One Week in the Emirates: Exploring the Best of Dubai & Abu Dhabi

March 8, Day 1

We rested in the room for a bit and around 5 PM, we headed towards Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa. It took us about 15 minutes to walk to the metro station. It was easy to navigate with Google Maps, and once we reached the station entrance, we simply followed the signs.

To reach the metro entrance, we had to walk through a tunnel for about five minutes. Right in front of the entrance was a Ticket Office, where we bought a Silver Nol Card for 25 AED, which had 19 AED credit on it.

We entered the metro through an unrestricted entrance. There were a few carriages designated for women and children, while the rest were mixed. We didn’t experience any discomfort, just a bit of crowding and pushing.

Upon exiting, we tapped our card again and saw that the ride to Dubai Mall cost 5 AED, as with Silver Nol Card the pricing is as following: within 1 Zone or <3 km: 3 AED​, 2 adjacent Zones: 5 AED​ and more than 2 Zones: 7.50 AED

From the metro to the mall, we walked through a tunnel for about 15 minutes before entering. It was interesting to walk above the traffic and roads, but it made complete sense since it’s about 50°C outside in the summer, making it almost impossible to be outdoors.

We entered the mall and followed the signs. We knew we had to pick up our tickets somewhere near the Food Hall on the ground floor, so we headed in that direction. Once we reached the ground floor, we spotted the “At the Top” kiosk sign, where we needed to go. We picked up tickets for both the boat ride around the fountains and the Burj Khalifa observation deck.

Since it was 6 PM, we stepped outside to admire the view. We thought the first fountain show would start then, but it didn’t—it was scheduled for 7:30 PM.

We stood there, chatting, drinking juice, and enjoying the scenery, making the time pass quickly.

The fountain show was absolutely spectacular, and no one should miss it. I have to admit, the second show was even better than the first, but that might be subjective because, for the second one, we were in a boat, really close to the fountains—so close that I even got a little splashed. At that moment, surrounded by the magnificent lights, I teared up a little. The combination of lights, water, and music was truly breathtaking.

After disembarking, we went back into the mall and exchanged some money. We exchanged 200 EUR at a decent rate. It’s a good idea to walk around the mall and compare rates because not all exchange offices offer the same deals. The first one near the metro exit, for example, had the worst rate.

Before heading to the top of Burj Khalifa, we watched another fountain show, which was just as stunning—the building was illuminated beautifully.

Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world at 828 meters and it features around 160 floors, offering breathtaking views from its observation decks on the 124th, 125th, and 148th floors. The tower is home to luxury residences, offices, the Armani Hotel, and the famous At The Top experience, where we were headed. 

As everything was well-signposted, from exits leading to the fountains to entrances for Burj Khalifa’s observation deck, there was no fear of getting lost.

We entered and made our way to the elevators. As we approached, we saw a long queue but didn’t realize at first that there were over 300 people waiting to go up.

Luckily, a security guard was walking through the crowd and happened to look at me. He asked if I was pregnant, and when I confirmed, he led us straight to the front of the line. That was an amazing experience—we skipped over 300 people. Otherwise, we would have waited for more than an hour, and since my feet were starting to hurt, this truly meant a lot.

When we got to the top, we were immediately stunned. The view was incredible, and just the realization of how high up we were was astonishing. We could feel the wind and even a slight sway of the building at times. Truly fascinating. We watched two fountain shows from above—the first one was fantastic, but the second one was actually a little boring.

We explored both the 124th and 125th floors, spending over an hour up there before heading down. Since the line for the elevator was long, Tin went to ask if we could get through faster because I wasn’t feeling well. Of course, they let us pass, and we immediately got into the elevator.

Back in the mall, we had a piece of cake before heading to the hotel.

The journey back felt much longer, but that was only because we were exhausted and my feet were really sore. Fortunately, we made it, took a shower, and quickly fell asleep, completely satisfied.

