9 of 11 places fit
A hall of restored cars from the early 1900s onward, small enough to see in under an hour and rarely crowded.
Housed in the restored Al Ali fort, it shows finds from Ed-Dur, one of the largest pre-Islamic sites in the Gulf, for AED 4.
The museum fills the 18th-century fort that was once the ruler's residence, so you see the watchtowers and courtyard as well as the exhibits, for AED 5.
Five thousand objects across Islamic science, faith and craft for AED 10, under a gold-mosaic zodiac dome.
A string of restored courtyard houses on the creek, each covering a piece of old Dubai, with a perfume house that lets you smell the oud and attar trade.
It stands on the spot where the union was signed in 1971, and the original Union House and the round guesthouse are part of the visit.
The country's oldest museum reopened in October 2025 with pre-Islamic graves found during the rebuild now on show, and Sultan Fort is part of the visit.
An 18-metre reconstructed Bronze Age Magan boat fills the atrium, and the Abu Dhabi Pearl is in the galleries beyond it.
Full dinosaur skeletons and the Evolving World galleries take you through Earth's history, and under-18s go free, which makes it an easy family afternoon.