Al Ain Zoo is home to over 4,000 animals, an up-close giraffe feeding experience, camel riding and the inviting Elezba petting zoo. The spacious and well-kept zoo is the largest and most acclaimed in the region. Transparent enclosures are home to indigenous and exotic species, including the Arabian oryx, the big-horned Barbary sheep, rhinos, hippos, tigers, lions and more. The zoo's well-respected conservation and breeding programme protects and preserves rare fauna from extinction, which includes a fascinating walk-through lemur experience. There are plenty of green public spaces for picnics, as well as playgrounds, cafés and restaurants to pick up a bite. There's also a train tour of the wildlife area.

For incredible sunrise and sunset photos, as well as majestic views of Abu Dhabi’s lush garden city of Al Ain, head to the top of Jebel Hafit mountain (also known as Jebel Hafeet). Rising to a height of 1,249 metres, this skyline-dominating peak is Abu Dhabi’s highest, and the UAE’s second tallest. Reach the summit of this rocky mountain by car, motorbike or, if you have the stamina, bicycle. Standing guard on the borders of Oman, this Al Ain mountain has been weathered over millennia, with significant fossil discoveries made in the area being vital pieces in the jigsaw that makes up the city’s ancient history.

Take a walk through the shaded pathways and reconnect with nature in the lush greenery of Al Ain Oasis - a peaceful retreat spread across 1,200 hectares in the ‘Green City’ of Al Ain. it is easy to forget that you are in a desert. This magnificent oasis is a dreamy sight for sore eyes and one of the most beautiful oases Al Ain has. Here you can enjoy a bit of respite from city life and appreciate 147,000 date palm trees, over 100 different varieties of vegetation and relics of the past, like the ancient irrigation system known as falaj. The falaj is an essential piece of the region’s heritage and one of the many reasons why Al Ain is a UNESCO Cultural Site.

Since opening its gates in 2008, Al Jahili Fort – set about an hour and a half away from Abu Dhabi in the lush garden city of Al Ain – has been a focal point of activities associated with the philosophy, culture and heritage of Abu Dhabi. Al Jahili is one of the largest forts in the UAE, built in the 1890s on the orders of Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, also known as Zayed the First, as the home to members of the ruling Al Nahyan family. Built of sun-dried mud brick, early restoration work was done on the fort in 1985, followed by a major rehabilitation project by the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi between 2007 and 2008. Surrounded by a lush park, the enchanting fort has received the prestigious Terra Award for Internal Design and Layout in 2016.