Hop-On Hop-Off Buses in the UAE: The 12 Best Passes

1.City Sightseeing HOHO Bus Tour + Sunset & Night Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 6,442 reviews · 1 - 3 days · from $54Our pick

Explore Dubai by open-top hop-on hop-off bus on two routes, with audio commentary in 11 languages, free onboard water, and a two-hour sunset and night ride. Use the pass for 24, 48, or 72 hours, starting at Dubai Mall or joining at any marked stop. It is a practical first-day tour for seeing both old and modern Dubai.

“The various souks are a must visit on the red route to support local traders where you will find clothing, perfume, jewelry, local food and spices. A great day out that you can even stretch over 2 days. The Marina traffic causes mayor delays over weekends, so factor that in when doing the blue route”

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2.Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour & Optional Dhow Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,288 reviews · 1 - 5 days · from $55

See Dubai from an open-top Big Bus on two routes covering Burj Khalifa, old Dubai, Jumeirah, Palm Jumeirah, and Dubai Marina. Choose 24 hours, 48 hours, or five days, with selected passes adding a dhow cruise, Lost World Aquarium, Dubai Frame, and desert sunset outing. Audio commentary comes in six languages, and mobile QR tickets are accepted.

“Great and very pleasant experience. Glenda helped us a lot and provided all necessary information, being very friendly and professional. Thank you!! Highly recommend the tour to everyone!”

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3.Big Bus Dubai Hop-On, Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour by Open-Top Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,632 reviews · from $72

See Dubai from an open-top double-decker bus, moving between Burj Khalifa, Old Dubai, the Gold Souk, Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, and Burj Al Arab. Choose a 24-hour, 48-hour, or five-day pass. All tickets include a one-hour dhow cruise, while longer passes add Lost Chambers Aquarium, Dubai Frame, and a desert sunset tour.

“Was pretty good, just the buses were never on time…or starting off late. The routes are easy to find if you get off on that stop and remember where to return. Some buses ac didn’t work”

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4.Big Bus Abu Dhabi Hop-On Hop-Off with Sheikh Zayed Mosque Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 903 reviews · from $85

Explore Abu Dhabi by open-top double-decker bus, with commentary in eight languages and a Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque visit included with every ticket. Ride past the Corniche, Emirates Palace, Heritage Village, Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Marina Mall, then hop off where you like. Longer passes may add the Presidential Palace, Louvre entry, evening tours, or Al Ain.

“A fantastic coverage of areas and sights. Unlimited free cold water all day. Lovely helpful staff. Disappointing that the dhow cruise was unavailable - the 40 minute yacht cruise was ok but a bit boring.”

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5.5-Day Pass: Hop-On Hop-Off, Lost World Aquarium, Dubai Frame

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 838 reviews · 5 days · from $108

Use five consecutive days of Big Bus access to see Dubai’s old districts, beaches, Palm Jumeirah, and major landmarks. Your pass also covers a desert sunset tour, a Creek dhow cruise with unlimited pizza and soft drinks, Lost World Aquarium entry, and the Dubai Frame. Audio commentary is available in six languages.

“We used the Bus service for the 5 days we had it, very reliable and great that we could check out all the sites of Dubai and hop on and off when we needed to.”

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6.City Sightseeing Dubai Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour & Dhow Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 678 reviews · 1 - 3 days · from $68

Use a 1, 2, or 3-day City Sightseeing Dubai pass to reach landmarks from the Gold Souk to Atlantis The Palm. You get recorded commentary in 11 languages, a Dhow Cruise, and a Sunset and Night Tour. Two and 3-day passes also include Lost World Aquarium. Plan around traffic, which can greatly extend journey times.

“Was a great experience from start to finish , all excellent.”

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7.City Sightseeing Dubai Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 657 reviews · from $35

See Dubai from an open-top double-decker bus with a 24, 48, or 72-hour pass. Ride red and blue routes to Burj Khalifa, Dubai Creek, Gold Souk, Palm Jumeirah, Atlantis, and Souk Madinat Jumeirah. Audio commentary, free water, a sunset and night loop, and optional attraction extras add value, though traffic can slow the ride.

“Great way to see the city. Bus was timely. Drivers were nice. Audio was good on bus. Would recommend to others to do.”

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8.Big Bus Panoramic Night Tour & Optional Dinner Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 283 reviews · 105 minutes - 4 hours · from $46

Take a 105-minute open-top Big Bus ride past Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa, Museum of the Future, Dubai Harbour, Atlantis the Palm, and Souk Madinat Jumeirah. Choose the Dubai by Night option for a one-hour dhow dinner cruise, buffet, and Dubai Mall fountain show. Audio commentary is available in six languages.

“This is a great tour if you have few hours during night and want to see Dubai nightlights. The guide is very friendly and it started on time. Despite of night tour, it can get hot, so, have some extra water with you. This is not only a sightseeing tour, you will also learn a lot about Dubai/Muslim culture and traditions.”

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9.Big Bus Dubai Open Top Night Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 266 reviews · from $51

Ride an open-top double-decker through Dubai after dark, with views of Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, and Sheikh Zayed Road. Recorded commentary is available in six languages, while some departures feature engaging guides such as Cecilia. The 2.5-hour loop starts and ends at Dubai Mall.

“Really enjoyable tour. Cecilia was very knowledgable and quite funny. I thought it was good value for money. Definitely worth doing it at night rather than during the day as the discomfort from the heat reduced as the tour went on - I can imagine it being quite unbearable during the day.”

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10.Big Bus Dubai and Abu Dhabi Twin City Ticket: Hop-On Hop-Off Tours

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 178 reviews · from $149

Use one ticket for 24 hours of Big Bus sightseeing in Dubai and 24 hours in Abu Dhabi. Ride open-top buses, stop at the Burj Khalifa, Grand Mosque, souks, palaces, and beaches, then add a Dubai dhow cruise and Abu Dhabi Sky Tower entry. Check the shuttle days and departure time carefully before booking.

“First off, it's hard to find the actual stops on the map. Even the folks at the hotel had a difficult time explaining to us where to catch the bus. The Dubai portion was fine. the Abu Dhabi portion was a waste of time. First, you have only one option tRead more”

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11.City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 54 reviews · 1 day · from $28Best value

Explore Sharjah by double-decker bus with 13 stops, including Al Majaz Waterfront, Al Noor Island, Al Qasba, Sharjah Aquarium, and King Faisal Road. Use the seven-language audio guide, hop off for museums and markets, and add a 15-minute boat ride from 4pm to 1am. Attraction tickets, food, and drinks cost extra.

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12.City Sightseeing Dubai HOHO Bus Tour, Aquaventure & More

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 26 reviews · 3 days · from $147

Use a 3-day City Sightseeing Dubai pass to explore two bus routes, Old Dubai, Dubai Mall, Atlantis, Dubai Marina, and the Museum of the Future. Your package also includes a 2-hour sunset and night tour, Al Seef dhow cruise, Lost World Aquarium entry, and Aquaventure Waterpark access. Audio commentary is available in 11 languages.

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