March 9, Day 2

We woke up and had a nice breakfast. We headed back to Dubai Mall to spend the morning enjoying the Aquarium. On the 2nd floor of the mall, we found the entrance to the Underwater Zoo and spent about 2 hours there. There were fish, otters, crocodiles, parrots, penguins, frogs, bats… everything, and it was a lot of fun.

After that, we went down to the Ground Level to enter the aquarium. The aquarium is huge, and you can observe it from multiple levels, but we wanted to walk through the tunnel.

There were many different rays, fish, and sharks that amazed us. As for the tunnel, I would say it was a bit disappointing because the glass was strange, probably outdated, and there was a lot of glare from everything.

When it comes to photos, the same thing happens from the outside; you’ll always see the reflection in the pictures.

But it’s true that the aquarium is enormous, with a lot of fish, and, of course, as the whole Dubai is, it’s spectacular!

Besides the aquarium, Dubai Mall also has an ice rink, palm trees, fountains… and even a real dinosaur skeleton, fascinating!

After walking around, we decided to head back to the hotel and rest a bit before continuing our day.

Around 3 PM, we headed to JBR Beach, where we relaxed and refreshed ourselves on towels. There are showers on the beach, but we didn’t use them. We only used the toilets to change our clothes. We changed in the restroom and then went to Marina Mall. We looked around to see if there were any souvenirs we liked, but nothing caught our attention… We went outside for a short walk, sat down for coffee and iced tea at a café near the place where our boat for the Traditional boat dinner cruise was docked.

Boarding began at 8:45 PM, but we got in line a bit earlier to grab the best spots on the upper deck.

Once we boarded, we could immediately go down to dinner, and we decided to eat well. Everything was excellent and delicious, though I have to mention that some food was a little cold.

As soon as the boat started, we were amazed by the views that Dubai offered, once again something magnificent.

We sailed out of the marina, passed by the giant wheel (Ain Dubai), and headed towards the Palm, returning to the marina from the opposite side. The ride lasted just under two hours, and in the middle of the journey, we were treated to a show by a folk dancer (Tanoura dance), which was fantastic, followed by a performance from a belly dancer, who was a little less impressive. Also, some cheerleaders performed, and they were very charming with their act. After that, the music started, and it was a bit too much for us, as we didn’t think of this as a party boat, but we accepted it and continued enjoying it.

I recommend wearing long sleeves in March when it’s around 27-30°C outside because the wind was blowing, and long clothes were much more comfortable than shorts.

We returned to the marina, walked to the metro station, went back to the hotel, took a shower, and quickly went to bed for a well-deserved rest.

March 10, Day 3

We woke up in the morning and had breakfast. Our pickup was at 8:20 AM, so we had to hurry a bit.

On the way, we picked up another woman, and then our driver took us to Burj Al Arab, where we met our guide and learned a bit about the hotel. It’s fascinating what they have built there… The middle section of the hotel is completely unused—it’s empty so that guests can marvel at the view when they enter and look up. The hotel has golden seashells and even a Gold Cappuccino, which costs around $100 per cup. A night in the Presidential Suite costs $30,000!

We then headed to the Blue Mosque, where we first had to change into long robes upon arrival. Both men and women must follow the dress code. Women must be covered below the ankles and wear a headscarf, while men are not allowed to wear shorts. That’s why there is a changing room where we all put on traditional robes. We girls wore black dresses and covered our heads with scarves, while the guys wore long white robes.

Inside the mosque, the guide told us some key facts about Islam. To be honest, this was the most interesting part of the tour—well worth listening to and respecting.

After the mosque, we made a short stop at the Museum of the Future. We took some photos outside and in the lobby, heard a few cool facts, and then continued on.

Next, we visited the spice and gold souks. First, we entered a spice shop, where the vendors introduced us to different spices and teas they sell. We also inhaled a dissolved eucalyptus crystal in warm water, which completely cleared our airways. We also smelled burning sandalwood, which neutralizes household smells, like those from cooking. Then, the vendor burned the eucalyptus crystal and told us to close our eyes and take a deep breath—it was so intense that we all started coughing!

