Car With Driver in DubaiUSD 68 / AED 250 per hour, four hours minimum: the car and the driver are yours
You tell the driver where to go, change your mind halfway, wait outside while you shop, and keep your bags in the boot all day. Fuel, Salik and parking are included. One car, one price, no per-person maths.
Car With Driver in DubaiUSD 68 / AED 250 per hour, four hours minimum: the car and the driver are yours: The Short Answer
You tell the driver where to go, change your mind halfway, wait outside while you shop, and keep your bags in the boot all day.
- How much does a car with driver cost in Dubai?: Our rate is USD 68 / AED 250 per hour for a sedan or SUV and USD 95 / AED 350 per hour for a Land Cruiser, with a four-hour minimum.
- What is included when you hire a car with a driver in Dubai?: Fuel, the driver and road tolls sit inside the vehicle price we agree, so nothing lands on you at the end of the day.
- What happens if my flight is delayed or I need to cancel?: Cancellation is free up to twelve hours before your pickup time, and because there is no deposit and no booking fee there is nothing to claw back from you.
- Do you provide child seats?: Yes, free, when you ask in advance. Tell us the ages so we bring the right seats, and they stay fitted for the whole booking.
- Is a car with driver cheaper than taxis in Dubai?: It depends entirely on how many stops you make. For one journey there and one back, taxis are far cheaper and we will tell you so.
Everything we run in Dubai, with the price on the card
All prices are per car, not per person, unless the card says otherwise. You are booking the operator directly.
4 hoursHalf-Day Dubai City Tour
Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Frame, Old Dubai, the Creek abra and the Gold Souk in a private 4×4.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Private vehicle, no other guests
- Morning or evening, same price
- Photo stops, not a drive-past
8 hoursFull-Day Dubai City Tour
New Dubai in the morning, Old Dubai in the afternoon, Palm Jumeirah, Marina, the souks and the Creek.
- The only route reaching both Dubais
- Up to 6 people in one car
- Lunch stop where you choose
- Ends at the Fountain show
4 hoursOld Dubai and the Souks
Al Fahidi wind-tower district, the USD 0.27 / AED 1 abra across Dubai Creek, the Gold Souk and the Spice Souk.
- Abra crossing costs USD 0.27 / AED 1 each
- Short, flat walking
- Best in the morning
- Car waits, you walk
4 hoursDubai by Night
The Fountain show, Downtown at full light, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Marina, JBR and Bluewaters.
- Starts around 5:30 PM
- Fountain show every 30 minutes
- Most of the stops are free
- Good after a day out
6 hoursDesert Safari From Dubai
Dune bashing, camel ride, sandboarding, a Bedouin camp with BBQ dinner and live shows.
- Private 4×4, up to 6 guests
- Hotel pickup and drop included
- Licensed operator, DCT Abu Dhabi
- Shared seats from USD 10 / AED 35 per person
Full dayDubai to Hatta Tour
Hatta Dam, kayaking, the heritage village and the Hajar Mountains. No passport, no border crossing.
- 90 minutes each way
- Kayak hire paid on site
- Best October to April
- You set the timings
One wayDXB Airport Transfer
Meet and greet with a name board at arrivals, flight tracking, luggage handled, one fixed price at any hour.
- Name board at arrivals
- Flight tracked, delays covered
- No surge at 3 AM
- Fixed price, per car
Per attractionDubai Attraction Transfers
A private car to Burj Khalifa, the Mall, the Frame, the Palm or the seasonal parks, with the driver waiting outside.
- Waiting time included
- Salik, fuel and parking included
- Tickets bought direct, not by us
- Child seats on request
Per rideQuad Biking
An automatic quad on a marked desert track with a guide riding ahead. The cheapest way to add adrenaline.
- USD 54 / AED 200 single rider
- USD 82 / AED 300 double
- Guide rides with the group
- No licence needed
30 min blocksDune Buggy
A Can-Am buggy on the dunes, booked by ride time. Sold as an add-on to the safari, not instead of it.
