From Abu Dhabi to Dubai is about 140 km up the E11 and 1.5-2 hours by road. The cheapest way is the intercity bus from Abu Dhabi Central (Al Wahda): the E101 to Ibn Battuta for Dubai Marina, JBR and the Palm, or the E100 to Al Ghubaiba for Old Dubai and Downtown — about AED 25 with a Nol card and about 2 hours. A taxi is door to door in about 1.5 hours for AED 250-350. Our tours collect guests in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, not Abu Dhabi, so this guide builds a Dubai day around the 1-hour shared yacht tour, which needs no pickup.
By SB Excursions · Published 15 September 2026 · Updated 21 October 2026
Tour on this route: Abu Dhabi City Tour from Dubai — From $45 per person, 9 hours.
How do I get from Abu Dhabi to Dubai?
By road: about 140 km on the E11 and 1.5-2 hours. The RTA buses from Abu Dhabi Central (Al Wahda) cost about AED 25 with a Nol card and take about 2 hours — the E101 to Ibn Battuta for the Marina side, the E100 to Al Ghubaiba for Old Dubai and Downtown. A taxi is door to door in about 1.5 hours for around AED 250-350.
This guide also answers:
- Which bus goes from Abu Dhabi to Dubai?
- How much is a taxi from Abu Dhabi to Dubai?
- Can I do a day trip to Dubai from Abu Dhabi?
The ways from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, ranked
#1
Bus E101 or E100
About AED 25 with a Nol card, roughly every 20-30 minutes and about 2 hours on the E11. The choice of bus is the choice of Dubai: the E101 drops you at Ibn Battuta on the Red Line, a short metro ride from Dubai Marina and the yacht pier; the E100 ends at Al Ghubaiba by the Creek, where Old Dubai starts on foot and the Green Line runs to Downtown.
#2
Taxi or Careem
Expect a fare in the same range as the Dubai-to-Abu-Dhabi ride, about AED 250-350, and about 1.5 hours outside rush hour. It is the sensible choice when you are 3 or 4 people, when you are moving hotels with suitcases, and after 1 AM when the yacht party finishes and nothing else is running. Cards are accepted and the apps quote the price up front.
#3
Rental car up the E11
One motorway the whole way: the E11 leaves Abu Dhabi and arrives in Dubai as Sheikh Zayed Road, the spine of the city. Simple driving, but time it — the 7-9:30 AM rush into Dubai and the 5-8 PM rush out of it can add a long slow stretch at the Dubai end, and Downtown and Marina parking on a Friday or Saturday evening is its own project.
#4
Metro once you arrive
Both bus terminals sit on a metro line, so the last leg costs a few dirhams on the same Nol card. From Ibn Battuta the Red Line runs to DMCC and Sobha Realty for the Marina, then on to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall; from Al Ghubaiba the Green Line reaches Al Fahidi for the old quarter, Al Ras for the Gold Souk and BurJuman to change for Downtown.
#5
Our Dubai cruises from the pier
The one part of a Dubai day that needs no hotel address: the shared yacht hour leaves hourly from the marina pier behind Al Majara Tower, a taxi or metro ride from DMCC station, with check-in 20 minutes before departure. Book it before you leave Abu Dhabi — the slots sell out and full prepayment secures the seat — and build the afternoon around it.
Abu Dhabi to Dubai: the short answer
Cheapest: the intercity bus from Abu Dhabi Central, about AED 25 with a Nol card and about 2 hours. Fastest door to door: a taxi, about 1.5 hours for around AED 250-350. Best for a day trip: the bus up in the morning, the metro around the city, and a taxi back if you stay out late — that combination costs a fraction of 2 taxi rides and loses very little time.
One thing to know before you plan: our tours pick up from hotels in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, not in Abu Dhabi. That does not rule them out. The 1-hour shared yacht tour and the 21+ yacht party meet at the pier in Dubai Marina, so they fit a day trip from the capital perfectly; the desert safari and the balloon work best with a night in a Dubai hotel. The sections below cover the bus step by step, the taxi, a day-trip plan that ends on the water, and how to combine an Abu Dhabi base with our Dubai days.
