Dubai International Airport (DXB) is only 5 km from the city center — one of the most centrally located major airports in the world. The metro runs directly into Terminals 1 and 3, taxis use a fixed tariff, and 15-25 min gets you Downtown. Prices are low, options are clear.
🚇 Ways into the center
- Metro Red Line → Downtown / Burj Khalifa: 15-25 min, ~$2 (8 AED)
- RTA Taxi (silver) → Downtown: 15-25 min, ~$11-22
- Careem / Uber: 15-25 min, ~$15-26
- RTA Bus C1, C26 → Deira / Bur Dubai: 30-45 min, ~$0.80
- Limousine (premium): ~$65-110
🚆 Metro Red Line — cheapest and quick
Red Line stations are accessible directly from Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 via the skybridge or the inter-terminal bus.
Buy a Nol Card — Silver Nol is about $2.70 (10 AED) including initial credit. A Downtown Dubai ticket is 5 zones, ~$2. The Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall station drops you at the foot of Burj Khalifa.
Metro runs from 05:00, from 08:00 on Sundays. Friday and Saturday service runs until 01:00.
🚌 RTA Bus — budget option
RTA buses leave from Terminals 1 and 3 toward Deira and Bur Dubai.
- C1: T1 → Al Ghubaiba (Bur Dubai), ~45 min, ~$0.80
- C26: T3 → Mall of the Emirates, ~50 min, ~$0.80
- 401, 402: T1 → Rashidiya Metro / Sabkha
- Payment: Nol Card only; no cash accepted
🚖 RTA Taxi — fixed-tariff metered
RTA Taxis are the only official taxis — silver bonnet, white body. The meter is fixed in advance: ~$2.70 starting fare, ~$11-22 to the center.
Lady Taxi (pink bonnet) is available for female passengers.
T1 arrivals taxi queue is next to Hala Taxi — follow the signs. DXB drivers strongly prefer card payments — agree on payment method upfront.
📱 Careem and Uber
Careem (a UAE-rooted Uber subsidiary) is more popular regionally. Fare ~$15-26 to the center. Uber UAE is also active with similar pricing.
Pickup zone: T1 arrivals, just outside Smart Gates, Pier 1 or Pier 2.
Careem / Uber in DXB only operate as Limousine class (per RTA rules) — usually pricier than RTA Taxi. The standard RTA Taxi is the cheaper pick.
💡 Tips
- Get a Nol Card — one card covers all Dubai transit
- In summer (June-September) the metro is air-conditioned, taxis too — 45°C waiting outside is not pleasant
- Google Maps generally works better than airport signage
- Activate a travel eSIM right after landing — DXB's free Wi-Fi is capped at 60 min
Full Dubai trip guide on Travel365's Tbilisi → Dubai article.
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