Qasr Al Watan tickets: what you pay, what is included, and when to go

The palace's booking channel headlines each ticket with "From", at AED 65 for an adult and AED 30 for a junior. A "from" price is not a fare, so we checked the real ones: on 5 November 2026 one adult totalled AED 65.00, and one adult plus one junior totalled AED 95.00, which puts the junior at AED 30.

The ticket page names two types, Peak, with entry any time during operating hours, and Off Peak, with entry restricted to 13:00 to 16:00. The booking channel offered one adult and one junior fare, and we found no off-peak price, so we quote none. The booking dialog defines Junior as 4 to 17 years old and says children 3 years old and below can enter for free.

The FAQ lists the concessions. UAE-registered people of determination receive complimentary access plus one companion. International visitors with obvious signs of disability are complimentary, without a companion. Fazaa and Homat Al Watan members get a discount on standard tickets, for up to 4 tickets, with a promo code from the app or the card and Emirates ID at the gate. It cannot be combined with other offers.

Our single ticket has adult and child categories, which may not match the palace's age bands. Our price and cancellation terms are on the card above, and the palace's FAQ says its own entry tickets are not refundable.

The ticket page lists full access to the palace zones, including the Great Hall, Presidential Gifts and the Qasr Al Watan Library, entry to the Palace in Motion show, free Wi-Fi, a free shuttle bus and parking, and one-time use only. The FAQ describes the general admission ticket as access to the Qasr Al Watan Tour, the gardens, the Visitor Centre and all zones, exhibitions and public spaces.

On Wi-Fi the palace contradicts itself. The ticket page and the booking channel list free Wi-Fi, while the visitor information and the FAQ say there is no Wi-Fi throughout the palace grounds. Do not plan around it.

On the show, the palace's pages agree. The Palace in Motion page says to buy a general admission ticket to explore the palace as well as enjoy the show, and that its own ticket is for the show only, and the ticket page lists entry to the show. So the booking channel's separate ticket, at AED 25 for an adult and AED 12 for a junior, is the show alone. Our own listing says the show may require its own admission, which the palace's pages do not say.

The shuttle needs the same care. The visitor information says a free shuttle runs between the Visitor Centre and the palace entrance, and the FAQ says the palace provides no transport to or from it. Read together, that suggests an on-site shuttle only, which is our reading, not the palace's wording.

The palace's calendar shows 10:00 to 17:00 on each day from 4 to 30 November 2026, and the Palace in Motion light show at 18:30 to 18:45 on the same days. Last entry to the palace is at closing time, and last entry to the show is 30 minutes before it starts. The booking channel says show times vary seasonally and that late entry is not permitted.

The palace closes at 17:00 and the show begins at 18:30. General admission includes the show, but no page we read says how a day ticket and an evening show fit together, so ask the palace before you plan an evening around it. The Palace in Motion page adds that show timings are updated monthly.

Our listing suggests 90 minutes to two hours for the Great Hall, the House of Knowledge and the presidential library. The palace says you have unlimited time inside, but re-entry is not permitted.

Knees and shoulders must be covered, and shorts, sleeveless tops, see-through garments and flip-flops are not allowed. Tickets are dated and can be used only on the date printed. The FAQ says there are no refunds on any entry ticket, and that once you leave you cannot come back in.

Bags larger than 500 by 350 millimetres are not allowed through security, and there are no lockers or cloakrooms, so leave extra belongings at home or in the car. Prohibited items include food and drink other than bottled water, tripods over 15 inches high, long umbrellas, knives and pets. Non-commercial photography and filming are allowed, but not with wearable devices inside the palace or grounds.

The palace's FAQ says guided tours are available for purchase at the gate, with limited capacity, and that you do not have to take one. Its booking channel also sells them online, on a Tours tab, valid only with an entry ticket: a 30-minute guided tour at AED 20 per visitor, and an audio guided tour in 5 languages at AED 20.

The palace is in Al Ras Al Akhdar, near the Abu Dhabi Corniche. From Dubai, take Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) toward Abu Dhabi, then follow signs to Corniche Street. From Saadiyat or Yas Island, use Sheikh Khalifa Bridge (E12) and Corniche Street. Our listing puts the drive from Dubai at around 90 minutes.

Self-parking at the Visitor Centre is free, and valet parking is AED 35. The visitor information also lists the free Experience Abu Dhabi Shuttle Bus, which stops at Abu Dhabi's main attractions including the palace.

Louvre Abu Dhabi's galleries close at 18:30 from Monday to Thursday and 20:30 from Friday to Sunday, against the palace's 17:00, so see the palace first and the museum after it.

The Louvre's page also lists the Cultural Express, a free round trip from Dubai, and says its only two stops are the Louvre and Qasr Al Watan. The operator's timetable does not list the palace. It names nine stops, one marked currently closed, including Zayed National Museum, Louvre Abu Dhabi and Mamsha Beach. From Monday to Thursday the bus leaves City Seasons Tower Hotel Dubai at 09:05, reaches the Louvre at 11:48, and leaves the Louvre for Dubai at 18:45. We promise neither page: check the timetable, and do not count on this shuttle to reach the palace.

Our combo ticket covers admission to both on one booking. Its listing says transport between them is not included unless your booking says so, that they are roughly 20 minutes apart by road, and to allow around two hours at each. The child rate covers the palace only, because under-18s enter the museum free.

Neither venue's ticket page offers the pairing as one ticket; bought separately, an adult pays AED 65 and AED 70. Our cards show our prices live: add up our single palace ticket and our single Louvre ticket, and set the sum beside the combo.

Our Louvre Abu Dhabi guide has the museum's fares, free groups and hours in full.