Things to do in Ajman
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Ajman
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months, daytime 24 to 30 degrees, peak birds in the reserve, golf and Masfout at their best, December prices peak.
Shoulder months, October cools back to beach weather and April is warm, manageable and the cheapest hotel month.
Increasingly hot, beach mornings and pool afternoons only, and no Masfout after dawn.
Worst months, 40 to 45 degrees and high humidity, the Corniche and reserve versions barely exist.
What's on
- UAE National Day (Eid Al Etihad) 2-3 December
Flags, parades and fireworks across the emirates including Ajman's Corniche, and the busiest domestic weekend.
- Festival Land Winter Season late December into January
Winter Garden and seasonal attractions at Festival Land Ajman at full stretch in the cool season.
- Dubai Shopping Festival typically late December to January
A Dubai festival an hour away that Ajman guests bolt on as a hotel shuttle day trip.
Best things to do in Ajman
Ajman Museum
An 18th century fort holding archaeology, manuscripts and pearl diving displays that explain the whole emirate.
Ajman Corniche
Four kilometres of sand and promenade that fill with local families at sunset, the social centre of Ajman.
Al Zorah Nature Reserve
A Ramsar listed mangrove wetland of lagoons and mudflats where flamingos, herons and kingfishers feed.
Ajman Fish Market
Choose fish from the morning catch, have it cleaned for a few dirhams, then grilled and eaten on the spot.
Ajman Dhow Yard
A working yard where wooden dhows are still built by hand, best visited respectfully on a weekday morning.
Souq Saleh
A palm frond roofed traditional souq of textiles, perfume, spices and dates beside the fort and Gold Souq.
Al Zorah Beach
The quiet northern beach by the reserve and marina, with open sand, shallow water and far fewer people.
UAE Pygmy Zoo
A small hands on animal park at the marina with pygmy goats, ponies and camel rides for young children.
Where to stay in Ajman
Al Zorah
golf, nature and quiet luxury
Around the reserve, golf club and marina, you wake to mangroves and birdsong and drive fifteen minutes to town.
Corniche
first visits, families and beach holidays
Every major beach hotel lines one road, with the sunset walk outside and the heritage core minutes by taxi.
Al Jurf and City Centre
business, stopovers and budget with a car
Newer business rooms near City Centre Ajman mall at lower rates, a drive or shuttle from the beach.
Think twice about
- Ajman Industrial and China Mall fringe
Truck served warehouse zones with no beach, no evening life and poor pavements. Fine for trade, bleak for a holiday.
- Far inland residential sprawl beyond Al Nuaimiya
No visitor infrastructure at all, so every coffee needs a taxi. Cheap listings here are cheap for a reason.
Best restaurants in Ajman
Bukhara
The Corniche's destination North Indian restaurant, tandoor grills and old school service at the Ajman Hotel.
Vinesse
Quiet fine dining at Al Zorah looking over the pool to the sea, Ajman's anniversary dinner room.
Aquario
The Oberoi's formal seafood restaurant, the one splurge seafood table in Ajman for a special night.
Seascape Restaurant
Ajman's favourite seafood table, grilled lobster and seafood soup at prices well below the quality.
Themar Al Bahar Restaurant
Choose fish, lobster and squid from the fresh display and have it cooked to order, market style civilised.
Sultan Saray
A big Turkish barbecue house of lamb platters and metre long kebabs for groups, with tea on the house.
Filini Bar & Restaurant
Proper Italian food and a licensed bar inside the Radisson Blu, the best table in inland Ajman.
Dragon's Place
The established hotel Chinese restaurant in a city where the Chinese scene is only a handful of listings.
Best bars in Ajman
Zanzi Bar
A beachside bar grill at the Ajman Hotel with gardens and sand, the default Ajman sundowner.
Mazaj Bar & Shisha Lounge
A bar and shisha lounge at the Radisson Blu, the natural evening base for inland Ajman.
McGettigan's Ajman
The Irish pub formula in Ajman, sports screens, pub grub and live music for a match night.
Outdoor things to do in Ajman
Al Zorah Golf Club
A Nicklaus Design championship course threaded through tidal mangroves, where the tide changes the round.
