The official tourism website of Abu Dhabi, visitabudhabi.ae, has a particular function that you may use if you want to explore the city but would rather go at your own pace. You may explore the area and learn more about the history and culture of the Emirate by taking one of the free self-guided audio tours, which you can navigate using the GPS on your phone. You can use this tool to learn more about Abu Dhabi without even having an active internet connection. Continue reading to learn more.
What are the self-guided audio tours?
Through the “VoiceMap Audio Tours” app, Visit Abu Dhabi provides the tours. You can go about exploring various locations like the Al Wathba fossil dunes, Abu Dhabi’s Urban Treasures, or the Liwa desert oasis by downloading any of the guided tours offered for Abu Dhabi on your phone. You can listen to stories about what you are currently viewing because the tour is connected to your phone’s GPS.
How to use the tour without an internet connection?
Visitors who may not have had a working internet connection when they visited the websites can still use the functionality. What you must do is as follows:
- Select the tour you want to join.
- A download icon and the file size can be found at the bottom right of your screen. Knowing the file size can help you, if necessary, free up enough space on your phone.
Simply choose the tour when you get to the destination and begin exploring. You’ll get access to both the offline map and the audio.
1. Al Wathba Fossils Protected Area
Where is it?
The Al Wathba Fossils are a part of the wider Al Wathba region, which is situated 45 kilometers east of Abu Dhabi. Driving down E30 – Al Rawdah Road will take you to the fossil dune area. As you pass the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve on your left, you will find a number of minor roads leading to the desert on your right. Follow the instructions to the Al Wathba fossil dunes by taking Lane 2004.
What is it?
One of the highest concentrations of fossil dunes in one place in the Emirate, the protected area has more than 1,700 fossil dunes distributed across seven square kilometers.
Geologists believe that the protected location’s fossil formations are more than four million years old, according to Visit Abu Dhabi. At the reserve, you can stroll along the well-lit trails that are three kilometers long in either direction and are lined with benches and shelters for shade.
While there, you can also take in music and light displays, which may be seen from the amphitheater, which can accommodate 200 people. The location also has numerous food and drink trucks in designated locations. Additionally, there is a tourist center with a viewing space, a gallery corner, and additional seating.
You’ll need to walk for roughly 1.3 kilometers and the audio tour will last 30 minutes.
Opening hours
Sunday to Thursday – 8 am to 4 pm
Friday – 8 am to 10 pm
Closed on Sundays
2. Abu Dhabi Urban Treasures
Where is it?
Al Zahiya/Tourist Club Area
What is it?
The Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism honors long-standing businesses in the Emirate that have impacted its urban culture and boosted the local economy each year. In the collective memory of the local community, these undiscovered treasures are seen as historically significant.
The Urban Treasures in the Al Zahiyah neighborhood sometimes referred to as the Tourist Club Area, are the subject of the audio tour named “Abu Dhabi Urban Treasures Food Tour.” It is one of the older neighborhoods in the city and has well-known structures from the 1970s and 1980s as well as peaceful backstreets that come alive at night. You will pass by four restaurants on this walking tour that have been designated as Urban Treasures.
The audio tour will take 45 minutes and require you to cover around 2.2 kilometers.
3. Abu Dhabi Skyline
Where is it?
This tour takes place close to the Emirates Palace hotel in the well-known corniche area.
What is it?
The tour begins with a view of the city and the sites that will be covered from the promenade on King Salman bin Abdulaziz Street. Before touring a portion of Corniche Street, you will travel to the Marina neighborhood.
As you stroll, you’ll hear tales about how the skyline has changed in recent decades and what it might look like in the future. Additionally, you’ll learn about the early nomadic tribes of the area, the quick construction of Corniche Road, how the ground you’re standing on was reclaimed from the sea, architecture created to withstand the sweltering desert climate, and how oil transformed the region’s economy.
You must go about 2.5 kilometers during the 60-minute audio tour.
Also Read: The Dubai Water Taxi, Dubai Ferry, and Dubai Water Bus Explained
4. Al Ain nature and history
Where is it?
The Al Jahili Fort, which is situated along Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Street, is where the trip begins. Parking is available across the street from the fort.
What is it?
Did you know that Al Ain has archaeological sites dating back roughly 4,000 years and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world?
You may learn about other cultural attractions, see some of the city’s must-see UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and learn the history of the local monuments on this walking tour. The tour begins with a stroll through Al Jahili Fort, one of Al Ain’s most architectural communities. It then travels through Capital Park and makes a halt among the Al Ain Oasis’s shady palm trees. Here you will learn how the original settlers cleverly utilized the water resources to produce lush gardens that are still being grown today. The intriguing Al Ain Palace Museum, a cluster of jewelry shops known as Al Ain’s Gold Souk, and a number of neighborhood restaurants are also located along the route.
The audio tour will take 75 minutes and require you to cover around 4.2 kilometers.
5. The Historical Heart of Abu Dhabi
Where is it?
Qasar Al Hosn and its surrounding area.
What is it?
The first stop on this walking tour is the city’s oldest stone structure, Qasr Al Hosn. You will discover as you travel how Qasr Al Hosn contributed significantly to the shaping of Abu Dhabi’s history. Discover the location of the city’s first permanent building, the palatial house that was constructed around an impenetrable fortress, and the first steps toward nationhood. The Cultural Foundation and the House of Artisans, the city’s center for culture and the arts, will also be open to your exploration.
Along the way, you’ll learn about the first settlement in the region, how the first oil concessions opened the door for Abu Dhabi’s dramatic transformation, the various architectural styles visible on the site, the significance of Qasr Al Hosn to the city’s history, and the lives of the women who lived in the palace.
You must travel about 4.2 kilometers in 75 minutes to complete the audio tour.
6. Discover Liwa (Driving Tour)
Where is it?
220 kilometers southwest of Abu Dhabi Island is the Liwa Oasis, which is situated in the western part of Abu Dhabi. It forms a crescent that goes from the southwest to the southeast in the center of Al Dhafra Region and spans roughly 120 kilometers in the northern part of the enormous Empty Quarter desert.
After a three-hour trip from Abu Dhabi city, you can arrive at the Liwa Oasis, which is the biggest oasis of its sort in the Arabian Peninsula. To begin your journey, take the E65 route (Hameem Road) in the direction of the “Liwa Forts.”
What is it?
You may learn about the history of the region and the Emirati tribes who lived in this oasis and were protected by the numerous forts and watchtowers that span over Liwa while taking this driving trip, which will allow you to explore the 52 towns and oases in Liwa.
The driving tour begins in Al Yabbana Fort, which is situated in Liwa’s far east, and it concludes at Umm Hisn Tower, which is situated in Liwa’s far west.
You’ll need to travel 92 kilometers and 90 minutes for the audio tour.
7. Modern Heritage Tour of Downtown Abu Dhabi
Where is it?
Zayed the First Street, in central Abu Dhabi City.
What is it?
You may dive deep into the histories of Abu Dhabi’s streets and structures on this walking tour and learn interesting, little-known facts about the city.
You will get the chance to study our system of heritage structures, learning about their design and aesthetics, symbolism and history, innovation and technology, and social and economic effect. You can slink into the side streets of the city center to hear accounts about Abu Dhabi’s explosive growth and ongoing development. Along the way, you will learn about the inspiration of the city planners, the significant architects and designers of the era, and how the city catered to its residents. Some of these buildings and sites are being inventoried and classified as a modern heritage to preserve the country’s recent history.
You must travel 1.9 kilometers in 60 minutes to complete the audio tour.