Visiting Qasr Al Watan: what the presidential palace ticket, tours and rules cover

The short answer

A visit to Qasr Al Watan is a ticketed visit to the public parts of a working palace. Visit Abu Dhabi describes it as a working presidential palace that gives visitors access to halls typically reserved for official summits.[10] The palace's ticket page says general admission covers its zones, naming the Great Hall, Presidential Gifts and the Qasr Al Watan Library, and includes entry to the evening Palace in Motion show.[2] According to the palace's FAQ, tickets are sold online or at the ticketing booth on site, are dated and valid only for the date printed, and are not refundable.[4]

The rest of this guide explains what the ticket covers, how the guiding options differ, what the visitor rules say, and where the palace's own pages disagree with one another.

What Qasr Al Watan is

The palace's home page calls it a royal palace in Abu Dhabi and says the presidential palace "invites the world to share our culture, knowledge and inspiring journey".[1] Visit Abu Dhabi adds that it was built to host dignitaries and leaders. The palace's Getting Here section places it in Al Ras Al Akhdar, near the Abu Dhabi Corniche, and Visit Abu Dhabi gives its location as Al Ras Al Akhdar, Abu Dhabi.[5][10] For the city, see the Abu Dhabi destination page.

It is not Emirates Palace. Visit Abu Dhabi's FAQ says Emirates Palace is a separate palace that operates as a hotel.[10] Nor is it Qasr Al Hosn, the historic fort.

What is inside: the zones on the palace map

The palace's zone descriptions on its website load only with JavaScript, but its downloadable visitor map lists ten numbered stops.[8][7] In map order they are:

• A Memory from the Palace, a media room for a personal snapshot of the visit.[8]
• The Great Hall, which the map calls the architectural heart of the palace.[8]
• Presidential Gifts, diplomatic gifts exchanged between nations.[8]
• The Presidential Banquet, which the map says plays host to major state banquets.[8]
• Spirit of Collaboration, described as the official meeting place for the UAE Cabinet and the Federal Supreme Council.[8]
• The Presidential Meeting Room, used for state visits.[8]
• The Qasr Al Watan Library, with books on the UAE's cultural, economic, political and social history.[8]
• The Power of Words, listed on the map without a description.[8]
• House of Knowledge: Age of Enlightenment, on Arab scholars' contributions to medicine, astronomy, statecraft and the humanities.[8]
• Palace in Motion, the outdoor light and sound show.[8]

XTOUR's reading is that several of these rooms are working state rooms. The pages read do not say whether any of them close to visitors during official events, and XTOUR does not know.

Ticket options

There are two tickets on the palace's site. The Qasr Al Watan ticket, the general admission, covers the palace zones, the gardens, the Visitor Centre and the Palace in Motion show, according to the ticket page and the FAQ.[4][2] The Palace in Motion ticket gives access to the show only; the show's page tells anyone who also wants to see the palace to buy general admission instead.[3] The terms and conditions published on the general admission page cover a Peak and an Off Peak version of that ticket; the Off Peak ticket is valid only during select off-peak operating hours, which the terms say can change without notice.[2]

Both the ticket page and the FAQ rule out a second entry. The ticket page says time inside is unlimited but re-entry is not permitted, and the FAQ says that once visitors leave the premises they cannot enter again.[2] The FAQ also says there are no refunds on any entry ticket. XTOUR publishes no prices; the FAQ points to the palace's ticket section for them.[4]

Self-guided, audio guide or guided tour

A guided tour is optional. The FAQ says a tour is not compulsory but is recommended.[4]

The palace's home page offers an audio-guided tour in five languages, to be taken at the visitor's own pace for up to two hours.[1] The FAQ says guided tours, "in line with Abu Dhabi Government guidelines", are now sold at the gate with limited capacity.[4] The palace's awards page describes the guided option as a 30-minute tour through the palace's hallways, in English and Arabic.[6] The terms on the ticket page say general admission does not include a tour and that a tour add-on can be bought online or at the gate.[2] The pages read do not say which five languages the audio guide covers.

