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...
Photograph · Tonenight · CC BY-SA 4.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
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.
Checked 2026-08-25
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.
144 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Women's museum
The Women's Museum in Dubai is a cultural institution dedicated to documenting and celebrating the contributions of women to the United Arab Emirates. Located in the historic Al Fahidi district, it occupies a renovated traditional house.
Jameel Arts Centre is a contemporary art institution on Dubai’s Jaddaf Waterfront. It is a place for exhibitions, commissions, research and public programmes, with a quieter atmosphere than the city’s large entertainment venues.
ناشونال اكواريوم ابوظبي
The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi is a major marine life attraction in the Al Qana entertainment district. It represents one of the largest aquariums in the Middle East, housing diverse aquatic ecosystems across multiple themed zones.
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.
Al Marmoom Heritage Village is a Dubai cultural attraction set within the wider Al Marmoom desert landscape. It presents elements of Emirati heritage and the traditional way of life that developed before the emirate's rapid modern growth.
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 Shindagha Museum is a cultural institution situated in the historic Al Shindagha district along Dubai Creek.
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.
Dubai Crocodile Museum is a specialist attraction devoted to crocodiles and wildlife education. The museum offers a focused alternative to Dubai’s better-known skyscrapers, shopping centres and entertainment complexes.
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.
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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