Dubai to Abu Dhabi Taxi Fare
Real meter costs, or a fixed price private car from USD 47 per person, 7 in the car.
What this trip actually costs, what the two governments publish and what they do not, and the three cheaper ways to make the same journey.
Which direction are you travelling?
This page is Dubai → Abu Dhabi. The fare, the pickup rules and the waiting times are not the same in both directions, so if you are going Abu Dhabi → Dubai read Abu Dhabi to Dubai taxi fare instead, it is a different page with different numbers.
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
By the hourCar with Driver, As Directed
No fixed route. Your own car and driver by the hour, shopping, meetings, whatever the day needs.
- USD 68 / AED 250 per hour sedan or SUV
- USD 95 / AED 350 per hour Land Cruiser
- Four-hour minimum
- Wait time included
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
Dubai to Abu Dhabi taxi charges: the short answer
There is no published taxi fare for Dubai to Abu Dhabi, because neither authority sets one for this route. Dubai’s RTA publishes a fixed USD 5 / AED 20 supplement for trips between Dubai and the Northern Emirates, and Abu Dhabi is not a Northern Emirate. So a driver taking you to Abu Dhabi is quoting you a number, not reading one off a tariff card.
For a rough idea, the press has priced a street-hailed Dubai taxi at USD 1.36 (AED 5) to start plus USD 0.67 (AED 2.45) per km. Over about 150 km that is roughly USD 101 (AED 372) before tolls, and around USD 106 to 108 (AED 390 to 398) with four Salik gates. Most online quotes sit between USD 68 and 100 (AED 250 and 370) because drivers negotiate. Treat it as an estimate, not a tariff.
That is why every answer you find online is a different figure. Our fixed price for the same journey is USD 545 / AED 1,999 per car, or USD 681 / AED 2,499 in the Land Cruiser, both directions, with waiting time in Abu Dhabi included.
What each government actually publishes
No other page on this search puts these side by side. The two emirates publish their taxi tariffs very differently, and that asymmetry is exactly why the outbound leg is hard to price and the return leg is easy.
| Dubai (RTA) | Abu Dhabi (Integrated Transport Centre) | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting fare, day | USD 2.18 / AED 8 | USD 1.36 / AED 5.00 |
| Starting fare, night | not published | USD 1.50 / AED 5.50 |
| Per kilometre | not published | USD 0.50 / AED 1.82 |
| Minimum trip fare | not published | USD 3.27 / AED 12 |
| Waiting charge | not published | USD 0.14 / AED 0.50 per minute |
| Booking fee | not published | USD 1.09 / AED 4 day, USD 1.36 / AED 5 night |
| Airport starting fare | , | USD 5.45 / AED 20.00 |
| Inter-emirate rule | USD 5 / AED 20 for Dubai to the Northern Emirates | none published for leaving the emirate |
| Tolls | USD 1.09 / AED 4 per Salik gate | Darb tolls inside Abu Dhabi |
Dubai figures from the UAE Government portal u.ae. Abu Dhabi figures from the Integrated Transport Centre. Both read the day this page was written.
Read that inter-emirate row again. The USD 5 / AED 20 supplement people quote for leaving Dubai is written for the Northern Emirates, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah. Abu Dhabi is not in that group. Nobody publishes what a Dubai taxi may charge you to Abu Dhabi.
The return leg you can actually calculate
Because Abu Dhabi publishes a per-kilometre rate and Dubai does not, you can work out the Abu Dhabi to Dubai direction yourself. Road distance is roughly 140 km depending on where you start and finish.
| Component | Published rate | ~140 km |
|---|---|---|
| Starting fare, Silver taxi, day | USD 1.36 / AED 5.00 | 5 |
| Distance at the published per-km rate | USD 0.50 / AED 1.82 per km | ≈ 255 |
| Booking fee if you order rather than hail | USD 1.09 / AED 4 day, USD 1.36 / AED 5 night | 4 to 5 |
| Salik gates once inside Dubai | USD 1.09 / AED 4 per gate | 4 to 16 |
| Traffic, at the published waiting rate | USD 0.14 / AED 0.50 per minute stationary | 0 to 30+ |
| Metered estimate, Abu Dhabi to Dubai | roughly USD 74 / AED 270 to 310 |
Two caveats. This is arithmetic on published rates, not a quoted fare, the meter decides, not this table. And an Abu Dhabi taxi is not obliged to take a cross-emirate fare; many drivers decline, because they cannot pick up a return passenger in Dubai and drive back empty.
