From the Grand Mosque and golden desert to theme parks, beaches and slow afternoons by the pool, Abu Dhabi surprised us in all the right ways.
There is something funny about travelling to the United Arab Emirates with children.
You tell them you’re going to Abu Dhabi and they look at you as if you’ve just announced a trip to a very impressive business district.
Skyscrapers. Mosques. Desert.
“Okay… but is there a swimming pool?”
Yes.
There are plenty of swimming pools.
And once we discovered that Abu Dhabi is much more than grand buildings and fancy hotels, we realised just how well this city works for a family holiday.
If you’ve already read our UAE: The Ultimate Family Guide, you’ll know that we don’t think you have to choose between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In fact, we think the combination is what makes a UAE family trip so good. Dubai brings the excitement, the enormous attractions and that slightly over-the-top feeling of wow. Abu Dhabi feels more spacious and relaxed.
And after a few busy days in Dubai, that slower pace can be exactly what a family needs.
From Dubai to Abu Dhabi
After exploring Dubai, we headed towards Abu Dhabi.
The drive itself is surprisingly easy, and it felt a little like leaving one world behind and entering another. Dubai gradually disappeared in the distance, the roads opened up and the pace seemed to change.
We had already experienced the energy of Dubai – the skyscrapers, shopping malls, beaches and all those attractions that make you feel as though someone has turned the volume up on a city.
Abu Dhabi felt different.
Not boring.
Just calmer.
There seemed to be more space between everything, and that immediately appealed to us. With kids, space is underrated.
You can actually breathe.
If you’re planning to combine the two cities, renting a car is a convenient option, especially if you want to explore beyond the main attractions. But taxis and private transfers also work well, particularly if you don’t want to navigate unfamiliar roads with tired children.
One thing we would definitely recommend is not trying to squeeze Abu Dhabi into a single day. You can see the highlights, but you won’t really experience the city.
We’d give Abu Dhabi at least three or four nights.
And if you have longer, even better.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: the moment everyone went quiet
There are places that look impressive in photographs.
And then there are places where you walk through the entrance and everyone, including the children, goes a little quiet.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was one of those places for us.
It is enormous and incredibly detailed, with white marble, arches, columns, enormous chandeliers and reflections that seem to go on forever.
Of course, children don’t necessarily arrive at a mosque thinking, I can’t wait to appreciate the architecture.
So don’t turn it into a history lesson.
Instead, give them things to look for.
How many arches can you find?
Can you spot the biggest chandelier?
Which patterns do you like?
How many reflections can you see?
Suddenly they are looking properly.
And that is one of the things we love about travelling with children. You sometimes have to find a different way into a place, but once you do, they can surprise you.
The mosque is also a lovely reminder that a UAE holiday isn’t only about theme parks and enormous shopping malls. There is a culture here that is worth experiencing and talking about with your children.
Just make sure everyone is dressed appropriately and check the current visitor requirements before you go.
Then we discovered Yas Island…
If the Grand Mosque showed us the cultural side of Abu Dhabi, Yas Island was where the children took over the itinerary.
And honestly?
We didn’t stand a chance.
Because once children hear the words Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World, Yas Waterworld and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, the adults are no longer really in charge.
Yas Island is almost a destination within a destination. There is so much entertainment concentrated in one area that you could easily spend several days here.
This is also why we’ve written a separate Yas Island with Kids guide. If your children love theme parks, it is worth planning this part of your UAE trip properly rather than simply turning up and hoping you can fit everything in.
Because you can’t.
Well, technically you could try.
But your feet might never forgive you.
One of our biggest Travelicious tips for the UAE is to choose one big experience per day. The temptation is always there to squeeze in just one more attraction, one more mall and one more sightseeing stop.
Don’t.
A theme park is a full day.
Let the kids enjoy it.
Let them go back to the ride they loved.
Let them eat the ridiculously colourful snack.
And if everyone wants to collapse by the pool afterwards, that’s not wasted holiday time.
That’s a successful family holiday.
Abu Dhabi’s secret weapon: the pool
If there is one thing we’ve learned from travelling with kids, it’s that the hotel pool is sometimes just as important as the destination.
You can spend the morning sightseeing, and by lunchtime the children are done.
Not “a little tired”.
Done.
So we always build in downtime.
Abu Dhabi makes this particularly easy. Many hotels are designed around pools and family facilities, and there are plenty of beautiful beaches too.
This is where Abu Dhabi starts to feel less like a city break and more like a proper holiday.
One morning you might visit the mosque.
The next day you’re flying down a water slide.
And the day after that you’re doing absolutely nothing except swimming.
Perfect.
If you’re still deciding where to stay, think about what kind of holiday you want. Yas Island makes sense if theme parks are high on your family’s list. Saadiyat Island is a better fit if you’re dreaming about beaches, a beautiful resort and a slower pace. Staying in the city centre works well if sightseeing and exploring are more important.
Before booking, we always compare location as well as price. With children, an extra 20 minutes in the car every day can make a surprisingly big difference.
Find family-friendly hotels in Abu Dhabi on Booking.com, https://booking.tpk.lu/fXErmS1n
And then there is the desert
You can’t come to the UAE with kids and ignore the desert.
Well, you could.
But why would you?
After all the polished buildings, air-conditioned malls and enormous attractions, heading out into the desert feels completely different.
The city disappears.
The roads disappear.
And suddenly there is just sand stretching towards the horizon.
For children, that change of scenery is part of the magic.
