Dubai to Abu Dhabi is about 140 km down the E11 and takes 1.5-2 hours by road. The cheapest way is the intercity bus — the E100 from Al Ghubaiba or the E101 from Ibn Battuta, about AED 25 with a Nol card and about 2 hours to Abu Dhabi Central. A taxi is door to door for about AED 250-350 one way. The easiest way on a first visit is our Abu Dhabi city tour: 8:00 AM hotel pickup, a licensed guide and the Grand Mosque, BAPS Mandir, Corniche and Yas Island in one 9-hour day for $45, paid on the day. The four options, compared.
By SB Excursions · Published 15 September 2026 · Updated 15 September 2026
Tour on this route: Abu Dhabi City Tour from Dubai — From $45 per person, 9 hours.
How do I get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
By road — it is about 140 km on the E11 and 1.5-2 hours. The bus (E100 from Al Ghubaiba or E101 from Ibn Battuta) costs about AED 25 with a Nol card and takes about 2 hours; a taxi is about AED 250-350 one way; our guided day tour is $45 per person with an 8:00 AM hotel pickup, a licensed guide and the main sights covered in 9 hours, paid on the day.
This guide also answers:
- How much is the bus from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
- How much is a taxi from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
- How long does it take to get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
The 4 ways from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
#1
Guided day tour with hotel pickup
The transport problem disappears: an air-conditioned vehicle collects you at the hotel at 8:00 AM, a licensed guide handles the Grand Mosque registration, and the day covers the mosque, BAPS Mandir, the Corniche, Emirates Palace, Heritage Village, a Ferrari World photo stop and the Dates Market before dropping you back. No prepayment — you confirm on WhatsApp and pay on the day.
#2
Intercity bus E100 or E101
The cheapest way between the cities by a wide margin: about AED 25 with a Nol card, departures roughly every 20-30 minutes and about 2 hours on the road. The catch is what happens at both ends — reaching the Dubai station from your hotel, then a taxi from Abu Dhabi Central to the mosque or the Corniche, because the sights are nowhere near the bus station.
#3
Taxi or Careem
Metered RTA taxis run at about AED 2 per km, which is why the 140 km ride comes to about AED 250-350 one way; Careem and Uber are similar or slightly higher. Split 4 ways it is reasonable for a one-way move to an Abu Dhabi hotel, but a return trip costs more than 4 seats on the guided day, which includes the driving between the sights.
#4
Driving yourself
Sheikh Zayed Road becomes the E11 and runs straight into Abu Dhabi, an easy motorway drive outside the 7-9:30 AM and 5-8 PM rush hours. It makes sense if you already have a rental car and plan to sleep in Abu Dhabi; for a single day trip you add parking, fuel and a tired drive home in the dark after a 9-hour day on your feet.
Dubai to Abu Dhabi: the short answer
Cheapest: the intercity bus, about AED 25 each way with a Nol card and about 2 hours on board. Fastest door to door: a taxi, about 1.5 hours for AED 250-350 one way. Easiest on a first visit: a guided day with hotel pickup, because the drive is only half the problem — Abu Dhabi's sights are spread across the city, and the Grand Mosque needs online registration and a strict dress code.
Our Abu Dhabi city tour from Dubai solves all of it for $45 per person: an 8:00 AM pickup from your hotel in Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman, a licensed guide, the mosque, the BAPS Mandir, the Corniche and Yas Island, and the drive back. There is no prepayment — you agree the date on WhatsApp and pay on the day. The rest of this guide is the detail: the bus step by step, when a taxi is worth it, what driving involves and what to do once you arrive.
The four options compared
The distance is the same for everyone — about 140 km along the E11, the motorway that starts in Dubai as Sheikh Zayed Road — so the differences are cost, comfort and what happens at each end of the ride.
| Option | Time | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day tour with pickup | 1.5-2 h each way inside a 9-hour day | $45 per person; private car $245 for up to 7 | Hotel pickup 8:00 AM, licensed guide, mosque registration, bottled water; lunch is your own |
| Bus E100 / E101 | About 2 h, plus reaching the station and a taxi on arrival | About AED 25 each way with a Nol card | Every 20-30 min; arrives at Abu Dhabi Central (Al Wahda), far from the sights |
| Taxi or Careem | About 1.5 h door to door | About AED 250-350 one way | Metered, cards accepted; a return trip is AED 500-700 for the car |
| Rental car | 1.5-2 h | Rental, fuel and parking | Avoid 7-9:30 AM and 5-8 PM on Sheikh Zayed Road |
Third-party fares are approximate — check the RTA app or your ride app before you go.
