Visiting Abu Dhabi was a case of “Instagram made me do it” and “husband being there for a project”. Visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was not on my list until I spotted Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. And I fell in love. My husband spent the summer in Abu Dhabi, so I traveled there for 4 days. July (and summer in general) is not the best time to visit the UAE due to the sweltering heat. The places I visited were either indoors or visited late in the afternoon when the heat was less intense. Below I’m sharing the must-visit places in Abu Dhabi and what I’d do if I visited during another month of the year.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
I’m starting with the most beautiful building in Abu Dhabi and the main reason I ever wanted to visit the city! The mosque is named after late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Its construction took 12 years. I involved more than 3,000 workers and 38 contracting companies. The materials used for its construction include marble, stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals, and ceramics. It has 82 domes, 4 minarets and a beautiful 17.000 sq meters courtyard. The carpet that covers the main prayer hall is the largest in the world. It measures 5.627 sq meters and has 2.268.000.000 knots.
As you can tell, the place is majestic! Entrance is free and you must be modestly dressed. The mosque does provide free robes for women in the entrance, which is very convenient. The best time to visit is around sunset. Not only you will get a glimpse of the golden hour, but also see the mosque illuminated after dark.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
I’ve visited many museums in my life. I’ve been to the Louvre, the British Museum, the MET, the Bergamot Museum. In Greece alone, I’ve visited the Acropolis Museum, the Athens National Archaeological Museum, Archaeological museums in Thessaloniki, Patras, and Herakleion. Long story short I’m hard to impress. Yet Louvre Abu Dhabi is different. Instead of showcasing artifacts from different countries and eras, it tells a story. The story begins with the first settlements, religions, burial habits. It moves on to civilizations and their respective art. What Louvre Abu Dhabi exhibitions show is, that all civilizations, no matter where they are in the world have many things in common.
The museum’s building is a masterpiece by itself. It is designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. The centerpiece of the building is a huge silver dome “floating” above the museum complex. The dome consists of 7850 stars of various sizes in 8 layers. The dome lets the sun pass through it, creating beautiful rays. The museums consist of 55 detached buildings by the sea. It is beautiful seeing outside the windows when passing from one building to another. The whole design gives off minimalistic and tranquil vibes.
Qasr Al Watan
Qasr Al Watan is a working palace. It hosts official state visits and summits, the Federal Supreme Council Meetings and the UAE Cabinet Meetings. It was completed in 2017 and opened to the public on March 2019. The interior of the palace has a 3 color palette. Gold represents the sand. Blue represents the sea. White represents peace. The color palette was chosen by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE.
Inside the palace, there are different rooms you can visit. There is one with diplomatic gifts given to the president of UAE. You can visit the official meeting room and the presidential banquet room. There are also rooms where you can learn about the contribution made by Arab scholars in the fields of medicine, astronomy, and more.
I discovered Qasr Al Watan thanks to a local luxury magazine that I found in our hotel room and didn’t regret it. It is a beautiful building and the interior is stunning. It is open from 11 am until 9 pm. At 9 pm a light and sound show is going on outside the palace called “Palace in Motion”. More information about the palace as well as booking tickets and tours can be found on their website.
Yas Mall
On my last day in Abu Dhabi, I decided to go shopping. Yas Mall is one of the best-ranked malls on Tripadvisor and it features a good mix of luxury and high street brands. It also has Bath and Body Works which sealed the deal. I also visited the Charlotte Tilbury store. It was a good opportunity to try her products firsthand (since I can only buy online). The mall has 370 stores and 68 restaurants. From the mall, you can access the Ferrari World and the Formula 1 circuit.
More things to do in Abu Dhabi
If I visited Abu Dhabi during a less warm month, the first thing I would do is walk along the Corniche. The beachfront is 8km long, with lines of palm trees and has restaurants and cafes. From the taxi, I spotted a Coldstone Creamery which I would love to visit! Towards the west end of the Corniche, there is also the Founder’s memorial. It is dedicated to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as he was the founder of the UAE. Nearby you will find the Etihad Towers and the Emirates Palace. The former is a complex of 5 towers which feature offices, apartments and a hotel. The Avenue at Etihad Towers is a luxury boutique mall, also located in the complex. Emirates Palace is a luxury 7-star hotel that cost $3billion to build. It is so opulent that even serves Cappucino with 24K edible gold flakes. On the other hand, if you are into theme parks then you can check out Ferrari World and WB World on Yas Island.
Where to stay in Abu Dhabi
During my visit, I stayed at The St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort. The hotel has spacious rooms with equally spacious bathrooms. The breakfast was delicious. It had so many options and I struggled to choose what to eat. I always got a couple of the croissants though. They were exquisite. The hotel also has a lot of dining options. I enjoyed Buddha Beach Bar inside the resort as well as Koi just outside the hotel.
I'm Anna and this is my lifestyle and travel blog! 
