Out of all the other Emirates, Abu Dhabi is the only destination that can at least try to match Dubai’s intensity and the sheer range of experiences. When you think of the ultimate “fun spot” that will cater to both children and adults, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi is the one that comes to mind.
From the world’s fastest rollercoaster to the immersive realms of the island’s theme parks and the unparalleled levels of service at local resorts — the question of whether or not Yas Island is worth visiting answers itself as soon as you start learning about its accolades.
In this Yas Island guide, I’ll cover all the essentials — the main attractions, where to eat and stay on the island, and how to get here from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Article contents
- Is coming to Yas Island worth it?
- How to get to Yas Island?
- What to see on the island:
- Where to stay in Abu Dhabi?
- Where to eat on Yas Island
- My review
- Tours from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
3.1. Ferrari World
3.2. Warner Bros. World
3.3. Yas Waterworld
3.4. SeaWorld
3.5. CLYMB Abu Dhabi
3.6. Yas Marina Circuit
3.7. Yas Island Beach
3.8. Yas Mall
Is coming to Yas Island worth it?
When we’ve safely landed on the UAE ground — or rather sand — it was time to look around and get a feel for the weather. We have explored the Emirates during virtually every season (and paid the price for it, especially in hellfire summer months), and our last Abu Dhabi adventure fell on the month of September.
To tell you the truth, the conditions weren’t optimal for exploring the capital’s streets: The heat was brutal and staying outside longer than five minutes during the day felt impossible. We had to urgently come up with alternatives to beach days and long walks. Thankfully, the UAE is packed with air-conditioned attractions (Yas Island being one of them).
Side note: What is the best time to visit the UAE (and with it, Abu Dhabi and Yas Island specifically)? I’m biased to list two months — October and April — as the strongest contenders!
Located near another iconic Abu Dhabi destination — the capital’s cultural hub, Saadiyat Island (with Louvre and Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi already accepting visitors, Guggenheim and Zayed National Museum soon to follow suit), Yas Island is a concentrated shot of pure fun for every taste. It’s a bright, action-packed resort where grown-ups get to feel like kids again. This pretty universal destination works just as well for families as it does for solo travelers.
What is it comprised of? Without giving too much away from the get-go, here are some of the places to visit in Yas Island in 2026:
- Indoor theme parks
- An aquarium
- A waterpark
- Beaches
- A massive mall
Is it worth the hype? A hundred percent! You will believe so yourself once you know all the in-and-outs of the potential experiences you’ll have during your time here.
How to get to Yas Island?
The UAE’s fun island is just a 30-minute drive away from Downtown Abu Dhabi. It sits even closer to Zayed International Airport — just 10 to 15 minutes in transit and you’re ready for some adventure.
Here’s how to reach Yas Island:
1. Stay in Abu Dhabi and take a taxi
We stayed about half an hour away, at the 4-star TRYP by Wyndham Abu Dhabi City Center (from $150 per night). A taxi ride from the capital to the island cost us about 80 AED / $22 via Careem app. For the UAE, it’s pretty cheap.
2. Stay in Dubai and rent a car to get to Yas Island
Igor, my partner, would never trade the car rental for public transport (even though it’s very convenient in the UAE). So for our second trip to Yas Island, we picked up a car in Dubai and made it to Abu Dhabi in just one hour. If the idea of renting a car in the UAE makes you feel unsure, this post I wrote after our own rental experience will help you decide to go for it!
There’s a great car-rental service in the UAE — Localrent — where everything is smooth, simple, and affordable.
3. Take the free shuttle from Abu Dhabi or Dubai
If you’re staying in Dubai, you can try catching the free Yas Island shuttle — Yas Express. It leaves daily at around 9:30 a.m. (departure time may vary depending on pick-up point) from several spots around the city:
− Al Barsha
− Deira City Center
− Dubai Marina
− Jumeirah Beach Resort
For more detailed information on the stops, follow this link.
There are free shuttles from Abu Dhabi, too. In fact, there’re over 20 routes.
Quick note: You can only ride the shuttle for free if you already have tickets to one of the Yas Island theme parks! The buses operate on a first-come-first-serve basis, so show up early — they get full fast.
