Dubai is blessed with a lot of tourist attractions. A day traveler could find it hard though to explore all the city’s best areas on foot and with a tight schedule. Fortunately, there’s a special vehicle that can let you navigate the city in just a few hours: a hop on hop off bus in Dubai.
Things to Know About Hop on Hop Off Tours in Dubai
If you’ve been traveling to various countries worldwide, you might already have come across different hop on hop off bus tours. If this is your first time and you’re doing it in Dubai, however, let’s get you acquainted with this activity. Here’s everything you need to know about Dubai bus tours on hop on hop off vehicles.
What is a Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour
These bus tours are city-guided tours done through a bus network. Inside a bus, usually a double-decker, passengers with booked tickets can tour the city following popular predetermined routes with tourist attractions.
Each hop on hop off bus in Dubai is operated by a bus driver, one conductor, and a tourist guide. Guides typically make commentaries during the ride to introduce landmarks and tourist attractions; they are fluent in various languages, such as English, Arabic, Mandarin, Korean, and Japanese, to assist foreign tourists.
Who Can Ride Hop on Hop Off Bus Tours in Dubai
Hop on hop off buses allows access to passengers of all ages. All you need to do, after all, is hop on the bus, tour the city, and hop off. For this reason, there are no age or serious health restrictions involved in the tour.
Dubai Bus Tour Age Restrictions
Infants and children of all ages are allowed to ride the bus. Some hop on hop off buses in Dubai even offer free rides to children under five. Parents and guardians must accompany their children at all times. For those with strollers, conductors may assist parents to temporarily store them inside the bus compartments.
Dubai Bus Tour Health Restrictions
The buses explore the city at a steady pace, so anyone with no existing severe health condition can ride the bus. Pregnant women at their early stage and people of determination are welcome to ride the bus and ask for assistance. These buses have wheelchair ramps and other easily accessible areas for passengers with physical disabilities.
Are Hop On Hop Off Bus Tours in Dubai Safe and Regulated?
Dubai bus tours using double-decker buses are much safer (and comfortable) than riding public vehicles. These buses are safe, monitored, and regulated. Travel and tour companies offering hop on hop off bus tours are required to operate based on the rules and regulations of Dubai’s Public Transport – Roads & Transport Authority.
COVID-19 Considerations
All public vehicles and travel and tour companies in Dubai follow special health and safety measures to combat COVID-19. Hop on hop off bus operators are required by the World Health Organization (WHO) and local authorities to ensure social distancing among passengers, sanitize seats and facilities, conduct temperature checks for staff and passengers, and promote contactless payments. As the COVID-19 situation progresses, hop on hop off bus operators may provide changing working hours, passenger capacity, and routes based on local curfews and protocols.
Passengers, too, are required to follow individual safety protocols. Passengers should wear face masks during the activity, avoid physical contact among staff and other passengers, and submit basic personal information for contact tracing purposes.
When Is the Best Time to Ride a Hop On Hop Off Bus in Dubai
These buses operate at fixed time intervals, usually 30 minutes to an hour, along predetermined routes, so you can choose to ride any time of the day based on the operators’ daily schedule. Most buses regularly operate from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Some offer night bus tours from 06:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
How Long Are Hop On Hop Off Bus Tours in Dubai
Each Dubai bus tour takes one and a half hour to 2 hours to complete, depending on the predetermined route you’ll choose. Bus operators stay on schedule to complete all operations for the day and avoid delays that can affect the succeeding tours, so the departure times are always accurate.
What Are The Best Routes for Hop on Hop Off Bus Tours in Dubai
The predetermined routes of each hop on hop off bus in Dubai already feature some of the city’s best tourist destinations and landmarks. However, a single route can’t contain all the best landmarks in Dubai in one loop. As such, tour operators offer 2-day or 3-day tickets to allow tourists to explore the entire city.
Here’s a list of the top 15 locations you should look for in a hop on hop off bus’ color-coded tour routes:
Burj Khalifa
Dubai Creek
Al Fahidi Historical District
Khan Murjan Souk Walk
Jumeirah Beach Park
Mall of the Emirates
The Palm Jumeirah
Atlantis the Palm
E11 Sheikh Zayed Road
Burj Al Arab
Jumeirah Mosque
The Grand Mosque
Shindagha Museum
The Burj Khalifa
Palm Island Drive
Preparation Tips And Booking Procedures
Hop on hop off bus tours in Dubai can offer the most hassle-free city tour for visiting tourists. So, if you’re ready to hop, let’s head to the actual preparations and procedures involved in booking the activity.
How to Get to Hop on Hop Off Bus Stations in Dubai
Hop on hop off bus tours in Dubai have their designated stations near the city’s main roads. The starting stations, though not standing establishments, serve as meeting places for all passengers. For convenience, however, tour operators also allow passengers to join the tour midway from any of the tour stops included in the route.
Most Dubai bus tour operators park and depart at the Financial Center Road / Dubai Mall – Tourist Bus Parking Area, the Mall of the Emirates – Bus Hub, and Atlantis The Palm – The Avenues Entrance.
How to Get to Dubai Mall’s Tourist Bus Parking Area
The Financial Center Road lies on the eastern side of Sheikh Zayed Road, the main road in Dubai. Travelers with private or rented vehicles can easily reach the tourist bus parking area of Dubai Mall approximately 11 minutes from the city center through Sheikh Zayed Rd/E11.
