have dinner at Emirates Palace, a five star luxury hotel with a private beach that can be accessed even by non-guests who just spend on the dinner in any of its restaurants. Stay overnight in Abu Dhabi.

Day 2: Continue Abu Dhabi sightseeing and end the day by having adventures on the sand dunes.

• Have breakfast in the hotel and set out to tour Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, a unique government hospital dedicated to the treatment and well-being of pet falcons of the locals.
• Next, visit the Louvre Abu Dhabi, a stunning museum in Saadiyat Island. Its intriguing collection of artefacts and magnificent dome is something you cannot miss. Have lunch in its in-house restaurant Museum café.
• Set off for a once in a lifetime experience among the sands of the Empty Quarters desert on a half day tour with Arabian Nights Village, a resort right in the middle of the sand dunes. One can do dune-bashing in a 4WD, sand-board, ride fat tyre bikes or just do nothing and lie around in its common areas. Have dinner at the resort under the star-studded desert sky. Make prior booking before your visit. Stay overnight in Abu Dhabi.

Day 3: Yas Island tour with a stop in a wholesale market and a visit to an actual Emirati home.

• Have breakfast in hotel and set off to Yas Island’s Warner Brothers World—a theme park with an artificial sky, streets, and characters from the Warner Brothers universe. Enjoy its numerous rides and experiences. Have lunch at Bronto Burgers and Ribs in the Bedrock area of the park, or any other restaurants of the park, before leaving.
• Still in the Yas Island, just a short distance away, visit the Ferrari World, a theme-park for motorcar lovers. Enjoy its themed rides and experiences but save some energy for the next destination.
• Just a short walk away from Ferrari World is Yas Mall, the best place in Abu Dhabi to loosen the purse strings. Here you can find anything you want. Grab a quick power bite in any of its restaurants before leaving the island.
• If you enjoy having all kinds of shopping experiences in your itinerary, then visit the wholesale dates and fruits market, known as the Mina Date Market near Mina-Zayed port— home to the best quality dates at pocket-friendly prices(and haggling is expected). The Iranian souq nearby sells a mélange of cheap imported products like utensils, cutlery, decorative items and pottery. Enjoy a sip of kadak chai from any of its take-away counters (the closest you would get to Indian roadside chai shops).
• Make a prior booking of the Emirati House Experience through the Visit Abu Dhabi website and spend the evening at a local Emirati woman, Maitha’s, house who would teach you some basics of Emirati culture and serve you home-made local food. Stay overnight in Abu Dhabi.

Day 4: Spend the day in Al Ain, a fertile oasis city with no high-rises but desert hued cozy homes and lots of history. It is also home to the highest point in Abu Dhabi, a fort and a palace.

• Have breakfast at the hotel and leave for Al Ain, head to the hills in Al Ain and visit Jebel Hafeet, the highest point in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi followed by a tour of the Al Jahili Fort.
• For lunch, head to Trader Vic’s restaurant — a Polynesian themed restaurant that serves Mediterranean, Middle-eastern and Tropical cuisine, but is famous for their cocktails.
• Post lunch head to Al Ain Palace Museum and visit the Al Ain oasis before darting back to Abu Dhabi city. Stay overnight in Abu Dhabi.

Day 5: Check-out from the hotel and fly back to your country.

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Accommodation

Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi

There is no dearth of hotels in Abu Dhabi, especially if you are okay with splurging. I stayed in Hotel Dusit Thani, a Thai luxury hotel chain. The room was extremely spacious and very tastefully decorated. It allowed a lot of natural light to pour in and the window revealed a stunning view of the city.

The washroom was equipped with numerous towels, a hair dryer, a shower, a bathtub, a clothesline(!), a western toilet and a bidet. Of course, there was a grand washbasin and ample toiletries that were replaced every day after usage.

I have been to several luxury hotels throughout the year (2019 not 2020!), and I would like to mention the thoughtful touches that had set apart Dusit Thani from the rest.