4. Book a ready-made tour
There’re tours to Yas Island from Dubai. These usually include hotel pickup, a guide, and admission tickets. Some tours squeeze in a visit to a couple main Abu Dhabi landmarks before the parks even open. For example, this one — a ticket to Ferrari World with Abu Dhabi tour from Dubai which also includes a visit to the iconic Sheikh Zayed Mosque.
What to see on Yas Island?
Yas Island Abu Dhabi offers so many fun and exciting things to do that I actually wanted to come back a few more times just to see more. Here are the most popular Yas Island attractions I’ll be focusing on in this guide:
- Yas Waterworld
- Warner Bros. World
- Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
- SeaWorld
Just a heads up: There aren’t many things to do in Yas Island for free. How to save money if you’re on a budget? Buy combo tickets!
Yas Island offers a variety of ticket options:
— The most budget-friendly choice is a pass that gives you access to all four parks and stays valid for six days from your first visit — you can get it via Klook (prices start at $183).
— If you don’t need access to all four parks, pick your preferred number — a ticket for two parks starts at $130 per person.
— We went for the best but time-limited option — booked the access to two parks in one day for $107 per person! You can purchase it via the same Klook link — it’s a special offer that appears first.
Now, let’s look into each Yas Island destination in more detail.
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
This is the Yas Island attraction you visit for thrills and chills — the rides at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi make sure your experience is as heart-stoppingly exhilarating as it can be (to a healthy degree, that is). It’s the most popular theme park on Yas Island.
It is a large INDOOR space where you get to witness everything concerning the legendary Ferrari brand. From how the cars are made to a little detour to the Italian countryside (where the cars are manufactured to this day), Ferrari World takes you deep into this Italian luxury sport car’s history.
Ferrari World is divided into zones. They are not that different, design-wise: There’s a racing zone, a family zone, an adventure zone, and a welcome plaza. The one area that really stands out is the Italian Zone — taking a ride (in a Ferrari, no less) through the miniature sets of different locations in Italy is a dream come true for Il Bel Paese enthusiasts.
But let’s focus on the real scene-stealers of the park, the iconic rides. The scale of adult-only rides is grand to the utmost degree:
- Formula Rossa — the star of the show, the world’s fastest rollercoaster that goes from zero to 240 km/h in 4.9 seconds (!) and reaches the height of 52 meters. The safety goggles are provided here — to protect your eyes from sand and dust particles that can do some damage at such a crazy speed.
- Mission Ferrari — a 5D rollercoaster that comes with the world’s first ever sideways (!) drop.
- Turbo Track — a dizzying rollercoaster with a steep vertical climb and a free-fall segment.
- Flying Aces — with a military biplane inspired design, this coaster wins you over with both its Ferrari historic significance (the horse logo idea came from one aviator’s plane) and yet another record-breaking feature of the world’s highest non-inverted loop.
However, it’s not all top speeds fit for true daredevils — Ferrari World has plenty to offer for the younger crowd:
- Formula Rossa Junior — the scaled-down version of the notorious ride of the same name. The track looks similar, but the speed is much more kid-friendly — the manageable 45 km/h is better than the nerve-racking 240 km/h of the real thing.
- Turbo Tower — again, the child-friendly version of the grown-up Turbo Track. Still, the vertical rollercoaster provides plenty of thrills!
- Flying Wings — inspired by the Flying Aces ride (there’s a pattern here, I know), the Flying Wings rollercoaster will make you feel like you’re flying on gliders — a very exciting feeling for the little ones!
- Junior Grand Prix — a miniature F1 race.
- Tyre Twist — think Disney’s teacup ride, but in F1 tires — a much more theme-friendly version!
Is it worth paying for entry if your kid is too short (under 130 cm) for the world-famous coasters? The decision is completely up to you. The child-friendly versions of the rides are still high in demand, so that’s saying something. Remember that only children aged 3 and under get in for free.
Some activities inside Ferrari Park in Abu Dhabi cost extra (yes, on top of your single day ticket or pass):
— Formula 1 simulator — a perfect opportunity to imagine yourself as an F1 racer competing for the ultimate prize. The price for the experience starts from 60 AED / $16,35.
