Language · 11 published
Country guide
The United Arab Emirates has been one country since 2 December 1971, when seven emirates — Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah — federated. It covers 83,600 km² and held 11,027,129 people in 2024, of whom about 11 per cent are Emirati citizens; the rest came to work, and that shapes the food, the languages and the shape of a week more than any monument does. Abu Dhabi is the capital and Dubai the largest city, close enough to treat as one base. The northern emirates beyond them are quieter and far less built.
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Tim Reckmann from Hamm, Deutschland · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photograph · Валерий Дед · CC BY 3.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
86 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
The Dubai Fountain is a choreographed fountain system located on the Burj Khalifa Lake in Downtown Dubai. It is one of the city's most prominent entertainment attractions, drawing visitors who gather to observe its water, music, and light performances.
Ain Dubai is a giant observation wheel located on Bluewaters Island, an artificial island off the coast of the Jumeirah Beach Residence area. It stands as one of the most prominent landmarks on the Dubai skyline.
نافورة دبي
The Dubai Fountain is a choreographed water and light show staged on the Burj Lake, the artificial lake that lies between the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and Souk Al Bahar in Downtown Dubai.
Al Wathba Fossil Dunes Reserve is a protected natural-heritage area in Abu Dhabi Emirate, recognized for its fossilized sand dunes formed over millennia. The site preserves ancient geological formations created when wind-blown sand solidified into dramatic sculptural shapes.
BAPS Hindu Mandir Abu Dhabi is a traditional Hindu temple built by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. It stands as a significant cultural and spiritual landmark in the United Arab Emirates, representing interfaith harmony and the UAE's commitment to religious tolerance.
Deira Gold Souk
Deira Gold Souk is an open-air jewellery market in Al Ras, at the northern end of Deira, a few hundred metres back from the Dubai Creek waterfront.
سوق التوابل
Dubai Spice Souk is a traditional market in Deira, Dubai's historic commercial district. The souk forms part of the older trading quarter near Dubai Creek, where merchants have conducted business for generations.
Deira Clocktower is a prominent roundabout monument located in the Deira district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
قصر الوطن
Qasr Al Watan is a working presidential palace in Abu Dhabi that opened to public visitors in 2019. Its name means “Palace of the Nation,” and the attraction combines national symbolism with ceremonial architecture and cultural interpretation.
دبي باركس
Dubai Parks and Resorts is a large integrated leisure destination in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It encompasses multiple theme parks and entertainment zones within one complex.
جامع الشيخ زايد الكبير
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a major Islamic place of worship in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
حديقة مشرف الوطنية
Mushrif Park is a major public park in Dubai, known locally as حديقة مشرف الوطنية. The park occupies a substantial green space in the eastern part of the city, offering a natural environment distinct from Dubai's urban core.
موقع ساروق الحديد الأثري
Saruq Al Hadid Archaeological Site is an important archaeological location in Dubai emirate. Finds from the site connect it with ancient metallurgy, craft production and trade.
مول الإمارات
Mall of the Emirates is a major shopping and entertainment destination in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its Arabic name is مول الإمارات. The complex combines retail, restaurants, cinema entertainment and indoor recreation in a climate-controlled setting.
حديقة الصفا
Safa Park is a public green space in Dubai, also known locally as حديقة الصفا. The park offers an outdoor recreational setting within Dubai’s developed urban landscape.
حديقة زعبيل
Zabeel Park is a major urban green space in Dubai, known locally as حديقة زعبيل.
سوق دبي للمنسوجات
Dubai Textile Souk, known locally as سوق دبي للمنسوجات, is a traditional market located in the Bur Dubai district near the Dubai Creek.
موقع جميرا الأثري
Jumeirah Archaeological Site is a place of archaeological and historical interest in Dubai’s Jumeirah area. It represents evidence of past human activity and settlement within a district now known for modern urban development.
مسجد دبي الكبير
Grand Mosque is an active Islamic place of worship and an architectural landmark in Dubai. It is different from a museum or a purpose-built visitor attraction because prayer and religious life remain its central purpose.
موقع الصفوح الأثري
Al Sufouh Archaeological Site is a heritage location in western Dubai, in the Al Sufouh area near the coastline between Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah.
