Things to do in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is the capital, built on an island tied to the mainland by bridges. It was laid out with room Dubai never had. Nothing feels crowded, and almost nothing is walkable.

Things to do in Abu Dhabi cluster on three islands and one desert. The city island holds the Corniche and the old fort. The rest is a drive.

Where things are

• The city island. Eight kilometres of Corniche beach, and Qasr Al Hosn, the 1790s watchtower the city grew around.
• Saadiyat. The museum island, with Louvre Abu Dhabi under Jean Nouvel's perforated dome and quiet public beaches beyond it.
• Yas. Ferrari World and its Formula Rossa coaster, Warner Bros World, SeaWorld, the waterpark and the Formula One circuit.
• The Grand Mosque. At the island end of the bridges, free to enter, and the one thing nobody skips.
• Inland. Liwa, where the dunes run into the edge of the Empty Quarter, and the oasis city of Al Ain, 160 kilometres east.

What gets booked from here

The mosque and the Louvre are the two fixed points, and a half-day city tour takes both. A full day adds Qasr Al Watan and the Corniche. Everything else needs its own day.

Desert safaris run from here as they do everywhere, and the Liwa versions reach far bigger dunes than the Dubai ones. On the water there are self-drive boats, mangrove trips and dhow dinners. Overnight camps are normal here.

The Dubai run takes about ninety minutes each way. A large share of what sells here is that transfer. Plenty of people sleep in one city and tour the other.

Practical

• Season. November to March is the workable window. Summer sits above 40C, and this city is too spread out to stand around waiting for anything.
• The Grand Mosque. Entry is free but slotted, so register before you turn up. It closes over the Friday midday prayer and reopens in the afternoon.
• Dress there. Ankles, wrists and hair covered for women, no shorts for men. Abayas are lent at the entrance and the queue for them is long.
• Louvre Abu Dhabi. Closed on Mondays, and open later on Friday, Saturday and Sunday than it is midweek.
• Getting around. Taxis are metered and cheaper than Dubai's, but the distances are long. Budget for the ride, not the walk.
• Money and tips. Cards work everywhere, the dirham tracks the dollar, and ten per cent is the usual tip.
• Alcohol. Licensed hotel bars and restaurants only, and nothing on ordinary shop shelves.