Dubai Airport by Metro (DXB): Terminals 1 and 3 on the Red Line (2026)
Dubai International Airport has a Metro station inside Terminal 1 and inside Terminal 3, both on the Red Line, so most arrivals can ride into the city without a taxi. Terminal 2 has no Metro station. This page covers the first ride after landing: which terminal has a station, how to buy a NOL card at the airport, the fares and times to the places arrivals actually go, the luggage rule, and what to do if you land after the Metro has stopped. Fares and times were checked 2026-11-10; verify on rta.ae before you travel.
Which DXB terminal has a Metro station?
Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 each have a Metro station inside the terminal, and Terminal 2 has no Metro station. Both airport stations are on the Red Line in Zone 5, so every trip from the airport starts in Zone 5 and the fare depends on how many zones your route touches after that. Check which terminal your flight uses before you land, because it decides whether you walk to a platform or take a bus or a taxi first.
| Terminal | Metro station | Zone | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1 | Airport Terminal 1 | Zone 5 | Walk to the station inside the terminal and ride the Red Line |
| Terminal 2 | No Metro station | – | Take an RTA bus to the nearest Red Line station, or take a taxi |
| Terminal 3 | Airport Terminal 3 | Zone 5 | Walk to the station inside the terminal and ride the Red Line |
Terminal 3 is the Emirates terminal and Terminal 1 serves most other international airlines. Both stations sit inside their terminal building, so you do not need a shuttle or a bus to reach the platform. See our Airport Terminal 1 Metro Station and Airport Terminal 3 Metro Station guides for each station in detail.
From arrivals to the platform: your first ride step by step
From arrivals, follow the red Metro signs to the station, buy a NOL card or a Red Ticket, and tap in at the gate. The walk from the arrivals hall to the platform takes about 5 to 8 minutes as reported in airport guides. Allow a few minutes more if you stop to buy a card, because the ticket office queue is longest at busy arrival times.
- Follow the red Metro signs from the arrivals hall to the station inside your terminal.
- Buy a NOL card or a Red Ticket at the ticket office or a vending machine. A Silver card costs AED 25 including AED 19 of credit.
- Check you have at least AED 7.50 on a Silver or Gold card, or AED 3.50 on a Blue card, or the gates will not open.
- Tap in at the gate, board the train towards Expo 2020 or towards Life Pharmacy, and check the destination on the train before you board.
- Tap out at your destination station. Both taps are mandatory, and the fare is worked out from the zones your route touches.
Watch the clock on Sundays and late at night. On Sunday the first train leaves the airport at 8:00 am, three hours later than other days, so an early Sunday arrival cannot ride the Metro at all. The Metro also stops around midnight, and at 1:00 am on Friday, so a late arrival is taxi only. Check the first and last train times below before you count on the Metro.
Buying a NOL card at the airport
Buy your NOL card at the ticket office or the vending machines inside the Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 Metro stations. The machines take cash and cards and hand the card over on the spot. There are also NOL Pay Smart Kiosks in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall that accept international credit cards. A Red Ticket is a paper ticket for a handful of trips; a Silver card is the standard card for a stay of more than a day.
| Card | Price (including credit) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Red Ticket | AED 2 | One or two trips, up to 10 trips within 90 days |
| Silver NOL card | AED 25 (AED 19 credit) | Regular pay as you go travel for a stay of more than a day |
| Gold NOL card | AED 25 (AED 19 credit) | Gold Class cabins on Metro and Tram, at double Silver fares |
| QR ticket (nol Pay or S’hail app) | From AED 6 Regular, AED 22 day pass | A visitor with a phone and no card who needs one or two trips |
- Top-up minimums catch visitors out. A ticket machine takes AED 20 or more, and a ticket office starts at AED 50, so a first top-up is bigger than most arrivals expect.
- Do not top up online while standing at the gate. Online credit sits pending for up to 4 hours before it activates, so it will not open the gate. Top up at the machine or the office instead.
- Keep AED 7.50 on a Silver or Gold card. Below that the gates will not open, and the same minimum applies when activating a pending balance at the gates.
Card prices above are corroborated by guides citing RTA, not directly read on the RTA fares page. See the Metro Fares and NOL Card Hub for the full card comparison and the pass tables. Fares checked 2026-11-10, verify on rta.ae.