- USD 218 / AED 800 per 30 minutes
- Two-hour minimum
- Helmet and briefing included
- Decide before you arrive
Blocks, transfers and days out
Every price below is per car. Choose the block you need, or tell us the day and we will price it.
4 HOURSFour Hours, As Directed
The car and the driver are yours for four hours. Decide the route as you go and change it whenever you like.
- Fuel, Salik and parking included
- You set the stops, no fixed itinerary
- Luggage stays in the boot all day
- English, Hindi, Urdu or Arabic driver
6 HOURSSix Hours, As Directed
Long enough for Downtown, the Marina and a proper lunch without watching the clock.
- Fuel, Salik and parking included
- Stop as long as you want anywhere
- Driver waits outside, engine off
- Bottled water in the car
8 HOURSEight Hours, As Directed
A full day of the city on your terms, meetings, malls, viewpoints, or all three.
- Fuel, Salik and parking included
- Built for business days across DIFC and Downtown
- Child seats available, just ask
- Driver knows the traffic windows
10 HOURSTen Hours, As Directed
For days that start early and finish after the Fountain show.
- Fuel, Salik and parking included
- Morning start to late evening
- Other emirates possible, just ask
- One car, one driver, one price
AIRPORTDXB Airport Pickup
Meet-and-greet at arrivals with a name board, flight tracked, price agreed before you land.
- Fixed price, the same at 3am as at 3pm
- Sixty minutes free waiting
- Salik, fuel and parking included
- Per car, never per person
CITY TOURDubai City Tour
A planned route with the landmarks in the right order, rather than an open day.
- Half day from USD 190 / AED 699 per car
- Full day, 8 hours, USD 245 / AED 899 per car
- Photo stops built into the route
- Entry tickets are extra, we say so upfront
DESERTDesert Safari From Dubai
Dune drive, camp dinner and the drive back, in your own vehicle.
- Pickup from your Dubai hotel
- Private vehicle, not a shared bus
- Camp dinner and shows included
- Back in the city the same night
ADD-ONDune Buggy
Can-Am buggy on the dunes, added to a desert booking.
- USD 218 / AED 800 per 30 minutes
- Minimum two hours
- Helmet and goggles provided
- A guide rides with you
CUSTOMYour Own Plan
Airport, meetings, another emirate, a wedding, a shoot, describe the day and we price it.
- Multi-day and weekly rates available
- Corporate invoicing on request
- Several cars for larger groups
- Answer on WhatsApp, usually in minutes
Car with driver in Dubai, in one paragraph
A car with driver, the trade calls it as directed or at disposal, means you book the vehicle and the driver for a block of hours instead of for a single journey. Within those hours you go wherever you want, stop for as long as you want, and change your mind as often as you want. Our rate is USD 68 / AED 250 per hour for a sedan or SUV and USD 95 / AED 350 per hour for a Land Cruiser, with a four-hour minimum. Fuel, Salik tolls and parking are inside that price. It is charged per car, not per person, so four people pay the same as one.
The three things people get wrong
- It is not a taxi. A taxi takes you from A to B and leaves. An as-directed car stays with you, the driver waits outside the restaurant, the mall or the meeting, with your shopping and your luggage in the boot.
- It is not a guided tour. There is no fixed route and no commentary unless you ask for it. If you want a planned sightseeing route with the landmarks in the right order, that is our Dubai city tour, and it costs less because the route is known in advance.
- The clock starts when the car reaches you, not when you decide to leave the hotel. Four hours booked at ten in the morning means the car is yours until two.
What “as directed” actually buys you
The honest description of this product is that you are renting a driver’s time and a vehicle’s availability, not a journey. That sounds like a small distinction until you spend a day in Dubai without it.
Dubai is a city built around distance. The Marina and Deira are forty minutes apart on a good day and considerably more at five in the afternoon. Very little is walkable to anything else, the sun makes a two-hundred-metre walk unpleasant for much of the year, and taxi availability collapses at exactly the moments you need one, outside the mall at closing, outside the Fountain show, outside any hotel when it rains. An as-directed car removes all of that from your day. You step out of a building and the car is there.