Here, we said goodbye to our guide and had an hour to walk around the souks and see if we wanted to buy anything. The gold souk was fascinating, filled with security cameras, and people actually bought a lot of jewelry there. We didn’t buy anything—I’m not into jewelry, so at least my husband didn’t have to spend money, haha.

We decided not to buy tea or spices either. The teas were much more expensive than in Croatia, and we already drink similar ones. As for the spices, we avoided them because our digestive systems aren’t used to them. I had a hard time with digestion in Jordan, so I didn’t want to risk it here. So far, I’ve had mild discomfort from the food in Dubai, but nothing too bad.

At 12:00 PM, we met our guide at the entrance, crossed the street, and took a traditional abra boat across the water. It was quite fun—at first, the abras were bumping into each other as they departed, but then we made it out and started sailing smoothly. The view was lovely, and it was amazing to think that 50 years ago, this was the only type of boat people used for travel, trade, work, and everything else.

On the other side, a bus was waiting for us and took us to Heritage Village. There, we entered a restaurant where we tried cheese bread, Arabic coffee with dates, falafel, and finally, chocolate ice cream made from camel’s milk. Everything was incredibly delicious, and very authentic. The falafel was surprisingly mild in flavor, which made it very enjoyable and easy to digest.

Before the food tasting, our guide showed us pictures and told us about the formation of the UAE and Dubai’s rapid expansion. The thought that almost everything we see was built in the last 50 years is fascinating. They are incredibly productive and focused on development and the future. They took advantage of their resources at the right time, which allowed them to strengthen, become wealthy, and build cities and a nation worthy of admiration.

Fun fact: Heritage Village is not authentic—it was opened in 2017 and built shortly before that. The real Heritage Village is closed to visitors to prevent damage.

After the delicious snacks, we headed to Dubai Frame. There was quite a crowd, and we waited about 30 minutes to get inside. There was even more waiting inside, but when they saw that I was pregnant, they let me skip ahead.

We took the elevator to the top, and then came the funniest part of the day for Tin—watching me deal with my fear of standing on the glass floor and looking straight down. It took me a while to gather the courage to stand on the glass and even longer to take a photo with Tin—let alone actually look down! But the view was amazing, so it was definitely worth going up.

There was another long wait to exit, but eventually, we made it to the elevator, which only fits 10 people at a time.

Our driver was waiting for us in the parking lot to take us back to the hotel, but we asked him to drop us off at the mall to buy some more souvenirs. We finished shopping quickly and then headed to the Museum of the Future, where we had tickets booked for 5:00 PM.

Since we arrived around 4:15 PM and quickly exchanged our vouchers for tickets, we were able to immediately queue for the “rocket” (elevator). My feet were hurting, so I squatted down a bit, and a security guard asked if I was tired. When I told him I was pregnant, he immediately sent me to the Fast Track line.

The museum is amazing and definitely worth visiting. The storyline is set in 2071, 50 years after its opening, and is divided into several chapters.

• Chapter 1: Space Exploration – We were “launched” into space, where we learned about a space station that uses laser technology to capture solar energy and power the Earth.
• Chapter 2: Future Dubai – We returned to Earth and saw how Dubai might look in 50 years. Burj Khalifa is no longer the tallest building, and passenger drones transport people across the city.
• Chapter 3: Genetic Solutions – We learned about genetic engineering used to protect ecosystems from disasters, such as extreme heat, strong storms, and high winds. We also saw hundreds of samples of new species that have evolved.
• Chapter 4: Mental Well-being – Since depression has overtaken obesity, we explored activities designed for relaxation and stress relief.
• Chapter 5: Advanced Technology – This section showcased smart and enhanced devices that exist and may soon become widespread. From here, you can step out onto a gallery and enjoy a view of the city.

Overall, a super cool museum—I’d recommend it to anyone who has time and can get tickets in advance.