— Rooftop walk — get out of the air-conditioned building and see the park from a completely different angle! The giant red roof, paired with the world’s largest Ferrari logo and sprawling views of Yas Island are the sights to behold. The activity costs 85 AED / $23 if you have a park ticket, and 125 AED / $34 if you want the rooftop walk only.
— Driving a real Ferrari — 1,295 AED / $353. This needs to be booked in advance (and if you don’t know how to drive, choose a Passenger package where a professional driver will drive you around in a Ferrari).
It goes without saying that if you’re a Ferrari fan, then coming to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is one of the best decisions you’ll make here. Simply walking around the park grounds is a treat — you can admire Ferrari car models, learn interesting facts about the whole operation, and buy as much themed merch as your travel budget allows.
🔹 Entrance fee: 345 AED / $94 for a single day ticket
🔹 Opening hours: Usually 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. but they change slightly.
Warner Bros. World
We went back and forth on whether Warner Bros. World was worth a visit because so many reviews labeled it as very kid-centric. We eventually took the plunge, since it’s a theme park — the tiny clientele goes with the territory!
What we found was the world’s second largest indoor theme park — roller coasters, rides, and themed areas all beautifully co-existing in a climate-controlled atmosphere (a godsend in the unforgiving Abu Dhabi heat). And it wasn’t too children-forward either: At least to the point where we had fun without the dumbing down effect that is most often associated with themed parks (just imagine Disney adults and you’ll understand what I mean).
I loved everything at Warner Bros. World: The atmosphere, the insane attention to detail, and the cutting-edge technology that went into the making of infrastructure.
Warner Bros. World is divided into six areas*, and each zone is recreated from a comic or a cartoon:
- Warner Bros. Plaza — the central part of the park, and the getaway into other “lands” or “worlds”. It is done in the style of Old Classic Hollywood — art deco architecture and the feeling of old-timey sophistication to boot! There are plenty of dining options at the plaza, so grab a quick bite before diving into the more exciting Warner Bros. areas.
- Bedrock — go back to the Stone Age and spend a merry ole’ time with the Flintstones. You should feel pretty Yabba-Dabba-Doo after your trip back in time.
- Dynamite Gulch — Wile. E Coyote, the Road Runner, Yosemite Sam, — the desert landscape is full of iconic characters. Admire the sand-colored sights that look as if the Road-”beep beep”-Runner is about to enter the scene from the nearest angle.
- Cartoon Junction — a colorful land full of even more legendary characters: Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny, Scooby-Doo, Daffy Duck, Tweety — it doesn’t matter if you’re a kid or a full-blown adult, nobody can stay nonchalant when such cute protagonists wreak absolute havoc (the rides here will have you say Zoinks! at least a few times)!
- Gotham City — though it is the most crime-ridden city in the world, Warner Bros. World’s Gotham rendition is pretty palatable. Sure, the rides and the general design are mostly dark and chaotic, but the overall feeling of bleakness doesn’t penetrate the interior. Meet the usual crew here — Batman (and his Batmobile, which is a central feature of one of the rides), Catwoman, The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin, Harley Quinn… The list goes on!
- Metropolis — a stark contrast to Gotham’s dimly lit streets, Metropolis is bursting with color! Superman’s land is full of possibilities for adventures, and the roster of characters doesn’t leave much room to be bored — Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Green Lantern, — though the “S stands for hope”, here, at Warner Bros. World, the S stands for “Sooo much fun”.
*The seventh one, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, is set to be added to the list of Warner Bros. World’s exhilarating areas. The date of opening is yet to be revealed, but I can say for sure that the crowds will be crazy for months on end after the kick-off.
I’ve so far proven that the Warner Bros. World isn’t the “exclusively-for-kids” destination many claim it to be. However, there are still plenty of attractions here for the little ones: A spinning roller coaster, bumper cars, a dark ride attraction through a haunted museum, and a relaxing boat cruise.
Personally, we rode both family-friendly and thrill-inducing rides. Why not, right? There are zero lines for the kids’ rides, and the experience is pure comedy gold at times — the younglings screaming at a plastic cartoon ghost got us good!
Pro tip: Look up the most popular rides in advance and head straight for them right when the park opens. If you go on a weekday, you’ll easily get through everything. On weekends — who knows. We got lucky, though we had to speed-walk between rides and skip snacks. No idea if the strategy will continue working once the new Harry Potter zone opens.
