AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Al Qana is Abu Dhabi’s sprawling waterfront lifestyle destination, built around a lively canal promenade where the capital comes to eat, play and wander by the water. Far more than a single attraction, it gathers an aquarium, a butterfly sanctuary, gaming halls, an adventure park, a cinema, a marina and a long ribbon of restaurants into one walkable, fully integrated precinct on Al Maqta’ Street in the Rabdan area.↗↗
Open since the early 2020s and repeatedly named a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice destination in the world’s top 10%, Al Qana has become a favourite for family days out, sunset walks and layover dining. The best part for a first-time visitor: it is not a gated attraction, so strolling the promenade and marina costs nothing, while the individual venues charge their own admission.↗↗
Under the sea and among butterflies
The headline draw is The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi, described as one of the largest aquariums in the Middle East and home to the region’s longest underwater tunnel. Walking beneath the glass canopy of drifting marine life is the centrepiece experience, and there is far more going on inside than a simple tank tour. The aquarium houses a Flooded Forest zone with its much-loved capybaras, has welcomed the Middle East’s first African manatees as part of a conservation project with the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, and even lets certified divers and complete first-timers slip into the water for a guided dive among the species.