Firstly, the clock in the room was a huge savior. It’s weird how so few hotel rooms have clocks! Yes, we wear watches and have cellphones to monitor time, but they seem to be insufficient. The travel anxiety coupled with a sleepless night totally messed up my head and I completely forgot to adjust my clocks with the new time zone. Since the time difference between UAE and India is only 1.5 hours, there were no cues for me to pick up from the outdoors. I would have slept-off and missed my schedule had the room clock not reminded me!

Secondly, I absolutely loved watching the TV from the tub! There was a window adjacent to the tub that opened to the bedroom. The position of the tub and the TV are designed keeping in mind if someone would want to watch TV directly from the tub. In all honesty, when I am alone in such soundproof luxury hotel rooms, the silence freaks me out – so I keep the TV on just like that.

Thirdly, the flexible bedside reading lights that can be twisted and turned to suit my comfort were godsend. I hope airplanes find a way to incorporate them.

Fourthly, that flexible long handled mirror by the washbasin is an absolute necessity for nearsighted people like me who need to wear contact lenses. Though most of the luxury hotels have them, I have been to some that don’t.

The hotel also has a huge rooftop pool with sunbathing area. But you have to use the pool in the morning to save yourself from the sun. I used the pool for an hour and was impressed by its cleanliness and emptiness!

There are several dining outlets within the hotel serving all popular cuisines of the world.

The Royal Suite of Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi

Since I toured Abu Dhabi as a media entourage, Dusit Thani granted me permission to visit the property’s Royal Suite—places where the Sheikhs stay. They were unoccupied at the moment and I made the most out of it. Placing some images below of the royal suites.

Transport

I had a car and driver for the entire duration of my trip. A mix of public transport and taxi can also achieve this itinerary.

Language

Arabic and its different dialects are spoken in the country, but English is widely spoken and understood by everyone working in the hospitality sector of Abu Dhabi. I don’t expect anyone to face language problems if they can read, write and speak English. There are many who work here from the Indian subcontinent, and as a result, Indians would find it easy to connect here. I came across many Malayalis and Bengalis. In fact the Emiratis call a strong tea kadak chai, just as we do in Hindi. I also noticed many Southeast Asians in the city, so I believe the same stands true for them.

Time of travel

The best time to travel in this desert-climate are the winter months of the Northern hemisphere—November-March. However, I travelled during the first week of May. It was extremely hot during the day and lightly breezy at night. Given most of the places are indoors and I myself belong from the humid regions of India (Kolkata and Mumbai), the situation was tolerable.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Wahat Al Karama, the Corniche, the outdoor adventures and dinner at Arabian Nights Village resort, Mina Date Market and the sites in Al Ain are the outdoor places in the itinerary. Everywhere else, it is temperature controlled. It was extremely hot in Al Ain, the rest were okay.

Should you travel to Abu Dhabi during Ramadan?

My travel time coincided with Ramadan, a time when all citizens of the country and every Muslim working in the country fast throughout the day. Though they keep working, their workdays are sometimes shortened and none of them are available during the evening (fast breaking time). It is not right to expect full productivity from them with no food and water consumed.

There is also a restriction on having food and water in public places for all non-Muslim tourists and expats during Ramadan, though it is allowed in restaurants and private spaces, or when no one is around. Compared to some of their neighbours, the citizens and Muslim expats of Abu Dhabi are easy going.

My driver, an Egyptian Muslim observing Ramadan, did not mind me having water inside the car. The hungry storeowners at Mina Market arranged for me so that I can have a comfortable quick sip. I found a quiet spot in Yas Mall to have some water when a couple of locals emerged suddenly, but nobody bothered me. That said, I either always took permission or hunted down a spot with no people around to have water.

Final Note

Increase or decrease the number of days, and places to visit mentioned, according to your budget, interest and availability. I hope you have read the individual articles on the destinations. Everyone’s experience is unique and I hope to hear back from you. When the world is a safe place to travel again, do make the journey and let me know.

Have you read all my Abu Dhabi travel blogs? Is the 5 days in Abu Dhabi itinerary fit for you? Do you have anything constructive to add? If yes, please comment below and enrich the blog.

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Disclaimer: Tania was hosted by Abu Dhabi Tourism Board. All thoughts and opinions expressed in the post are of her own.

Cover Photo by Daniel Olah on Unsplash

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