Among adults, these rides are the biggest hits:
✔️ Fast and Furry-ous — an inverted roller coaster ride through the desert landscape
✔️ Scarecrow Scare Raid — described as a “flight experience”, this coaster is the scariest ride at Warner Bros.
✔️ The Riddler Revolution — a spinning roller coaster (don’t eat before giving it a try)
✔️ Batman: Knight Flight — a high-speed ride as if you’re driving a Batmobile
✔️ Green Lantern: Galactic Odyssey — a 4D flying theater ride. Definitely makes up for Ryan Reynold’s less-than- perfectly-acclaimed 2011 portrayal of the character
Paying a visit to Warner Bros. World is an obvious choice if you’re a big fan of the franchise — be it the DC Comics side or the legendary cartoons side. It’s also a good idea for travelers who want to experience the unique ambiance of the sets and who crave rides that won’t send their adrenaline levels into space. However, if it’s pure thrill you’re after (the one that has your heart pounding long after the ride is over), head straight to Ferrari World. That’s where you’ll find the fastest roller coaster on the planet, plus everything hair-raising, high-octane, and full of loop-the-loops.
🔹 Entrance fee: 345 AED / $94 for a single day ticket
🔹 Opening hours: Usually 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., but can vary depending on the month.
Yas Waterworld
The territory of this insanely popular waterpark is huge! Plus, it has so many attractions that it can be hard to experience all of them in a single day (though you must get in as many exhilarating sites as possible, to maximize your time here).
What can you expect to see in Yas Waterworld?
- Over 40 rides and slides — Bandit Bomber (Middle East’s longest suspended rollercoaster where other park visitors can shoot water cannons at you as you zip past), Jebel Drop (one of the highest waterslides in the world), Liwa Loop (adrenaline-inducing freefall drop waterslide), and others.
- Two lazy-river routes — Al Raha River (authentic lazy river experience) and Yadi Yas (a not-so-lazy-river experience; a more thrilling ride).
- A grand wave pool — Amwaj Wave Pool, the region’s largest.
- A unique pearl diving experience — get back to the Emirates origins of pearl diving (Dubai used to be a small fishing village that got its start from pearling industry).
- Different levels of surfing activities — Rush Rider (for complete beginners, where you try your hand at bodyboarding first) and Bubbles Barrel (with waves reaching 3 meters in height, this surfing opportunity is only available for people that can prove their skills are sufficient).
- Ample areas for the littles — gentle slides and splash areas.
All in all, it’s safe to say that coming to Yas Waterworld will prove to be an unforgettable experience (even if you hit a few snags in the plan, like we did)! During our last visit, we didn’t manage to hit everything and admired a few attractions from afar — partially because we arrived after lunch, and partially because it was just too hot.
From that experience, I’ve learned to steer clear of the unbelievably high air temps and seek out indoor attractions for such weather. Trust me, when it’s +40°C outside, neither salt water pools, no water fountains, and even cooling showers will save you from heatstroke. Mind you, we’re both pretty fit people and it was still incredibly hard to drag a tube to the top of the slide.
Still, we don’t regret going. A waterpark this massive is always a whole event.
Side note: For the sake of being transparent though, if you compare Yas Waterworld with Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark Dubai, I liked the latter better. It has more slides — it is quite literally the largest waterpark, totaling up to 105 (!) slides.
🔹 Entrance fee: 295 AED / $80 for a single day ticket
🔹 Opening hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
SeaWorld
Photo from Wikimedia.org
Another one of Yas Island highlights is SeaWorld, which is a hybrid of a theme park and a massive aquarium that opened in May 2023. Here, you’ll find both head-spinning rides and unique animal encounters.
The different zones at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi have distinctive “natural habitat” features: From quiet coves and riverside huts to icy caves and entire reef settings — they take their visitors on a journey around the globe without leaving the park grounds.
Both land and marine life are a focus here: The world’s second largest aquarium — Endless Ocean Aquarium — is home to hundreds of species, and the many separate habitats house plenty of others. We particularly enjoyed watching the animals at Rocky Point habitat (California sea lions and harbor seals, there’s an amphitheater to watch the sea lions presentation), The Arabian Gulf (dugongs and sea turtles), The Mangroves (rays and sharks), and Juhani Village (walruses). There are many more!
