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Dubai airporttoDubai city center

To Downtown Dubai · One way · All prices are totals for 1 adult · All service hours

2 transfer options

Not all night: the Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall runs 05:07–22:58.

Recommended

The cheapest way in. The Welcome Pickups transfer to Dubai is 4 minutes quicker for AED 98 more, which is not worth it at this party size.

Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall

Red Line · Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)

24–26 min rideEvery 4 min05:07–22:58

Airport Terminal 1 or Airport Terminal 3 metro stationBurj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station

AED 5total for 1 adultAED 5 eachBuy ticketOn Roads and Transport Authority

Pickup, hours & luggage

Boards at. Airport Terminal 1 or Airport Terminal 3 metro station, signposted from arrivals

AED 5 on a nol Silver card or AED 6 on a Red Ticket to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall or BurJuman, two fare zones; AED 3 or AED 4 to Union and the rest of Deira, one zone. The Silver card costs AED 25 with AED 19 of credit; the Red Ticket AED 2.

Luggage. Two suitcases a person: one up to 81 x 58 x 30 cm and one up to 55 x 38 x 20 cm, stowed in the luggage area of the carriage.

Hours. From Terminal 1, Monday to Thursday and Saturday 05:07 to 22:58; Friday 05:07 to 23:58; Sunday 08:05 to 22:57. Terminal 3 is two minutes earlier. A train every 2 to 4 minutes.

Price for every party size · Fare source

Pre-booked

Welcome Pickups transfer to Dubai

Driver meets you in arrivals

20 min rideTraffic dependentRuns all night

Driver meets you in the arrivals hall of Terminal 1Any address in Dubai

Non-stop24-hour servicePer vehiclePre-book

€25total for 1 adult€25 each · about AED 103 in allBook transferPartner link · through Welcome Pickups

Pickup, hours & luggage

Boards at. Driver meets you in the arrivals hall of Terminal 1, 2 or 3 with a name board

Charged in euros: €25 for the sedan, €37 for the minivan. Converted at the Central Bank of the UAE's exchange rate of 22 October 2026 only to compare it with the local fares; your card's rate will differ a little.

Price for every party size · Fare source (partner link)

Prices are whole-party totals; group fares are included. Ride times are recorded journey durations — no waiting or onward travel has been added — and road times vary with traffic. Confirm prices and availability with the operator. Going the other way? Dubai to Dubai International Airport: where each one boards and when the first one runs

How do I get from Dubai airport to Dubai city center?

For one traveler we recommend the Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall at AED 5, 24–26 min, which is also the cheapest way in; the fastest is the Welcome Pickups transfer to Dubai at €25, 20 min. Every option below is priced as a total for your party and says where it leaves you.

A few things for the rest of your trip

Partner offers

Not transport options · Affiliate links

Car hire at Dubai airportDiscover Cars

Hire a car for Hatta, the east coast at Fujairah or Al Ain, at your own hours. You are staying near the Red Line: the metro reaches Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall in 24 minutes for AED 5 on a nol card, and bus C01 runs to Deira all night. Discover Cars shows the full price before you book.

Compare car hire

Data in United Arab EmiratesAiralo

An eSIM for United Arab Emirates, installed before you fly, works in the arrivals hall: tickets, maps, the driver's messages.

Choose an eSIM

Bags in DubaiBounce

Bounce keeps bags in shops and hotels around Dubai: 36 places by its own count, booked by the day for the hours before check-in.

Find a bag drop

A late flight?AirHelp

A flight three or more hours late, or cancelled at short notice, can be owed up to €600 a passenger under EU and UK rules, depending on the flight. AirHelp charges only if the claim succeeds.

Check your flight

These links pay us a commission. They never change which transfer we rank first.

Arriving late?

Not everything runs around the clock: the Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall runs 05:07–22:58. Outside those hours, the Welcome Pickups transfer to Dubai is what remains. Set the hour you leave arrivals and the board keeps only what is running.

Luggage

Two suitcases a person: one up to 81 x 58 x 30 cm and one up to 55 x 38 x 20 cm, stowed in the luggage area of the carriage.

Going somewhere specific?

"The center" is not one place, and the answer changes

Prefer one way in?

Every Dubai option of one kind, against the rest

Straight comparisons

Two at a time, with the size where the answer flips

On arrival at Dubai Airport

From the arrivals hall to each way in

Finding the station

The Red Line metro has stations at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, with ticket offices and machines selling nol cards and Red Tickets. Follow the metro signs from arrivals; Terminal 2 has no station.

Which terminal

Terminal 2 has no metro station. Its city buses leave from the stands at arrivals, and RTA's metro map links it by bus to the Green Line at Abu Hail and Stadium.

Finding the stop

City buses leave from dedicated stands at arrivals in Terminals 1, 2 and 3. Bus C01, which runs round the clock to Union in Deira, boards at Terminal 3.

Tickets

No cash on the metro or buses: tap a nol card at the gate in and out. A nol Silver card costs AED 25 including AED 19 of credit; a paper Red Ticket costs AED 2 and each ride on it costs AED 1 more. Children aged 5 and under ride free.

The taxi rank

Dubai Taxi's airport taxis wait in front of the exit doors at every terminal, around the clock. The meter starts at AED 20 (AED 25 for a van) and adds AED 2.62 a kilometre, plus Salik road tolls and 50 fils a minute waiting.

Uber and Bolt

Uber, Careem and Bolt pick up at the airport: book in the app, then follow the signs in the terminal to the pickup point.

