Sharjah, which was awarded the title “Cultural Capital of the Arab World” by UNESCO in 1998, has a lot of cultural and historical heritage as well as entertainment venues. This time we have listed the best things to do in Sharjah, to complete your bucket list in the UAE.
10 Best Things to Do in Sharjah (2024)
It’s time to explore the charm of the emirate of Sharjah which is full of treasures, cultural heritage, and adventure. Let’s explore together the best things to do in Sharjah.
Visit the Sharjah Art Museum
Sharjah has museums that offer historical and cultural stories from the region. One is the Sharjah Art Museum, located in Al Shuwaiheen, part of the Heart of Sharjah. This huge museum is a must-visit museum if you visit Sharjah. They store many works of art such as paintings and sculptures from famous local and international artists.
Starting from the works of artists Abdulqader Al Rais, Louay Kayali, Bashir Sinwar, Faiq Hassan, Mohammed Yusuf, to the works of the famous Iraqi painter and sculptor, Ismail Fatah Al-Turk, who died in 2004 due to cancer.
They also regularly hold temporary exhibitions featuring the artwork of emerging artists, and their exhibitions are almost always full of art lovers.
When you visit the Sharjah Art Museum, don’t hesitate to ask for help with a guided tour to get deep knowledge and insight into the artwork and the museum itself. Free.
Facilities: Library, Cafe, Toilets
Where: Sharjah Art Museum
Explore the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization
Another best thing to do in Sharjah is to visit the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization. This is the first museum in the United Arab Emirates. Its location is along the Al Majarrah Waterfront, making it a popular tourist location among tourists.
You can enjoy educational, historical, cultural, and Islamic discovery tours through thousands of unique artifacts in this museum, which are relics of Islamic civilization from the first century Hijiriah to the fourteenth century Hijriah. All the artifacts were collected from around the Islamic world, and exhibited according to period in each gallery. In total, there are 7 galleries and exhibition halls that you can explore in this museum.
This magnificent museum also has complete facilities ranging from parking, elevator, library, gift shop to nursery room. Pay attention to operational hours when visiting here. Saturday – Thursday 08:00 – 20:00, Friday: 16:00 – 20:00
Entrance ticket price: AED 10 for adults. Children under 2 years old are free.
Where: Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization (4 km from the city center)
Visit Sharjah Heritage Area
You will see old Sharjah in this place. The Sharjah Heritage Area represents the true essence of the Emirates, with traditional Arabic buildings, old souqs, and old houses. Within this area itself, there are many small museums, each of which will tell a story about Sharjah in the past.
There are various museums in this large area, such as the Al Midfa House, Hisn Fort, and the Sharjah Calligraphy Museum, to the Bait Al Naboodah Museum which was previously the home of a famous pearl merchant in his time.
One place you shouldn’t miss if you come to this area is stopping by Chedi Al Bait. This 5-star hotel is famous for its luxurious and beautiful interior, with spacious and super comfortable rooms, a spa, a swimming pool, and an Arabic restaurant that serves delicious dishes. If you don’t stay here, you can still come for breakfast with friends, because their breakfast dishes are very delicious. Oh, and don’t forget to take photos!
Location: Between Burj Avenue & Al-Maraija Road
Educational and cultural tourism at the Sharjah Heritage Museum
It used to be the house of a pearl dealer in the 18th century. After going through a restoration process, the Sharjah Heritage Museum was opened to the public in 2005. In this place you can explore everything about Emirati culture. After another renovation process, finally, in 2012, the museum reopened in the Heart of Sharjah.
You can see the development of Sharjah over the decades in this museum. The collection of artifacts and the exhibitions they often hold are the main attractions for tourists who want to learn about the customs and lives of Ancient Arab ancestors.
They present a very interesting educational process, with riddles, folklore, and proverbs, thus providing an interesting and entertaining learning experience for all visitors.
Where: Sharjah Heritage Museum (located opposite Al-Asrah market, in the Heart of Sharjah)
See the treasures in the Sharjah Archaeology Museum
The next best place to visit is the Sharjah Archeology Museum. People call this museum an alluring treasure trove because of its very rich collection. They have several galleries sorted by time-period, walking through them will be like stepping into a film about the time.
You will see how ancient people lived in the past, how they adapted to the environment, built houses, made items for daily activities, what they ate, and how they faced death.
This place is ideal for educational tourism with family or friends.