Getting back to the “theme park” part of the location, SeaWorld’s interactive experiences and rides are not mere afterthoughts. They can be exciting detours from all the animal watching:
- Manta Coaster — a roller coaster and a marine life viewing opportunity morphed into one exciting activity.
- Hypersphere 360° — a dome theater ride that takes the guests on a virtual underwater expedition.
- Shipwreck Cove — a great pitstop to burn off some of the extra energy for your little ones. Climbing all over the ship remains will tire anyone out in no time!
The list of SeaWorld’s top activities doesn’t stop there! However, you have to pay extra for these opportunities: Scuba Diving costs 695 AED / $189 and kayaking is 245 AED / $66,7.
Though highly praised for the visual aspect of the park, SeaWorld’s take on “nature” is closely linked to using lots of tech: There are countless screens, projections, glowing and blinking installations everywhere. The area with rides and playgrounds can feel like a surreal plastic-y world built to resemble the ocean floor. It’s all incredibly well done, but personally, I prefer being closer to real nature than to digital screens when visiting places like this.
🔹 Entrance fee: 375 AED / $102 for a single day ticket
🔹 Opening hours: Usually 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., but can vary depending on the month.
CLYMB Abu Dhabi
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This place is built for serious athletes — it’s home to the world’s tallest and widest vertical wind tunnel and the tallest indoor climbing wall.
The flight chamber for indoor skydiving is a thing to marvel at: It’s 32 meters tall and almost 10 meters wide! The 16 fans of the tunnel (compared to the “normal” amount of 4 fans in a standard tunnel) will propel you far into the air and easily keep you afloat. The skilled instructors will help you navigate the tunnel and give advice — it doesn’t matter if you’re a complete newbie or a pro, there’s always more to learn. There are even Junior packages, so your little ones will have the opportunity to try their hand at flying as well!
- However, from experience, I can tell you for sure: For a first-timer, the size of the tunnel doesn’t matter at all, you’re too busy trying to figure out how to stay afloat.
The flight chamber tickets start at 235 AED / $64 and include a safety briefing, gear rental, training, one-on-one instructions, and 2 flights.
The indoor climbing area is a whole other beast: There are five different walls for you to choose from. The climbing experiences start at 120 AED / $32,7 (for an hour). Plus, the ticket gets you constant instructor supervision and climbing gear rental.
A combo package for indoor skydiving* and climbing starts at 315 AED / $86.
If you’re a first-timer, the massive scale of the place won’t mean much to you. You will still have a grand time though! “Pro” packages here, however, are pretty interesting. Prices and session lengths for experienced athletes are on a completely different level.
*Already gave indoor skydiving a try? Then you’re ready to test your limits with an outdoor skydiving experience in Dubai!
🔹 Opening hours: 12 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Yas Marina Circuit
Yas Marina Circuit is a magnet for Formula 1 fans and the reason so many people end up googling “Yas Island Abu Dhabi things to do” — they come here to watch the F1 Grand Prix at the Circuit.
Every year (either late November or early December), the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix takes over Yas Island, bringing together thousands of fans from all over the world. Apart from the race itself, it comes clad with massive after-parties being the most sought-after destinations. This year, Idris Elba and Calvin Harris are the big names behind the parties.
The F1 race is one of the most spectacular sports events on the planet, and the artists performing at the after-race concerts don’t disappoint either. Benson Boone, Metallica, Post Malone, and Katy Perry are on this year’s headliner list.
Tickets for the main event start at 595 AED / $162 (practice-day only), and reach the head-dizzying 17,995 AED / $4,900 for the all-out VIP experience (there’re plenty of middle ground options, though they’re still on the more expensive side).
In 2025, the final round of the Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi will take place from December 5 to 7.
Here’s a wild detail: A five-star hotel W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island is the only one in the world that sits on top of a racetrack. You can literally watch the race from your room: The Formula 1 track cuts right through the building. Because of the sheer novelty (and unparalleled levels of luxury), you have to book your room at the hotel way, way in advance.