Interesting fact about the UAE we found out from our guide: The more digits a car’s license plate has, the less valuable it is. In Dubai, wealth can be measured by license plates—the fewer digits, the more valuable. Some plates are worth millions of dollars, if not more! That’s why a plain-looking car with a two-digit plate could be a bigger status symbol than a flashy sports car with a five-digit plate.

Of course, all of this is a bit bizarre—while they’re expanding rapidly and increasing the population, they’re also trying to figure out how to protect and preserve the environment, but in unnatural ways. Additionally, given that oil made them rich, it’s ironic that after polluting and damaging our planet, they are now working hard to find solutions to save it.

After the museum, we headed back to the hotel for some early rest. We arrived just before 8:00 PM and went straight to dinner. We thought it would be something simple, but to our surprise, there was an Open Buffet with traditional Arabic food and desserts. We ate really well and were pleasantly surprised.

After dinner, we went to our room, I filled the bathtub and relaxed, and after the bath, I fell asleep almost instantly.

March 11, Day 4

In the morning, we had a visit to Palm Jumeirah on our schedule, the artificial island built in 2005, which was truly constructed in the shape of a palm tree. From our hotel, we traveled by bus number 84, which was quite late and packed with workers commuting to their jobs.

We got off at a station about 15 minutes away from the Monorail to the Palm, for which we bought separate tickets. We rode for two stops and arrived at a shopping mall from which we exited and reached the tower where the observatory is located. Although we arrived earlier than our reserved time, we were allowed to enter right away.

Once again, we were amazed and astounded by the animations and the execution of this island. In just five years, they completed everything—from transporting rocks from the mountains to pouring sand from the sea onto the land, to constructing all the residential buildings and hotels, and finally, moving in residents. Dubai never settles for just one impressive project; they have many. 

The first part of the experience was designed as a mini-museum explaining when and how the Palm was created, followed by an elevator ride to the 52nd floor, the observatory. The view, even though there was sand dust in the air, was incredible. We saw everything—the Burj Khalifa and Burj Al Arab on one side, and the wheel and JBR beach, where we had previously gone swimming, on the other. It was truly impressive.

After enjoying the view, we went back down, took a short walk through the shopping mall, and headed back. We returned to the hotel, rested a little, and then spent about half an hour at the pool. We splashed around a bit, swam a little, and then relaxed in our room before the next adventure.

However, this anticipated adventure turned out not to be much of an adventure after all. Since I couldn’t drive the buggies or participate in dune bashing, our afternoon turned into a lot of waiting before dinner. Additionally, I had expected these activities to be accompanied by some explanations, but no—everything was very commercialized, fast-paced, and designed for large groups of tourists.

At 2:30 PM, our driver picked us up in a six-seater car, where the last two seats required sitting cross-legged. Since we were in the back, it was quite uncomfortable. For a one-hour drive, this was too much for me. Everything hurt—from my stomach to my legs.

When we arrived at the meeting point for the quad bike ride, we realized how underwhelming it was compared to the desert in Jordan, where you truly feel like you’re in the wilderness. Here, we were just 20 meters from the road, and the quads were being driven in a fenced-off area with clean sand. (The rest of the area wasn’t clean sand but rather mixed with dirt or low vegetation.)

While the rest of our group drove the quads, we sat on a bench near a shop for over an hour—luckily in the shade, but still completely unnecessary.

Then, once everyone was finished, we all drove to the next meeting point (a shop and a tire-filling station), where we waited for another hour while the others did dune bashing.

That’s why I say it was unnecessary—someone could have picked us up two hours later. We spent at least two and a half hours sitting in the heat, just waiting. Thankfully, we had plenty of people to observe and comment on. Maybe a bit mean of us, but we had to occupy ourselves with something. (We had both nice and not-so-nice comments.)

A huge number of people come to these places, so everything is packed with those dune-driving cars, and it all feels very staged. My impression is a bit subjective because we didn’t do all the activities, but still.

