Abu Dhabi Big Bus

The hop on hop off bus turned out to be my main means of transportation while visiting Abu Dhabi.

I bought the 24-hour classic ticket for some 68 Euros at the hotel which included a 40-minute boat ride on a dhow in the bay near the marina.

However, if you are in 3-4 people it is probably more convenient to reach a deal with a taxi driver as taxi rides are rather cheap around here.

The Abu Dhabi Big Bus has two routes

The hop on hop off bus has a red and a green route.

The green route goes to Yas Island where you will find the Ferrari World, Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Waterworld, roller coaster, malls, hotels. In other words, great entertainment for every age and gender.

The red Big Bus concentrates more onto Abu Dhabi town and sites in the surrounding.

Validity of the bus ticket

The ticket is valid for both routes.

The upper deck of the Big Bus is open air while the lower part is air-conditioned.

Chilled water bottles are available free of charge in most busses.

Starting point of the Abu Dhabi Big Bus on the green route

Starting point of the green route is near the Grand Mosque.

Red route of the Abu Dhabi Big Bus

The red route commences at the Marina Mall. It takes about two and half hours to circle the town.

By the way, the Marina Mall has a huge Carrefour supermarket in the basement.

The bus passes by all the various most important sights such as the mosque, the Empire Palace, museums, the Corniche, and the Heritage Village.

Needless to say that you can hop on to the bus at any stop.

_______________

For more on Abu Dhabi check out the following posts

Abu Dhabi town

Check out my post on Abu Dhabi town.

The mosque

I prepared a separate post on the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque as I felt it deserved a separate one.

My excursion from town

I also went for a desert and dune bashing safari which was a lot of fun and I would recommend it for everybody not faint hearted.

Enjoy the read!

Some tips on visiting Abu Dhabi, UAE

When to visit Abu Dhabi

I visited Abu Dhabi in mid-May which was just a week before the beginning of this years’ Ramadan. As it was low season, I got very good deals starting from the 5-star luxury hotel all the way to shopping in the souk.

Hot in May already

Having said that, if you suffer the heat, it is not a good time to visit the town as temperatures soared to some 40 + degrees by 10:00 am.

Not a town where you walk to places

Apart from the Corniche, Abu Dhabi is not really a town where you would just take a walk. Partly because of the heat and partly because distances are far.

Hackle in the souks

Definitely hackle in the souks. I paid 50% of the asking price for the pashmina shawl I bought.

Best time to take pictures

If you are out to take some good pictures, do not make my mistake in believing that in the early morning hours the heat haze would not be there hence visibility would be better. My experience taught me the contrary. Only after 05:00 pm the air cleared.

Dress code

Dress code for females was actually more relaxed than expected. I noticed a number of female travellers dressed as they would dress at home i.e. sleeveless and at times even shorts.

No problem travelling as a sole female

I travelled as a sole female and I have to say I encountered no problem what so ever at any one point.

No alcohol served in public places

If you are into a refreshing beer while on the go, you will need to find a hotel or international restaurant as no alcohol is served in the various restaurants or coffee shops around.

_________________