However, Yas Marina Circuit doesn’t become deserted for the rest of the year — it hosts bike races, runs, and all kinds of free community events. You can even rent the track for a guided drive or turn it into a full-blown corporate team building day of sports!
Yas Island Beach
A getaway on Yas Island doesn’t have to be full of adrenaline. Yas Beach — with its Blue Flag status, mangroves, white sand, and fruit kiosks — is set up perfectly for a calm beach day. It’s very family-friendly: No waves and a gentle walk-in into the water create a setting perfect for families with children.
Sadly, we didn’t stop for a beach day — just passed through. Yas Beach looks pretty dreamy: Powdery white sand, turquoise water, and sun loungers with umbrellas slightly swaying in the breeze.
You can rent a kayak, a motorboat, or a little boat to cruise around the lagoon or look for wildlife in the mangroves. For a proper beach day, Yas Beach is a solid choice. It feels calmer than most Dubai beaches, partly because of the Yas Island location, partly because the widespread knowledge that Abu Dhabi isn’t rich with great beaches.
What about the downsides? Paid entry, plus it opens late — in the scorching Emirates climate, way too late. By that time, I’m usually already leaving the beach, not arriving.
🔹 Opening hours: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
🔹 Entrance: 80 AED / $22 Monday – Thursday, 150 AED / $41 (with 50 AED / $14 redeemable) on weekends and public holidays. Remember that some hotels on Yas Island offer their guests complimentary beach access!
Yas Mall
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Yas Mall is a big, modern shopping center. We didn’t have much time to shop around the last time we visited, so we didn’t linger. But plenty of people come to Yas Island specifically for this mall and spend the whole day here, picking up clothes, footwear, or jewelry. A browse at IKEA will certainly eat up a bigger chunk of the day, so limit your time at Yas Mall accordingly!
Two things about Yas Mall that can be used by visitors who aren’t here to shop:
- You can grab lunch at the food court for reasonable, not theme-park prices. There are also tons of cafes, coffee shops, and fastfood restaurants scattered all throughout the mall. It doesn’t matter what your craving is — Joe & the Juice and Krispy Kreme (two polar opposite food groups) and everything in-between are present here.
- The entrance to Ferrari World goes right through the mall — so you can fuel up before the rides and avoid overpaying inside the park.
Where to stay in Abu Dhabi?
You’ve got two great options if you want to stay close to all the action on Yas Island (“close” is a relative term in this case, as you will see):
1. Stay right on Yas Island
This decision comes with a few big perks: No need to spend money on taxis — especially nice if you’re hitting multiple parks over several days; complimentary access to Yas Beach (and sometimes Cyan Beach), plus a free shuttle between the major island attractions.
Every hotel on Yas Island looks impressive — modern buildings, huge windows, quintessential steel-and-glass facades. In most cases, interiors live up to the fabled standards, with the help of great food, excellent service, and spick-and-span rooms.
For family-style mini-vacations, you can find budget-friendly options like:
- 3* Park Inn by Radisson (from $210 a night)
- 3* Yas Plaza Circuit (from $180 a night)
If you want something fancier, the island has plenty of luxury stays:
- 5* The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection By Hilton (from $395 per night)
- 5* W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island (from $280 per night)
2. Stay in Abu Dhabi City
If you’d rather stay in the capital, I recommend booking a place within walking distance of Corniche Beach. We all know that Abu Dhabi’s beaches pale in comparison to Dubai beaches, but this well-developed waterfront is the true exception. In cooler hours, you can stroll along the long palm-lined walkway. There’re lots of cafes and restaurants of every cuisine, clubs, hotels, and more here, so you will not get bored on days when you’re not on Yas Island (which is about 30 minutes away by taxi).
Among the popular and affordable hotels in the area, I’d highlight these ones:
- 4* TRYP by Wyndham Abu Dhabi City Centre (from $150 per night)
- 4* Oryx Hotel (from $90 a night)
Top-tier hotels with excellent service:
- 5* Bab Al Qasr Hotel (from $180 a night)
- 5* The Abu Dhabi EDITION (from $400 a night)
And for the ultra-luxury crowd: 5* Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, the most expensive hotel of all in the immediate Corniche vicinity. It is so iconic they literally run tours inside. Rooms start at around $850 per night.