The options compared
The road is the same in both directions — about 140 km of the E11, which becomes Sheikh Zayed Road as it enters Dubai — so the differences are cost, comfort and how much of Dubai you can reach without another ride.
| Option | Time | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus E101 to Ibn Battuta | About 2 h, plus the metro onward | About AED 25 with a Nol card | For the Marina, JBR, the Palm and the yacht pier; Red Line at the station |
| Bus E100 to Al Ghubaiba | About 2 h, plus a walk or the Green Line | About AED 25 with a Nol card | For Old Dubai, the souks and Downtown via BurJuman |
| Taxi or Careem | About 1.5 h door to door | About AED 250-350 one way | Metered or quoted in the app; cards accepted; the only option after the last bus |
| Rental car | 1.5-2 h | Rental, fuel and parking | Avoid arriving in Dubai between 7 and 9:30 AM and leaving between 5 and 8 PM |
Bus and taxi figures are approximate — check the RTA app or your ride app for the current fare and the last departure.
By bus: Abu Dhabi Central to Ibn Battuta or Al Ghubaiba, step by step
The two RTA intercity routes that bring Dubai residents to the capital run the other way all day. Both leave from Abu Dhabi Central bus station in Al Wahda, roughly every 20-30 minutes, and take about 2 hours. The fare is about AED 25 and is paid with a Nol card, Dubai's transport card, which also covers the metro and tram once you arrive.
- 1. Decide which Dubai you want first. The E101 ends at Ibn Battuta on the Red Line, at the Jebel Ali end of the city — right for Dubai Marina, JBR, the Palm and the yacht pier behind Al Majara Tower. The E100 ends at Al Ghubaiba in Bur Dubai, on the Green Line beside the abra stations — right for Al Fahidi, the Textile Souk, the Creek crossing and, via BurJuman, Downtown.
- 2. Sort out the Nol card. A Silver card costs about AED 25 with AED 19 of credit, so it needs a top-up before the first intercity ride. If you are starting in Abu Dhabi without one, check the RTA app for where the card is sold and topped up at the Abu Dhabi end before you rely on it.
- 3. Leave early. A 7 AM departure has you in Dubai by about 9 AM with the whole day ahead; the last stretch of Sheikh Zayed Road is slowest between 7 and 9:30 AM, so an earlier bus arrives before the worst of it.
- 4. Continue by metro. From Ibn Battuta, the Red Line reaches DMCC — the Marina/JLT stop, closest to the yacht pier — and continues to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall. From Al Ghubaiba, the Green Line runs to Al Fahidi for the old quarter, Al Ras for the Gold Souk and BurJuman, where you change to the Red Line for Downtown. Fares are about AED 3-7.5 by zone.
- 5. Going back, the same routes return from the same stations. Check the last departure in the RTA app in the afternoon, not at 10 PM on the pier; if you miss it, the taxi below is the answer.
Our Dubai Metro guide for tourists has the station-by-station detail, the Gold Class option and the etiquette of the women-and-children carriage.
By taxi or Careem: about AED 250-350
From Dubai to Abu Dhabi a metered taxi costs about AED 250-350 and takes about 1.5 hours; going the other way, expect a fare in the same range and check it in the Careem or Uber app, which quotes the price before you get in. Taxis take cards, and rounding up is the only tip anyone expects.
A taxi earns its price in three situations. You are 3 or 4 people, so the fare per head drops to the price of a couple of bus tickets and a coffee. You are moving base from an Abu Dhabi hotel to a Dubai one with suitcases, which no bus or tour vehicle welcomes. Or it is 1 AM at the marina pier behind Al Majara Tower, the yacht party has just docked and the buses stopped hours ago — at that hour the taxi is not the luxury option, it is the only one.
For fares, surcharges, ladies' taxis and which app to use, see the Dubai taxi and Careem guide.
