Private Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Tour

We booked two full days of a private tour with Tour by Emirati. The first day was with Dana (who was awesome and I separately reviewed). The second day was with Ahmed, who showed us around the city. The highlights were the Presidential Palace and the Grand Mosque, each of which was beautiful and awesome (in the literal sense of the word). Ahmed was a gem, taking care of us and teaching us about his city and culture. He was also awestruck when entering the Presidential Palace and the Grand Mosque, as if he were a young boy seeing it for the first time, and that enthusiasm was inspiring. His intimate knowledge of the Grand Mosque was particularly impressive. At the end of the day, we asked for genuine Emirati food and he brought us to a hole-in-the-wall that only locals go to where the food was delicious. He joined us for dinner and was wonderful company.

Ahmed was our tour guide and he was wonderful. He made the the trip educational, as well as interesting. He is extremely knowledgable, even with small facts about things we would never have know had he not shared with us. We came away with nothing but respect for the mosque and Ahmed. We highly recommend this experience with Ahmed as your tour guide.

We can highly recommend this impressive tour. The very beginning – the hotel pick-up and the warm welcome with aromatic Arabic coffee – suggests that someone with a real passion is at work here. During the trip, Dana shared fascinating insights into Abu Dhabi’s history, culture, traditions and economic development. You immediately notice how much she burns for this country. The highlight was undoubtedly the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Tour. Dana doesn’t just lead her guests through the mosque – she lets them experience her favorite places, shows off hidden beauties and shares her personal secret spots. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and you can feel at every moment how important it is to give her guests special perspectives and unforgettable moments. As a farewell, we even received a unique view of the mosque that will remain with us for a long time to come. If you are looking for a tour that is driven by real passion and offers everything you want from a special experience, this is the right place.

+1

Dana knows her way both in the maze of the grand mosque and in the history of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. The tour was impressive and interesting. Without Dana, we would be lost and not understand the depth of this important place.

Our guide was very young and seemed kind-hearted and well-intentioned, but unfortunately the tour itself was disappointing. She arrived about 45 minutes late, and once the tour began, she did not appear very knowledgeable about the history, architecture, or factual details of the mosque. Instead of focusing on an informative, educational tour, she frequently shifted into preaching about the Muslim faith and made negative comparisons about life and values in the USA. This became uncomfortable, especially as she repeatedly questioned a young member of our group about his faith, told him he was “lost,” and insisted he needed to have a faith. She also made statements suggesting that other religions mislead people and that Islam is the only correct faith. We came hoping for a respectful, informative tour of this beautiful and important mosque—not to be judged or shamed for our personal beliefs. It was unfortunate, because she genuinely seemed kind, but she did not conduct herself in a professional way expected of a tour guide.

Our tour started in not so good light light. Our guide arrived over 30 minutes late although communication was reasonable. Halima was very bubbly and passionate and nothing was too much trouble, she even made tea for us ( or a friend did!) We got to see all the sites and even a bit more, such as the library. Halima was fantastic, youthful and exuberant, sometimes erratic but passionate about her country. We had a great time and really learned a lot and enjoyed the sights and company.

I had an amazing experience with our guide, who was extremely knowledgeable not just about the Mosque but with the region's history which made a great tour.

The mosque was absolutely stunning, the tour was very informative and our tour guide Dana was fantastic. Definitely a must do for anyone visiting Abu Dhabi.

It was a much better tour than I could have imagined. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was really beautiful, especially the knowledgeable and attentive explanation of this guide. I'm very happy that they answered my questions kindly. I highly recommend this guide.

Dana showed me around the Grand Mosque of Sheikh Zayed. Tour in English It was good to learn the history and characteristics of the mosque with friendly and easy to understand explanations.