That impression didn’t improve even when we headed to the camp for dinner. We drove through the sand, so we did get a bit of a dune bashing experience because our driver was driving like a maniac. But it wasn’t just our driver—everyone was driving wildly.

Then came another disappointment—camel riding. According to the description, the activity included a free 10-minute camel ride. But when we arrived, it turned out that only sitting on the camel for a photo was free. If we wanted to actually ride it, we had to pay an additional 10 AED per person for a short lap around the area (like a carnival ride), just for them to take a photo of us, and that was it. Really bad!

Okay, we took the photos and went into the restaurant. It was a large space with a stage in the middle and some stands around it. Henna hand painting was included, but only a tiny design—for a larger one, you had to pay extra (I didn’t ask how much). You could also try smoking shisha, but we didn’t. It was free to try at the stand, but if you wanted it brought to your table, you had to pay.

We were served some appetizers, but they were too heavily spiced for me, so I didn’t eat much. Then, we waited for the main course, which came after the first show. That part—the show and the relatively tasty food—was the only enjoyable part of the afternoon for me. Before dinner, we watched a traditional dance performance, and after dinner, there was a fire show. Dinner was buffet-style for sides and salads, while the meat was served outside.

As soon as the fire show ended, we had to leave immediately. It felt rushed and forced—Tin didn’t even have time to finish his food.

Overall, the day wasn’t a complete waste, but I wasn’t impressed. They could do so much better if they put in a bit more effort. Comparing this experience to our time in Jordan, which was perfect and deserves a 10, I’d rate this a 4.

Our driver took us back to the hotel, and after a quick shower, we went straight to bed.

Additional details:

• Although the internet says that Nol cards can be used for the Monorail to the Palm, we asked the stuff there, and they suggested to buy separate round-trip tickets for 15 AED per person as they were cheaper option.
• On bus rides, just like in the metro, you need to tap your card both when entering and exiting the bus so that the correct fare is deducted.

March 12, day 5

The day started with breakfast and a visit to Green Planet. It showcases and represents life in the rainforest, so we saw many birds, sloths, reptiles, lemurs, turtles, fish, small crocodiles, and similar animals. We stayed there for over two hours and were absolutely amazed.

The space is organized so that you start from the top and make your way down, with a huge tree “growing” from the basement, serving as a home for all the life in the rainforest. The tree is artificial, but real plants are planted around it, creating an incredible illusion that makes it look real.

From the moment we stepped inside, we knew it was going to be a great experience. Everywhere we looked, we saw a different bird. They were freely sitting, walking, and flying around us. We even got to see a toucan up close, something we couldn’t manage in Costa Rica. It was amazing. When we reached the lower levels, I even thought about going back up and walking through it all again, but in the end, I didn’t suggest it to Tin.

Since we finished earlier than planned, we sat outside in the food court, had some fries, drank water, and rested our legs. After that, we continued to the Dolphinarium, where we had a show at 2 PM. We walked quite a bit under the sun from the metro station to the park, but we made it. To enter the park, we had to pay an additional entry fee of 5 AED per person. The Dolphinarium was right by the entrance, so we went inside to enjoy the air conditioning—it was really hot outside.

The show lasted about 50 minutes, featuring performances by two seals and four dolphins. It was truly mesmerizing, as some of the tricks were unique and different from what we had seen before. Also, the connection between the trainers and the animals was quite evident. I just hope these animals have enough space to live a comfortable life in such conditions…

After the show ended, we decided to take a taxi back to the hotel because we were too exhausted for a 1.5-hour journey using public transport. This way, we got back in just 20 minutes and had a quick nap before our final Dubai activity—Global Village.

Since it was outside the city and public transport would take at least an hour and a half, we decided to take a taxi both ways.

We arrived at the main entrance, went through the bag check, and entered the complex. It’s a really interesting attraction with a great concept. It’s like a marketplace featuring products from different countries. The majority of stalls were from Arab and East Asian countries, while Africa, Europe, and both Americas were each grouped into a single large pavilion.