By bus: E100 from Al Ghubaiba, E101 from Ibn Battuta
Two RTA intercity routes run to Abu Dhabi Central bus station in Al Wahda. The E100 leaves from Al Ghubaiba in Bur Dubai, next to the Green Line metro station and the abra stations on the Creek — the choice if you are staying in Old Dubai, Deira or Bur Dubai. The E101 leaves from Ibn Battuta on the Red Line at the Jebel Ali end of the city — the choice from Dubai Marina, JBR, the Palm and anywhere else in the south.
Both take about 2 hours and cost about AED 25 with a Nol card. Departures are roughly every 20-30 minutes, so there is no need to time it to the minute, but check the current timetable in the RTA app before you leave the hotel. Step by step:
- 1. Get a Nol card. A Silver card costs about AED 25 with AED 19 of credit loaded, which is less than the intercity fare — top it up at the metro station machine before you board. The card also pays for the metro ride to the station.
- 2. Pick your station. Old Dubai hotels: Green Line to Al Ghubaiba for the E100. Marina, JBR and Palm hotels: Red Line to Ibn Battuta for the E101, a short ride down the line from DMCC, the Marina/JLT stop.
- 3. Board and tap in. Tap the Nol card on the reader, take a seat and expect about 2 hours to Abu Dhabi Central. The route is the E11 all the way; there is nothing to change or look out for.
- 4. At Abu Dhabi Central (Al Wahda), take a taxi onward — the Grand Mosque is about 30 minutes away, and the BAPS Mandir is further out, back towards the Dubai highway. Local buses run too, but on a day trip a taxi is the better use of the hour.
- 5. Coming back, the same routes run to Dubai. Check the last departure in the RTA app and allow for the 5-8 PM slowdown on Sheikh Zayed Road at the Dubai end.
Total for the bus plan: about AED 50 return per person plus the taxis inside Abu Dhabi, and realistically 5-6 hours of the day on transport once you count the station at the Dubai end and the taxi legs at the other. It is unbeatable on price; it is not fast, and it is not comfortable in the heat of the middle months.
By taxi or Careem: AED 250-350 one way
A metered RTA taxi from Dubai to Abu Dhabi costs about AED 250-350 and takes about 1.5 hours outside rush hour. The meter runs at roughly AED 2 per km with a small flag fall, so the fare is mostly the distance; Careem and Uber quote a similar or slightly higher price up front, which some people prefer to watching a meter for 140 km. Taxis take cards, and tipping is a matter of rounding up.
A taxi is the smart choice in three cases: you are moving hotels from Dubai to Abu Dhabi with suitcases (large luggage is not allowed in our tour vehicles either), you are 3 or 4 people sharing the fare one way, or you are leaving at an hour that suits no bus. For a there-and-back day trip it is the expensive option — AED 500-700 for the car before a single taxi inside Abu Dhabi — when 4 seats on the guided day cost $180 in total and include the driving between the sights and a guide who knows the order to see them in.
For fares, the apps, ladies' taxis and the airport surcharge, see our Dubai taxi and Careem guide.
Driving yourself on the E11
If you already have a rental car, the drive is simple: Sheikh Zayed Road becomes the E11 and runs straight to Abu Dhabi, about 140 km and 1.5-2 hours. The Grand Mosque is on the Abu Dhabi side of the highway before the island — about 1.5 hours from Dubai Marina and longer from Deira — so it is the natural first stop before you cross onto the island for the Corniche.
Two cautions. Leave before 7 AM or after 9:30 AM to miss the morning rush on Sheikh Zayed Road, and plan the return outside 5-8 PM. And remember that Abu Dhabi runs 2-3 degrees hotter than Dubai: after a full day of marble courtyards and the 8 km Corniche, the 1.5-hour drive back in the dark is the part most people wish they had handed to someone else. That, more than the cost, is why the day tour exists.
With our tour, the transport question disappears
The Abu Dhabi city tour is built around the transport. An air-conditioned vehicle collects you at 8:00 AM from your hotel in Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman — guests in Sharjah and remote parts of Dubai are collected first, so their pickup is earlier — and the drive takes about 1.5-2 hours, timed to reach the Grand Mosque before the midday heat and the crowds.
The loop then runs on its own logic: a 40-minute stop at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque with registration assistance, the BAPS Hindu Mandir, a drive along the Corniche with a photo stop at Emirates Palace, Heritage Village, Yas Island with a Ferrari World photo op and a lunch stop at Yas Mall, and the Dates Market before the return to Dubai. Transport, a licensed guide, mosque entry assistance and bottled water are included; lunch and any theme-park tickets are your own.
