Abu Dhabi Hop on Hop off Bus Tours

The capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, is a place of great architectural beauty and a rich historical and cultural past. During your visit, you can visit iconic places such as the Grand Mosque and the Royal Palace, tour the Etihad Modern Art Gallery, stroll through its monumental shopping malls, relax on its beaches, and more.

A good option to enjoy the best things to do in Abu Dhabi during your stay is the tourist bus. You can tour the city in a panoramic daytime tour with audio guide, and you can get on and off as many times as you want along the circuit, so you can visit the destinations of your interest.

The Abu Dhabi Big Bus tour bus stands out as the best alternative to explore the capital of the United Arab Emirates at your own pace. From the second floor of an open-top bus you will experience a panoramic tour of the city, while listening to an audio guide with information about each destination. You can hop on and off at your convenience to visit the places that have captured your attention.

This hop-on hop-off tour, considered one of the best tours in Abu Dhabi, is operated by Big Bus Tours Ltd. It runs during the day and offers two routes (the red route with about 14 stops and the green route that incorporates access to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Royal Palace). Tickets are valid for a period of 24 or 48 hours, depending on the chosen route.

Along the Abu Dhabi Big Bus tour, you will have the opportunity to see the city from a different perspective. You will see the imposing skyscrapers, building facades, parks, monuments and much more. You will stroll around the outskirts of the Louvre Museum, the Abu Dhabi Mall, Al Bahar Beach, the Etihad Modern Art Gallery, the waterfront, among other places.

Abu Dhabi sightseeing buses offer two different routes (the red route and the green route) with which you will move around the city without any inconvenience. You can take a panoramic tour, get on and off the bus at the assigned stops (14 approx.) to visit the attractions, access the Sheik Zayed Mosque and the Presidential Palace. All depending on the selected ticket.

Red route

The red route of Abu Dhabi tour buses consists of a complete circuit throughout the city with a total of 14 stops, where you can get off indefinitely to explore the surroundings and, again, get on another bus to continue the route.

Among the designated stops are the following:

• Stop 1 (Abu Dhabi Mall), in the city center. This is the starting point for both routes.
• Stop 2 (Louvre Museum) opened in 2017, it has an important collection of modern and ancient art.
• Stop 3 (Abu Dhabi Corniche), an area about 8 kilometers long with walking paths, beaches, restaurants and more.
• Stop 4 (Public Beach), noted for its natural scene and lively atmosphere.
• Stop 5(Al Bahar Beach), with fine sand and turquoise waters.
• Stop 6(Heritage Village), where you will feel like you have gone back in time thanks to the detailed work done to reconstruct a traditional village in the city.
• Stop 7(Marina Mall) is a large shopping mall present in the city since 2001.

There are also other places where you can stop:

• Stop 8 (Bay view), a restaurant with a privileged view of Rotana Beach and the city.
• Stop 9(Founder Memorial), this is a place of great importance, as there is a monument that pays tribute to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
• Stop 10 (Emirates Palace Hotel), this imposing building surrounded by a stunning natural landscape scene is located approximately 4 kilometers from the Qasr al-Hosn Fort.
• Stop 11 (Presidential Palace), a majestic building where the President of the United Arab Emirates resides.
• Stop 12(Al Hosn Fort), built in 1761 and considered the oldest building in the city.
• Stop 13(World Trade Centre), a skyscraper about 381 meters high.
• Stop 14 (Etihad Gallery of Modern Art), with collections of modern art by local and international artists.

Green route

With the green route of the Abu Dhabi tour buses, you will enjoy the 14-stop circuit of the city available on the red route and, in addition, have the opportunity to discover two destinations of historical and cultural importance. These are the Royal Palace in Abu Dhabi and the Grand Mosque. The latter, built by order of Sheikh Zayed, who was the founder of the United Arab Emirates during his lifetime.

This circuit will allow you to stroll around Yas Island, which will be convenient if you plan to purchase Ferrari World tickets in Abu Dhabi, visit the Yas Waterworld, the Wahat Al Karama war memorial, among other attractions.

The Abu Dhabi sightseeing bus is a good option for you to explore the city at your own pace. You will have the opportunity to make a complete circuit and, thus, get to know the essential destinations from a different perspective. You can also use the free stops to move from one attraction to another, avoiding long walks.

Whatever your choice, during the tour you will enjoy several of the advantages of the tour bus, some of them being:

• You will achieve considerable savings in time and money, being able to move around the city with the same bus ticket for 24 or 48 hours. You will move quickly and safely to the most popular destinations, whether you have purchased tickets to the Qasr Al Watan Palace in Abu Dhabi or you are thinking of going to one of the best theme parks in Abu Dhabi such as Yas Waterworld.
• You will get interesting facts about the city in terms of its history, architecture and culture. This is thanks to the audio guide available on the bus, which is also usually available in several languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, German, Italian, French, Russian and Arabic).
• You will learn to recognize the streets and locations of the different tourist destinations, being able to find your way around the city with ease.
• You will enjoy unique perspectives of the city from the second floor of the bus. In fact, you will be able to take amazing pictures.