Sandboarding, dune drives, camel experiences and watching the sun go down over the dunes can easily become one of those memories they talk about long after you’ve returned home.
If you’re also visiting Dubai, don’t feel that you need to book a desert safari in both cities. Our Dubai Desert Safari with Kids guide explains what to look for when choosing a family-friendly experience and what to consider depending on the ages of your children.
And if you want to book an experience in advance, you can browse family-friendly activities here:
Explore Abu Dhabi experiences and tours with GetYourGuide, https://getyourguide.tpk.lu/OrKGbkZY
A slower day on Saadiyat Island
Eventually, every family reaches the same point on holiday.
Someone needs a quiet morning.
Someone else wants to swim.
Someone has suddenly become extremely hungry.
And nobody wants to get into the car.
That is when a beach day becomes the best plan imaginable.
Saadiyat Island is beautiful and gives you the opportunity to slow down for a while.
And I think this is where Abu Dhabi has an advantage over Dubai.
Dubai is exciting. There is always something happening and always another attraction around the corner.
Abu Dhabi gives you permission to stop.
We spent time simply enjoying the beach and the pool, without feeling guilty that we weren’t “doing” something.
Because we’ve learned that children don’t remember every museum or shopping mall.
They remember the afternoon they spent racing each other into the pool.
They remember the ice cream.
They remember playing in the sand.
And they definitely remember who won.
Abu Dhabi or Dubai with kids?
This is the question we get asked all the time.
Which one should you visit?
And our answer hasn’t really changed.
Why choose?
We actually wrote a whole article about this: Dubai versus Abu Dhabi; which one would you visit?
But if you’re planning a family trip, this is how we’d describe the difference.
Dubai is the one that makes you say:
“Wow, look at that!”
Abu Dhabi is the one that makes you say:
“This is nice. Let’s stay another day.”
Dubai is bigger, busier and packed with attractions.
Abu Dhabi feels more relaxed and gives you a little more breathing room. It combines culture, beaches, desert experiences and some seriously impressive family entertainment.
And then there is Yas Island, which means Abu Dhabi can absolutely compete when it comes to keeping children entertained.
For us, they complement each other.
Six days in Dubai followed by four days in Abu Dhabi would make a fantastic first trip. If you have ten days or more, don’t fill every day with attractions. Add pool days. Add beach time. Slow down.
You’ll enjoy it more.
How many days do you need in Abu Dhabi with kids?
I’d recommend three to four nights at a minimum.
Three nights gives you enough time for the highlights:
- Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
- Abu Dhabi city
- Yas Island
- A beach or pool day
Four or five nights gives you much more breathing room and allows you to add a desert experience, more beach time or another Yas Island attraction.
And if your children are huge theme park fans, I’d seriously consider staying on or near Yas Island for several nights.
The biggest mistake you can make in Abu Dhabi is trying to do everything.
You don’t need to.
One big adventure.
One smaller activity.
And plenty of time for the pool.
That’s our kind of itinerary.
What about the little things?
One of the things I love about travelling through the UAE is how easy it is to mix completely different experiences.
You can have breakfast overlooking a modern skyline and, hours later, be standing in the desert.
You can spend the morning learning about the culture of the UAE and the afternoon screaming on a roller coaster.
You can have a busy day on Yas Island and then spend the next morning doing nothing.
That contrast is what makes Abu Dhabi interesting for families.
And it is also why I wouldn’t plan every hour before you leave home.
Leave room for those moments when the children discover something you hadn’t planned for.
Those are often the best ones.
Don’t forget the practical stuff
The UAE is an easy destination to travel with children, but the heat does mean you need to plan differently.
We always carry water, sun protection, hats and lightweight clothing. And don’t forget that air conditioning can be very cold in malls, restaurants and hotels, so a light layer is useful too.
For cultural sights, pack something a little more conservative.
And then there is the suitcase problem.
Because somehow, no matter how carefully you pack, travelling with children always ends with someone sitting on a suitcase trying to close it.
Our UAE Packing List for Families goes into much more detail about what to take, but one thing we wouldn’t travel without anymore is our Travelicious packing cubes, https://www.travel-icious.com/product/travel-storage-bag-compressible-packaging-cube-copy/
Each family member gets their own colour, which means everyone knows exactly where their clothes are. No more emptying the entire suitcase onto the hotel floor because someone can’t find a swimsuit.
It sounds like a small thing.
It isn’t.
Especially when you’re moving from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and then home again.
Our Abu Dhabi with Kids verdict
Would we go back to Abu Dhabi with the kids?
Absolutely.
Not because it has the biggest skyline or the most extravagant attraction.
But because it gives you something that is sometimes difficult to find on a family holiday:
balance.
There are huge experiences.
There is culture.
There are beaches.
There is desert.
There are theme parks.
There are beautiful hotels.
And there are plenty of opportunities to do absolutely nothing.
For us, that combination works.
If you’re planning your first UAE family adventure, start with our UAE: The Ultimate Family Guide, then dive into our Dubai with Kids guide and our Dubai versus Abu Dhabi; which one would you visit? article to decide how you want to split your time.
And if Yas Island is calling your family’s name, make sure you read our Yas Island with Kids guide before booking.
Because the UAE isn’t really a destination where you tick attractions off a list.
It’s a destination where you can have breakfast in a city, spend the afternoon on a roller coaster, watch the sunset over the desert and finish the day in a swimming pool.
And somewhere along the way, the children stop asking,
“What are we doing today?”
Because they already know.
Something completely different.Something they wouldn’t be doing at home.
And isn’t that exactly why we travel?