Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
Italy • 9 days, 8 nights
Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
about 22 hours ago
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
1 day ago
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
2 days ago
Longwood House, where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final years.
The Longwood House: Napoleon Bonaparte’s Beautiful Prison
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
All United Arab Emirates

The Atlas Obscura Guide To United Arab Emirates

34 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in United Arab Emirates

Updated May 14, 2025

Email

Cities

Masdar City
Abu Dhabi
Dubai Miracle Garden
Dubai
Jebel Hafeet Beehive Tombs.
Al Ain
Attractions
Map
Leaderboards

Unusual Attractions in United Arab Emirates

Some of the houses have blue and green walls.

Al Madam, United Arab Emirates

Buried Village of Al Madam

An abandoned desert hamlet swallowed up by sand.
Dubai Miracle Garden

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai Miracle Garden

Billed as the "largest natural flower garden in the world" this Middle Eastern show field has little competition at 45 million flowers.
World Islands

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The World Islands

This artificial archipelago was supposed to resemble a map of the world.
the Elephant Clock at the Ibn Battuta mall

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Elephant Clock

A faithful reproduction of Al-Jazari's enormous water clock.
Masdar City

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Masdar City

Planned as the world’s first zero-carbon city, it had lofty ideals—but is only 5 percent completed and aiming for 50 percent carbon-neutral.
Ski Dubai

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Ski Dubai

This indoor ski resort has a mountain contained inside a mall.
(Flickr/Román Emin)

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Whitewashed mosque contains the world's largest carpet.
Burj Al Arab from the air

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Burj Al Arab

A preposterously luxurious hotel with gold-plated iPads, Rolls Royce chauffeurs, and a staff that trains by watching "Downton Abbey."
See All 34 Things To Do in United Arab Emirates
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore United Arab Emirates

A
34
Architecture 7
Architectural Oddities 4
Deserts 4
Monuments 3
Animals 3
Natural Wonders 3
Abandoned 3
Dunes 3
Museums 3
Nature 3
Places To Stay 2

United Arab Emirates Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Fred Cherrygarden
    4
  2. atimian
    3
  3. klarfeher
    2
  4. satxwdavis
    2
  5. solarconstant
    1

Places Edited

  1. Collector of Experiences
    12
  2. MissBez
    10
  3. hrnick
    9
  4. Tawsam
    4
  5. Jaszmina Szendrey
    4

Places Visited

  1. MissBez
    25
  2. Steve 55
    21
  3. Renwill
    21
  4. adamhickman84
    21
  5. viagensdaBabi
    20
Join the Ranks!
Visit a place in United Arab Emirates.

Recent United Arab Emirates Activity

  • seversnap

    has been to Ski Dubai

    about 14 hours ago
  • seversnap

    has been to The Dubai Frame

    about 14 hours ago
  • seversnap

    has been to Queen Elizabeth 2

    about 14 hours ago
  • seversnap

    has been to Burj Al Arab

    about 14 hours ago
  • seversnap

    has been to Ferrari World

    about 14 hours ago

Become an Atlas Obscura Member

Join our community of curious explorers.

Learn More

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.