Your experience
Walk through the UAE’s working Presidential Palace at your own pace, from the 37-metre Great Hall dome to the gardens outside.
Getting started
Show your voucher on your phone, with a valid photo ID, at the Qasr Al Watan Visitor Centre. Free parking is available next to it, and a shuttle bus takes you to the palace entrance. Arrive 15 minutes before your entry time to clear airport-style security. Bags too large for the scanner are not allowed, and you cannot re-enter once you leave. Cover your knees and shoulders, and switch your phone to silent before you go in.
What to expect at Qasr Al Watan
Qasr Al Watan (Palace of the Nation) took seven years to build, from 2010 to 2017. It hosts meetings of the Federal Supreme Council and the Council of Ministers.
Features
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Stand under the Great Hall’s main dome, one of the largest in the world at 37 metres wide. Four mirrored cube installations let you study the patterns up close.
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Step into the Spirit of Collaboration, an amphitheatre-style room where summits are held. Its chandelier is designed to absorb sound.
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Look at the Presidential Banquet hall, which seats 300 guests. The table is laid with 149,000 hand-engraved pieces of fine bone china.
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See gifts exchanged during diplomatic visits in the Presidential Gifts exhibition.
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Visit the House of Knowledge in the east wing for rare manuscripts and artefacts from the Arab Golden Age (mid 8th to mid 13th century).
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Browse the palace library, which covers archaeology, history, heritage, biographies, and literature.
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Walk the landscaped gardens around the palace. Gift shops are at the Visitor Centre and inside the palace building.
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Stay for the Palace in Motion light and sound show, which tells the UAE’s story in three acts (past, present, future). It starts at 7:45pm, with last entry at 7:15pm.
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Food and drink are not allowed in the Great Hall or exhibition rooms, so eat before you go in.
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Allow about 2 hours to cover the main halls without rushing. The palace is large, and reviewers say they only saw part of it.
Wrapping up
Exit through the palace gift shop. Wheelchairs are free to borrow, and strollers can be rented on site.
- Rated 4.6 / 53,973 reviews
- Mobile ticketShow it on your phone
- CancellationNon-refundable
- Choose your entry time and stay as long as you like, with access to the palace halls and the landscaped gardens.
- Stand under the 37-metre Great Hall dome, then see the Presidential Banquet hall, Spirit of Collaboration room, and House of Knowledge.
- Best for architecture and history fans who want to explore the UAE’s working Presidential Palace at their own pace.
- Pick an evening option to add the Palace in Motion light and sound show, which tells the UAE’s story in three acts.
- The banquet hall seats 300 guests, and its table is laid with 149,000 hand-engraved pieces of fine bone china.
- Entry to the Palace of Qasr Al Watan (based on the option selected)
- Access to the gardens of Qasr Al Watan
- Pick-up and drop-off
Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly. Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the starting point. Please check your final voucher for the starting point details & specific instructions.
These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.
- Getting there: Qasr Al Watan, Al Ras Al Akhdar, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi.
- It's recommended to wear respectful clothing when in the palace. Knees and shoulders should be covered.
- Consumption of food and drink is not permitted in the great hall or exhibition rooms.
- Due to venue restrictions, pets cannot tag along for this experience.
- Prohibited items include penknives or knives of any kind, scissors, long umbrellas, paints/aerosols, bicycles, folding bikes, roller-skates or skateboards, large bags that can’t fit through airport-style security scanners, and CS gas (tear gas) or any weapon.
- Re-entry is not permitted.
- This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible.
- Wheelchairs are available for rent free of charge and strollers can be rented for AED 20.
- Facilities: Free parking.
- Please make sure to keep your mobile phones in silent mode before entering the palace.
