Getting from Dubai to Abu Dhabi using the public bus can be a very smooth and hassle-free process based on our most recent visit to the United Arab Emirates.
As you probably already know, Dubai is loaded with both modern and historical attractions and some of the best hotels in the world. After a few days exploring Dubai’s main attractions,we decided to visit Abu Dhabi for a day and a night.
Abu Dhabi, unlike Dubai, is far less flashy and it has a noticeable emphasis on outdoor activities, especially along the city’s waterfront (corniche) area.
If you are visiting Dubai, strongly consider visiting Abi Dhabi as well to get a better understanding of what the U.A.E has to offer. Getting from Dubai to Abu Dhabi is also extremely important for passengers booking flights into Dubai and then out of Abu Dhabi.
This might be a great idea if you don’t want to do a round trip bus trip from Dubai. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, based on our very recent travel experience:
How to Get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi By Bus
1. Depending on where you are staying, proceed from your hotel/resort in Dubai to Al Ghubaiba Bus Station. This, of course, is where you need to go if you want to take the bus from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.
Since Al Ghubaiba Bus station is literally 200 meters away from the Al Ghubaiba Metro Station, it’s a very convenient spot to get the bus from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.
Whether you decide to take a taxi, bus or the metro to Al Ghubaiba Bus Station, once you’re there it’s time to purchase a ticket for your trip from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.
2. Go to the ticket booth, which is conveniently located at Al Ghubaiba Bus Station.
During our trip, I simply approached the ticket booth and asked the representative how much the tickets were and whether we could purchase only one-way tickets or round-trip tickets from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.
Take note: Both single journey and round trip tickets can be purchased at Al Ghubaiba Bus Station.
3. Purchase the ticket. The regular bus ticket from Dubai to Abu Dhabi (or vice versa) costs 25 Dirhams. If you have a NOL Card, you only need to pay about 15 Dirhams for the bus ride.
Note: Most people living in Dubai use a NOL Card, which is a “touch & go” reloadable card that can be used in all RTA (public) buses and water buses. You get charged with cheaper rates if you’re using a NOL Card for public commuting.
4. Get on the bus heading for Abu Dhabi. During our experience, the bus driver monitored each passenger and checked tickets as everyone boarded the bus.
The seats on the buses from Dubai to Abu Dhabi are filled using a first-come-first-served approach. Therefore, if you want a particular seat, try to arrive early and be prompt finding one.
In our case, we really wanted to sit in the front seat so we arrived early. During our trip, buses from Dubai to Abu Dhabi were departing every 20 minutes from Al Ghubaiba Station according to the ticket agent at the bus station in Dubai.
Once we arrived in Abu Dhabi, we got a taxi to drive us from the bus station to our hotel. We stayed at The Sheraton Khalidiya Hotel.
6. Enjoy the trip. The journey from Dubai to Abu Dhabi took us almost exactly 2 hours.
As we departed Dubai we went through moderate traffic. Once out of Dubai, traffic was fine. Abu Dhabi had moderate traffic as we approached the central bus station.
Based on our experience, if the trip from Dubai to Abu Dhabi is traffic-free it should take about 1 hour and 45 minutes. If traffic is heavy, 2.5 hours is probably more realistic.
7. Arrive at Abu Dhabi’s Central Bus Station. You should have no problem finding a taxi right near the station to bring you to your hotel/resort.
During our experience, we got a taxi right away and the driver quickly brought us to our perfectly located hotel near Abu Dhabi’s waterfront area.
If you want to take the bus from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and you follow the steps described above, you should have no problem with this trip. Alternatively, if you are traveling with a larger group or you have the budget, you could opt for a taxi from Dubai to Abu Dhabi instead.
If you’re planning to come back to Dubai, you just need to take a taxi to Abu Dhabi’s Central Bus Station, and catch the same type of bus.
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Use the best travel guides: Lonely Planet
Getting a Taxi from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
During our trip, there were some taxi drivers that were hanging around Al Ghubaiba Bus Station in Dubai. They were offering some pretty good fares, which we think would be subject to what time of day you wanted to go and how many people were planning on going.
Getting a taxi from Dubai to Abu Dhabi is a very convenient option, especially if you get picked up directly from your hotel/resort. Again, the price you pay will depend on how you arrange the taxi – either privately or through the respective property you are staying at. Either way, this is a quicker option than taking a bus from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.
Renting a Car and Driving from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
The road that connects Dubai to Abu Dhabi is very straight and flat. There are no real hills or sharp corners the entire way. Therefore, Abu Dhabi is an easy destination to drive to in your rental car. If you’re driving at a good pace you could get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in 1.5 hours.
Getting from Dubai to Abu Dhabi doesn’t have to be a real stressful connection. Hopefully, our step-by-step guide on how to get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi has been informative enough to help you out. Of course, if you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to comment below or privately email us. We would be more than happy to assist you!
Where did we stay in Abu Dhabi? And Why?
During our visit to Abu Dhabi we decided to stay at the The Sheraton Khalidiya Hotel. Why did we decide to stay there in the first place? The main reason was because we were conveniently located near the waterfront of Abu Dhabi.
We didn’t want to get a taxi every time we wanted to go to the beach swimming or for just a walk. The property was also quite affordable and close enough to the bus station. The taxi ride was cheap to get there.
The one disappointment about this hotel was that the rooms were quite aged (dated). Aged far more than most hotels that we have stayed in throughout our extensive travels. Therefore, if you want a super clean room that is newer.
I would suggest staying somewhere else like at the Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche. By paying more you still have the same great view, but much better rooms and amenities. The best property in this area of the city is the Emirates Palace Hotel, but most tourists simply cannot afford the rooms there. If you can, nicely done!!
How can you find the cheapest room in Abu Dhabi?
While we were travelling throughout the UAE we used two accommodation providers: www.booking.com and Agoda. Both of them had very similar prices during our trip, but www.agoda.com was slightly cheaper because of their rewards program.
If you are looking for better cancellation policies and customer service then Booking.com is probably better for you.
Top Rated Hotels in Dubai Based on Verified Guest Reviews
| Star/Budget Range | Guest Rating: Hotel Provider 1 | Guest Rating: Hotel Provider 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agoda.com (Dubai) | Booking.com (Dubai) | ||
| 5 stars/Luxury | Burj Al Arab Jumeirah – 9.3/10 | Residence & Spa, Dubai at One&Only Royal Mirage – 9.3/10 | |
| 4stars/Comfort | Al Khoory Atrium – 8.9/10 | Vida Downtown Dubai – 8.8/10 | |
| 3 stars/Mid Range | Rove Downtown Dubai – 9.0/10 | Rove City Center – 9.3/10 | |
| 2 star/ Budget | Holiday Inn Express Dubai Airport – 7.9/10 | Holiday Inn Express Dubai Airport – 7.9/10 | |
| 1 star/ Strict Budget | Sima Hotel – 7.0/10 | Florida Hotel – 6.9/10 | |
| Compare all room prices in Dubai using www.agoda.com | Compare all room prices in Dubai using booking.com |
Criteria:
- Properties rated based on ‘overall’ review scores from each respective website’s verified guests.
- Minimum of 50 verified guest reviews required to be considered eligible for comparison.
- All star ratings and verified guest review scores are tallied at the time of writing, and therefore, are subject to change.
Map of Dubai with Accommodation Options