It also removes the small negotiations. There is no fare to watch, no surge multiplier, no conversation about whether the driver will wait, no worry about leaving a shopping bag or a laptop behind. Your things stay in the vehicle because the vehicle is yours for the block.
Who it genuinely suits
- Business days. Three meetings across DIFC, Business Bay and Media City is a hopeless taxi day and an easy as-directed day.
- Families with young children. The child seat stays fitted, the pram stays in the boot, and nobody re-installs anything four times.
- Shopping days. Bags go to the car between malls instead of being carried around them.
- Photography and content days. Golden hour at the Frame, blue hour at the Marina, and no wait for a ride in between.
- Long layovers where you want freedom to change the plan, although if your bags are with you and the flight is the constraint, our Dubai airport layover tour is the better-shaped product, because it is priced and timed around the flight.
Who it does not suit
If you are one or two people making a single trip, hotel to the mall and back that evening, this is the wrong product and we will say so. Two taxi rides will cost a fraction of a four-hour block. The Dubai Metro is clean, air-conditioned, inexpensive and genuinely fast along the Sheikh Zayed Road corridor between Downtown and the Marina. If your day is one straight line and one return, take the Metro or a taxi and spend the difference on something better.
What it costs, and how the hours are counted
One rate, two vehicle classes, four-hour minimum. Everything below is per car, not per person.
How the clock is counted
- The block starts at your agreed pickup time, or when the car arrives if that is later. We do not start charging because traffic delayed our own driver.
- Extra hours beyond the block are charged at the same hourly rate, in whole hours. There is no penalty rate for running over, you tell the driver and the day continues.
- There is no night surcharge. A car at three in the morning costs what a car at three in the afternoon costs. Very few operators in this market will put that in writing.
- The driver’s meals and breaks happen while you are inside somewhere. They neither pause your clock nor extend it.
Why we are not the cheapest, said plainly
You will find cars with drivers advertised in Dubai from roughly USD 22 / AED 80 to 200 an hour, and five-hour packages under USD 218 / AED 800. Those offers are real. What they usually buy is an older economy sedan, a driver who has already been on the road since dawn, tolls and parking billed back at the end, and an hourly rate that only holds if the day goes exactly as planned.
Our rate buys a newer vehicle, a driver who speaks your language, every running cost already inside the number, and no arithmetic at the end of the day. If price is the only thing that matters for your day, book the cheaper option with a clear conscience. We would rather write that here than take a booking you resent.
What is included, and what is not
Included in the price
- The vehicle and the driver for the whole block
- Fuel, however far the day goes inside Dubai
- Salik road tolls, however many gates the route crosses
- Parking at malls, hotels, offices and attractions
- Bottled water in the car
- Child seats, when you ask in advance
- Waiting time, all of it, at every stop
- VAT
Not included
- Entry tickets to attractions, Burj Khalifa, the Frame, aquariums, theme parks
- Meals, yours or the driver’s
- Guided commentary, the driver knows the city well but is not a licensed guide
- Travel outside the UAE
- Anything not written on this page. Ask before you book and we will put it in writing.
We list the exclusions this bluntly because the complaint we hear most about Dubai transport is not the price, it is the extra that appeared at the end. Tolls added back. Parking added back. A waiting charge nobody mentioned. There is nothing to add back here.
The vehicles, and which one you actually need
Two classes, priced differently for a reason. Most people over-buy, so here is the honest guide.
Sedan or SUV: USD 68 / AED 250 per hour
Comfortable for up to three adults with hand luggage, or two adults with two large cases. This is the right car for a business day, a shopping day, a couple, or a small family staying inside the city. It is also the quieter and more economical choice in Dubai traffic, and nothing about the service changes, same driver standards, same inclusions, same waiting.
Land Cruiser: USD 95 / AED 350 per hour
Right when any of these are true: you are four to six people, you have more than three large suitcases, you have grandparents or anyone who finds a low seat difficult, or the day includes desert terrain. The extra USD 27 / AED 100 an hour buys space and ride height, not status.
If you are not sure, tell us the number of adults, the number of children and the number of cases, and we will tell you which one fits, including when the cheaper car is enough. Sending you a Land Cruiser you did not need is not a favour.
