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Abu Dhabi day trip guide

Abu Dhabi day trip from Dubai: the Grand Mosque, Qasr Al Watan and the Louvre

6 min read

Abu Dhabi is an easy day trip from Dubai: our own tours plan on about 90 minutes on the road each way. Most visits are built around the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which visitors have to book ahead, with Qasr Al Watan or the Louvre Abu Dhabi after it. This guide sets out the rules each place publishes, the ways to get there, including the new train, and the official prices next to ours.

The quick pick

If youGo with
Want it all arrangedOur full-day Abu Dhabi city tourHotel pick-up in Dubai, the Grand Mosque, Heritage Village, BAPS Mandir and photo stops at Ferrari World and the Corniche, in about 9 hours.
Want the palace or the Louvre as wellOur Cultural Heritage tourA guided Grand Mosque visit, then Qasr Al Watan with Qasr Al Hosn and the House of Artisans, or the Louvre, admission included, in about 11 hours.
Prefer your own paceA private transferDoor to door from Dubai; plan on about 90 minutes each way.
Want to try the trainEtihad Rail from Dubai StationTrains run between Dubai Station, at Jumeirah Golf Estates, and Mohamed bin Zayed City station in Abu Dhabi, which connects to the city's buses and taxis.
Are going on a FridayThe Grand Mosque before 11:00 or after 14:30On Fridays it is open to visitors from 09:00 to 11:30 and from 14:30 to 20:30.
Are going on a MondayThe Louvre, not BAPS MandirBAPS Mandir is closed on Mondays; the Louvre is open from 10:00 to 18:30.
Have children under 18Louvre Abu DhabiUnder-18s go free, and the ticket includes the Children's Museum.

The four places, side by side

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Entry
Visitors pre-book an online access pass; worshippers enter directly
Fee
AED 10 from outside the UAE, AED 5 with an Emirates ID, AED 8 through a tour operator
Hours
09:00–20:30, last entry 20:00; Ramadan hours differ
Fridays
09:00–11:30 and 14:30–20:30
Dress
Women: loose to the ankle, sleeves to the wrist, hair covered. Men: legs covered, no sleeveless tops
Photos
Personal photos allowed; professional kit needs a permit
Official price
Online access pass, booked ahead
With Holidayys
Included in both our day tours

Qasr Al Watan

Ticket
Palace halls, the Palace in Motion show, a free shuttle and parking
Light show
Palace in Motion, about 15 minutes, every evening; the palace updates the times monthly and publishes the month's on its opening-hours calendar
Children
AED 30
Dress
Knees and shoulders covered; no shorts, sleeveless or see-through clothes, no flip-flops
Good to know
No re-entry. Hours change by day, so check the palace's calendar.
Official price
From AED 65
With Holidayys
From AED 97Free cancellation up to 1 day before

Louvre Abu Dhabi

Hours
Mon–Thu 10:00–18:30, Fri–Sun 10:00–20:30
Late
The dome stays open until midnight, last entry 23:00
Children
Under 18 free, Children's Museum included
Time needed
Most visitors spend 2 to 3 hours
The dome
180 m wide, 7,500 tonnes, made of 7,850 stars
Official price
From AED 70
With Holidayys
From AED 122Free cancellation up to 1 day before

BAPS Hindu Mandir

Entry
Register online, only once you are in the UAE; bring a passport or Emirates ID
Hours
Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00–20:00; closed on Mondays
Dress
No shorts, skirts above the knee, sleeveless or tight clothes; sarongs for sale at the desk
Photos
Phone photos for personal use only
Official price
Online registration, required
With Holidayys
Included in our full-day tour

Visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Visitors must book the visit in advance and get an online access pass; worshippers can walk straight in. The mosque is open to visitors from 09:00 to 20:30 every day except Friday, with last entry at 20:00. On Fridays it opens from 09:00 to 11:30, last entry 11:00, and again from 14:30 to 20:30. Hours differ in Ramadan.

The dress code asks for modest, loose clothing. Women need clothes that reach the ankles, sleeves to the wrists and their hair fully covered; men should cover their legs and avoid sleeveless, tight or see-through tops. Personal photos are allowed; professional equipment needs a permit.

Qasr Al Watan and the Louvre

Qasr Al Watan's ticket covers the palace halls and the Palace in Motion light show, which runs for about 15 minutes in the early evening; last entry to the show is 30 minutes before it starts. The palace says the show timings are updated monthly and sends you to its own opening-hours calendar for the current ones, so read the calendar for the day you are going rather than any time printed elsewhere. Knees and shoulders must be covered, and there is no re-entry.

Louvre Abu Dhabi opens at 10:00 every day. Its galleries close at 18:30 from Monday to Thursday and at 20:30 from Friday to Sunday, and the dome stays open until midnight. Adults pay AED 70, and under-18s go free. Most visitors spend 2 to 3 hours there.

