Exploring Abu Dhabi in 13 Hours: A Not Your Average Layover Adventure

13 Hours in Abu Dhabi

We recently (October 2024) had a layover in Abu Dhabi, so we decided to explore the city. While our adventure might not be the itinerary you’d plan, there are plenty of tips and tricks sprinkled throughout the article that will hopefully make your layover or trip to Abu Dhabi smoother.

This layover was just for Micah and me. As I discussed in this article, I had to split our family of 4 up into two groups of 2 for our Qatar Airways Qsuites redemption, so Micah and I were the only ones with a layover in Abu Dhabi. For reasons you may not understand, we added on a leg to Abu Dhabi in First Class just so we could experience the Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge (which is incredible I might add). But I digress and you need to read more of this blog to understand why that is important to me. Anyways, we weren’t really trying to experience anything too grand in Abu Dhabi as we will very likely make a trip there as a family in the next few years and want to do those things together. Instead, we opted for a relaxing adventure that included some must see locations but left us wanting to go back!

So with that said, let’s get into the details.

Airport Arrival and Luggage Storage

We arrived in Abu Dhabi around 0930. After disembarking the plane, we were driven to the arrivals area by a golf cart. I’m pretty sure it was because we were first class, but I’m not sure. Regardless, it was a nice treat. From there we went down the escalators to customs. The recently built Terminal A at Zayid International Airport is very modern and beautiful. The immigrations is also very updated and they had self-check immigration lanes with face and finger scanning for returning passengers to the UAE. As we were in the UAE last summer, I thought we’d try it. Micah’s worked, but mine did not. My theory is that last summer Dubai wasn’t using the same system and my face scan and finger scan were not in the system, so my passport declined and I had to go through the normal immigration line where I got my face and fingers scanned. Micah’s probably worked because he is not old enough to need a face or finger scan, so his passport was recognized and he cleared right away. I’m hopeful on our next visit mine will clear the self-check lane as well.

It is essential to note that passengers traveling on separate tickets must retrieve their bags, as they will not be automatically transferred to the next flight. We had a Qatar Airways flight back to Doha and then to our final destination of Kathmandu late that same day, but due to being separate tickets, Qatar airways was unable to check our bags through (I sure tried though). Upon clearing immigration, you immediately enter the baggage claim area. Abu Dhabi airport has free luggage trolleys for ease of transport of your luggage. Our bags came quickly, and we headed towards customs where we walked straight through without any issues.

We entered the arrivals area, and our next consideration was what to do with our luggage during our layover. Luckily Abu Dhabi International Airport’s new Terminal A offers a convenient luggage storage service via Excess Baggage Company, providing travelers the opportunity to explore the city without the hassle of carrying their bags.

The Excess Baggage Company is located in Terminal A of Abu Dhabi International Airport, easily accessible for travelers. The cost for this service is pretty reasonable, and at the time of posting, it was 55 AED ($15 USD) for the first 12 hours, with incremental fees for additional hours (see photos below). This pricing structure makes it a viable option for those wishing to maximize their brief time in the city. They are also open 24 hours a day, making it a very convenient option to store your luggage. Of course, those hours and rates are subject to change, so please confirm when dropping off your luggage.

Directions: As you are exiting customs in Terminal A, turn right and walk to the very end of the terminal. It is in the far-right corner and there are signs leading you there. Utilizing the luggage storage service is a strategic choice for enjoying a smooth and enjoyable layover adventure in Abu Dhabi.

The total cost to store our luggage for about 10 hours was: $104.84

Transportation from Airport to City

After securing our luggage, we headed out to find a taxi or uber.

I was initially inclined to use Uber as I had read some reports of people saying the Taxis would cost a lot more. But my experience was very similar to our experience with taxis in Dubai. The taxis run on a meter that is clearly visible, they take card payments (I always confirm this before I get into the taxi), and they were reasonably priced and similar to Uber prices. Also, we met the sweetest taxi driver and had a wonderful conversation!

Thankfully we were able to navigate without Uber because I was unable to get any payment to work with my Uber and my network access was very slow. I didn’t bother with a sim card for the layover and just used the included slower data with my T-Mobile plan. Our transportation for the day included 2 metered taxis, 2 free shuttles on Yas Island, and 1 non-metered taxi (details at the end—this option is not recommended).

Total cost for transportation for the day was $52.28.

Yas Marina Circuit

Our first stop was Yas Marina circuit for my Formula 1 racing obsessed son. Yas Marina Circuit is on Yas Island which is where a lot of main attractions are, including Ferrari World and Warner Bros World.

My son was very interested in a circuit tour, but they were only offering VIP tours for 1000 AED during our visit for groups of up to 4. While it would’ve been amazing for him to experience that, without my husband and youngest son, it just wouldn’t have been right so we decided to save this for our next stop in Abu Dhabi when we are all together. Instead, we looked around the small museum with a few activities, took some photos from the viewing deck on level 2, and then Micah did an F1 racing simulator. They also offer Karting and while the track looked awesome, it was incredibly hot, and again, it just didn’t feel right without the other half of our family. I was proud of Micah because he was satisfied with the $10 F1 simulator and really excited just to see the track, take some photos, and be there. He just kept saying, “I can’t believe I’m at the F1 track in Abu Dhabi. I never thought I’d go there as a kid.” It sure does a momma’s heart good to make a little magic for her son. After we were done, we asked about how we could get to the Yas Mall so we could glimpse Ferrari World. The really kind man working at the F1 shop let us know there was a free Yas Island shuttle we could catch so we headed outside to wait for the shuttle. What we didn’t know was that shuttle only goes to certain stops. So we ended up having to take this shuttle to the hotel area and then we had to wait for another shuttle. I believe there are 4 different shuttles, A1, A2, B, and C—but I didn’t research this too much but would recommend looking into it if you are staying on Yas Island or going there for a day. It probably saved us another $10 or so in taxi fare, but to be honest, was maybe more of a hassle than the $10 was worth (don’t tell Micah though as he kept begging me for a taxi as we waited outside in the 110 degree F sun, sweat dripping down our backs. Again though, I digress.

