Al Ain walking tour & city guide

Oasis and forts

Al Ain Oasis is a shady forest of nearly 150,000 date palms, watered by the ancient falaj irrigation channels. Al Jahili Fort and the Al Ain Palace Museum, once the home of Sheikh Zayed, tell the story of the country's founder.

Jebel Hafeet

A smooth mountain road with many curves climbs Jebel Hafeet to over 1,200 meters, one of the great drives in the region. At its foot, the Hili Archaeological Park has tombs from the Bronze Age, and the traditional camel market is one of the last in the UAE.

Walking the oasis

The Al Ain Oasis is the reason the city exists. Shaded paths wind for kilometers between date palms, irrigated by falaj channels that are thousands of years old. It is one of the few places in the Emirates where you can walk for an hour in the shade, listening to running water.

Next to the oasis, Al Jahili Fort and the Al Ain Palace Museum, home of Sheikh Zayed's family, tell the story of the region before oil. In the late afternoon, drive the winding road up Jebel Hafeet for sunset views over the desert and the border with Oman.

Good to know

Al Ain is greener and quieter than the coastal cities and is often called the Garden City. It is about 90 minutes from both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, so it fits a day trip, but staying a night lets you enjoy Jebel Hafeet at sunset and the oasis early the next morning.

The livestock and camel markets near the Oman border are a glimpse of traditional trade. Go early in the morning, when the trading is most active.