Where: Sharjah Archaeology Museum
Admire the Iconic Architecture of the Al Noor Mosque
Having a very beautiful and iconic architectural design – a multi-story dome and two minarets, the Al Noor Mosque is one of the favorite tourist destinations in Sharjah. The mosque is open to the public and is a family-friendly tourist attraction.
When you arrive at the entrance, you will be offered to wear traditional Emirati clothing. Then the guide will tell you about the history and heritage of the Emirates, and Islamic culture. The mosque’s interior is no less beautiful, decorated with calligraphy of verses from the Al Qur’an.
Al Noor Mosque is also one of the best places in Sharjah to visit at night. When the sun sets, the beauty of the mosque’s majestic architecture is beautifully reflected by the light.
Where: Al Noor Mosque
Visiting Al Noor Butterfly House on Al Noor Island
From Al Noor Mosque you can continue your excursion to Al Noor Island. Walk for about 5 minutes to the bridge, and head to Al Noor Island. Al Noor Island is a very popular place for families, both locals and visitors.
The main attraction on this island is the Butterfly House. You will feel a delicious cold oasis when you visit here. The butterflies here consist of various types and are imported from many countries. Another unique thing lies in the gold roof which is said to have been designed that way to provide the right light for the butterflies.
Besides Butterfly House, Al Noor Island is also famous for its art installations and sculptures. At night the light and sound installations built on this island provide a stunning sensation of imagination. You will feel like you are on a magical island.
When you’ve had enough of wandering around, you can relax at Noor Cafe, or at the Literature Pavilion.
Where: Al Noor Butterfly House
Admire marine life at the Sharjah Aquarium
Touring while learning about marine life at the Sharjah Aquarium is another activity that can be done when visiting Sharjah. It cannot be denied, that aquariums have always been a favorite vacation spot for families and children.
Since opening in 2008, Sharjah Aquarium has housed more than 100 extraordinary marine species. Starting from beautifully patterned seahorses, reef sharks, and sea stingrays, to electric eels.
Not only that, the Sharjah Aquarium also has a turtle rehabilitation program. Sick or injured turtles will be accommodated for rehabilitation until they are ready to be returned to the sea.
The facilities here are also complete. Starting from parking and lifts, then toilets and nursery rooms, to cafes, prayer rooms, and gift shops.
Where: Sharjah Aquarium (7 km from the city center)
Ticket fee: 2- 12 yo AED 15, 13+ AED 25. For seniors (60+) and People with disabilities: FREE
Enjoy the view at Al Majaz Waterfront
One place with many great recreational facilities is Al Majaz Waterfront. Located in the Heart of Sharjah, with an area of up to 231 thousand square feet, Al Majaz Waterfront is a favorite destination for visitors and families of all ages, because in this place visitors can get everything they want.
There are many international restaurants and cafes with delicious dishes, snack stalls, jogging tracks, mosques, several beautiful parks, and even play areas for children. Visitors like this place because they can relax while enjoying the stunning views overlooking Khaled Lagoon.
The main attraction at Al Majaz Waterfront that visitors are eagerly waiting for is the dancing fountain show, which is interesting entertainment for families. Accompanied by lights and music, there are more than 200 water jets that spray water up to 100 meters high!
Where: Al Majaz Waterfront (4 km from the city center)
Shop at Blue Souk Sharjah
The trip isn’t completed without shopping. Blue Souk is the main market in Sharjah, this place is the main destination for tourists to shop for souvenirs and experience what an Arab market is like.
Local residents know this market as Central Souk, then over time it became popular as Blue Souk because of its design which is decorated with blue tiles with unique and complicated patterns. There are more than 600 shops in the Blue Souk, where you can find clothes, carpets, traditional clothing, and even perfume. But the most famous is jewelry, especially gold.
What must you buy if you go to Blue Souk? Carpets if you have enough baggage allowance, perfume, then gold of course. What you buy here, you definitely won’t get anywhere else.
Where: Blue Souk (4 km from the city center)
That’s the top 10 list of things you can do when visiting Sharjah. Starting from exploring and learning history from museums such as the Sharjah Art Museum and Sharjah Heritage Museum, educational tours to the Butterfly House on Al Noor Island, to carpet shopping at the Blue Souk.
Read more: Best Places to Visit in Kalba City
Where can I buy a travel trip to Sharjah from Dubai?
Sharjah is not too far from Dubai, more or less the normal travel time is 40 minutes by car. A one-day trip could be the right travel package for you. You can explore Sharjah, walking around heritage sites and tasting the best coffee shops and cafes in Sharjah.
Contact us directly, so we can prepare all the details of your travel plans. From Sharjah, you might also want to continue to Kalba City!