The full Abu Dhabi sightseeing bus tour could vary according to the route you select. If you undertake the red line circuit it could take you approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes, while if you get on the green route, the duration time is at least 2 hours.

You should take into consideration that the mentioned times for the Abu Dhabi sightseeing bus tours could be extended a bit. This is mainly due to the traffic conditions on the streets of the city, which usually vary according to the season (high or low) and the time of day.

Also, if you stop along the circuit to discover some attractions, for example, the Bay view to enjoy the view and gastronomy, or visit the oldest fort of the city because you bought the tickets for Qasr Al Hosn in Abu Dhabi you will end up extending considerably the time of the tour. In this sense, the duration of the tour will depend solely on you.

The Abu Dhabi sightseeing bus tour is an unmissable adventure that will allow you to see the city from a different perspective. Once you are on the second floor of the bus, you just have to relax and start enjoying your surroundings. You will be amazed by the urban and natural contrasts of the streets of the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Throughout the tour of this exotic city you will discover a magical atmosphere that combines the ancient with the modern. You will have the opportunity to contemplate the architectural richness of the place as you pass in front of the Etihad Towers complex and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. You will also see the imposing Abu Dhabi Mall, the Presidential Palace, the Emirates Palace Hotel, etc.

Among other places you will see from the Abu Dhabi sightseeing bus are the Louvre Museum, the Founders Monument and the Heritage Village. You will pass along the Corniche promenade lined with restaurants, cafes and stores. In addition, you will walk along the coastline, with beautiful natural scenery and calm blue waters that will take your breath away.

The complete circuit will allow you to see the essential destinations of the city. And, if you wish, you can make a few stops to further explore each attraction. For example, purchase tickets for the observation deck at the Etihad Tower Abu Dhabi and get a bird's eye view of the city, or perhaps visit the Ferrari theme park.

The price of access to the Abu Dhabi sightseeing bus depends on the type of pass you decide to purchase to embark on your tour of the city. You will find available the 24-hour ticket, whose cost usually starts at about 64 euros per person. Also, the 48-hour pass, which you can purchase from approximately €72 per person.

Each of the ticket types offers reduced prices and even free access, depending on your age. In addition, there are the combined options, which allow you to visit a couple of specific destinations.

24-hour classic ticket

This ticket is ideal if you are short on time, but want to take a look at the most popular sights. You'll be able to take a full scenic loop belonging to the red route with up to 14 free stops (from the Abu Dhabi Mall to the Etihad Gallery of Modern Art). The cost of the pass is around 64€ (adults), about 41€ (children from 5 to 15 years old) and free for children under 5 years old.

48-hour Premium Ticket

With this ticket you can take the red route for two days, either to make the panoramic tour or create your own itinerary thanks to the free stops. In addition, you will enjoy the green route that starts directly from the Abu Dhabi Mall to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosqueon Yas Island.

Regarding the value of these 48-hour tickets, adults must pay about 72 euros and approximately 46 euros for children aged 5 to 15 years. And, if you travel with children under 5 years old, they get free access.

Deluxe 48-hour ticket

The Deluxe ticket of the Abu Dhabi sightseeing bus allows you to take a guided tour of the Grand Mosque and the Royal Palace in Abu Dhabi. These are two exclusive sites located about 40 minutes' drive from Abu Dhabi Airport.

In addition to visiting these destinations, you will enjoy the classic and premium pass, i.e. the red route tour with free stops for two days and the green route. The value of the pass is approximately €84 for each adult and about €61 for children (5 to 15 years). Meanwhile, children under 5 years old get free admission.

The red route of the Abu Dhabi sightseeing bus is available daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The green route to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Yas Island is usually open from 12:00 to 16:30.

You can go to Abu Dhabi Mall (Stop 1) to start either route. The red route buses run approximately every 30 minutes, while the green route takes about 40 minutes. Of course, these times vary according to traffic conditions in the city.

Ideally, you should start this tour as early as possible to make the most of your time. After this experience you can continue exploring the city. Perhaps join a desert safari from Abu Dhabi at night or connect with the Abu Dhabi airport transfer service in case your time in Abu Dhabi is over.

The operation of the Abu Dhabi sightseeing bus is very simple. Once you purchase the 24 or 48 hour pass, you will receive a QR code in physical or digital format, which you will have to scan directly into the optical reader of the bus when boarding. Thus, you will activate the respective ticket.

With the 24 and 48 hour pass you will have the possibility of taking the complete panoramic tour (red route) with indefinite stops. For example, you can pre-purchase tickets for the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi and stop at stop 2 to visit the Louvre or, perhaps, make a stop at the Etihad Tower in Abu Dhabi and see the city from a bird's eye view.

Also, with the 48-hour pass, you will have access to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Presidential Palace (depending on the ticket purchased). However, you will only be able to visit these two destinations once.