In winter in Dubai the open top deck of a hop-on hop-off bus is the best seat in the city: 24°C, a breeze, and the skyline, the Palm and the old souks passing by with commentary in your own language. The buses are the easy way to see the main sights in a day or two at your own pace – ideal on a first visit, and still useful on a second one for the stretches the metro does not cover.
What to expect from a hop-on hop-off bus
Hop-on hop-off buses in Dubai run several colour-coded routes that between them stop at all the major attractions: Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall, the Dubai Frame, the souks and the Creek, Jumeirah Beach and the Burj Al Arab, Mall of the Emirates, the Marina and the Palm. You get on and off as often as you like within your ticket period. The buses have an open-air upper deck for views and an air-conditioned lower deck, plus audio guides in a dozen languages. Tickets usually include extras – a dhow cruise, a museum entry or a night tour – which is where the value is.
The companies operating in Dubai
Two operators run hop-on hop-off buses in Dubai, with different routes, prices and extras. The main points:
Big Bus Tours
Big Bus Tours is the larger operator, with multiple routes covering Dubai’s key attractions. Buses run daily from about 8:00 to 20:00, every 20–30 minutes at each stop. Prices start around AED 315 for a 1-day Classic ticket, AED 405 for a 2-day Premium ticket and AED 495 for a 5-day Deluxe ticket, which adds experiences such as a dhow cruise or a desert sunset tour. Prices change by season; the calendar below shows today’s rate.
Compare the Big Bus options for Dubai below – prices in your own currency, free cancellation, and the ticket on your phone.
City Sightseeing Dubai
City Sightseeing Dubai offers a similar service with routes through both old and new Dubai. Buses operate daily from about 9:00 to 18:00 and stop at all major attractions. Tickets start around AED 260 for a 1-day pass, AED 315 for 2 days and AED 405 for 3 days, often bundled with a dhow cruise or museum entry.
Compare the City Sightseeing options for Dubai below – prices in your own currency and easy booking.
Which hop-on hop-off service should you choose?
Big Bus Tours gives the most complete experience, with the widest choice of routes and extras – the pick if you want to see as much of Dubai as possible in two days. City Sightseeing Dubai is slightly cheaper and covers the essential stops, a good option on a budget. In winter, sit upstairs; the top deck is the whole point. And for the last stretch to the Palm, combine either bus with the Palm Monorail, which the tour buses do not replace.