كنيسة القديسة مريم الكاثوليكية
St. Mary's Catholic Church is an active Catholic place of worship in Dubai. It serves the Catholic community through Mass, prayer and religious ceremonies.
المسجد الشيعي الإيراني، بر دبي
The Iranian Mosque, also known as the Shia Iranian Mosque, stands in Bur Dubai's historic district. This place of worship serves Dubai's Iranian Shia Muslim community and reflects Persian architectural influences.
حصن الفهيدي
Al Fahidi Fort, known locally as حصن الفهيدي, stands as Dubai's oldest existing building. Constructed in 1787, this coral-stone and mortar fortification served defensive purposes before later uses as a palace, garrison, and prison.
St Francis of Assisi Church
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Jebel Ali serves the Catholic community in Dubai's industrial corridor. The church operates under the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, providing spiritual services to a diverse congregation of expatriate workers and residents.
Madame Tussauds Dubai is an indoor wax museum on Bluewaters Island. It belongs to the international Madame Tussauds attraction network and presents lifelike figures of celebrities, public figures and cultural personalities.
The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is a specialized veterinary facility dedicated to falcons, reflecting the deep cultural significance of falconry in the United Arab Emirates.
ديرة سيتي سنتر
Deira City Centre is a shopping mall in Deira, one of Dubai’s older commercial districts. The mall serves a dense residential area and visitors moving through the historic side of the city.
The Abrahamic Family House is an interfaith complex on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, inaugurated in 2023. It comprises a mosque, a church, and a synagogue designed to promote coexistence among the three Abrahamic religions.
وافي مول
Wafi City is a mixed-use complex in Oud Metha combining shopping, dining, hospitality and leisure. Its Egyptian-inspired architecture makes it distinctive among Dubai’s commercial destinations: pyramid forms, columns and pharaonic decoration shape the identity of the development.
دبي هيلز مول
Dubai Hills Mall is a shopping and entertainment destination located within the Dubai Hills Estate development. The mall serves as a retail hub for residents of the surrounding community and visitors to the area.
دبي مارينا مول
Dubai Marina Mall is a shopping centre in Dubai Marina, United Arab Emirates. The mall serves residents of the surrounding waterfront towers as well as visitors exploring the district.
مول نخلة جميرا
Nakheel Mall is a shopping and leisure destination located on Palm Jumeirah, Dubai's iconic artificial island. Its local name is مول نخلة جميرا.
Mirdif City Center
Mirdif City Centre is a shopping mall located in the Mirdif district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The mall serves the residential community of Mirdif and surrounding neighbourhoods with retail, dining, and entertainment facilities.
Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab
Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque is an active Islamic place of worship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is named after Omar Bin Al Khattab, an important historical figure in Islam.
Dubai Outlet Mall is a shopping destination in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The mall operates as an outlet center offering discounted retail goods from various brands.
سوق الواجهة البحرية
Waterfront Market is a modern marketplace in Dubai, replacing the older Deira Fish Market. The local name is سوق الواجهة البحرية. It serves as a hub for fresh produce, seafood, meat, and other goods.
سوق البحار
Souk Al Bahar is a traditional Arabian marketplace situated on the Old Town Island in Downtown Dubai, adjacent to the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall.
Al Rahim Mosque
Masjid Al Rahim, also known locally as Al Rahim Mosque, is an active place of Islamic worship in Dubai. It belongs to the living religious landscape of the United Arab Emirates rather than functioning as a conventional museum or monument.
Marina Mall
Marina Mall is a shopping and leisure centre on the breakwater of Abu Dhabi’s Corniche, where the city’s developed waterfront reaches into the Arabian Gulf.
حديقة الخور
Ḩadīqat al Khawr, also known locally as حديقة الخور, is a public park beside Dubai Creek. Its setting connects an urban green space with the waterway that shaped Dubai’s history as a trading and fishing settlement.
حديقة الخزّان
Ḩadīqat al Khazzān is a park in Dubai, known locally as حديقة الخزّان. Its name is translated as Reservoir Park or Tank Park, giving the place a water-related identity within the city.
Abu Dhabi Art Hub, also known locally as آرت هب أبوظبي, is a creative arts venue in Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi Carpet Souk is a working traditional market in the capital, where carpet and textile trading takes place in a contemporary city setting. It is a commercial souk rather than a museum or staged attraction.