That empty return is the entire reason the outbound direction costs more. Whoever drives you is paid for 280 km of driving and one paying passenger. Anyone quoting far below that is planning to make the difference back somewhere else.
Three cheaper ways to do the same trip
We sell a private car and we still think you should read this section first. For a lot of people one of these is the right answer.
1. The RTA intercity bus
The Roads and Transport Authority runs scheduled coaches to Abu Dhabi bus station on two routes:
| Route | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| E100 | Al Ghubaiba, Bur Dubai | Abu Dhabi bus station |
| E101 | Ibn Battuta | Abu Dhabi bus station |
| E201 | Al Ghubaiba | Al Ain bus station |
We are not going to print a bus fare, because the RTA does not publish one on its public pages. Plenty of blogs state a figure confidently. We checked; the number is not on the RTA site, you see it when you book at bustickets.rta.ae. Booking online also gets you a dedicated boarding lane and a separate seating area at the station, which the RTA does state.
This is the cheapest option by a wide margin. It is also the slowest, it runs station to station rather than door to door, and with luggage or children it is hard work.
2. A ride-hailing app
Careem and Uber both cover the route, and you see the price before you commit, which solves the quoting problem entirely. Expect it well above the metered estimate above, for the same empty-return reason, and expect surge at peak times and late at night.
3. Drive yourself
A rental plus fuel is cheap on this road and the E11 is straightforward. Watch two things: Salik gates leaving Dubai at USD 1.09 / AED 4 each, and Darb tolls once inside Abu Dhabi. Rental companies bill both back to you later, usually with an administration fee.
Is there a train from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
Yes. Etihad Rail now runs passenger trains between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Comfort class starts at USD 11 (AED 39) and Premium is USD 30 (AED 109). The ride itself takes about an hour.
Two things decide whether it suits you. In Dubai the station is Al Yalayis, a 400 metre elevated walkway from Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro on the Red Line. In Abu Dhabi it arrives at Mohamed bin Zayed City, across from Dalma Mall next to Mussafah Bus Station, which is not the city centre, so you still need a taxi or bus for the last leg. With heavy luggage, a late arrival or a group, one door to door car often costs less in effort than train plus Metro plus taxi. Fares and schedules change, so check etihadrail.ae before you plan around them.
We spell this out because the question is asked constantly and most travel pages answer with a vague “coming soon” that leaves you thinking you might be able to book something. You cannot.
All four options, side by side
| Option | Roughly what it costs | Door to door? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTA intercity bus, E100 or E101 | Cheapest. Fare shown at booking, not published by RTA | No, station to station | Solo, light luggage, flexible |
| Taxi, metered from the Abu Dhabi side | ≈ USD 74 / AED 270 to 310 on published rates | Yes | The return leg only |
| Ride-hailing app | Priced up front, above the metered estimate | Yes | One way, when you want certainty |
| Private car with driver | USD 545 / AED 1,999, or USD 681 / AED 2,499 Land Cruiser | Yes | A day trip where the car waits |
Those are not the same product. The first three move you one way. The fourth keeps the vehicle and driver with you all day, waits at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque or the Louvre while you are inside, and brings you home. If you only need to get there, do not pay us, take the bus.
What our price covers, and when not to book it
USD 545 / AED 1,999 sedan or SUV, USD 681 / AED 2,499 Land Cruiser. Per car, not per person, up to 6 guests, same price in both directions.
- Hotel pickup anywhere in Dubai, drop back at the same door
- Fuel, Salik, Darb tolls and parking covered, no bill at the end
- English-speaking driver-guide; Urdu, Hindi or Arabic on request
- Waiting time in Abu Dhabi included, the car does not leave you there
- Attraction tickets are not included. You buy your own and we never mark them up
Do not book us if you are travelling alone and only need to reach Abu Dhabi. The bus is a fraction of the price and we will tell you so on WhatsApp. Our price makes sense when you are two or more, want a full day with the car waiting, or are moving with luggage, children or older relatives.
Which page do you need?
In Dubai, going to Abu Dhabi for the day. Stay here, or see the itinerary on Abu Dhabi city tour from Dubai.
