Abu Dhabi Travel Forum

Hey folks,

I am visiting Abu Dhabi for 7 hours in transit. I have an EU passport, does anyone know if I can visit the city for a few hours while in transit? What are the main things to see in Abu Dhabi?
So far I have:
Marina mall - shopping
Emirates Palace - Does anyone know if people who don't stay at the hotel can visit and have a wander around?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Hi there,
Practically yes, you would receive a visa to enter U.A.E on a E.U. passport. However you have to travel the distance between airport and Abu Dhabi by a taxi which is time consuming. I believe you can visit Emirates Palace, in many restaurants and tour the hotel as well. For more information get in touch with them:

Emirates Palace
Managed by Kempinski

P.O. Box 39999,
West End Corniche, Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates

Tel +971 2 690 9000
Fax +971 2 690 9999

General info.emiratespalace@kempinski.com
Reservations reservation.emiratespalace@kempinski.com
Sales sales.emiratespalace@kempinski.com
Meetings meetings.emiratespalace@kempinski.com
Human Resources hr.emiratespalace@kempinski.com

Good luck.

What hours of the day are you visiting?

Yes, as posted above, UK citizens are allowed free Visa upon arrival. Just queue through the immigration counters and everything will go automatically.

I personally don't think there's much to do in Abu Dhabi except walk around the shopping areas, particularly if you only have 7 hours (~4.5 once you account for transportation and check-in).

Thanks guys...

What other good places are there to do shopping at? Is the corniche area worth a walk etc? Anything good to see apart from the malls and emirates palace?

I have been recommended to go to Maroush in Abu Dhabi for food, is there one close to Marina mall or inside marina mall? Couldn't find it online.

Any help is appreciated deeply

How much are the taxi's from Airport to Marina mall? I want to stop over at Maroush as well. Any recommendations?

Be careful because the traffic can get bad especially on Sheikh Zayed Road and closer to downtown.

I would try to get out and do some sightseeing or shopping. It all depends on what you are shopping for. I would recommend going to Medinat Zayed, it is a mall with much jewelry and other things. It is unlike the malls that you see in the West (ie Marina Mall, Khalidiya Mall, Abu Dhabi Mall, etc).

Depending on what time you get in, if you want to sightsee before Noon and it is not a Friday, I would go visit Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque. Every morning (except Friday) at 10:00AM, they offer a guided tour. This Mosque is absolutely breathtaking and is the largest one in UAE and one of the largest in the world. In fact, they claim to have the world's largest carpet. The marble and gold-plated chandeliers are beautiful as well.

The Mosque is not downtown and is closer to the airport so you would risk no problem of missing your flight. It is well worth the visit and in my opinion is much more interesting than Marina Mall. I have pictures of the Mosque on my Home page.