Abu Dhabi is a land of fascinating contrasts.
It has some of the world’s most modern shopping malls, towering skyscrapers, and opulent hotels standing shoulder-to-shoulder with grand architectural masterpieces, like the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Qasr Al Watan, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi is 80% desert, but it has spectacular green spaces like the Al Ain Oasis and the Mangrove National Park.
There’s so much for you and your friends to do, like the following group activities on Yas Island Abu Dhabi.
1. Must check events in Abu Dhabi.
Yas Island Abu Dhabi is an entertainment hub with three world-class theme parks and many other attractions that also hold many fun events you and your friends can join.
The following are some of the events you can look forward to catching on Yas Island:
- Special seasonal events, like the Halloween-themed Spooktober at Warner Bros. World or Bandits Boo at Yas Waterworld, or Diwali events like Chef Vineet Bhatia’s pop-up at Angar in W Abu Dhabi or Chef Raveer Brar’s table at Rangoli in Yas Island Rotana.
- Ladies’ day or night events, like ladies’ night at CLYMB Abu Dhabi or ladies’ day at Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi.
- Yas Movies in the Park, a free community event that lets you watch classic films under the stars at Yas Links Abu Dhabi.
- TrainYAS, a free-to-register fitness event for joggers, runners, and cyclists (even those who simply want to stroll down the racetrack) every Monday and Wednesday at the Yas Marina Circuit.
- Music festivals and jam sessions, like the Jazz by the Bay at Yas Bay Waterfront or the Amplified: Live Nation Music Festival at Yas Links.
- Concerts, stand-up shows, musicals, boxing matches, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) matches, boxing title fights, and many more at Etihad Arena, the Middle East’s largest multi-purpose indoor arena.
2. Ride the world’s fastest rollercoaster.
Visit Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, one of the three world-class theme parks on Yas Island. It is home to the world’s fastest rollercoaster.
The ride is called Formula Rossa, a 16-seater roller coaster train styled like a Formula One Ferrari racer. Its claim to fame is its acceleration of 0 to 240 km/h (149.13 mph) in 4.9 seconds. It climbs up to 52 meters (170.60 ft) high and will let you experience approximately 4.8 g-forces.
For reference, Formula One racers experience 4-6 g-forces when cornering and around 5 g-forces when braking.
3. Skydive in the world’s tallest indoor skydiving chamber.
You and your friends should also visit CLYMB Abu Dhabi, the ultimate adventure hub in the Middle East. It features two activities: indoor skydiving and indoor climbing. You should certainly do both, but if you must pick only one, go indoor skydiving.
CLYMB has a record-breaking indoor flight chamber. It is the tallest indoor flight chamber in the world. With a height of 32 m (102 ft), it is almost 7.5 times the typical flight chamber height of 4.27 m (14 ft).
The CLYMB indoor flight chamber is also the world’s widest, with a width of 9.7 m (32 ft). Unlike typical flight chambers, which generally have four fans, CLYMB’s flight chamber has 16 fans.
4. Visit the world’s largest indoor theme park.
Did you know that Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi is the world’s largest indoor theme park? This fully air-conditioned theme park has 29 rides and attractions spread over six themed lands:
- Bedrock, where you can meet The Flintstones
- Dynamite Gulch, with its iconic Fast and Furry-ous ride that will let you feel what Wile E. Coyote feels chasing Roadrunner
- Cartoon Junction, where you must see Scooby-Doo: The Museum of Mysteries
- Gotham City, where you can get acquainted with Batman and his most famous nemesis, including Riddler in The Riddler Revolution
- Metropolis, where you can meet Superman and the Justice League and enjoy 3D, 4D, and 5D rides
- Warner Bros. Plaza, the central hall, with its ever-blue sky and shop-lined avenues where you can take in the sights, shop, and eat till you’re satisfied
5. Slide down the world’s largest six-person tornado water coaster.
Experience one of the top group activities in Abu Dhabi by heading to Yas Waterworld and riding Dawwama, the world’s largest six-person tornado water slide. You and your friends will sit on a six-person raft and slide down the world’s longest six-person water slide, after which your momentum will fling you down a 20-meter-high tornado funnel.
If you and your friends like to surf, you should also try Bubbles Barrel. This has the largest sheet wave in the world.
6. Eat at Yas Bay.
Naturally, you should do a food tour while on Yas Island. There are two great places to do this on Yas Island: Yas Mall and Yas Bay.
If you want picturesque sunset views, definitely go to Yas Bay. Yas Bay, particularly the Yas Bay Waterfront, has fourteen restaurants, including the Mediterranean restaurant Paradiso by the three-Michelin-star-chef, Pierre Gagnaire.
Enjoy the Best of Abu Dhabi With Your Friends
Abu Dhabi has so much to offer you are unlikely to run out of things to do on your visit, and you don’t even have to go far.
You can stay on Yas Island Abu Dhabi and fill your days with fun group activities you and your friends will surely enjoy.