Larger groups
Above six passengers the answer is either a van or two cars, and which one is cheaper depends on the day. Message us with the group size and we will quote both so you can choose.
The drivers
The driver is most of what you are paying for, so it is worth being specific about what that means.
- Languages. English, Hindi, Urdu and Arabic are all available. Tell us which you would prefer when you book and we will match it. For guests from India and Pakistan in particular, a day spent explaining yourself in a second language is a worse day, and it is an easy thing for us to fix.
- Local knowledge. Which mall entrance to use, where the car can actually wait, which road is closed for an event, when the Sheikh Zayed Road is worth avoiding. This is unglamorous and it is what saves you an hour.
- What they will do. Load and unload your bags, wait as long as the day needs, take your shopping to the car, help with a child seat, suggest where to eat if you ask.
- What they will not do. Give licensed guided commentary inside attractions, buy your tickets for you, or leave the vehicle unattended in a tow zone. If you want a licensed guide with you for the day, say so when booking and we will arrange one separately.
Related Dubai Guides
For a fixed route see the Dubai city tour, for evenings the Dubai desert safari, and for airport timing the Dubai airport terminal transfer.
Salik, parking and the things you never have to think about
Dubai charges road tolls electronically through Salik gates on the main arteries, and parking is paid nearly everywhere you would want to stop. On a normal city day a car crosses several gates and parks three or four times. Handled badly, that is a running tally you argue about at the end.
On our bookings it is not a tally at all. Tolls are on our account, parking is on our account, fuel is on our account, and none of it reaches your bill. You will not be asked to reimburse anything, and the price you agreed is the price at the end of the day. If the route crosses ten gates because that is where you wanted to go, that is our problem, not yours.
Traffic, honestly
Dubai traffic is heavy roughly from seven to nine-thirty in the morning and from five to eight in the evening, and Friday afternoons behave differently again. A driver who knows the city will route around some of it and will tell you plainly when a plan does not fit the hours you have booked. Expect to be told “that is possible, but not before your dinner reservation” rather than discovering it yourself at six o’clock.
Booking, changing and cancelling
- To book, send the date, the start time, the number of hours, how many people and how many bags, and which language you would like the driver to speak. WhatsApp is fastest and you will usually have an answer within minutes.
- No deposit. You pay on the day.
- Changing the plan mid-day is normal and costs nothing. That is the entire point of the product.
- Extending on the day is charged at the same hourly rate, in whole hours, and is subject to the driver’s hours, tell us as early in the day as you can and it is almost always possible.
- Free cancellation. Cancel up to 12 hours before the start time and there is nothing to pay.
- Corporate bookings can be invoiced. Tell us the company details when you book rather than afterwards.
Which page do you actually need?
We sell four things that people confuse with each other. Picking correctly usually saves you money, so here is the plain version.
If you are still unsure, describe your day in one message and we will tell you which of the five is cheapest for what you actually want, including when that is not this page.
How many hours do you actually need?
This is the question we are asked most, and the honest answer is that it depends far more on how far apart your stops are than on how many stops there are. Dubai punishes zig-zagging. Four stops inside Downtown is a short day; four stops spread from Deira to the Marina is a long one.
Four hours
Four hours is one area of the city plus one anchor activity, and not much more. It works well for: Downtown and the Dubai Mall with a Burj Khalifa slot; the Marina, JBR and Bluewaters; Old Dubai, the creek, an abra crossing and the souks; or a hotel-to-hotel day of two meetings in the same district. It does not work for Downtown plus Old Dubai plus the Marina. People try, and then spend the last hour of their booking in traffic feeling cheated by a car that did exactly what they asked.
If your list has three widely separated places on it, take six hours instead. The extra USD 136 / AED 500 buys you the difference between rushing and enjoying it.
Six hours
Six hours is the block most guests should book, and the one we recommend when someone is unsure. It absorbs a real lunch, one long stop and one unplanned detour without the day collapsing. A typical six-hour shape: late-morning start, Old Dubai and the souks, lunch somewhere with air conditioning, the Frame or the Museum of the Future in the afternoon, then back to the hotel before the evening. Two districts, comfortably.