The reverse day trip: Dubai in one day from Abu Dhabi
The plan that works is the E100 up in the morning for Old Dubai and Downtown, the metro across to the Marina in the afternoon, and the day ending on the water at sunset. It puts the walking in the cooler hours, the air-conditioned mall in the heat of the day, and the skyline at its best light.
| Time | Where | How and cost |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | E100 from Abu Dhabi Central | About AED 25 with a Nol card, about 2 hours |
| 9:00 AM | Al Fahidi, the Textile Souk, the abra across the Creek to the Gold and Spice souks | On foot from Al Ghubaiba; the abra is AED 1-2 |
| 11:30 AM | Downtown: Dubai Mall, Burj Park for the free classic view, the Aquarium tunnel | Green Line to BurJuman, Red Line to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall, 10-15 min on the Metro Link bridge |
| 3:00 PM | Dubai Marina: Marina Walk, JBR beach | Red Line to DMCC, about AED 5-7.5; tram or a short taxi to the waterfront |
| Sunset | The 1-hour shared yacht tour | From $32, check-in 20 minutes before at Level P, Al Majara Tower |
| Evening | Dinner on Marina Walk or JBR, then home | E101 from Ibn Battuta if the timetable allows, or a taxi at about AED 250-350 |
Sunset is about 5:30 PM in December and about 7:10 PM in June — book the yacht slot that matches your month.
The shared yacht tour is the piece to book before you leave Abu Dhabi: the hourly departures sell out, full prepayment secures the seat and the yacht leaves strictly on time, so plan to be at the pier 20 minutes early with a passport or Emirates ID for each guest. Check-in is at Level P, Al Majara Tower in Dubai Marina, reachable by taxi or from DMCC station; the route through the Marina canal, along JBR and out to the photo stop in front of Ain Dubai takes exactly the hour. Our guide to getting to the yacht pier covers the last few hundred metres.
If you would rather see Burj Khalifa at night, flip the plan: Marina and the yacht in the afternoon, then the Red Line back to Downtown for the Dubai Fountain, which plays free shows every 30 minutes from about 6 PM, and a taxi home from there.
Staying in Abu Dhabi and touring Dubai with us
Because our pickups run in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, an Abu Dhabi base changes which of our days fit and how. Two need no pickup at all: the shared yacht hour and the yacht party both meet at the marina pier behind Al Majara Tower in Dubai Marina. The party boards at 8:30 PM, sails at 9:00 PM sharp with a live DJ and a live BBQ, and returns around 1:00 AM — the night you either take a taxi back to Abu Dhabi or, more sensibly, book one night in a Marina hotel.
The full-day desert safari collects guests from a hotel or apartment in Dubai and drops them back there after the camp, 7 hours later. Coming up for the day from Abu Dhabi, tell us on WhatsApp where you will be in the city and we agree a pickup point; the comfortable version is a Dubai night either side, since the 4x4 returns late in the evening. The sunrise balloon picks up pre-dawn anywhere in Dubai city and is the clearest case for a Dubai hotel night — and it sells out 1-2 weeks ahead, so book it first.
A group of friends or a family coming up together can also skip the shared boats and take a private yacht from the same marina — 30 boats from AED 400 per hour with captain, crew, fuel, water and ice included, confirmed with the marina on WhatsApp before any payment. If you are still deciding which city to sleep in, Dubai vs Abu Dhabi as a base weighs the two cities honestly.
Going the other way: Abu Dhabi from a Dubai base
If your trip is the other way round — a Dubai hotel and one day in the capital — the calculation changes completely, because the pickup problem disappears. Our Abu Dhabi city tour collects you at 8:00 AM from Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman and covers the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque with registration assistance, the BAPS Hindu Mandir, the Corniche and Emirates Palace, Heritage Village, a Ferrari World photo stop and the Dates Market in 9 hours, for $45 per person with no prepayment; a private car for up to 7 people is $245.
The bus and taxi options in that direction are in Dubai to Abu Dhabi, and the honest comparison of the tour against doing the capital on your own is in Abu Dhabi day trip: tour vs on your own.
FAQ
How do I get from Abu Dhabi to Dubai?
By road: about 140 km on the E11 and 1.5-2 hours. The RTA buses from Abu Dhabi Central (Al Wahda) cost about AED 25 with a Nol card and take about 2 hours — the E101 to Ibn Battuta for the Marina side, the E100 to Al Ghubaiba for Old Dubai and Downtown. A taxi is door to door in about 1.5 hours for around AED 250-350.
Which bus goes from Abu Dhabi to Dubai?
