If you are heading to the Emirates to visit Dubai, you need to make sure you add Abu Dhabi to your Dubai itinerary. There are several ways to get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.
Below I will walk you through how to get to Abu Dhabi from Dubai by bus, car or coach. Sadly there are currently no trains, at least not during the time I was visiting but I believe this is currently in the making.
There are still a considerable number of the best way to get to Abu Dhabi from Dubai.
While many focus their visit on Dubai with its many beaches, malls, skyscrapers and more, Abu Dhabi being the capital of the UAE has been flourishing in the hopes of catching up with the rapid development of Dubai.
Below I will be sharing ways on how to get to Abu Dhabi from Dubai, whether you choose to visit Abu Dhabi for a day trip or for a couple of days from Dubai or the other Emirates, there are many things to do in Abu Dhabi, from Sheik Zayed Mosque, Ferrari World, Souks, Malls, of course, luxurious hotels.
Options for Dubai to Abu Dhabi transportation at the moment don’t include trains. Once they add that option. It will be a game-changer for transport in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, it will also cut the time doing the journey between the two cities. Travel from Abu Dhabi to Dubai and the other way around is very easy anyway.
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How To Get To Abu Dhabi From Dubai | Best Way To Travel From Dubai To Abu Dhabi
I was originally hoping to visit Abu Dhahi by car. I was going to rent a car as I have become used to driving when I travel. From exploring by camper van in Iceland to driving in Israel and Spain.
In the end, I decided it was best to go with a tour to make it easier for myself, sister and my cute as a button nephew who you may have spotted in my recent post on Souk Madinat in Jumeriah, to get around Abu Dhabi with ease.
We also considered using Uber to Abu Dhabi from Dhabi but as the cost of a return trip was around the same price as our whole tour including all the various stops in an air condition bus, it made sense to do that.
If we were staying for a couple of days in Abu Dhabi I would have gone for Uber or car rental as I have used Uber in Dubai on so many occasions I have found it safe and reliable.
The below can be used for how to get to Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi from Dubai but also provides details on the other best way to travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. You have the shuttles from the airport as well as the bus to abu Dhabi from Dubai.
Uber & Taxi From To Abu Dhabi From Dubai
When it comes to tourist offers comparing Abu Dhabi versus Dubai, the two cities offer something different from each other. While still complimentary to each. When it comes to transportation, there are plenty of ways to do this journey one is the going from Dubai to Abu Dhabi by taxi but if your flight is arriving in the late evening or early morning. Your only option of getting to Abu Dhabi from Dubai airport is to get a taxi or Uber. The other option is to get a rental car.
If you have had a long flight I would not advise this option, I speak from experience. It’s a tiring journey to do when you are tired dare I say dangerous too? The cabs to Abu Dhabi from Dubai Airport are around 300 AED(£60) for a one-way trip and Uber costs around 200 AED (around £40-50).
The price to get to Grand Mosque Abu from Dubai is around. We stayed on the Dubai Marina and the estimate I had from Dubai Marina to Abu Dhahi via Uber was around £45.
Expect the Dubai to Abu Dhabi taxi fare from central Dubai to be a little bit more than that, I am talking if you are staying near Burj Khalifa or even Deira.
Etihad Coach Services To Abu Dhabi From Dubai Airport
In much the same way some of the Emirates airlines offer free tours and easy visa application and processing, Etihad Airlines offers a free coach service to its economy passengers.
You can get the shuttle from Dubai to Abu Dhabi if you have flown on Etihad the airline. The airline offers a pre-booked coach to Abu Dhahi from Dubai Airport.
Enquire with the airline before traveling as the coach has to be booked at least 24 hours in advance on their website or by contacting them on the phone.
Bus Service Between Abu Dhabi and Dubai
- Traveling from Dubai to Abu Dhabi By Bus: If you just arriving at Dubai Airport you need to take the metro, taxi or Uber to Al Ghubaiba Bus Station. From here buses to Abu Dhabi from Dubai depart every 20 minutes from the Al Ghubaiba Bus Station. The Al Ghubaiba Metro station is a couple of yards from the bus station making it easier to take the metro from Dubai Airport to the bus station. The buses are operated in conjunction with the Dubai and Abu Dhabi Transport authority and tickets for the buses cost around 25 AED/ £5 one way for the Dubai run buses while the Abu Dhabi buses are 15 AED. They are all air-conditioned and are really comfortable. Buses run every 20 minutes from 6am to 11pm. Buses sometimes make a quick stop near to Yas Island on the way from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.