Eight hours
Eight hours is a working day or a proper sightseeing day. Three districts is realistic. This is the block for business days with meetings on both sides of the city, for families who want a morning attraction and an afternoon one with a hotel break in between, and for anyone combining shopping with sightseeing. It is also the shortest block that comfortably includes Hatta or a long desert-edge drive.
Ten hours
Ten hours is an early start to a late finish, or an out-of-emirate day. Abu Dhabi and back with the Grand Mosque and lunch fits here and nowhere shorter. So does a photography day chasing sunrise and blue hour. So does the classic long layover where you want everything and the flight is not until midnight.
Longer, and multi-day
Beyond ten hours you are into two drivers or a multi-day arrangement, both of which we quote individually. Weekly rates exist and are meaningfully cheaper per hour than daily ones. If you are in Dubai for a week and expect to use a car every day, ask for the weekly number rather than booking seven separate blocks.
Book this tour
No deposit and no card details. Message us and we confirm the plan and the exact price before you commit, answered at any hour.
- Send your date and guest countYour date, how many of you, and where we collect from. That is all we need.
- We send the plan and the pricePer car, not per person. You see the route, the timings and the exact figure first.
- Pay the driver on the dayCash or card, after the run. Free cancellation up to 12 hours before pickup.
Answered 24 hours · No deposit · No booking fee · Licensed operator
Frequently asked questions
How much does a car with driver cost in Dubai?
Our rate is USD 68 / AED 250 per hour for a sedan or SUV and USD 95 / AED 350 per hour for a Land Cruiser, with a four-hour minimum. That works out at USD 272 / AED 1,000 for a half day in a sedan and USD 545 / AED 2,000 for a full eight-hour day. Fuel, Salik tolls, parking, waiting time and VAT are all inside that price, and it is charged per car rather than per person.
Is a car with driver cheaper than taxis in Dubai?
It depends entirely on how many stops you make. For one journey there and one back, taxis are far cheaper and we will tell you so. From about four separate journeys in a day, or any day where the car needs to wait for you, the block becomes the cheaper and much easier option.
What is the minimum booking?
Four hours. We do not sell one-hour or two-hour blocks, because a driver cannot build a working day around them. If you only need a single journey, book a fixed-price transfer instead.
Does the price change at night?
No. A car at three in the morning costs exactly what a car at three in the afternoon costs. There is no night rate, no weekend rate and no holiday rate.
Are tolls and parking extra?
No. Salik gates, parking and fuel are all on our account and never appear on your bill, however far the day goes inside Dubai.
Can I change the plan during the day?
Yes, and most people do. There is no fixed route to deviate from. Tell the driver where you want to go next and that is where the car goes.
What happens if I run over my booked hours?
Extra hours are charged at the same hourly rate, in whole hours, with no penalty rate. Tell the driver as early as you can so we can check the day still works for them.
Can the driver speak Hindi, Urdu or Arabic?
Yes. English, Hindi, Urdu and Arabic drivers are all available. Say which you would prefer when you book and we will match it.
Can I leave my luggage and shopping in the car?
Yes, all day. The vehicle is yours for the block, so bags, shopping and equipment stay in the boot between stops. This is one of the main reasons people book this instead of taxis.
Do you provide child seats?
Yes, free, when you ask in advance. Tell us the ages so we bring the right seats, and they stay fitted for the whole booking.
Can the car take me to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or Hatta?
Yes. Sharjah works comfortably in four to six hours; Hatta needs at least eight; Abu Dhabi realistically needs ten. For Abu Dhabi our fixed-price day tour is often cheaper than a ten-hour block, and we will compare both for you before you book.
Is the driver a tour guide?
No. Our drivers know the city extremely well and will happily suggest places, but they are not licensed guides and do not give commentary inside attractions. If you want a licensed guide for the day, tell us when booking and we will arrange one.
Do I pay a deposit?
No. You pay on the day. Cancellation is free up to 12 hours before the start time.
Can you invoice my company?