One thing to note is that the vendors are quite pushy. Since many of the buildings offer similar products—such as perfumes, snacks, and creams—everyone tries to get you to test their version, not realizing that you’re already covered in samples from previous vendors. Yes, I got dragged into several of these stalls, where they covered me in body butter, oiled me with essential oils, and sprayed me with perfumes… By the last few pavilions, we stopped entering altogether because we were tired of rejecting people.

Africa was definitely the most uncomfortable experience. For men, it wasn’t a big deal, but for women, every vendor tried to sell body butters made from coconut or various fruits. One woman applied some to my hand, but I didn’t buy it. Then, just two stalls down, another vendor tried to do the same thing. I politely said, “No, thank you,” but she grabbed my arm and pulled me toward her stall. I said, “Please, I already have this butter on me,” and she responded, “No, you don’t, mine is different,” while still pulling me. I tried to pull away, but she wouldn’t let go. I had to use my other hand to pry her grip off me. If I hadn’t managed to do that, Tin would have had to step in. She kept talking as we hurried away, but we just ignored her. Pretty uncomfortable, right? So, I’d definitely advise everyone to be firm and reject these vendors without hesitation.

Honestly, the food options there weren’t very appealing, but we were hungry and had to pick something. We went for Italian, hoping it would be easy on my stomach. I was so wrong—those tortellini gave me heartburn all night.

After finishing our meal and visiting the last remaining countries, we headed for the exit and back to the hotel. It’s interesting how all the taxis line up in three empty lanes, and one person at the pedestrian crossing directs people to the next available taxi. We got into one and were back at the hotel in just over 20 minutes. We decided to shower and go straight to bed, leaving the packing for early morning.

March 13, Day 6

After an early wake-up, packing, breakfast, and check-out, we headed towards Abu Dhabi. We took the Red Line metro to the Ibn Battuta bus station. The bus stops are visible right after exiting the metro station. Since we wanted to take the E101 bus to the Central Bus Station in Abu Dhabi, we looked for stop number 8, which is to the left of the entrance, across the first bus lanes.

The ticket to Abu Dhabi costs 25 AED, and we topped up our Nol cards since that’s the way to pay for the journey. The bus generally runs every 20 minutes from early morning until late at night, and we caught the one departing at 8:20 AM. We arrived in Abu Dhabi around 10:10 AM. There, we bought Hafilat cards for 20 AED, which came with a 10 AED credit. Each ride cost us between 2 and 3 AED.

First, we went to our hotel to at least drop off our luggage. Luckily, our room was available for early check-in. We took a moment to relax before heading to Corniche Beach. To get there, we took a tram that runs on wheels—pretty cool. The tram ride took us to a stop about 10 minutes away from the beach. We walked there under pleasant sunshine with a light breeze. At the beach, we swam a bit, sunbathed, took a shower, which was free, and went for a walk.

Since we missed bus 34 by just a few seconds and the next one to Marina Mall wasn’t arriving for another 30 minutes, we decided to take a taxi to Heritage Village, which cost us less than 20 AED.

When we arrived, we registered (entry is free) and explored the site. It was really interesting—we got to see what the houses of people in this region used to look like, what tools they used, and what kind of work they did. The complex also has two small museums that are worth checking out. Additionally, there are several souvenir stalls, so we bought a magnet.

Since it would have been a 30-minute walk to Marina Mall, and the sun was quite strong, we decided to take a taxi there as well. We negotiated with a driver who was waiting nearby and agreed on a price of 15 AED. Initially, he asked for more, but Tin checked the app, and the driver eventually accepted our offer.

We didn’t explore much inside Marina Mall, and it was relatively empty. We went upstairs, had lunch, and then decided to head back to the hotel. All buses stop at a single location visible right outside the mall, so we went there and waited for our bus. The ride took about 30 minutes, and when we arrived at our stop, we decided to stop by a store to buy some snacks in case we got hungry later. We also grabbed some ice cream—Tin got a classic one, and I tried some crazy Arabic flavor.

