7 Best Places to Visit in the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates packs the world's tallest building, man-made islands, and centuries-old mosque architecture into two cities an hour apart. Here are seven places worth building a trip around.

1. Burj Khalifa

At 828 meters, the Burj Khalifa has been the tallest building in the world since it opened in Dubai in 2010. Observation decks on the 124th, 125th, and 148th floors — marketed as "At the Top" — offer views that stretch across the city and out to the Persian Gulf on a clear day.

2. Palm Jumeirah

Palm Jumeirah is a man-made archipelago shaped like a palm tree, built from reclaimed land off Dubai's coast and among the largest artificial islands in the world. Its fronds are lined with villas and hotels, including the Atlantis The Palm resort at the outer crescent.

3. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Opened in Abu Dhabi in 2007, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque can hold more than 41,000 worshippers and is open to non-Muslim visitors outside of prayer times. Inside is one of the world's largest hand-knotted carpets and several of the largest chandeliers ever made, both proportioned to the mosque's vast main prayer hall.

4. The Dubai Mall and Dubai Fountain

The Dubai Mall is one of the largest shopping malls in the world by total area and includes its own aquarium and ice rink alongside hundreds of stores. Just outside, the Dubai Fountain performs a choreographed water and light show set to music at the base of the Burj Khalifa, running on a schedule through the evening.

5. Louvre Abu Dhabi

Opened in 2017 on Saadiyat Island, the Louvre Abu Dhabi was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and is best known for its vast dome, perforated with a pattern of 7,850 stars that lets sunlight filter through in a "rain of light" effect onto the museum below. Its collection spans art and artifacts from across human history, shown alongside works on loan from the Louvre in Paris.

6. Dubai Marina

Dubai Marina is an artificial canal city built along roughly three kilometers of what was once undeveloped Persian Gulf shoreline, now one of the largest man-made marinas in the world. A promenade runs the length of the waterfront, lined with high-rise towers, restaurants, and yachts moored along the canal.

7. Jumeirah Mosque

Built in medieval Fatimid style with twin minarets, Jumeirah Mosque is one of the few mosques in the UAE open to non-Muslim visitors, through guided tours organized by the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. It's one of the most photographed buildings in Dubai, especially at sunrise and sunset when its stone facade catches the light.

Staying connected while you travel

The UAE's major mobile networks (Etisalat and du) cover all seven of these destinations, from central Dubai to Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island. An eSIM lets you land with data already active instead of hunting for airport Wi-Fi — compare current United Arab Emirates eSIM plans below.

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For more on how eSIMs work before your trip, see our beginner's guide to eSIMs. You can also browse the full list of United Arab Emirates eSIM plans sorted by price.