Can you fit it all into one day?

Our tours plan on about 90 minutes on the road each way. Our 11-hour Cultural Heritage tour pairs the Grand Mosque with either Qasr Al Watan or the Louvre; our 9-hour city tour adds photo stops and Heritage Village instead of a second ticketed visit.

Seeing the mosque, the palace and the Louvre in one day is possible on your own, but tight. If you try it, go from Friday to Sunday, when the Louvre's galleries stay open until 20:30, and remember that the Grand Mosque closes to visitors from 11:30 to 14:30 on Fridays.

Etihad Rail, the new way in

Etihad Rail's passenger trains have run between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah since 30 June 2026, arriving in Abu Dhabi at Mohamed bin Zayed City station. The network also includes Dubai Station, at Jumeirah Golf Estates, and on 3 October 2026 Etihad Rail's live schedule showed trains between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in both directions, each taking 64 minutes.

Dubai Station is open from 05:00 to 23:00 every day and has a transfer bridge to the metro. At MBZ City, Etihad Rail and Abu Dhabi Mobility say the train connects with the city's buses and taxis, so plan the last stretch to the mosque as well.

Days to watch

Fridays: the Grand Mosque closes to visitors from 11:30 to 14:30. Mondays: BAPS Mandir is closed, while the Louvre is open. BAPS Mandir also needs online registration, made only after you arrive in the UAE, and a passport or Emirates ID at the gate.

Official prices and ours

Qasr Al Watan charges AED 65 for adults and AED 30 for children, and the Louvre AED 70 for adults, with under-18s free. The Grand Mosque charges AED 10 for visitors from outside the UAE, AED 5 for Emirates ID holders and AED 8 for visitors through tour operators, and is booked online in advance, like BAPS Mandir.

Our prices for Qasr Al Watan and the Louvre are on their cards above, and our combo ticket for both is in the list below. Both our day tours include the Grand Mosque, and the Cultural Heritage tour includes admission to Qasr Al Watan or the Louvre.

Our Abu Dhabi day tours and tickets

Abu Dhabi · 9h

Full Day Abu Dhabi City Tour With Grand Mosque

A full day in the UAE capital, starting with pickup from your Dubai hotel and a drive of around ninety minutes down the coast. The centrepiece is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, where you go inside: 82 domes of white marble, reflective pools the length of the courtyard, chandeliers set with Swarovski crystal and one of the largest hand-knotted carpets in the world. The tour continues to Yas Island for a photo stop at Ferrari World, and takes in the Corniche and Breakwater, a drive past Emirates Palace and Qasr Al Watan, the Iranian dates and vegetable market, and Heritage Village, a reconstructed oasis settlement facing the skyline. There is also a visit to the BAPS Hindu Mandir, which is closed on Mondays. The lunch stop is at Marina Mall and lunch is at your own cost. Modest dress is required at the mosque - for women, loose clothing to the ankles, sleeves to the wrists and hair fully covered; for men, long trousers and no sleeveless, tight or see-through tops.

From

AED 152

per person · 15–30 travelers

Abu Dhabi · 11h

Abu Dhabi Cultural Heritage Tour from Dubai

Abu Dhabi rewards a day of your Dubai holiday. This tour collects you from your hotel in the morning, drives the 90 minutes down the coast, and gives you the capital's landmarks with a guide who can explain what you are looking at. The day is built around the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque - 82 domes, more than 1,000 columns and the world's largest hand-knotted carpet - followed by a drive along the Corniche with time for photographs, a pass by Ferrari World and Saadiyat Island, a stop at the dates market, and a lunch break at Marina Mall. Choose the ending you want when you book. The Qasr Al Watan option adds the presidential palace, its Great Hall and House of Knowledge, plus Qasr Al Hosn and the House of Artisans. The Louvre Abu Dhabi option takes you under Jean Nouvel's floating dome instead, for a collection that runs from prehistory to the present. Both options are available with a seat on a shared coach or as a private vehicle with driver.

From

AED 261

per person

Abu Dhabi · 1h 30m

Qasr Al Watan Abu Dhabi Ticket

Qasr Al Watan is a working presidential palace that opened its doors to the public in 2019, and that is what separates it from a museum: these are the rooms where the UAE receives heads of state and holds its councils, not a reconstruction of them. The Great Hall stands beneath a dome 37 metres across, finished in white marble, mother-of-pearl and gold leaf, with a chandelier at its centre weighing several tonnes. The House of Knowledge holds manuscripts and rare volumes tracing Arab contributions to astronomy, mathematics and medicine. Other rooms open onto the presidential library, the council chamber and a gallery of state gifts. In the evening a light-and-sound show is projected onto the palace facade, telling the country's story across the building itself. Allow around ninety minutes to two hours. The palace is air-conditioned throughout; dress is smart casual, with shoulders and knees covered.

