Abu Dhabi: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Abu Dhabi is the capital of United Arab Emirates, 6 m (20 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Zayed International Airport (AUH), 26 km (16 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 460 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Abu Dhabi runs from about 10 h 40 min a day in late December to 13 h 42 min in late June (computed for 24.45° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Abu Dhabi is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Zayed International Airport (AUH), 26 km (16 mi) from the centre, whose 13,471-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC, 92 km).
Flights to Abu Dhabi: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Abu Dhabi · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 460 places to stay in Abu Dhabi. Of the 116 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (48), and 30 are five-star. Across 84 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.4 out of 10. Guests have left 168,123 reviews in total.
Hotels in Abu Dhabi: the full picture, and book
What people come for
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| SeaWorld Abu Dhabi | 1,750,000 | 2024 |
The busiest is SeaWorld Abu Dhabi at 1,750,000 visitors in 2024. Figures are the latest each site has published, so they are not all for the same year.
Tours, tickets and day trips from Abu Dhabi
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Dubai, 115 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Sharjah, 142 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Al Ain City, 141 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Ajman, 152 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Seeb, 395 km (Oman) — flights · buses · car rental
- Bandar Abbas, 358 km (Iran) — flights
- Ras Al Khaimah, 215 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Doha, 304 km (Qatar) — flights · buses · car rental
- Ar Rayyān, 314 km (Qatar) — flights · buses · car rental
- Musaffah, 13 km
Twin towns and sister cities: Minsk, Bethlehem, Madrid, Houston, Brisbane, Islamabad, Nicosia, Iquique, Jakarta, Roskilde, Zonguldak.
Common questions
Which airport serves Abu Dhabi?
Zayed International Airport (AUH), 26 km (16 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Abu Dhabi?
About 1.8 million people live in Abu Dhabi, across 972 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Abu Dhabi in?
Asia/Dubai, currently UTC+4.
What currency is used in Abu Dhabi?
The Dirham (AED). Traffic drives on the right.
How many hotels are there in Abu Dhabi?
Our booking partner lists 460 places to stay in Abu Dhabi, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Abu Dhabi?
Dubai (115 km), Sharjah (142 km), Al Ain City (141 km), Ajman (152 km), Seeb (395 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.