Total Cost at the Circuit: $9.53 for the simulator

YAS Mall

We made it to the mall and Ferrari World area. In October 2024, the world’s fastest coaster was currently closed, so we ruled out a visit to Ferrari World right away before Micah could even ask. It will likely be added to our future family trip to Abu Dhabi. We went inside the mall and took some photos around the entrance of Ferrari World (which is on the second floor of the mall).

At this point, we were hungry, so we decided to grab lunch here. Since we were heading to Nepal and India for about 6 weeks, we decided we should grab one last burger (as the only burgers you will find in Nepal and India are buffalo or chicken). We ate at Adrift Burger Bar in the Yas Mall, and I’d definitely recommend it if you are in the Yas Mall and happen to be hungry for a burger and fries. We do love Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Indian food which are plentiful, and I’d assume delicious in Abu Dhabi, but for the above-mentioned reason, we went with the burger and fries. I ordered a classic and Micah had the smash burger. Both were excellent and the fries were just the right amount of crispy and delicious!

Then we wandered around the mall, Micah talked me into another racing simulator game, and we headed out to our next stop.

The total cost of lunch was $37.85.

The total cost for the 2nd Racing Simulator was $19.06

The Louvre

For those who appreciate art, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is a cultural gem showcasing artworks from ancient civilizations to the contemporary era. Its unique architecture and stunning facilities enhance the experience, making this museum attractive to art enthusiasts and casual visitors alike.

This stop was for me. I’ve always wanted to go to the Louvre in Paris, but when we were there last summer, it wasn’t a priority on a 24 hr stopover, not to mention I’m really the only one in our family who has any interest in going. So, I decided to drag Micah along to the Louvre Abu Dhabi because he is a really good sport. It really is a unique place, full of a wide variety of art and artifacts. It has simplistic beauty and the roof is stunning. They also have a small children's museum, geared towards kids 8 and younger.

I’m glad we went and if art and museums interest you, I’d definitely recommend it. Here are a few photos:

When we arrived at The Louvre, it was already 5pm and the museum would be closing at 6:30pm. We did have to rush and actually ended up running out of time to see the temporary exhibits, so I’d recommend giving yourself a minimum of a full 3 hours to be safe and ensure you can see it all. As we left the Louvre, we walked around to the right to see the view of the city skyline.

Our total cost at The Louvre was $13.75 (kids under 18 are free, so admission was just for me)

Heading Back to the Airport

We then headed towards the taxi area, and of course, there were plenty of people waiting, but no taxis. A man approached us asking if we needed a taxi and quoted 120 AED. I said no that was too much so a few seconds later he knocked it down to 100 AED. Based on our two prior taxi trips that day, I was assuming our metered taxi (if we could find one) would be around 75 AED so I was actually willing to pay the 100 AED. My Uber app hadn’t worked all day (I couldn’t get any of my payments to process), and I had 100 Durhams cash left from our trip to Dubai last year and this seemed like the perfect use. I’m sure some readers might question my judgement going with a random man in an unregistered taxi, but I guess I’ve traveled enough by now that I feel like I have a good intuition about these things. We were just glad to be in an air-conditioned car on the way to the airport and not standing around waiting with all those people hoping some taxis would show up—but a small part of me was thinking, “hopefully we don’t get kidnapped.” It also struck me that Micah didn’t question me and just started talking to the taxi driver asking him why there were so many cats around the Louvre. Anyways, you are entitled to your own opinions, but I see him becoming adaptable, resilient, and strong—just as we hope.

Anyways, as you likely guessed by now, we didn’t get kidnapped, and he dropped us at the airport just like we requested. I wrote all of that to write this: I do not endorse this practice and recommend you should always select a registered and marked taxi with a working meter. But when you travel a lot and have traveled to and lived in the places I have—you learn to take a few risks, with caution and wisdom leading the way.

Total cost for the taxi back to the airport was $27.23

We collected our luggage at the Excess Baggage Company and then headed towards the check in upstairs. We used the free baggage trolleys again and utilized the elevator to the second floor. Check in was smooth as we were flying First Class with Qatar Airways and immigration was quick. The automated system was fast and all that was required was a facial scan. Security lines were not too long, and we were through security in about 20 minutes. We headed to the Pearl Lounge and waited for our flight back to Doha and then onwards to Kathmandu.

Total cost for the day: $240.27

Additional Places to Visit:

Given more time or on another visit, I'd also recommend visiting the following:

• Emirates Palace

• Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

• Qasr Al Watan

• The Corniche

• Qasr Al Hosn

There are multiple experiences and day tours you can book via one of my favorite booking sites, Viator. Check out the options here!

Be sure to subscribe below so you don't miss out on any more adventures!