Abu Dhabi Dates Souk is a visitable local market in Abu Dhabi specialising in dates and associated products.
Al Ahmadiya School is a historic educational institution in Dubai, representing the emirate's early commitment to formal schooling. Established in the early twentieth century, it served as a pioneering centre of learning during a transformative period in the region's development.
Al-Oshoosh Archeological Site
Al-Ashoosh, locally known as the Al-Oshoosh Archeological Site, is an archaeological location in the Dubai emirate.
الممزر
Al Mamzar is a coastal area in Dubai, known primarily for Al Mamzar Beach Park. The local name الممزر identifies this destination on Dubai's northeastern shoreline, near the border with Sharjah.
Maqta Fort
Maqta Fort, also known locally as Qal'at al-Maqta, is a compact historic defensive structure beside the Maqta crossing between Abu Dhabi Island and the mainland.
محمية المرموم الصحراوية
Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve is the largest unfenced nature reserve in the United Arab Emirates, located in the desert interior of Dubai. The protected area encompasses extensive dune landscapes, sabkha flats, and gravel plains.
بحيرات القدرة
Al Qudra Lakes is a man-made desert oasis in Dubai’s Dubailand area, where interconnected bodies of water sit among open arid plains.
Al Seef Dubai is a waterfront destination along Dubai Creek, developed as a mixed-use leisure and retail precinct. The area blends contemporary architecture with design elements evoking traditional Emirati heritage.
Al Shandagah Watch Tower is a historic defensive structure in Dubai’s Al Shandagah area. It represents the watchtowers that helped protect coastal settlements and monitor movement along the Arabian Gulf.
Al Sufouh Umm an-Nar Tomb is a Bronze Age burial monument in Dubai’s Al Sufouh area. The tomb belongs to the Umm an-Nar cultural tradition, which flourished in the third millennium BCE around the Arabian Gulf.
Al Wahda Mall is a major shopping centre in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Located in the city centre near the Al Wahda district, it serves as a significant retail and leisure destination for residents and visitors.
Aura Skypool is an elevated pool venue located in Dubai, positioned high above the city with panoramic views across the skyline and surrounding waters. The attraction functions as a swimming and leisure destination combining pool access with observation-level vantage points.
AYA is an immersive visitor attraction in Dubai, designed around experience-led entertainment rather than a conventional museum collection. The name identifies a contemporary stop within the city’s large portfolio of leisure destinations.
Bluewaters Island is a man-made island development off the coast of Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai. It is primarily known as the location of Ain Dubai, one of the world's largest observation wheels.
Capital Gardens is a public green space in Abu Dhabi, identified in OpenStreetMap as a city-level place within the emirate’s capital.
Dalma Mall, also known as دلما مول, is an indoor shopping-centre destination in Abu Dhabi. Its defining role is commercial and leisure-oriented: it is suited to retail browsing, everyday errands, food, and a flexible break from the city’s outdoor heat.
حي دبي للتصميم
Dubai Design District, known locally as حي دبي للتصميم, is a purpose-built creative quarter in Dubai dedicated to design, fashion, and arts.
دبي جاردن جلو
Dubai Garden Glow is an illuminated theme park in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The attraction features elaborate light installations and sculptures, creating a nighttime entertainment destination.
Dubai Hills Park is a landscaped recreational space within Dubai Hills Estate. It offers a greener side of Dubai through lawns, gardens, paths, play areas, and outdoor space for walking, jogging, exercise, and family time.
دار دبي للأوبرا
Dubai Opera House is a performing arts centre in Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The building opened in 2016 and was designed by architect Janus Rostock.
Expo Lake is a constructed water feature within Expo City Dubai, the large development created on the former Expo 2020 Dubai site. It forms part of the landscaped public realm linking the district’s pavilions, paths and open spaces.
The Founder's Memorial is a permanent national tribute to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the United Arab Emirates. Located on Abu Dhabi Corniche, the memorial encompasses a landscaped public park and cultural destination.
Handicrafts Souk is a small, stall-based craft market in Abu Dhabi, defined by the contrast between separate seller displays and standardised retail.
Heritage House is a cultural attraction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It forms part of the city's efforts to preserve and present traditional Emirati architecture and domestic life.
