Abu Dhabi is a city of islands, and its best sights are spread across them. Beaches are on one island, world-class museums on another and a Formula 1 circuit on a third. An oasis city sits a couple of hours inland. Doing it all by taxi means a lot of waiting in the heat and a lot of time on the meter.
With your own car, the same weekend feels completely different. You can leave for Al Ain before sunrise, pull over wherever the Corniche looks best and stay on Yas Island until the light turns golden. Car rental Abu Dhabi offers on Yango Drive include daily and monthly rentals, and many rental companies can deliver the car to your hotel, so the trip starts at your door.
This is the route we’d suggest.
Friday evening: the Corniche at sunset
Arrive, check in and head straight for the Corniche, the long waterfront promenade lined with palm trees, parks and public beaches. Park near one end and walk a stretch as the city lights come on. Then drive toward the Heritage Village area for one of the best views of the skyline across the water.
Dinner is easy: the marina area nearby has plenty of restaurants, and you’ll be back at the hotel in minutes.
Saturday: Saadiyat in the morning, Yas Island by night
Start on Saadiyat Island, the capital’s cultural district. The Louvre Abu Dhabi opens the day well: its vast dome scatters sunlight into a pattern often described as a “rain of light”. Give yourself a few hours inside.
After the museum, drive a few minutes to Saadiyat’s beach, one of the nicest in the emirate. Put a beach bag in the boot in the morning and you can go from gallery to sea without arranging a single transfer. On the islands, a car really pays for itself.
Late afternoon, cross over to Yas Island. Car fans will want to see the Yas Marina Circuit, home of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where public track experiences and community events run on some dates. Yas also has big theme parks and a lively marina. Roads are wide and parking is plentiful, and getting back late in the evening is much easier when your car is waiting outside.
Sunday: the road to Al Ain
Leave early. The highway to Al Ain is straightforward, and the scenery changes from city to red dunes to the first mountains. The “Garden City” feels nothing like the coast: it’s greener, slower and quieter.
Walk through the Al Ain Oasis, a UNESCO-listed palm grove watered by the traditional falaj irrigation channels. Visit Al Jahili Fort for a sense of the region’s history. Then save the best for last: the drive up Jebel Hafeet, one of the UAE’s most famous mountain roads, with long sweeping curves and a view across the desert from the top.
You’ll want to stop at every viewpoint on the way up, and that’s only possible with your own wheels.
Which car suits this route?
Almost any comfortable car will handle these roads, because they’re excellent. Still, many travellers enjoy driving an SUV here. You sit higher, see more of the desert and have room for luggage, beach gear and shopping. If that sounds right, you can rent a Jeep in Abu Dhabi and give the weekend a proper road-trip feel.
One caution: rental contracts usually limit where the car can go, so read the conditions before you leave the tarmac. If you want to drive on the dunes, book a guided desert tour instead.
Before you set off
Abu Dhabi has its own toll system, Darb, which works separately from Dubai’s Salik. Ask the rental company how tolls are charged. Speed limits are strictly enforced across the emirate. Bring your passport and driving licence, plus an International Driving Permit if your nationality requires one, and always carry more water than you think you’ll need on the Al Ain leg.
If you’re staying longer than a weekend, a monthly rental is often simpler than renewing day by day, and it gives you time to come back to the places you didn’t want to leave.