In Abu Dhabi, coming the other way. Fares and rules differ, read Abu Dhabi to Dubai taxi fare.
Just landed and need to get out of DXB. That is Dubai airport taxi.
The cars, the road and the day at the other end
Frequently asked questions
How much is a taxi from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
There is no published fare for this route. Dubai’s RTA sets a fixed USD 5 / AED 20 supplement for trips between Dubai and the Northern Emirates, and Abu Dhabi is not a Northern Emirate, so no tariff covers it. Whatever a driver quotes you is a negotiated number. Our fixed alternative is USD 545 / AED 1,999 per car, or USD 681 / AED 2,499 for the Land Cruiser.
What is the cheapest way to get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
The RTA intercity bus. Route E100 leaves from Al Ghubaiba in Bur Dubai and E101 from Ibn Battuta, both to Abu Dhabi bus station. The RTA does not publish the fare on its public pages, so we will not quote one, but it is far cheaper than any car. You see the price when you book at bustickets.rta.ae.
How long does it take to get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
Around 90 minutes to two hours by car for roughly 140 km on the E11, longer at peak times and if you are heading beyond the city centre. The bus takes longer because it runs station to station and makes stops.
Do I pay Salik and Darb tolls on the way?
Yes, if you are in a car. Dubai charges USD 1.09 / AED 4 per Salik gate, and Abu Dhabi operates Darb tolls inside the emirate. In a taxi or rental these are added to your bill afterwards. In our cars they are already covered in the price.
Is Uber or Careem cheaper than a taxi to Abu Dhabi?
Not usually cheaper, but the price is fixed before you accept, which removes the negotiation entirely. That certainty is worth a lot on a route where no official tariff exists. Expect surge pricing at peak times and late at night.
Is it cheaper to rent a car for the day?
Often yes, if you are comfortable driving here. Fuel is inexpensive and the E11 is a straightforward motorway. Budget for Salik and Darb tolls, which the rental company bills back later, usually with an administration fee, and for parking in Abu Dhabi.
Can I do Abu Dhabi as a day trip from Dubai?
Comfortably. Ninety minutes each way leaves a full day for Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Louvre, Qasr Al Watan or Ferrari World. The thing that decides whether it works is transport that waits for you rather than being re-booked at each stop.
Is the price per person or per car?
Per car, up to 6 guests. That is the main difference between us and a per-seat coach tour. Two people and six people pay the same number.
Where do buses to Abu Dhabi leave from in Dubai?
The Roads and Transport Authority runs its intercity E101 service from Ibn Battuta Bus Station in Dubai to Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station, coordinated with the Abu Dhabi transport regulator (rta.ae). Other departure points circulate widely online, but we only publish the station we can verify on an official page today, so check the operator’s journey planner before travelling rather than trusting a blog list. Payment uses a nol card in Dubai and a Hafilat card once you are in Abu Dhabi (u.ae). Timetables change, so confirm on the day.
Is there a train from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
Yes. Etihad Rail runs passenger trains from Al Yalayis station in Dubai to Mohamed bin Zayed City station in Abu Dhabi. Comfort class starts at USD 11 (AED 39), Premium USD 30 (AED 109), and the ride takes about an hour. The Abu Dhabi station is not in the city centre, so plan a taxi or bus for the last leg and check etihadrail.ae for current fares.
Is there a free shuttle from Dubai to Abu Dhabi airport?
Yes, if you fly Etihad. Etihad Shuttle is free on an Etihad-operated flight to or from Abu Dhabi, picks up at Al Wasl Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, takes about 75 minutes and must be booked at etihad.com/manage at least 24 hours before your flight. On other airlines you pay for the E100 bus, a taxi or a private car.
Can I cancel a Dubai to Abu Dhabi transfer?
Yes. You can cancel free of charge up to twelve hours before your pickup time, and because we take no deposit and no booking fee there is nothing sitting with us to reclaim. That is deliberately simpler than the layered cancellation windows the large booking platforms apply. Tell us as early as you can, by WhatsApp, so the vehicle can be released. If your plans are genuinely unsettled and you are travelling light, the intercity bus asks no commitment at all and may suit you better than holding a private car.
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.
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.
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- LicensedDCT Abu Dhabi, DTCM Dubai
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