Originally Posted by Thunderroad

My wife and I might stay here on an overnight en route from NYC to Vietnam, arriving about noon on a Friday in late February and departing the next day at about 8 a.m. We'd like to check out a few local sights while in town. A few questions re tourist spots:

1. We like to walk. Does a "stone's throw from the Grand Mosque" mean that it is within, say, 30 minutes on easily navigable streets suited for walking? (I realize it does not open to visitors until 4:30 pm on Fridays.)
2. Any other recommended museums or other sights near the Mosque and/or Hyatt, preferably within walking distance?
3. If we do take a taxi to get to the Mosque or anywhere else, is it easy enough to hail one on the street to get back to the Hyatt, or should we find the nearest shopping mall or hotel to do so?

Thanks for any help!

Originally Posted by stargold

1. Google Maps tells me that it's 1h20 by foot. And very little of Abu Dhabi (or Dubai, for that matter) is truly walking friendly. It would have to be by taxi.

2. The Capital Gate is fairly unusual in that pretty much everything is within a 15-20 minute taxi ride, but there is really nothing at all in the immediate vicinity. For example, only the 3-4 hotels nearby (Aloft, Rotana, and a couple more) are realistic options for meals without jumping in a taxi.

3. The Mosque has a well-organised taxi rank for your return trip, as do most other tourist attractions and malls. Do note that it can be fairly busy during peak times and the lines might be quite long.

Originally Posted by craigthemif

In Abu Dhabi, there is basically no such thing as easily navigable streets suitable for walking. For 8 months of the year it's too hot to walk outdoors so the infrastructure isn't there. The Corniche is basically the main area for walking around (once the temperatures drop in the evening) but that's in the city, far from the Hyatt.

The Hyatt is really in the middle of nowhere. The times mentioned are usually taxi travel times. It is easy to find taxis in Abu Dhabi. They are much improved from when I first started visiting the city for business 10-15 years ago. I believe Uber also operates in Abu Dhabi.

Originally Posted by m0hamed

It would probably take 20-30 mins alone to walk from the road leading to the Grand Masjid to the entrance. We saw someone walk from the Ritz Carlton and were shocked to see someone walking in Abu Dhabi!