There are bus stations that can directly take you to Dubai Mall and its surrounding areas. Take buses 11A, 27, 53, C26, and X28, depending on your origin. If you want to take the metro, take the Red Line to Al Rigga Metro Station or Union Metro Station. You can take a 10 to 20-minute walk from these stations to reach Dubai Mall’s tourist bus parking area.
How to Get to The Mall of the Emirates – Bus Hub
The bus hub at The Mall of the Emirates is located on the mall’s ground floor – entrance A. Travelers with private or rented vehicles can easily reach the mall from the city center through Sheikh Rashid Rd/E11 in approximately 25 minutes.
If you want to commute, city buses can take you to the Mall of the Emirates and its surrounding areas. Take buses 81, 84, and 93. If you want to take the metro, ride the Red Line to the Mall of the Emirates Metro Station. From there, you can take a 7-minute walk to reach the mall.
How to Get to Atlantis The Palm – The Avenues Entrance
Atlantis The Palm is a huge luxury hotel located at the Palm Jumeirah. The bus station for hop on hop off bus tours is at The Avenues, the hotel’s marketplace. Travelers with private or rented vehicles can easily reach Atlantis, The Palm from the city center through Sheikh Rashid Rd/E11 in approximately 20 minutes.
There are no city buses or metro stations that can directly take you to Atlantis The Palm in one ride. However, you can take the Dubai Monorail if you want to commute. Just alight at the Palm Atlantis Monorail Station, and from there, take a 17-minute walk to The Palm.
What Are the Things Passengers Need to Prepare?
A hop on hop off bus in Dubai conveniently offers a quick city tour that is neither tiring nor crowded, so there’s not much to prepare for this 1 to 2-hour tour. All you need to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the view.
Clothing
Casual clothing that matches the weather is enough for a sightseeing tour. Take note of Dubai’s warm and cold days and the UAE’s public dressing code as you plan your clothing. Since you’re just sitting on the tour, you can prepare an all-out OOTD and head to a walking tour after you hop off.
Food and Drinks
Some hop on hop off bus tour tickets come with complimentary bottled water and snacks on board. In case your booking doesn’t offer these inclusions, you can bring your own bottle of water or choice of beverage. We don’t recommend bringing heavy meals or snacks to maintain the cleanliness of the vehicle. Besides, the tour only lasts for 1 to 2 hours.
Baggage and Luggage
You can bring a small to medium-sized bag to carry your valuables and other essentials. If you have oversized luggage, you can ask the tour guide or conductor to assist you. These hop on hop off buses, like regular buses, also have compartments.
Is Pre-booking Necessary?
You can buy tickets at least 30 minutes before the actual tour. However, we don’t recommend doing this as some Dubai bus tour operators require passengers to redeem physical tickets inside their partner malls. It’s best to pre-book at least a day before.
Where to Book the Best Hop on Hop Off Bus in Dubai
There are two main hop on hop off bus tour operators occupying the main roads of Dubai. Other operators also offer city tours via bus, but they don’t have the hop on hop off feature. On this list are the best hop on hop off bus operators in Dubai based on local and tourist recommendations and reviews. Make sure to pick a package with outstanding service and good value for money.
Big Bus Tours
Big Bus Tour is the largest and leading operator of open-top Dubai bus tours, but the company also offers sightseeing tours across 22 cities in four continents. They have excellent online reviews on Trip Advisor and Trust Pilot.
Classic Tour
Starts at 224 AED (61 USD) per adult and 151 AED (41.20 USD) per child
1-day standard access
Unlimited pickups and drop-offs on available bus routes
Available in red (main city tour), green (beach tour), and blue (Dubai Marina tour) routes
Pre-recorded commentary in 12 languages
Free mobile app
Premium Tour
Starts at 244 AED (66.40 USD) per adult and 165 AED (44.90 USD) per child
2-day premium access
Available in red (main city tour), green (beach tour), and blue (Dubai Marina tour) routes
Free mobile app
Pre-recorded commentary in 12 languages
Unlimited pickups and drop-offs on available bus routes
Free mobile app
Bus Tour Frequency: Bus leaves every 30 minutes
Bus Tour Duration: 1 hour to 1 hour and 50 minutes
City Sightseeing Dubai
City SightSeeing is also one of the largest operators in the city. It offers double-decker, open-top bus tours. Outside Dubai, they operate in all five continents covering over 100 cities.
Single Route Tour
Starts at 180 AED (49 USD)
1-day single access
Available in red (modern and historical city tour), yellow (beach tour), and pink (The Palm tour) routes
Pre-recorded commentary in 11 languages
Free water
Free onboard WiFi
Dubai Panoramic Tour
Starts at 180 AED (49 USD)
1-day single access
Available in red (modern and historical city tour), yellow (beach tour), and pink (The Palm tour) routes
Pre-recorded commentary in 11 languages
Free onboard WiFi
Bus Tour Frequency: Bus leaves every 30 to 40 minutes
Bus Tour Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours
Final Tips For First-Time Passengers
A hop on hop off bus in Dubai can carry you to the best places in the city, but these tours are quick—only lasting a few hours. For this reason, we recommend planning your desired predetermined routes ahead of time, checking the schedule at all times, and bringing light luggage to get a full, hassle-free experience.
What to Do After A Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour in Dubai
You can continue your sightseeing tour in Dubai on foot after you hop off the bus. On your walking city tour, don’t forget to drop by at Dubai’s most iconic locations, such as the Burj Khalifa and Burj Al Arab. You can also maximize your tour by visiting Dubai museums, massage centers, and shopping malls.