Before you travel

Where each one starts, how long it runs, what it carries

Red Line · Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall

From: Airport Terminal 1 or Airport Terminal 3 metro station, signposted from arrivals
To: Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station, the stop for Downtown Dubai
Luggage: Two suitcases a person: one up to 81 x 58 x 30 cm and one up to 55 x 38 x 20 cm, stowed in the luggage area of the carriage.
Runs: 05:07–22:58
Journey: 24–26 min

Take a train towards Expo 2020 or Life Pharmacy: both reach Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall. Trains towards Centrepoint go the other way.

Gold Class carriages charge double the fare; the other carriages include ones for women and children only.

From Terminal 1, Monday to Thursday and Saturday 05:07 to 22:58; Friday 05:07 to 23:58; Sunday 08:05 to 22:57. Terminal 3 is two minutes earlier. A train every 2 to 4 minutes.

Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall: what it costs for one to eight travelers

See RTA's nol fares

C01 · Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)Bus C01 to Union, Deira

From: The Terminal 3 bus stop at arrivals
To: Union metro bus stop in Deira; the bus runs on through the Gold Souq bus station and Bur Dubai to Satwa
Runs: All night
Journey: 16–30 min

AED 3 on a nol Silver card or AED 4 on a Red Ticket, within one fare zone. No cash on board.

It boards at Terminal 3 only. At night it comes every 20 to 35 minutes, with gaps of up to an hour between 03:00 and 05:00.

Have a nol card or Red Ticket before you board: the metro station ticket offices at Terminals 1 and 3 sell them.

Bus C01 to Union, Deira: what it costs for one to eight travelers

See RTA's nol fares

transfer · Welcome PickupsWelcome Pickups transfer to Dubai

From: Driver meets you in the arrivals hall of Terminal 1, 2 or 3 with a name board
To: Any address in Dubai
Runs: All night
Journey: 20 min

The price is fixed and paid when you book. Welcome charges more at night, about €35 for the sedan, at hours it does not publish.

Welcome Pickups transfer to Dubai: what it costs for one to eight travelers

Book transfer through Welcome Pickups

Partner link

Questions about getting into Dubai

What is the best way from Dubai airport to Dubai city center?

For one traveler, the Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall at AED 5, 24–26 min. The cheapest way in. The Welcome Pickups transfer to Dubai is 4 minutes quicker for AED 98 more, which is not worth it at this party size. The same holds for a group of up to eight. How we weigh price against time is set out on the fares page, in numbers.

What is the cheapest way from Dubai airport to Dubai city center?

For one traveler, the Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall at AED 5. Per-person fares multiply with the size of your party and per-vehicle fares do not, so check the total for your group rather than the single fare.

How do I get from Dubai airport to Dubai city center by metro?

One metro reaches Downtown Dubai: the Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall, AED 5 for one traveler, 24–26 min, to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station. For one traveler that is the cheapest way into Dubai by any means. The fastest way overall is the Welcome Pickups transfer to Dubai, 20 min. See every option by metro

How do I get from Dubai airport to Dubai city center by taxi?

One taxi reaches Downtown Dubai: the Welcome Pickups transfer to Dubai, €25 for one traveler, 20 min, to any address in Dubai. It is not the cheapest way in: the Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall at AED 5 is. See every option by taxi

How long does it take to get from Dubai airport to Dubai city center?

Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall: 24–26 min. Welcome Pickups transfer to Dubai: 20 min

How far is Dubai airport from the city center?

Dubai Airport does not publish a distance to the city. By time: the fastest way in, the Welcome Pickups transfer to Dubai, takes 20 min; the cheapest, the Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall, 24–26 min.

Where is the train station at Dubai airport?

The Red Line metro has stations at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, with ticket offices and machines selling nol cards and Red Tickets. Follow the metro signs from arrivals; Terminal 2 has no station.

Is there Uber or Bolt at Dubai airport?

Uber, Careem and Bolt pick up at the airport: book in the app, then follow the signs in the terminal to the pickup point.

Where do I catch the Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall at Dubai airport?

Airport Terminal 1 or Airport Terminal 3 metro station, signposted from arrivals. Follow the signs from arrivals. It leaves you at Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station, the stop for Downtown Dubai.

Is there a train from Dubai airport to Dubai at night?

The Red Line metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall runs 05:07–22:58. Outside those hours the Welcome Pickups transfer to Dubai is what remains; it is €25 for the vehicle. From Terminal 1, Monday to Thursday and Saturday 05:07 to 22:58; Friday 05:07 to 23:58; Sunday 08:05 to 22:57. Terminal 3 is two minutes earlier. A train every 2 to 4 minutes.

Does the Bus C01 to Union, Deira go to Downtown Dubai and the Burj Khalifa?

It ends at Union in Deira, the old town, and does not go to Downtown Dubai.

Worth knowing

Dubai has no single centre. The old town is Deira and Bur Dubai, either side of Dubai Creek, 9 to 14 minutes by metro; Downtown Dubai and the Burj Khalifa are 24 minutes out on the same Red Line.

No cash is taken on the metro or the buses. A nol Silver card costs AED 25 with AED 19 to spend; a paper Red Ticket costs AED 2 and charges AED 1 more a ride.

The metro does not run through the night. The last train towards the city leaves Terminal 1 at 22:58 (23:58 on Fridays), and on Sundays the first is not until 08:05.

Airport taxis run on the meter at any hour: AED 20 to start (AED 25 for a van), then AED 2.62 a kilometre, plus Salik road tolls. No fixed fare to the centre is published.

Some flights land at Al Maktoum International (DWC) in Dubai South instead, and nothing on this page applies there. From DWC, RTA buses and taxis link to the Ibn Battuta and Expo 2020 metro stations.