The Palace in Motion show

The show page describes a light and sound show held every evening, telling the nation's past, present and future vision in three acts; it says show times are updated monthly and published on the palace's Opening Hours page.[3] Visit Abu Dhabi says the show lasts about 15 minutes.[10]

The palace's pages give two different arrival instructions. The show's ticket page asks visitors to enter 30 minutes before the show begins, warning that entry is subject to capacity, and the Opening Hours page sets last entry at 30 minutes before the start time.[5][3] The visitor map tells visitors to go to the outdoor Arcade area 15 minutes before the show.[8] XTOUR's reading is that the 30-minute instruction is the one tied to entry.

Dress code and prohibited items, according to Qasr Al Watan

According to Qasr Al Watan's visitor information, visitors wear clothes that cover both knees and shoulders; shorts, sleeveless tops and see-through garments are not allowed, nor are flip-flops or overly casual footwear.[5] The ticket page repeats that knees and shoulders must be covered.[2] The palace's rule says nothing about covering hair, unlike the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque's code, which is set out in mosque dress and conduct as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre states it.

The prohibited-items list on the same page includes food and beverages except bottled water, knives and scissors, long umbrellas, alcohol, aerosols, bicycles and skateboards, pets, large bags that cannot go through airport-style scanners, and any weapon. Tripods are listed with conditions: no taller than 15 inches, never single-legged, not in the Great Hall area and not used to film the back palaces or during state visits.[5]

Security, bags and lockers

The visitor information describes an airport-style security check for visitors and their belongings on arrival. It says bags larger than 500 by 350 millimetres will not be allowed through screening, that there are no locker facilities, and that visitors with oversized bags will be refused entry; travellers coming from or going to the airport are asked to use luggage storage at the airport or their hotel.[5] The FAQ adds that the palace provides no transport to or from the site.[4]

Photography and phones

According to the palace's visitor information, non-commercial photography and filming are allowed in all areas, except with wearable devices inside the palace or on its grounds, and photographing or filming security personnel or security systems is forbidden. Commercial photography needs the palace's permission, and mobile phones are to be kept on silent. The same page describes a paid photography service in which visitors dress in traditional Emirati clothing for photographs.[5]

Where the palace's own pages disagree

Several practical points are stated differently on different pages of the same site:

• Wi-Fi: the ticket page lists "Free WiFi" among the inclusions, while both the visitor information and the FAQ say there is no Wi-Fi on the palace grounds.[4][5][2]
• Food: the visitor information says the Dhiyafat Qasr Al Watan restaurant and the library café, Maqha Al Maktaba, are temporarily closed and that the grab-and-go outlet Legma is open, while the FAQ still says food is sold at Diyafa.[4][5]
• Getting to the palace: the FAQ says visitors find their own transport, while the visitor information describes a free shuttle between the Visitor Centre and the palace entrance and refers to the free Experience Abu Dhabi Shuttle Bus, and the ticket page lists a free shuttle bus.[2][5][4] XTOUR's reading is that the palace shuttle runs only between the car park and the palace.
• Guided tour: the FAQ says general admission gives access to "the Qasr Al Watan Tour", while the terms on the ticket page say the ticket does not include a tour, which is sold as an add-on.[2][4]
• Valet parking: the palace's own page and Visit Abu Dhabi give different charges.[10][5]

Practical points from the palace's FAQ

The FAQ says wheelchairs are provided, and sets out when people of determination and companions receive complimentary access, with different terms for UAE-registered and international visitors. It lists prayer rooms in the Visitor Centre and at Zayed gate, a designated smoking area outside the Visitor Centre, and no pets. It says food and drink may be consumed only in the palace's restaurant areas and gardens, not in the Great Hall or the exhibition rooms.[4] The school programme page says school groups are welcomed and receive one complimentary chaperone for every ten students.[9]

What XTOUR does not know

XTOUR does not publish the palace's opening hours, show times, prices or valet charges; the palace changes show times monthly and publishes them itself. The ticket terms warn that certain zones, shows or outlets may be unavailable during a visit, but XTOUR does not know which zones close, or when.[2] XTOUR also does not know which five languages the audio guide offers, or which of the palace's conflicting statements on Wi-Fi, food, tours and transport is current. The general admission terms name Qasr Experiences LLC as the operator, while the Palace in Motion ticket's terms name Miral Experiences LLC and Qaser Experiences – Sole Proprietorship LLC, and the school-programme form names Miral as the party using enquirers' personal data.[9][3][2]

Among Abu Dhabi's other cultural sites, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is covered in visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. For the country as a whole, see the UAE country page.