Whenever individuals hear of the UAE, they imagine high-rise and super posh shopping, and desert outings. And those are a part of the story. However, there is another aspect, less noisy, somber, and, strangely enough, touching. It is one under the same sky that the country tells its stories of ambition, heritage, faith, and creativity, through museums.
After visiting numerous museums in UAE, I have realized that visits are not only about exhibits. They are about time — an instant when one is standing in front of an object of art and realizes the past and the future have come together. When you need the best attractions in Dubai, and more so than that which allows you to explore the obvious, these five museums are worth visiting.
The first time you see this building, you stop walking. The structure itself feels alive, wrapped in flowing Arabic calligraphy. It is a three-dimensional emotional environment within, not as much as looking at the stuff, but more as picturing how something might be.
It is certainly among the best museums in Dubai and it attracts tourists who would not have dreamed of visiting museums.
Al Shindagha doesn’t shout for attention. It invites you in quietly. Located on the Dubai Creek, this museum recreates the spirit of ancient Dubai, pearl diving, commercial highways, homes of their families, and the ordinary existence before the skyline.
It is even among the best museums in Dubai, in case you want to know how Dubai acquired its origin.
Some museums inform you. Etihad Museum makes you feel something. It tells the story of the UAE’s formation — not in a dramatic way, but in a grounded, honest one. Letters, photographs, videos — everything feels personal.
This is one of the only famous museums in Dubai that is incredibly emotional.
This museum feels calm the moment you step in. It doesn’t rush you. Manuscripts, ceramics, scientific instruments — each piece reflects centuries of knowledge and faith.
Most people are not aware of it, but frankly speaking, this is one of the best museums in the region to visit if someone is interested in Islamic art and history.
Louvre Abu Dhabi is not a museum per se and is an experience. The light is as though it is coming through the dome by stars, and there you are cross-examining civilizations and there are no boundaries.
It is one of those things that you do not hurry. And one of the best museums in UAE is easy.
Travel is not all about photographs. It is the knowledge of where you are. These are the best museums in Dubai and the UAE that give a sense to your trip- particularly in combination with beaches, desert tours or urban strolls.
At Happy Tales Tourism, we tend to recommend to strike some balance between adventure and culture. Afternoon visit to a museum, dinner by the water, accepting evening walks, all this shifts your recollection of a place.
Since stories remain with you even long after the trip is done, it is the stories that make the difference.
When you are considering your trip to the UAE and you wish to spend time there and have experiences that are not generic but personal, then we can assist you to create such moments, one experience stop at a time.