We arrived at the hotel around 6 PM and didn’t go out again. We decided to rest so that we’d be refreshed for everything awaiting us the next day.

March 14, Day 7

The last morning was a bit slower and easier since our pickup was only at 10:20 AM. We went to breakfast, which honestly disappointed us—the selection was poor, and everything seemed low quality. We grabbed something just so we wouldn’t be hungry and went back to our room.

We took a short nap, organized our things, and headed down to the lobby. We asked the hotel to store our luggage until the evening.

When we stepped outside, we realized our driver was missing. Since there are two hotels with the same name in different districts, he had gone to the other one. I had made a mistake when booking the tour. No big deal—he came to pick us up within five minutes.

He took us to the Louvre Museum, where the rest of the group, coming from Dubai, was already waiting. Once we gathered and received some initial information, we moved closer to the museum to hear more about it.

After that, we took a bus to the Etihad Towers. We entered the tallest one, where we got a view of the Presidential Palace and the luxurious Emirates Palace, which serves as both a hotel and accommodation for visiting state officials.

Our guide showed us a scene from Fast & Furious that was filmed at these towers. He pointed out exactly which towers were used and how, at the end of the scene, the car falls, making it clear that it was filmed there.

Next, we visited the Presidential Palace. We first arrived at the security checkpoint, and then the bus took us directly to the palace entrance. The building was magnificent, full of intricate decorations and stunning chandeliers. Its sheer size was fascinating—people looked so tiny compared to the incredibly high ceilings.

We stayed in the palace for about an hour, just enough time to explore all the rooms, including the bathrooms with golden door handles and other lavish details.

After the palace, we returned to the starting point and took a bus to the Grand Mosque.

There, we were given free time for lunch (there’s a small underground shopping mall next to the mosque), and we chose Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant, where a three-course meal cost 95 AED per person. We left completely full and impressed. The highlight was probably the bread and hummus at the beginning and the desserts at the end, though the meat was also delicious.

After lunch, all the women changed into traditional abayas that covered their entire bodies, put scarves over their heads, and we entered the mosque via an underground tunnel.

We went through a security check and quickly emerged outside, where we saw this pearl of Abu Dhabi. It was absolutely stunning, with attention paid to every detail. We heard interesting facts about the mosque’s decorations, admired it from the outside, and then went inside to see the world’s largest carpet and three enormous chandeliers. Truly breathtaking!

Since we arrived late, closing time approached quickly due to the start of prayer. Security guards urged us to leave, and people were already preparing for prayer.

In the parking lot, our driver picked us up to take us back to the hotel, but we asked him to drop us off at the Louvre Museum instead, as we had tickets. There was some confusion about whether it was open, but online it said it was. The driver hesitated because he didn’t want to get in trouble, but in the end, he agreed to take us there.

We entered the museum and went through the galleries a bit faster than we would have if we weren’t already exhausted. After that, we took a taxi back to the hotel to collect our luggage.

We also took a taxi to the Central Bus Station because I was simply too tired to walk or take the bus. We had about 3 AED left on our card for one last ride, but we left it there for our next visit… I didn’t want to push myself any further after such an active day.

At the station, we quickly caught the E101 bus to Ibn Battuta Station in Dubai. We decided this was the best option considering our Nol card balance. Any other route would have likely cost more and required transfers. This way, we had exactly the right amount—25 AED for the trip to Dubai and 8 AED for travel across three zones (7.5 AED fare, leaving 0.5 AED on the card).

With this choice, we boarded an empty Red Line metro and rode to Terminal 1. It took an hour, but any other option would have taken just as long and required either a bus or multiple transfers within Dubai, which didn’t appeal to us.

After two rides, we arrived at the airport, exhausted and ready to sleep. The baggage drop-off line was long, so I recommend arriving early. We used our remaining cash to buy some more dates, pistachios, and magnets.