
Neighborhoods
Al Zahiyah & Downtown
The old downtown grid: Qasr Al Hosn, cafeterias, tailors and the fish market.
Abu Dhabi before the towers. Walk from Qasr Al Hosn to the Mina Zayed markets and eat karak and paratha at street-side cafeterias.
Places in Al Zahiyah & Downtown

Editor's pickHidden gem
Desert & outdoors · Al Zahiyah & Downtown
Mangrove National Park kayaking
Paddle calm channels through grey mangroves, watching herons and crabs a few minutes from downtown.
$$120 minWheelchair accessible

Editor's pickHidden gem
Markets & shopping · Al Zahiyah & Downtown
Mina Zayed Fish Market
Pick hammour or king fish at the counter and have it grilled next door within the hour.
$75 minWheelchair accessible

Hidden gem
Museums & art · Al Zahiyah & Downtown
Qasr Al Hosn
The city’s oldest stone building, a watchtower from the 1760s that grew into the ruling family’s fort.
90 minWheelchair accessible