Two things make it easy to commit to. There is no prepayment — you confirm the date on WhatsApp and pay on the day — and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before pickup, with a date change if your plans move. Groups and families can take the same route as a private VIP car for up to 7 people for $245 with a flexible schedule; we compare the two in private vs shared Abu Dhabi tour, and weigh the whole tour against the bus-and-taxi day in tour vs on your own.
What to do when you arrive
Abu Dhabi's sights are far apart, so the order matters. Start at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: entry is free with online registration, the dress code is strict — covered arms and legs, a headscarf for women, bring your own — and it closes to visitors during Friday prayers around midday. Our dress code and rules guide covers what to wear and what to carry.
Next, the BAPS Hindu Mandir, the first traditional stone Hindu temple in the region — free, with its own dress code, and closed on Mondays. Then the island: the 8 km Corniche, Emirates Palace, Heritage Village and, if you have paid tickets in mind, the Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island (about AED 60-65) or Qasr Al Watan (about AED 60-65), neither of which is on our tour. Yas Island — Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros. World, SeaWorld — is a day of its own rather than a stop; the tour gives it a photo op and the lunch break at Yas Mall.
For a realistic order of stops with timings, see Abu Dhabi in one day from Dubai. If you are heading the other way afterwards — an Abu Dhabi hotel, then Dubai — the reverse route is in Abu Dhabi to Dubai.
Timing the day and what to pair it with
Whichever way you go, aim to be at the mosque by mid-morning: the marble holds the heat after noon, and Abu Dhabi is 2-3 degrees hotter than Dubai. Leaving Dubai around 8 AM, as the tour does, puts you there before the crowds; on a Friday, plan the mosque for the afternoon instead. Carry a physical or digital copy of your passport or Emirates ID — there is no border between the emirates, but security checks happen.
A 9-hour day from an 8:00 AM pickup has you back in Dubai around 5 PM, which leaves the evening free. The 21+ yacht party boards at 8:30 PM at the marina pier behind Al Majara Tower in Dubai Marina, and the hourly 1-hour shared yacht tour from $32 leaves from the same pier on any other evening. Most guests put the full-day desert safari on a separate day; it also collects you at the hotel, so the two together are 2 full days without a single taxi.
FAQ
How do I get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
By road — it is about 140 km on the E11 and 1.5-2 hours. The bus (E100 from Al Ghubaiba or E101 from Ibn Battuta) costs about AED 25 with a Nol card and takes about 2 hours; a taxi is about AED 250-350 one way; our guided day tour is $45 per person with an 8:00 AM hotel pickup, a licensed guide and the main sights covered in 9 hours, paid on the day.
How much is the bus from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
About AED 25 each way with a Nol card. The E100 leaves from Al Ghubaiba bus station in Bur Dubai and the E101 from Ibn Battuta on the Red Line; both run roughly every 20-30 minutes and take about 2 hours to Abu Dhabi Central (Al Wahda). Add a Nol card (about AED 25 with AED 19 of credit) if you do not have one, and a taxi from the station to the mosque.
How much is a taxi from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
About AED 250-350 one way for a metered RTA taxi, roughly 1.5 hours outside rush hour; Careem and Uber are similar or slightly higher. A return trip is AED 500-700 for the car before any taxis inside Abu Dhabi — for comparison, 4 seats on our guided day cost $180 with the transfers, the driving between sights and a guide included.
How long does it take to get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
About 1.5-2 hours by car or bus for the 140 km. Sheikh Zayed Road is slow from 7 to 9:30 AM and from 5 to 8 PM, and the Grand Mosque is about 1.5 hours from Dubai Marina and longer from Deira. Our tour leaves at 8:00 AM so that you reach the mosque before the midday heat and the crowds.
Is there a metro or train from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
The Dubai Metro does not leave Dubai: the Red Line ends on the Jebel Ali side of the city, at Expo City on one branch and UAE Exchange on the other. The nearest it gets you is Ibn Battuta station, where the E101 bus to Abu Dhabi departs. For visitors the practical choices are the bus, a taxi, a rental car or a tour with hotel pickup.
Do I need my passport to go from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
There is no border between the emirates and no visa formality, but carry a physical or digital copy of your passport or Emirates ID for security checks. On our tour the guide handles the Grand Mosque registration for you; leave large suitcases at your Dubai hotel, as they are not allowed in the tour vehicles.
Can I visit Abu Dhabi from Dubai in one day?
Yes — it is the standard day trip. Our tour does it in 9 hours from an 8:00 AM pickup: Grand Mosque, BAPS Mandir, Corniche, Emirates Palace, Heritage Village, a Ferrari World photo stop and the Dates Market, back in Dubai around 5 PM. On your own by bus, leave by 8 AM and expect 5-6 hours of the day on transport for 2 or 3 sights.
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