- Getting The bus to Dubai from Abu Dhabi: If you are traveling from Abu Dhabi airport to Dubai you first need to head to the city center. For the bus service between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, you need to take the 30-minute ride on the A1 bus from Abu Dhabi terminals to the city center and get off at the Al Wahda Sultan Bin Zayed 1st St Bus Station. The ticket for the A1 Bus is around 5AED and runs every 40minutes. Buse to Dubai departs from a terminal located on the corner of Hazza bin Zayed Street. Buses operate from 6am to 11pm from this direction as well with buses E100 leaving every 10 minutes and to the central station in Dubai which is closer to Dubai Airport, while E101 leaves every 30 minutes and goes to Ibn Battuta Mall which has Ibn Battuta metro metro station close by making it easier to access the other parts of Dubai once you arrive. To leave from her check Dubai to Abu Dhabi bus timings from Ibn Battuta.
- The journey between Dubai and Abu Dhahi is about 2.5 to 3 hours depending on the traffic.
- Note that front seats are always reserved for women and families and the seats on the back are for men only.
- You can download the Abu Dhabi and Dubai bus schedule here.
Car Rental From Dubai To Abu Dhabi
Another one of the best ways to travel from Abu Dhabi to Dubai or Dubai to Abu Dhahi is via the freedom of having your own car. There are plenty of car rental companies in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, check out Easy Car. Parking is free almost everywhere in the Emirates.
Rental cars are fairly affordable in addition to petrol being fairly reasonably priced. The only thing to be aware of is that Dubai is now cracking down on speeding with many cameras being installed so if you do get caught they will take the money directly from your card.
The crazy traffic in Dubai there are toll road just so you are ware when driving from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. Also, ensure you have an update international driving license otherwise you may not be allowed to rent a car.
Its said to be a lot easier to rent a car in Dubai than it is in Abu Dhabi so if you are arriving in Dubai and heading to Abu Dhabi, make sure you rent in Dubai if possible and return it back to the Airport when leaving.
Also See:
- Best Hotels In Dubai
- Things To Do In Dubai
- Abra Tours In Souk Madinat
- What To Wear In Dubai + Packing List
- Tips On Cheap Places To Shop In Dubai
- Abu Dhabi Airport Guide
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Your pictures are absolutely stunning! Dubai and Abu Dabi are high on my list! Saved this for when I go! Do you know if its fairly easy to do Abu Dhabi from Dubai as a day trip? Just trying to figure out whether to choose between Abu Dhabi or Dubai for a holiday or if we could spend time in Dubai and then do a day trip to Abu Dhabi from Dubai.
Hi Jacqueline, that’s understandable. Both cities are absolutely beautiful so choose whether to go to Abu Dhabi or Dubai for a holiday can be a bit hard. The good thing is that they are very close so you can easily see both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. There are plenty of options to travel between the two cities, from Abu Dhabi Dubai taxi options and I have layed out possibly Abu Dhabi Dubai taxi fares for that journey so its only a matter of how many days you have in the UAE and what your budget is. Also, you can opt to do a tour and all the transportation is sorted for you.
You take amazing photos! Dubai has never been on top of my list but your pics are making me to reconsider. Would love to visit but not sure in terms of Abu Dhabi vs Dubai tourism as well as what to see and do in between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Which city would you see you would need more time to visit, just trying to figure out is Abu Dhabi and Dubai the same? Does one have more thing to see than the other?
Hi Anna, both Dubai and Abu Dhabi are beautiful but I dont think I would go as far as saying they are the same. In terms of Abu Dhabi vs Dubai tourism, I think Dubai offers a little more things to do than Adbu Dhabi but Abu Dhabi is developing just as rapidly. You still have the Louvre, Ferrari world and all sorts of stuff to do which I covered in my post on things to do in Abu Dhabi. Both are definitely worth visiting. You can also do a combined Abu Dhabi Dubai tour package to get the most of your time.
What an amazing place! I’ve never really planned to visit Abu Dhabi but the architecture looks so incredible, I kind of need it to see it for myself! I noticed you talked about the Abu Dhabi Dubai taxi as well as Abu Dhabi Dubai bus timing just wanted to know if there is a Abu Dhabi Dubai train between the two cities?
Hi Janine, as I said above, if there was a Abu Dhabi Dubai train it would be a total game changer. I believe they are currently still working on this. Traffic between the two cities will also be a lot better.
This is such a thorough post. I have been wondering just how easy it is to visit Abu Dhabi from Dubai. I love all the options but hope when I visit they manage to get the train sorted.
I am glad you enjoyed the post. You and me both, I would love to visit again when they have the train sorted. I would love to explore Abu Dhabi knowing that I can easily get back to Dubai quickly by train.
