Abu Dhabi With Kids
What Abu Dhabi with kids really looks like, from a family that plans these trips for a living.
Nicole Damiano, ASTA Verified Travel Advisor with FG Luxury Travel
Is Abu Dhabi worth it with Dubai so close?
Yes, and it is the calmer, roomier choice. You get the same safe, easy, family friendly polish as Dubai, plus a truly beautiful mosque and a kid friendly Louvre, with more space and less rush. Many families end up preferring it.
How many days?
Three days for the mosque, the Louvre, a theme park and a beach. Four if you add a second park or a Dubai day.
What is the one thing we cannot miss?
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It is free, it is stunning, and even young kids are awed by it. Go early or at sunset and dress modestly, robes are provided.
Do we need a car?
No, taxis and Uber are cheap, metered and everywhere, and there is no metro. A car or driver only helps for a day trip to Dubai up the highway.
When should we go?
Winter, November to March, is warm, sunny and ideal. Summer, June to September, is extreme heat, doable only if you plan around indoor parks, museums and pools. Come in the cooler months if you can.
The Calmer, Grander Side of the Emirates
Dubai gets all the attention, and Abu Dhabi, an hour down the road, quietly does the same things with more space and less frenzy. The capital of the Emirates is grand, green and easy with kids. One of the most beautiful buildings on earth, a branch of the Louvre, and a cluster of world class theme parks all sit within a short drive.
The city spreads across a set of islands linked by bridges. The Corniche and city center hold the mosque and the waterfront. Saadiyat Island has the museums and the best beaches. Yas Island is the entertainment hub with the theme parks. Pick a base near what your family wants most and take taxis between them, there is no metro here.
Getting Around
You get around by taxi or Uber, both cheap and metered, as Abu Dhabi has no metro. From the airport a cab into the city is quick and easy with kids and bags. For a day trip to Dubai, ninety minutes up the highway, a car or a driver keeps it simple.
Neighborhoods worth basing in
The Corniche & City Center
The waterfront heart of the city, with the long Corniche promenade and beach, the Grand Mosque nearby, and plenty of hotels and restaurants. Easy, walkable in stretches, and central to everything. A solid, well located base for families.
Saadiyat Island
The cultural island, home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the coming museums, and gorgeous clean beaches with gentle water. Calm, upscale and green, with excellent family resorts. My pick if you want beach time alongside the culture.
Yas Island
The entertainment island, where Ferrari World, Warner Bros World, Yas Waterworld and the F1 track all sit close together. Buzzy and modern, and the obvious base if theme parks are the point of the trip for your kids.
Emirates Palace
The vast, gilded landmark hotel on its own beach, with pools, gardens and a level of grandeur kids find hilarious and wonderful. The blow the budget treat, and worth a look even for afternoon tea if you sleep elsewhere.
A Yas Island resort
The Yas Island resorts put you steps from the theme parks and the water park, many with big family pools and easy park access. Convenient and fun if the parks are your focus.
A Corniche hotel
Along the Corniche and city center you will find comfortable, well priced hotels close to the beach and the mosque, a practical family base without the resort price tag. Good value and central.
The Three I Build Every Abu Dhabi Trip Around
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
The reason many families come, and it lives up to every photo. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a vast white marble masterpiece with reflecting pools, floral inlay and the world’s largest hand knotted carpet. It is free to enter, welcomes visitors warmly, and even young kids go quiet at the scale of it. Dress modestly, robes are provided, and go early or at sunset when it glows.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
The first Louvre outside France sits under a huge silver dome that filters the sunlight into a rain of light. It is a manageable, beautifully curated museum, not overwhelming, with a dedicated children’s program and art from across all of human history. A cool, calm, enriching couple of hours.
Yas Island Theme Parks
Yas Island is a theme park wonderland. Ferrari World has the world’s fastest roller coaster and gentler rides for little ones, Warner Bros World is a fully indoor, air conditioned park perfect for the heat, and Yas Waterworld is a superb water park. Pick one or two, book ahead, and let the kids run.
Family Time, Built In: Abu Dhabi With Kids
Abu Dhabi is set up for families almost too well. World class theme parks, calm swimmable beaches, a spectacular mosque, and a kid friendly Louvre, all within a short drive and mostly air conditioned against the heat. Add the Corniche for a sunset cycle and there is more than enough for happy days.
The harbor ferry to the beach
Sunday fish market
Paddle boats on the the Corniche
Planten un Blomen
the Grand Mosque plaza
PARK & DOWNTIME PICK
Umm Al Emarat Park, a big, green, beautifully designed park in the middle of the city with a petting barn, a shaded play area, a wetland walk and evening fountains. A lovely low key break between the big attractions.
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Machboos
Shawarma
Luqaimat
Harees
Karak chaiNicole’s Perspective
A grand, easy city that surprises families
I have spent years planning the Gulf for families, and I often steer them to Abu Dhabi over its flashier neighbor. It has the same easy, safe, kid friendly polish as Dubai, with more room to breathe, a moving mosque, and a Louvre that turns a hot afternoon into something memorable.
I like Abu Dhabi as a relaxed few days on its own or paired with Dubai, with a beach resort on Saadiyat as the anchor. It is a gentle, comfortable introduction to the region, and the theme parks buy you all the goodwill you need with the kids.
The Day Trip: Dubai
Dubai is only ninety minutes up the coast, and it makes an easy, dazzling day out. The world’s tallest building, huge malls with indoor ski slopes and aquariums, and the old creek with its wooden boats. We have a full Dubai guide for the family, but even as a day trip it is a spectacular addition.
Things I Would Tell A Friend Before They Booked
How Many Days
Three days suits Abu Dhabi with kids. One for the Grand Mosque and the Louvre, one for a Yas Island theme park, one for the beach or a day trip to Dubai. Add a fourth if you want to slow down or hit a second park.
Day one for the Grand Mosque early, then the Louvre and a Corniche evening. Day two for a Yas Island park, Ferrari World or the indoor Warner Bros World if it is hot. Day three for a Saadiyat beach or a day trip up to Dubai.
Add a second theme park or Yas Waterworld first, then a desert safari with dune drives and a Bedouin style dinner for something completely different.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai fold together into one easy Emirates trip. Split your nights between the two, or base in one and day trip to the other, they are only ninety minutes apart.
Abu Dhabi With Kids, Answered
Is Abu Dhabi worth it with Dubai so close?
Yes, and it is the calmer, roomier choice. You get the same safe, easy, family friendly polish as Dubai, plus a truly beautiful mosque and a kid friendly Louvre, with more space and less rush. Many families end up preferring it.
How many days?
Three days for the mosque, the Louvre, a theme park and a beach. Four if you add a second park or a Dubai day.
What is the one thing we cannot miss?
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It is free, it is stunning, and even young kids are awed by it. Go early or at sunset and dress modestly, robes are provided.
Do we need a car?
No, taxis and Uber are cheap, metered and everywhere, and there is no metro. A car or driver only helps for a day trip to Dubai up the highway.
When should we go?
Winter, November to March, is warm, sunny and ideal. Summer, June to September, is extreme heat, doable only if you plan around indoor parks, museums and pools. Come in the cooler months if you can.
Ready To Put Abu Dhabi On The Calendar
Send me your dates and your kids’ ages and I will build the Abu Dhabi days, pick the right island to base on, sort the theme park tickets, and fold in a Dubai day if you want it.
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