In this travel guide, we tell you how to get to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque from Abu Dhabi or Dubai by public transport or tour, how to book tickets, what is proper dress code, where is the best viewpoint, opening hours, including the best time to visit and how much time you should spend in the Mosque. Learn all the tips you need to know before you visit this breathtakingly beautiful Mosque. It is almost unbelievable that such a majestic sight is for free, but we can assure you it is true.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque is the final resting place of Sheikh Zayed, one of the most impressive mosques we have ever seen. White and gold decor gives a luxurious vibe; this Mosque is impressive. More than 80 marble domes and floral designs can be admired inside the complex. 

No other words can describe the magnificent Sheikh Zayed Mosque better than Masterpiece. Everywhere you look, you’re stunned. From the smallest details, everything is simply perfect. Materials to build this Mosque were brought from all different corners of the world. The crystal chandeliers resemble the palm tree as a sign of the UAE’s prosperity. Another interesting fact about the Mosque is its lighting system is connected to the lunar system, and depending on the night of the cycle, the Mosque is lit from the deepest blue to cool white. This Mosque is named after the founder of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed. 

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO VISIT SHEIKH ZAYED GRAND MOSQUE

OPENING HOURS OF SHEIKH ZAYED GRAND MOSQUE

• From Saturday to Sunday, it is open from 9am to 10pm.
• On Fridays: from 9am to 12pm and reopens from 3pm to 10pm.

Opening hours are slightly different during Ramadan.

TICKETS

To enter the Mosque, you need to prebook your e-pass here. You fill in a few details, and it will generate a QR code that you will scan upon entry to the Mosque area. The entrance is free.

• Price: Free

HOW MUCH TIME YOU NEED FOR VISITING THE MOSQUE

Two to three hours is enough time to explore the Mosque and to have enough time to take photos. On our visit, we spent 3 hours in the Mosque. The whole complex is quite big, so give yourself enough time. From the entrance in the underground mall, frequent golf carts drive you to the Mosque for free, so it saves you a lot of walking. But the area itself is big, and there will be many spots you want to photograph.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The best time to visit, is without second thoughts, before dusk. Let’s say around 4:00pm-4:30pm. This way, you will enjoy seeing the Mosque during daylight, the sunset, and when it is dark outside. The colours are insane. Depending on the time of the year, it is good to come roughly 2 hours before sunset, which gives you enough time to explore the Mosque.

WHAT TO EXPECT

• To reach the entrance to the Mosque, you first go through the underground shopping mall with many shops, cafes and toilets. In case you want to buy an abaya here, know that prices in this mall are much higher than if you buy it somewhere in the city centre. 
• After you walk through the mall, you will reach the visitor entrance. Here, you will show your e-pass that you prebooked, and then they will guide you to line up in a queue for a golf cart that will drive you to the Mosque. This service is free of charge.
• You can’t bring your food and drinks. However, the Mosque had multiple water fountains, so we brought our empty bottle with us. Several toilets are in the areal of the mosque.
• Abu Dhabi is known for its high temperatures, so if you visit in the summer (June-September), it is crazy hot outside. However, you can escape the heat inside the prayer hall, which is nicely air-conditioned. 
• You can go on a free guided walking tour that lasts 45 minutes. Those tours start on the East side of the Mosque, and the staff by the entrance will provide you with the necessary information on how to attend. 

TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR ABU DHABI

Remember to have proper travel insurance for visiting Abu Dhabi that covers you well. We recommend IATI Travel Insurance, which provides various insurance options and has 24/7 customer service. As a reader of Broken Navigation, you also get an exclusive 5% discount on any insurance you purchase through the following link.

Get your 5% discount for travel insurance with IATI here.

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HOW TO GET TO THE MOSQUE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

It is super easy to find the right bus in Abu Dhabi. Just use Google Maps where you put a location where you want to go. It works perfectly fine and shows you all the bus stops and connections. Alternatively, Abu Dhabi has an app for public transport, and all the routes are marked well in their Darbi App.

Two public buses go frequently to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: buses #24 and #94. One way costs 2 AED ($0.5). Make sure you have your Hafilat Card because it is not possible to pay by card or cash inside the bus. We have already explained how to get your Hafilat card in our travel guide to Abu Dhabi. The mosque is roughly 19 km from Abu Dhabi Downtown and takes around 50 minutes to reach by bus.