As a lover of amazing architecture, I have always fancied Abu Dhabi but haven’t set my mind on visiting even though I usually visit Dubai. thanks for this post, it has made the visit easy already the Etihad Coaches will be just fine for me, although I am still in two minds about using my own car rental in Abu Dhabi. Do you know how far is Abu Dhabi from Dubai by car?
We used the tour option but the drive is about the same distance. As far as how far Abu Dhabi from Dubai is by car, I believe it was just under 2 hours. If you can do the free Abu Dhabi Dubai shuttle and save money then definitely go for that option and then rent the car when you arrive in Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi …beautiful city no doubt, I only have issues with the temperature especially during Summer. Apart from that, I enjoyed my stay there as well as the road trip to and fro Dubai. Between Abu Dhabi or Dubai which is better of tourist sights, getting around, hotels and beaches. I had always wondered just how far is Abu Dhabi from Dubai and fortunately to my surprise the distance wasnt too great.
That’s a really tough question. Its always difficult to compare cities which are totally different. If I had to decide whether Abu Dhabi or Dubai which is better, I guess I felt more comfortable in Dubai. Its a little more relaxed also as far as getting around, I think Dubai is a little more developed. No doubt if I return again in a year or two both will have advanced even more. Both have amazing hotels, but I would say Dubai has a wider range in terms of covering a range of budgets. Beaches are all just as beautiful. I would definitely recommend visiting both Abu Dhabi and Dubai to fully make your mind up 😀
Two places come to mind when I think of visiting the Middle East—Israel and the United Arab Emirates. I’ve been wanting to go to Dubai for some time now. Talk about your modern marvels. Abu Dhabi looks like checking out while I’m there so you can bet I’ll be adding it to the itinerary. You post certainly makes it seem like there are a lot of options for get to from Abu Dhabi to Dubai as well as the other way round.
Yes, both Israel and UAE and stunning countries and well worth exploring. You should definitely visit Dubai if you can, I would highly recommend it and if possible include Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi from Dubai distance is not far at all, you can definitely travel to Abu Dhabi from Dubai on a day trip if you are short on time. Both city seriously are just beautiful!
Dubai is one of best place for Tourists. It’s not only about skyscapers but its all about fun and luxury life. We have listed best tour packages for you. I had never even considered traveling from Dubai to Abu Dhabi until my last trip. I was wondering if they now have trains from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
Hi Chis, the last time we were there, last year, I don’t think the train option was yet available. Hopefully soon though.
Thank you for putting this together. Great post on how to get from Abu Dhabi to Dubai. I would love to visit Abu Dhabi overnight from Dubai. Do you know if its crazy expensive in Abu Dhabi? I am glad you also have details of how to get to Dubai for the return journey.
Hi there, Abu Dhabi has its fair share of mid range and super luxury hotels just like Dubai but there are still some affordable hotels there too so I am sure you will be fine.
I am trying to figure out how to travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi by metro. Are there trains from Dubai to Abu Dhabi? If there is a metro do you know the distance from Dubai to Abu Dhabi by metro?
I am landing in Abu Dhabi, do you know how to get to Abu Dhabi from Dubai Airport? Or if you can tell me which is the best way to get to abu Dhabi from Dubai, I would really appreciate that. I am currently considering the bus from Abu Dhabi to Dubai airport.
Trying to figure out the cheapest way to get to Abu Dhabi from Dubai. Your post really gives me food for thought. Just need to work out the budget and decide which is the best way to go to Abu Dhabi from Dubai. Thanks for the post.
Thank you for sharing. I’m Mobility impaired and will be traveling in 3 weeks with 16 family/friends to celebrate my 50th birthday. I’ve been having a hard time trying to find wheelchair accessible tours/buses to visit Abu Dhabi. Do you have any suggestions? We’d love to take the safari tour. Thanks.
Hi, from what I have read online there are plenty of wheelchair accessible taxis in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. From the airport when you arrive as well as ones your hotel can call for you. If you are travelling from Dubai to Abu Dhabi you can simply follow the same instructions. Both cities are easy to navigate for wheelchair users. You can check this one out and contact the tour company itself and ask them but this is a review from a wheelcair user: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g295424-d7381205-r448340548-OceanAir_Travels-Dubai_Emirate_of_Dubai.html Also ask these one as their is a review from a wheelchair user here: http://tidd.ly/e76dcb49. Many of the tour here also include private tour with driver so they may be able to arrange a car with a wheelchair access: http://tidd.ly/dfc09a70. Hope that helps. 🙂