Things to do in Al Ain

Nature · Central Al Ain, beside the old town

A working date-palm oasis inside the city, threaded with shaded walking paths and still fed by the aflaj channels that gave Al Ain its name — one of the components of the UNESCO inscription.

Local tip: Go an hour before sunset and walk the whole loop — it is cool under the canopy when the streets are not, and the eco-centre near the Al Jahili end explains how a falaj actually works before you go looking at the channels.

Nature · About 30 minutes south of the city

The 1,240-metre mountain on the Omani border, the highest point in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, reached by a long switchback road, with hot springs and grass-covered slopes at its foot.

Local tip: Drive up for sunset in winter and stay for the view over the border into Oman. Green Mubazzarah at the base is where local families barbecue after dark — busy at weekends, near-empty on a weekday evening.

Landmark · Hili, north of the city near the border

One of the 17 components of the UNESCO inscription: Bronze Age tombs and settlement remains, and the Hili falaj — among the oldest known examples of the aflaj irrigation system.

Local tip: The Hili Grand Tomb is the headline, but the falaj cut is the thing to actually look at: you can see the channel section, and it is the reason the whole property was inscribed. Mornings only in summer.

Landmark · Central district, next to the oasis

A large 19th-century mud-brick fort with a distinctive round tower, restored and now holding a permanent exhibition on the explorer Wilfred Thesiger's crossings of the Empty Quarter.

Local tip: The Thesiger photographs are the best single hour of context you can get on what this region was before oil, and the courtyard is a genuinely pleasant place to sit. Entry has usually been free — check current opening before you go in summer.

Culture · At the foot of Jebel Hafeet

A large zoo and conservation centre on the mountain's lower slopes, best known for its work with Arabian oryx and other desert species.

Local tip: Go at opening or late afternoon; the middle of the day in summer is pointless for both you and the animals. The Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre on the site is air-conditioned and worth an hour on its own.

Food · On the city's outskirts, near Bawadi Mall

One of the last working livestock markets of its kind in the UAE, where camels, goats and sheep are traded loudly and in the open every morning.

Local tip: Go early and go to look, not to buy — traders will quote you a price for a camel with a completely straight face. It is dusty, unpolished and the least curated thing in the country.