Yes. Give us the company details when you book rather than after the trip, and we will issue a proper invoice.
Going to the dhow jetty? Creek or Marina, and the return-leg problem.
Going to Abu Dhabi for the day? See what the taxi actually costs.
Never been before? See first time in Dubai: what to know before you land.
Connecting through Dubai rather than staying?
Car with driver is sold by the hour with no fixed route. If your visit is a break in a longer journey and the return to the airport is the thing that matters, the Dubai stopover tour page plans the hours backwards from your departure and prices the whole day as one number.
Luggage while the car is yours
Bags travel in the boot at no charge on every booking, which is why an hourly car is often cheaper than a locker for a long day. The official counter prices, terminal by terminal, are on the Dubai airport luggage storage page.
What guests say
Every review below is quoted as written on our TripAdvisor profile. We have not edited them, and we have not written any of them. The names in them, Malik, Tamour, Ikram, are the drivers who would be meeting you.
8-hour layover · TripAdvisor
Great 8 hour layover experience
“Malik was great when bringing you around! He brings you to walk around instead of only being in the car. He will also help to show you / take great photo at th…”
· Verified on TripAdvisor
Stopover · Family · TripAdvisor
Excellent
“Taking advantage of a stopover of our plane we did a 3-hour tour with Tamour and we got to know the most significant sites in Dubai and we were able to shop in the souk. I highly recommend this activity and especially Tamour!”
· Verified on TripAdvisor
Friends · TripAdvisor
Nice tour with Ikram
“We visited iconic landmarks like Burj Khalifa, the Al Fahidi Historical District, the Gold Souk, and the Spice Souk. At every stop, Ikram shared interesting stories that brought each place to life. What I appreciated most was his personal touch, he patiently answered all questions, managed time perfectly, and even suggested local food and shopping spots that made our experience more authentic.”
· Verified on TripAdvisor
Couples · TripAdvisor
Excellent tour of Dubai: knowledgeable and helpful guide
“Tamour was the perfect tour guide, he was extremely knowledgeable, helpful and courteous. He took his time to answer questions properly and he took us to all the famous landmarks in Dubai. The tour was very reasonably priced and we thoroughly enjoyed the day. I would recommend this. Excellent value!”
· Verified on TripAdvisor
Family · TripAdvisor
Dubai Private Tour
“We had an amazing private tour with Malik. He has an immense knowledge and love of his city. We learned a lot about the culture and growth of Dubai. Highly recommended for a great experience.”
· Verified on TripAdvisor
Couples · TripAdvisor
Highly recommend
“It was such a great experience! Malik was amazing, I learned so much in such a short time. Highly recommend! We visited all the famous spots, and I was so happy. He explained everything in detail, which made it all feel new and exciting!”
· Verified on TripAdvisor
We do not publish incentivised or invented reviews, and we do not mark up review stars for search results on this page. If you want to read the full set, look us up on TripAdvisor directly.
Book a car with driver
Tell us the date, the start time, how many hours, how many people and bags, and the language you would like the driver to speak. No deposit, you pay on the day.
For a fixed-price day rather than an hourly one, the Dubai to Hatta tour covers the whole trip at USD 326 / AED 1,199 per car.
If you have one destination in mind rather than an open day, Dubai attraction transfers price it per trip with waiting included.
If we have to cancel, what happens?
A cancellation policy that covers your obligations but not ours is only half a document. Here is our side of it, in writing.
If we have to cancel your booking, for weather, a vehicle issue, or driver illness, we will contact you as soon as we know and rebook you at no charge on the next date that works for you. You pay nothing for the cancelled booking.
If we need to send a different vehicle than the one you booked, we will ask you first rather than turning up in something you did not book.
This is separate from your own cancellation rights, which are unchanged: you can cancel free up to 12 hours before pickup. Because we take no deposit and no booking fee, there is no money of yours sitting with us either way: nothing to chase, and nothing to wait for.
- 4.9from 10,000+ reviews
- 95,000+guests since 2015
- LicensedDCT Abu Dhabi, DTCM Dubai
- No depositpay on the day