مجمع ابن بطوطا
Ibn Battuta Mall is a shopping mall in Dubai themed around the travels of the 14th-century Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta.
Iranian Souk is a waterfront market in Abu Dhabi whose identity is tied to active commercial trading rather than a museum programme or a purpose-built visitor attraction.
Jubail Mangrove Park is a protected natural area in Abu Dhabi featuring extensive mangrove forests along the coastline. The park preserves one of the region's most significant coastal ecosystems, providing habitat for marine life and migratory birds.
Jumeirah Mosque is a prominent Islamic landmark in Dubai, situated in the Jumeirah district. It stands as one of the few mosques in the United Arab Emirates open to non-Muslim visitors, offering structured cultural programmes.
Khalifa Park is a major public park in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Named in honour of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the park occupies a significant green space within the urban environment.
كايت بيتش
Kite Beach is a public beach on Dubai’s Arabian Gulf coastline. It is known for kite surfing and other watersports, while its open shore also suits swimming, walking, relaxing, and watching activity on the water.
La Mer is an outdoor beachfront destination in Dubai, developed by Meraas. It combines a public beach with retail, dining, and entertainment offerings along the Jumeirah coastline.
Marsana Beach is a named coastal place in Abu Dhabi, mapped under the Arabic name شاطئ مرسانا.
NYUAD Art Gallery is an independent, public-facing contemporary art gallery on the New York University Abu Dhabi campus on Saadiyat Island. It is a non-collecting exhibition space, so the experience centres on changing exhibitions rather than a permanent collection.
Wahat Al Karama
Wahat Al Karama is a war memorial and monument site in Abu Dhabi, situated opposite Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Its name translates to Oasis of Dignity.
Observation Deck at 300 is the enclosed level-74 viewpoint inside Tower 2 of Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers.
Qasr Al Hosn is Abu Dhabi's oldest building, the ancestral home of the Al Nahyan family and the symbolic centre from which the city developed.
الحديقة القرآنية
Quranic Park is a Dubai public park themed around Islamic heritage and the Holy Quran. Its Arabic name is الحديقة القرآنية. The park occupies a substantial plot in Al Khawaneej and opened as a cultural-religious destination for residents and visitors.
Kai Beach is the current operating name of the former Saadiyat Public Beach on Saadiyat Island.
Surf Abu Dhabi is a controlled-wave surf venue on Hudayriyat Island, built around a bookable surf basin rather than an open beach break.
Theatre Of Digital Art is an immersive cultural venue in Dubai dedicated to digital art exhibitions and multisensory experiences. It utilises advanced projection technology to transform interior spaces into dynamic visual environments.
ذا فيو ات ذا بالم
The View at The Palm is an observation deck situated on the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai's iconic artificial archipelago. Positioned atop The Palm Tower, this vantage point offers panoramic outlooks over the frond-shaped island, the Arabian Gulf, and the Dubai skyline.
Al Ittihad Square
Al Ittihad Square is an open civic space in Abu Dhabi, named for the union that gives the United Arab Emirates its national identity.
ياس مول
Yas Mall is a large enclosed shopping and leisure centre on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Its practical appeal is the way retail browsing, meals and indoor entertainment can be combined in one air-conditioned destination.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·
Six to eight days is enough for roughly four days in Dubai and two or three in Abu Dhabi. Sharjah can be a separate museum day, while Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah requires dedicated road time rather than being treated as a quick urban extension.
UAE entry permission depends on nationality and may be arranged in advance or granted under a nationality-specific rule. Confirm the current position through the federal ICP service or the responsible UAE embassy, especially for a stopover itinerary.
Dubai combines metro, tram, buses, and marine transport; Abu Dhabi relies more heavily on buses and taxis. Travel between emirates remains road-based, so allow for an intercity bus, taxi, or rental car rather than expecting a passenger train.
November through March gives the most practical outdoor hours for this Dubai-Abu Dhabi route. In hotter months, schedule waterfront and heritage districts early or late and reserve the middle of the day for indoor museums.
The United Arab Emirates uses the dirham (AED). Cards are widely useful in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but retain an AED backup for smaller fares or deposits and check which currency a card terminal proposes.
Police in the UAE can be reached on 999 and ambulance services on 998. Type G sockets supply 230 V; tap-water guidance is not recorded here, so ask the accommodation for the building-specific position.
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