Two RTA routes from Abu Dhabi Central bus station in Al Wahda: the E101 to Ibn Battuta (Red Line, the Marina and Jebel Ali side) and the E100 to Al Ghubaiba (Bur Dubai, Green Line, by the Creek). Both run roughly every 20-30 minutes, take about 2 hours and cost about AED 25 with a Nol card. Check the current timetable and the last departure in the RTA app.
How much is a taxi from Abu Dhabi to Dubai?
Expect about AED 250-350 one way and about 1.5 hours, the same range as the ride in the other direction; Careem and Uber quote the exact fare in the app before you book. It is worth it for 3 or 4 people, for a move with luggage, and after the yacht party ends at 1 AM, when no bus is running.
Can I do a day trip to Dubai from Abu Dhabi?
Yes. Take the E100 at about 7 AM to be in Old Dubai by 9 AM, walk Al Fahidi and the souks with an abra across the Creek, ride the metro to Downtown for Dubai Mall and Burj Park, then the Red Line to DMCC for the Marina and the 1-hour shared yacht tour at sunset from $32. Go back on the E101 from Ibn Battuta or by taxi.
Do your tours pick up in Abu Dhabi?
No — hotel pickup runs in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman. From an Abu Dhabi base the shared yacht hour and the 21+ yacht party fit best, because both meet at the marina pier behind Al Majara Tower in Dubai Marina with no pickup needed. For the desert safari or the sunrise balloon, plan a night in a Dubai hotel or message us on WhatsApp about a pickup point in the city.
What is the best way to get from Abu Dhabi to Dubai Marina?
The E101 bus from Abu Dhabi Central to Ibn Battuta, then the Red Line a few stops to DMCC or Sobha Realty, the two Marina stations — about 2 hours plus the short metro ride, for about AED 25 plus a AED 3-7.5 metro fare. The yacht pier behind Al Majara Tower is a short taxi or tram ride from DMCC. A taxi the whole way is about 1.5 hours for around AED 250-350.
How do I get back to Abu Dhabi after the Dubai Marina yacht party?
The party returns to the pier around 1:00 AM, long after the last bus, so a taxi or Careem is the realistic way home — budget around AED 250-350 and about 1.5 hours. Most guests from Abu Dhabi book one night in a Dubai Marina hotel instead and take the bus back the next morning, which costs less than the taxi and avoids the drive.
Recommended Dubai tours for this guide
Abu Dhabi City Tour from Dubai
It is the classic capital day in one organised loop: the mosque before the midday heat and crowds, the newly opened BAPS Mandir, the skyline from the Corniche, Bedouin history at Heritage Village and a photo op at Ferrari World. Transport, a licensed guide, mosque registration assistance and bottled water are included; the $45 shared tour covers all free-entry sites, and a private VIP car for up to 7 people is $245.
- Duration
- 9 hours
- Area
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Format
- Full-day guided city tour (shared or private)
- Best for
- families, seniors and first-time visitors who want the capital's landmarks in one day
From $45 per person No prepayment
View tour
Dubai Marina Shared Yacht Tour
It is the most stylish way to see the skyline without paying for a private charter: a premium yacht with spacious decks and 5-star hospitality, a red carpet at the pier and the crew helping with photos against JBR and Ain Dubai. Full pre-payment secures your slot — the hourly departures sell out — and the yacht leaves strictly on time.
- Duration
- 1 hour
- Area
- Dubai Marina
- Format
- Shared 1-hour sightseeing cruise
- Best for
- families, couples and anyone who wants the Marina skyline from the water without a private charter
From $32 per person Full prepayment
View tour
Dubai Marina Yacht Party
It is a floating nightclub rather than a boat trip: an international crowd of 25-45 guests, a live DJ playing house, R&B and chart hits, a live BBQ from the grill and the city lights of the Palm and Burj Al Arab in the background. No assigned seats — you move between the decks — and the whole night is included in one ticket.
- Duration
- 4 hours (9 PM-1 AM)
- Area
- Dubai Marina
- Format
- Shared 21+ party cruise
- Best for
- solo travellers, couples and groups aged 21+ who want a night out on the water
$99 per person Full prepayment
View tour