Quest for Adventure
A guided kayak tour through calm mangrove channels, with herons near certain and flamingos the prize.
Masfout
Ajman's mountain enclave of wadis, a small castle and bike trails, cooler than the coast and ninety minutes inland.
Aqua Bounce Ajman
A floating inflatable obstacle course in the sea off the Fairmont beach, slides, walls and trampolines.
Hatta Dam
A turquoise reservoir between Hajar ridges for kayaks and paddle boats, ten minutes from Masfout.
Ajman Corniche
Jet ski, parasailing and paddle hire along the Corniche, best booked through a beach hotel desk.
Best hotels in Ajman
The Oberoi Beach Resort, Al Zorah
Minimalist rooms and villas on a private beach beside the reserve, with hushed service and a serious spa.
Fairmont Ajman
The Corniche's most complete resort, a long beach, big pool, many restaurants and a free Dubai Mall shuttle.
Ajman Saray, a Luxury Collection Resort, Ajman
A palatial Luxury Collection resort on the best kept Corniche sand, formal, calm and Bonvoy earning.
Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel
A palace styled five star with its own beach and generous buffets, at mid range Corniche money.
Wyndham Garden Ajman Corniche
Large spotless sea view rooms and a valued spa across from its beach section, and a dry hotel with no bar.
Radisson Blu Hotel, Ajman
The smart inland business hotel behind City Centre Ajman, with a good pool and the Filini restaurant.
Ramada by Wyndham Beach Hotel Ajman
The budget way onto the Corniche beach, big sea view rooms and a private beach section, and no alcohol served.
Ramada Hotel & Suites by Wyndham Ajman
Very large city centre suites at cheap rates, a long stay favourite with a beach shuttle habit.
Is Ajman expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | AED 180 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | AED 450 a person |
| Splurge | AED 1,100 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Ajman Stud: a few days ahead
- Al Zorah Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Quest for Adventure: a few days ahead
- Bukhara: a few days ahead
- Vinesse: a few days ahead
- Aquario: a few days ahead
- Seascape Restaurant: a few days ahead
- The Oberoi Beach Resort, Al Zorah: weeks ahead
- Book Al Zorah golf tee times days ahead in winter and weeks ahead for winter weekends.
- Book Quest for Adventure kayak tours ahead, they are small group and tide dependent.
- Book the Oberoi and Ajman Saray weeks ahead in winter, and Bukhara for weekend nights.
- Ask your concierge on arrival day about an Ajman Stud visit, it is by arrangement only.
Is Ajman safe?
- Drink only in licensed venues or in private, never on the public beach or in a car, and do not carry Ajman bought alcohol through dry Sharjah.
- Some good Ajman hotels are dry, including Wyndham Garden and Ramada Beach, so check the bar position when you book.
- Swimwear belongs on the beach and at hotel pools, dress modestly in the heritage core, souqs and mosques.
- Summer heat is the main hazard, midday can reach 40 to 45 degrees with coastal humidity from June to September.
Ajman travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Basing inland to save a little a night, then spending it on taxis and losing the beach.
- Using Ajman as a cheap Dubai dormitory, the Sharjah corridor run is 90 to 120 minutes at rush hour.
- Paying for a guided dhow yard tour, it is a workplace you can visit respectfully for free.
- Going to Ajman China Mall as a visitor attraction, it is a residents wholesale mall in the industrial area.
- Confusing Ajman's Sheikh Zayed Mosque with Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque in taxi requests.
Getting around Ajman: public transport and more
- Taxis are the system in Ajman, plentiful, metered and cheap, for the Corniche, heritage core, Al Zorah and Al Jurf.
- Dubai Airport is about 25 to 40 minutes in light traffic and easily double at rush hour, Sharjah Airport about 20 minutes.
- Use free hotel shuttles to Dubai Mall for a Dubai day instead of return taxis through Sharjah corridor traffic.
- A hire car only pays off for Masfout and Hatta or for basing inland, walking works on the Corniche and in the heritage core.
Who Ajman suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Ajman your trip
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