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The limestone flank of Jebel Hafeet above Al Ain with the switchback road below
Emirate guide

Al Ain

The Garden City: UNESCO oases, forts and a mountain road.

Photo: Colleen Jean, CC BY-SA 4.0

Al Ain is in the Abu Dhabi emirate but feels like a different country: green, low-rise and quiet, set around an oasis that has been farmed for thousands of years. Its cultural sites are UNESCO-listed, and Jebel Hafeet gives it a mountain. The Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial opens here on 23 October 2026, ahead of the city.

Where to start

Experiences in Al Ain

A traditional mud-brick building among the date palms of Al Ain Oasis
Al Ain
Heritage & Culture · Slow & Wellness

Al Ain Oasis: a walk through the date palms

Shaded paths, ancient irrigation and a thousand years of farming.

1.5 to 2 hoursFree
The limestone flank of Jebel Hafeet above Al Ain with the switchback road below
Al Ain
Adventure · Romance

Jebel Hafeet: the mountain road above Al Ain

A switchback road to the top of the UAE's second-highest peak.

Half a day$$$$
Al Jahili Fort in Al Ain with its crenellated walls and round towers
Al Ain
Heritage & Culture · Family

Al Jahili Fort and the Thesiger collection

A 19th-century fort with a famous photographer's Arabia inside.

About 1 hour$$$$
On this season

Events in Al Ain

Full calendar
Nov22to 20 Dec
Sport

ILT20 Season 5

22 Nov to 20 Dec 2026 · Dubai, UAE-wide
Dec2to 3
NationalMajor

UAE National Day 2026 (55th)

2 to 3 Dec 2026 · Across the UAE, UAE-wide
Dec31to 1 Jan
NationalMajor

New Year's Eve in the UAE 2026

31 Dec 2026 to 1 Jan 2027 · Across the UAE, UAE-wide
Feb8to 8 Mar
National

Ramadan 2027 and Eid Al Fitr

8 Feb to 8 Mar 2027 · Across the UAE, UAE-wide
Mar9to 11
National

Eid Al Fitr 2027 holiday

9 to 11 Mar 2027 · Across the UAE, UAE-wide

Al Ain: common questions

Is Al Ain worth visiting?+

Yes, for the oasis, the forts and Jebel Hafeet, which together make it the UAE's most historic day trip outside Abu Dhabi city.

How far is Al Ain from Dubai?+

About 90 minutes by road.

Nearby

Next door

The Abu Dhabi skyline at sunset from the Corniche promenade
33 events · 6 places

Abu Dhabi

Museums on the water, festival season at Al Wathba and the largest desert in the Gulf.

Burj Khalifa rising above the Dubai Fountain lake at dusk
35 events · 8 places

Dubai

The towers, the old Creek, seasonal parks and the mountains at Hatta.

Part of the Hadath guide to Al Ain and its neighbours.