• Bus 24 – goes from Marina Mall, through Corniche, Al Wahda Mall, to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
• Bus 94 – goes from Ajwan Towers, through the Louvre, downtown and Central Bus Station to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

If you go from Dubai, check out this organised tour, which saves you a lot of time and effort.

Read more: How to make the most of a 48-hour stopover in Abu Dhabi.

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DRESS CODE

Note that currently, it is not possible to rent an abaya in the Mosque, and you need to bring your own.

Dress code for man

T-shirt and loose trousers are the best bet for men. No shorts are allowed. Jakub wore jeans and a t-shirt.

Dress code for women

We are used to travelling in Muslim countries. Therefore, I always carry a scarf with me. I needed to buy an abaya this time, so a day before we visited the Mosque, we were hunting for some cheap abaya. You can buy your abaya in random malls. I bought my $5 abaya in this mall close to our Couchsurfing host.

I just have one tip for you. If you think you will buy an abaya in the mall you pass before the visitor entrance to the Mosque, know that those abayas are expensive (starting at $55) and probably of much better quality than mine. However, I did not want to spend much money since I needed to wear it only for a mosque visit.

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THE BEST PHOTO SPOTS

Designated photo spots are all around the Mosque from where you can take photos inside the Mosque and guarantee beautiful views.

There is a beautiful viewpoint from which you can get a stunning view and a perfect shot of the Mosque from a distance. This place is not inside the mosque area, so I recommend you go there after you visit the Mosque. Also, it is the best at night. You find this viewpoint on Google Maps as View Point On the Mosque. Or simply click here for the exact view point location 

There is a free shuttle to the Wahat Al Karma memorial; that is exactly where the viewpoint is. Or you can walk there via a pedestrian bridge that takes around 15 minutes. Optionally, you can also go by bus to the Wahat Al Karama bus stop right in front of it.

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VPN FOR ABU DHABI

VPN is a must have for Abu Dhabi. In Abu Dhabi, a VPN is essential because many sites are blocked, and you can’t access them without a VPN, including WhatsApp or Facebook, and many other apps. We tried many free VPN apps during our travels, but they didn’t have good security and mostly didn’t work. That’s why we use NordVPN, a reliable app with fast customer service in case you need assistance, and they offer various kinds of plans that save you a lot of money.

Check the best prices for NordVPN here.

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The best tour to visit Sheikh zayed grand mosque

To save time and hassle, visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque with an organised tour with a knowledgeable guide is very popular. You can go from Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Check our tour recommendations:

TOUR From abu dhabi

TOUR From dubai

Where to stay after visiting the Mosque

Abu Dhabi

We stayed here I Novel Hotel City Center – after spending 2 days with our Couchsurfing host we moved to this hotel for two weeks and absolutely loved this place. There is an outside pool, sauna, and gym, and the view is pretty good. The rooms are clean, wifi super fast, and after 6 months of travelling, we had a well-needed rest here. We stayed so long because we were sick from AC and needed to relax. This place gets expensive in the main season – up to $250/night. However, from time to time, especially in the off-season, they have offers for $30-50 per night, which we managed to get through Booking.com. 

Luxury I The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi – if you have the budget for this hotel, it is an absolute dream place. Maybe you have already seen many photos with amazing views over the Mosque but couldn’t figure out where those photos were taken. Well, chances are that it was shot from this magnificent hotel overlooking the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Photo corners and viewpoints inside this hotel are stunning.

Couchsurfing I Abu Dhabi has a big Couchsurfing community, and it is very easy to find a host there. There are usually expats living there, so you most likely won’t spend time with someone from the Emirates, but you will surely meet friendly people. We organised our Couchsurfing host for the first two nights of our stay, as he lived very close to the mosque, so we could explore that part of Abu Dhabi more easily. Make sure you find your host at least a week in advance as, from our experience, it took a few days to get some response. Some hosts live in pretty cool skyscrapers, and you will feel like you are in a hotel. As a bonus, you can make new friends in a different country! We love Couchsurfing for that. 

dubai

Budget I Al Raien Hotel Apartments – To avoid staying in filthy hostels or dorm rooms in Dubai, try this hotel, where you at least get a private room and stay in a good location 2km from Twin Towers.

Mid-Range I Grand Mercure Dubai City – Beautiful hotel with a pool and gym. Here, you will have comfort if that is what you want. Wifi here works very well, and guests enjoy on-site restaurants.

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