Where to eat on Yas Island?
Just like everywhere in the Emirates, eating well on Yas Island is easy (yet quite pricey) — you can find dishes from pretty much any cuisine in the cafes and restaurants all around the place.
As I’ve already mentioned, if you’re traveling on a budget, the cheapest way to grab a proper lunch is to head straight for the Yas Mall food court. It’s not just fast-food chains — there are actual restaurants here too. One spot with a ton of glowing reviews (over 10K on Google!) is Al Fanar Restaurant & Cafe – Yas Mall — a museum-style Emirati restaurant that completely won us over. If you’re craving traditional local dishes, want to soak up the vibe of the Emirates from 50 years ago, and learn a bit about the country’s early modern history — this is the place to go.
If you come for lunch, there are plenty of filling options, but definitely try their dinner trays — several dishes served together on one tray, big enough for two people. I especially loved their signature tray with grilled sea bream, jesheed (shredded fish, usually shark), grilled prawns and grilled squid for 199 AED / $54.
Here are a few other great places on Yas Island:
- Hunter & Barrel Yas Bay — a waterfront restaurant with a gorgeous view, specializing mainly in steaks. The food is great although it’s on the pricier side. They’ve got a solid bar menu too, with good wine and beer.
- Paradiso — a Michelin Guide restaurant with mostly international cuisine. I loved its cozy vibe, live music, and beautifully presented, genuinely tasty food. Their business lunches are excellent — you can get a starter, main, and dessert for 130 AED / $35,4 per person.
- Ishtar Yas Marina — a spot serving Middle Eastern cuisine with stunning views over Yas Marina. The atmosphere is stylish, blending modern design with Middle Eastern charm. Don’t miss their Harira Soup (55 AED / $15) — a traditional red soup with lamb, chickpeas, lentils served with hot Moroccan bread.
My review of Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Most visitors are excited about Yas Island. Everything here feels polished, immersive, fun, and very modern. The only real question is: Where do you even start? Not everyone has enough time to cover every spot.
- Yas Waterworld is a fun destination for an entire family, but the timing of your visit is an important factor to keep in mind. You won’t enjoy the experience in high air temps — look for indoor attractions instead.
- Warner Bros. World is a kid-friendly attraction that also caters to grownup fans of the DC Comics.
- Ferrari Worldis great for daredevils at heart and people who want to test their limits.
- SeaWorld is the ultimate family-friendly outing.
- CLYMB can be skipped if you’re a novice at indoor skydiving or climbing. The sheer scope can only be fully appreciated by skilled professionals.
- Yas Marina Circuit is the ultimate attraction during the F1 race period.
Yas Island Abu Dhabi offers plenty of things to do, just make sure to plan your time here according to your interests and means.
Yas Island multi-park tickets >>
Tours from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
A lot of travelers stay in Dubai and never make it to the capital — though Abu Dhabi has plenty of other exciting things to do and places to see apart from Yas Island. Abu Dhabi impressed us with so many other sights: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Louvre, mangrove forests, teamLab Phenomena.
You can get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi by bus for 25 AED / $6,8 — routes E100, E101, E102 — and then get around by taxi or free shuttles. That works great if you know exactly where you want to go. If you don’t, just book a day trip. It’ll save you time and energy.
Here are a few tours that include Yas Island that I’d recommend:
- This extremely popular tour (4,900+ reviews!) includes a guided tour of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Founders Memorial, with stops at Ferrari World, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Etihad Towers and Emirates Palace. This is more of a quick overview tour — you’ll just pass by and take photos on Yas Island. You don’t get to actually visit Ferrari World.
- Abu Dhabi day tour with Ferrari World ticket follows a pretty much similar route but includes admission to Ferrari World for four hours, so you can really enjoy the rides and attractions.
- Abu Dhabi city tour and desert safari also includes Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and passes by Abu Dhabi attractions, including Yas Island, but its main highlight is the Desert Rose Safari Camp*. You’ll get to experience Abu Dhabi in a whole new way: Ride a camel, try sandboarding, enjoy henna painting, and watch spectacular traditional Tanoura dance and belly dance performances.
*I have an entire guide to desert safari tours in Dubai, so if it’s something you’re interested in, give it a look!
