Dubai Metro Daily Pass
A Dubai Metro daily pass costs AED 20 for all zones on a Red Ticket, AED 40 for the Gold Class version, and there are cheaper zone limited day passes from AED 6. On a Red Ticket the all zones pass pays for itself on the third long trip of the day. Anyone carrying a Silver card has a different answer, because the daily fare cap already does much the same job.
Dubai Metro daily pass prices
The day pass is not a card of its own. It is a product you load onto a Red Ticket, the paper ticket that costs AED 2 at any ticket office or vending machine. One Red Ticket holds up to five day passes or ten single trips, and it stays valid for 90 days from purchase.
Two price ladders run in parallel. The all zones pass at AED 20 covers any journey anywhere on the network for the day. The zone limited passes cost less because they cover journeys up to a set zone count, and travel beyond that count is charged at the normal fare on top.
Gold Class has its own column throughout, at double the regular price, and the same rule applies as with any Gold product: the premium is charged on metro and tram, not on buses.
| Day pass | Regular | Gold Class |
|---|---|---|
| All zones | AED 20 | AED 40 |
| Within 1 zone | AED 6 | AED 10 |
| 2 adjacent zones | AED 8 | AED 14 |
| More than 2 zones | AED 10.50 | AED 19 |
Based on RTA nol Fares and RTA service 648 Travel Pass. Loaded onto a Red Ticket costing AED 2.
When a Dubai Metro daily pass beats paying per trip
A single trip on a Red Ticket costs AED 4 inside one zone, AED 6 across two zones and AED 8.50 beyond that, which is where the arithmetic starts. Three long trips at AED 8.50 come to more than the AED 20 all zones pass, so the pass wins from the third journey and everything after it is free.
Two trips is the break even point on every zone limited pass. The one zone pass at AED 6 beats two singles at AED 4, and the same holds at each level above it. A tourist doing the airport to Downtown in the morning and back at night is already better off with a day pass than with two singles.
The pass loses when you make one trip, or two short ones. It also loses to a Silver card for anyone travelling regularly, because a Silver card charges AED 7.50 for the same long trip that costs a Red Ticket AED 8.50. The fare calculator prices your actual pair of stations on either card.
Silver card holders already have a daily ceiling
There is no separate day pass for Silver and Blue cards, and there does not need to be one. RTA's daily fare cap stops the meter at AED 20 a day on a Silver or Blue card and AED 40 on a Gold card, no matter how many journeys you make after that.
One caveat comes with that figure. The cap was set in RTA's 2014 tariff revision, reported at the time by Gulf News, and it does not appear on the current RTA fares page. We show it labelled rather than as a live quote, and the gate display is the authority on what you were actually charged. The full fare rules set out where each number comes from.
For heavier use there is the week. A 7 day all zones travel pass costs AED 110 on a Silver card, which is under three day passes for seven days of travel. The pass calculator compares 7, 30, 90 and 365 day passes against your trip pattern.
How to buy a day pass and how long it lasts
Any metro ticket office or vending machine sells one. Ask for a Red Ticket with a day pass, or select the day pass option on the machine, and pay the AED 2 ticket price plus the pass. Machines take cards and cash, and offices take both as well.
The pass covers a day of travel rather than a rolling 24 hours. Stations close at 00:00 on most nights and 01:00 on Friday, so a pass bought at breakfast is spent by the time the last train runs. Buy it on the day you plan to use it.
One quirk of the Red Ticket is worth knowing before you tap. It carries one mode at a time, so a ticket loaded for the metro handles metro journeys until you have it reloaded for bus or tram. The Red Ticket page covers the trip limits, the 90 day validity and what happens when it runs out.
Where a day pass is not valid
Travel passes are not accepted on bus route 110, which charges a flat AED 2 to every rider whatever they hold. Intercity coaches sit outside the pass as well: the Hatta H02 express is AED 25 each way, paid separately.
Zone limited passes cover journeys within their zone count only. Cross beyond it and the trip is charged at the standard fare, which is why the all zones pass is the safer buy for a day of sightseeing that ends up in the Marina and Deira on the same afternoon.
Gold Class needs the Gold version of the pass. A regular day pass tapped at a Gold Class gate is not upgraded automatically, and travelling in that cabin without the right product is the sort of thing that draws a fare inspection penalty.
The number that does not add up
Look at the table again. The all zones day pass costs AED 20 while the more than two zones day pass costs AED 10.50, and RTA's fares page does not spell out what the first one buys that the second does not. Our reading is that the cheaper passes are tied to a zone scope in the same way the weekly and monthly passes are, with anything outside it charged normally. If your day is going to be spread across the whole city, the AED 20 pass removes the guesswork.
The other thing to weigh is how many days you are here. A day pass suits one busy day. Two or three busy days and the 7 day pass at AED 110 on a Silver card starts to look better, and a Silver card keeps working for the next five years rather than expiring in 90 days.
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Frequently asked questions
How much is a Dubai Metro day pass?
AED 20 for all zones on a Red Ticket, or AED 40 for Gold Class. Zone limited day passes cost AED 6 for one zone, AED 8 for two and AED 10.50 for more than two. The Red Ticket itself is AED 2.
How many trips do I need to make for a day pass to pay off?
Three long trips on the all zones pass, since singles on a Red Ticket cost AED 8.50 each. On the zone limited passes it is two trips.
How long is a Dubai Metro daily pass valid?
For the day you travel, up to the end of service. Stations close at 00:00 most nights and 01:00 on Friday, and the pass does not roll over to the next morning.
Can I put a day pass on a Silver NOL card?
No. Day passes are a Red Ticket product. A Silver card is covered instead by the daily fare cap of AED 20, a figure that dates from RTA's 2014 tariff revision and is not restated on the current fares page.
Is the day pass valid on buses and the tram?
Yes, on city buses and the tram, but not on route 110 or intercity coaches. A Red Ticket also carries one mode at a time, so it has to be loaded for the mode you are about to use.
Is a day pass worth it for a tourist?
For one packed day of sightseeing, yes. For a stay of several days, a Silver card at AED 25 with AED 19 of credit on it, or a 7 day pass at AED 110, works out cheaper per trip.
Where do I buy a Dubai Metro day pass?
At any metro ticket office or ticket vending machine, and at bus station offices. Ask for a Red Ticket with a day pass loaded, or pick the option on the machine.