Dubai Hop-On Hop-Off Buses

Dubai is a city that grows in all directions. Both in extension and in height, so to get to know it, you have to travel long distances and always with your attention focused on the heights of its skyscrapers. This makes the tourist bus one of the best ways to get to know Dubai.

A tourist bus allows you to move around the main points of the city, enjoy the views in an open-top bus and do so with an audio guide adapted to several languages. To find out how it works, prices, types and schedules of this type of bus, just keep reading.

In Dubai there are a couple of companies that offer these bus tours and each one of them has its own routes and particularities. All of them offer an open-top double-decker bus, audio guides in several languages and similar routes through the main tourist attractions in Dubai.

The main one is Dubai Big Bus, a company specialising in tourist buses with a presence in 17 of the world's major tourist capitals. This company has three different routes that can be booked for 24 or 48 hours.

The other company is Dubai City Sightseeing, which is very similar to Big Bus in terms of the services it offers but has up to six different routes more specific to different types of travellers.

The different routes offered by these companies are listed below. Big Bus Tours has three options and City Sightseeing has twice as many routes. City Sightseeing's red, blue, yellow and purple routes are very similar to those of Big Bus Tours and they also have two additional routes.

Big Bus Routes

• City Tour: This route, marked by the red colour, runs mainly through the historic part of the city and downtown. The route starts near the Dubai Creek, the Dubai Estuary, and begins in the downtown area where, among other things, the Burj Khalifa is located, before returning to the Bur Dubai area and touring the historic centre. It has strategic stops that will allow you to visit the souk or gold and spice markets and the area around the Dubai Creek.
• Beach Tour: If you are a beginner and want to enjoy the modern architecture of Dubai, the green line of these buses is the best option. The Beach Tour route runs along the Dubai Mall, around Downtown Dubai to see the Burj Khalifa and up to the Jumeirah Mosque. From there it goes along the beach area with several stops to see the artificial islands and other modern areas of Dubai.
• Marina Tour: The last line, the blue line, departs from the Mall of the Emirates and has 11 stops at the most emblematic places in the city. This option is the most interesting if you are short on time and want to get straight to the point to see the most interesting sights of Dubai.

Additional City Sightseeing routes

• Cruise Terminal Route: Marked in green, this route is designed for travellers arriving in Dubai by cruise ship. It starts at the port itself and goes directly to the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa as the main point from which to visit this complex or take other routes that depart from there.
• Global Village & Miracle Garden Route: This route is only available during peak tourist seasons and offers the possibility to go to the Global Village theme park or the Miracle Garden. It is a very specific and somewhat sought after route.

The main advantage of using a tourist bus to visit Dubai lies in its ease and comfort. With a single ticket we can forget about looking for other means of transport to take us from one place to another and have access to the most interesting places in Dubai.

Information is also very accessible as all buses have audio guides in many languages. And we don't have to worry too much about the time we spend in each place as the buses run every hour.

If we don't count the time we stop at each point and simply do the whole route on board the bus the duration is between 1 hour and 15 minutes or 2 hours depending on the route we choose.

The buses pass every hour at the different stops along the route so if we decide to stop at one of them we can get back on another bus every hour on the hour. This makes it one of the best ways to get around Dubai.

The sightseeing bus tours are designed for you to see all the major sights of Dubai. The main stops along the route where you can get off and have a closer look are:

• Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall: Dubai is the city of the colossal and its greatest symbol in this sense is the Burj Khalifa, the tallest skyscraper in the world with its more than 800 metres. At the foot of the Burj Khalifa is the Dubai Mall, the largest shopping mall in the world. Both are, in addition to being the most visited places in Dubai, the backbone of the tourist bus routes.
• Burj Al Arab: Speaking of records and spectacular buildings, the Burj Al Arab is the most famous hotel in the world and the most luxurious. So much so that it is said to be the only one with 7 stars. While the latter is true, it is a reflection of its spectacular nature.
• Jumeirah Mosque: Amidst all the skyscrapers and concrete, the Jumeirah Mosque is a piece of history and one of the few mosques in Dubai that opens its doors to tourists.
• Gold Souk and other markets: Dubai's souks and markets are located in the historic area along the Dubai Creek, where you can bargain and buy jewellery, perfumes, spices and all kinds of items linked to the tradition of Dubai.
• Jumeirah Beach Park: This is a pleasant park with one of the best beaches in the city, a perfect stop for a nice day away from the hustle and bustle of the city. An oasis amidst the heat and concrete of Dubai.
• Atlantis Hotel: Next to the Burj Al Arab, this is the most famous hotel in the city. Located on one of Dubai's artificial palm trees, the Atlantis has even been featured in a number of Hollywood films.
• Dubai Creek: This is the name given to the natural creek that crosses Dubai and on whose banks construction began. In this area you can take a cruise through Dubai, go for a walk or visit the city's historic quarter nearby.

There are two main types of tickets on these buses. The 24 hour and the 48 hour. Then there are some extras that can be added in some cases. The prices are as follows:

• Ticket valid for 24 hours: From 58 euros. Children between 5 and 15 years old from 39 euros. Children under 5 years old do not pay a ticket.
• Ticket valid for 48 hours: From 68 euros. Children between 5 and 15 years old from 46 euros. Children under 5 years old do not pay a ticket.

There are options such as night tours of Dubai, museum tickets or even boat trips on Dubai Creek that increase the fare.

The buses start their routes at 9:00 in the morning until 18:00 in the evening without interruption. During this time, you can get on any tourist bus that stops at the pre-established tourist points. Buses run every 60 minutes from 9:00 a.m. and on some routes in high season every half hour.

When you buy your ticket it is valid for 24 or 48 hours, depending on which one you buy, from the first time you use it. From then on you can hop on and off the tour buses as many times as you like to visit places like the Burj Khalifa or the Dubai Mall in more depth.

When you make your booking you will be asked to specify a start day although the time is not activated until you use it for the first time. From 9:00 to 18:00 you can hop on and off as many times and at as many stops as you like with your ticket.