From

AED 97

per person

Abu Dhabi · 4h

Qasr Al Watan with Louvre Museum Combo Tickets

Two of Abu Dhabi's landmark buildings on one ticket, and they make a deliberate pair: one is the country explaining itself, the other is the country collecting the world. Qasr Al Watan is a working presidential palace opened to the public in 2019 - the Great Hall sits beneath a 37-metre dome, and the House of Knowledge holds manuscripts tracing Arab contributions to astronomy, mathematics and medicine. Louvre Abu Dhabi, on Saadiyat Island, is Jean Nouvel's museum under a 180-metre latticed dome that filters the sunlight into what he called a rain of light; its galleries are arranged by era rather than by nation, so works from different civilisations sit side by side, including loans from the Louvre in Paris. Allow around two hours for each and expect roughly a 20-minute drive between them. Both are fully air-conditioned. Dress is smart casual at the palace - shoulders and knees covered. Children under 18 enter Louvre Abu Dhabi free, so the child rate here covers palace admission only.

From

AED 95

per person

Abu Dhabi · 2h

Louvre Museum Entrance Ticket

Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first universal museum in the Arab world, built on Saadiyat Island under a 180-metre steel dome that Jean Nouvel perforated with almost 8,000 stars so the sunlight falls through it in what he called a rain of light. The building sits in the sea, water running between its galleries, and the walk beneath the dome is worth the visit on its own. Inside, the collection is arranged by period rather than by nation - so a Buddha, a Torah, a Quran and a Gothic Madonna can share a room, and the point being made is how much the world's civilisations were doing at the same moment. The permanent galleries are supported by loans from thirteen French museums, the Louvre in Paris among them, and by touring exhibitions that change through the year. Allow two to three hours to do it properly; less if you are mainly there for the architecture. There is a cafe and a museum shop on site, and the galleries are air-conditioned throughout.

From

AED 122

per person

Going on your own

Dubai · 2h

Private Intercity Transfer from Dubai to Any UAE Emirate

A private one-way transfer from wherever you are staying in Dubai to any of the other Emirates. You choose the date and the pick-up address, and a licensed driver meets you there in an air-conditioned vehicle: no shared stops, no waiting on other passengers, no meter running. Four destinations are covered. Sharjah is a short hop of well under an hour; Ras Al Khaimah is around ninety minutes; Abu Dhabi and Fujairah are roughly two hours each. Journey times depend on traffic and on where in the destination emirate you are headed. Two vehicle sizes run on every route. The seven-seater suits couples, families and small groups with normal luggage; the twelve-seater is for larger parties or anyone travelling with a lot of bags. Each vehicle is priced as a unit, so the whole group travels for one fare.

From

AED 349

per person

Abu Dhabi day trip: your questions

Do you need to book the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in advance?

Yes, if you are visiting rather than praying: visitors must book ahead and get an online access pass. Worshippers enter directly.

Is the Grand Mosque open to visitors on Fridays?

Yes, from 09:00 to 11:30 (last entry 11:00) and from 14:30 to 20:30 (last entry 20:00).

What should you wear to the Grand Mosque?

Women need loose clothes to the ankle, sleeves to the wrist and their hair covered. Men should cover their legs and avoid sleeveless or tight tops.

Is the Louvre Abu Dhabi open on Mondays?

Yes. Its own site lists Monday to Thursday, 10:00 to 18:30, and Friday to Sunday, 10:00 to 20:30.

Is the Louvre Abu Dhabi free for children?

Yes, under-18s go free. Adults pay AED 70.

Can you take the train from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?

Yes. Etihad Rail runs trains between Dubai Station, at Jumeirah Golf Estates, and Mohamed bin Zayed City station in Abu Dhabi. On 3 October 2026 its live schedule listed them in both directions, each taking 64 minutes.

How much are Qasr Al Watan tickets?

AED 65 for adults, on the palace's own ticket page, and AED 30 for children, according to Visit Abu Dhabi. The ticket includes the Palace in Motion show. Our price is on the Qasr Al Watan card above.

How long is the drive from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?

Our tours plan on about 90 minutes each way.

Rules, hours and official prices checked on each place's own website on 23 September 2026, Etihad Rail's again on 3 October 2026, and the Grand Mosque's and Qasr Al Watan's prices on 4 October 2026. They change, especially in Ramadan, so check before you go. Sources: Grand Mosque visiting hours · Grand Mosque etiquette · Grand Mosque FAQs · Qasr Al Watan ticket · Qasr Al Watan FAQ · Qasr Al Watan opening hours · Qasr Al Watan: Palace in Motion ticket · Visit Abu Dhabi: Qasr Al Watan · Louvre Abu Dhabi: plan your visit · Visit Abu Dhabi: Louvre Abu Dhabi · BAPS Hindu Mandir: visit · Etihad Rail: passenger service begins · Etihad Rail stations · Etihad Rail: Dubai Station · Etihad Rail: live schedule

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