Summer Outdoor Activities Abu Dhabi: Hiking & Kayaking

Daytime highs hit 44 degrees Celsius on July 10, pushing more residents toward early-morning hikes and paddle routes within a 90-minute drive of the city centre.

The spike in bookings follows the opening of new marked paths at two reserves last month and coincides with the annual summer tourism push that runs through September. Local operators report a 28 percent rise in day-trip reservations compared with the same period last year, according to Visit Abu Dhabi figures released this week.

Groups now gather at 5:30 a.m. at the entrance to Mangrove National Park along the Eastern Mangroves promenade for guided kayak circuits that finish before 8 a.m. Further inland, the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve on the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain road offers 3-kilometre boardwalks where birders can spot flamingos before the heat builds. Both sites fall under the management of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, which added shaded rest stations and water refill points in June.

Trail updates and entry costs

Entrance to Mangrove National Park costs 25 dirhams per adult on weekdays and includes kayak rental for two hours. Al Wathba charges 20 dirhams and opens daily at 6 a.m. through the summer. A new 4-kilometre loop at Jebel Hafeet near Al Ain, opened on 1 July, requires advance registration through the Visit Abu Dhabi app and limits groups to 40 people per slot to protect the mountain terrain.

Operators at both coastal and desert sites now require participants to carry at least 1.5 litres of water and to start no later than 6:30 a.m. The agency issued heat advisories on 8 July that remain in force until further notice.

Booking ahead

Slots for the coming weekend at Mangrove National Park are already 70 percent full. Residents can reserve through the Visit Abu Dhabi app or at the park gate before 5 a.m. Those heading to Jebel Hafeet should allow two hours for the drive from downtown and should carry a printed confirmation from the app to pass the checkpoint at the base of the mountain.