Dubai Metro Guide: Tickets, Routes, Fares and Travel Tips 

Dubai’s skyline looks built for cars, which makes it easy to assume taxis are the only practical option, until you realize the driverless train reaches most places visitors want to go. This guide explains how the Dubai Metro works, from tickets to timings, so you can ride with confidence from your first day. 

Whether you’re comparing fares, finding your station or fitting rides around the things to do in Dubai, the details below keep it simple. You’ll step onto the platform already knowing where you’re headed. 

The Red and Green lines at a glance 

The system has two lines. The Red Line passes Airport Terminals 1 and 3, Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates and DMCC, and continues toward Expo 2020. The Green Line serves older districts such as Deira and Bur Dubai, and the two lines meet at Union and BurJuman. 

Pick up a Dubai Metro map from the RTA S’hail app, or photograph the one in any station. Most Dubai Metro stations for sightseeing are on the Red Line. A Blue Line is planned, with an announced opening date of 2029. If you’re ready to choose dates, a Dubai vacation gives you time for the trains, the beaches and the towers. 

Nol cards, tickets and fares 

Visitors buy Dubai Metro tickets as either a reloadable Nol card or a Red Ticket for occasional rides. A Silver Nol card costs AED 25 and includes AED 19 of credit. Current Dubai Metro fares on a Silver card are AED 3 within one zone, AED 5 across two zones and AED 7.50 across three or more, roughly $0.80 to $2 at the dollar-pegged rate. The Dubai Metro ticket price is higher on a Red Ticket, at AED 4, 6 or 8.50 for the same zones, so a Silver card pays off quickly. 

Zones crossed	Silver card	Red Ticket	Gold Class
1 zone	AED 3.00	AED 4.00	AED 6.00
2 zones	AED 5.00	AED 6.00	AED 10.00
3 or more	AED 7.50	AED 8.50	AED 15.00

Gold Class fares are double the Silver fare, and fares can change, so confirm them with the RTA. 

Hours and the best times to ride 

Posted Dubai Metro timings run from 5 a.m. to midnight Monday to Thursday and on Saturday, until 1 a.m. on Friday, and from 8 a.m. to midnight on Sunday. Last-train times vary by station, so check the S’hail app on late nights. 

Fall is when Dubai’s heat starts to ease, so the city fits neatly into any plan that starts from a shortlist of the best places to visit in fall. The air-conditioned trains help in the warmer months too. 

Reaching the sights by train and beyond 

Beyond the trains, Dubai public transport includes trams, buses and the Palm Jumeirah Monorail. Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station serves Downtown, and Mall of the Emirates station serves the mall and its neighborhood. 

Aquaventure at Atlantis, The Palm sits at the end of the monorail, so the trip usually combines a Red Line ride, a transfer to the monorail (about AED 20 one way in a 2024 guide) and sometimes a taxi. Allow roughly an hour from Dubai Mall. Families planning a day at one of the water parks in Dubai should leave extra time for the transfer. 

Rules, cabins and etiquette 

Tap your card on the gate when you enter and again when you leave. Each train has a Women and Children carriage and a Gold Class cabin, which needs a Gold Nol card or a Gold fare. Eating and drinking on trains is not allowed. 

Making the Metro work for your trip 

Buy a Silver Nol card on day one, tap in and out, and use the Red Line for most sightseeing. If you’re ready to choose dates, a Dubai vacation gives you time for the trains, the beaches and the towers. Travelodeal can help you pick a Dubai hotel within walking distance of a Metro station, so getting around stays easy. 

Frequently asked questions