Fares and times from the airport
Your fare from the airport depends on how many zones your route touches, and every trip from Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 starts in Zone 5. Terminal 1 is one stop closer to the city than Terminal 3, so its times are about 2 to 3 minutes shorter and its fares are identical, because the same zones are touched. Times below are estimates at about 2 to 3 minutes a stop; RTA does not publish a per-trip journey time.
| Destination from Airport Terminal 3 | Zones touched | Silver fare | Stops | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Zone 5 | AED 3 | 5 | About 13 min |
| Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall | Zones 5, 6 | AED 5 | 12 | About 30 min |
| Mall of the Emirates | Zones 5, 6, 2 | AED 7.50 | 16 | About 40 min |
| DMCC | Zones 5, 6, 2 | AED 7.50 | 21 | About 53 min |
| Ibn Battuta | Zones 5, 6, 2 | AED 7.50 | 23 | About 58 min |
| Expo 2020 | Zones 5, 6, 2, 1 | AED 7.50 | 31 | About 78 min |
Gold costs double Silver on Metro and Tram. A return is two single fares, with no verified return discount. Price your exact trip with our Dubai Metro Fare Calculator or plan the route with our Dubai Metro Route Planner. The gate display is final.
First and last train from the airport
The first train leaves the airport at 5:00 am Monday to Saturday and at 8:00 am on Sunday. Service ends at midnight, except Friday when it ends at 1:00 am the next day. Last train times below are for Monday to Thursday and Saturday, from the RTA station timetable as read by two independent sources that agree, reviewed 3 Nov 2026; RTA does not publish a single public per-station table. On Friday, add about one hour.
| Station | Last train towards Centrepoint | Last train towards Expo 2020 | Last train towards Life Pharmacy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport Terminal 3 | 12:02 am | 10:52 pm | 10:56 pm |
| Airport Terminal 1 | 12:00 am | 10:54 pm | 10:58 pm |
Service end is when the last trains finish, not when they leave, so the last train from your station leaves earlier. See our Dubai Metro Timings page for the last train from every station.
Luggage on the Metro
RTA allows a maximum of two bags per passenger on the Metro. One large suitcase can be up to 81 x 58 x 30 cm and one small bag up to 55 x 38 x 20 cm. That rule comes from a secondary source reporting the RTA rule, so check it on rta.ae if you travel with oversized luggage. In practice, keep your bags with you, avoid blocking the doors, and avoid the busiest peak hour trains if you carry a large suitcase.
If your luggage is heavier than the two-bag rule allows, or you land with several large cases, a taxi from the terminal is the simpler choice. The Metro has no luggage check-in and no porter service, and the Gold Class cabin does not change the bag rule.
Terminal 2: no Metro station
Terminal 2 has no Metro station, so take an RTA bus from Terminal 2 to the nearest Red Line station or take a taxi. Do not walk to Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 expecting a Metro connection on foot; the terminals are separate buildings and the transfer is by bus or taxi, not on foot. Al Maktoum International (DWC) also has no Metro station yet: buses F55 to Expo 2020 Metro and N55 to Ibn Battuta run about every 30 minutes, and a taxi to Downtown costs AED 100 to 150.
Taxi from the airport if the Metro has stopped
If the Metro has stopped, a taxi is the fallback from every terminal, with an airport flag fare of AED 20 per RTA 2026 fares. Dubai Airports pages still say AED 25, so check the flag when you board. A taxi from DXB to Downtown costs AED 50 to 80, and to the Marina AED 80 to 100. Careem Hala books a metered RTA taxi with no surge, and other apps can surge at peak times. See our Dubai Local Transport page for the full taxi and ride hailing detail.
Frequently asked questions
The answers below use the same verified facts as the sections above, checked 2026-11-10. The live timetable and fare pages are final.
Which DXB terminal has a Metro station?
Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 have Metro stations inside the terminal, and Terminal 2 does not. Both airport stations are on the Red Line in Zone 5. Terminal 3 is the Emirates terminal and Terminal 1 serves most other international airlines. If you land at Terminal 2, take an RTA bus to the nearest Red Line station or take a taxi.
Where do I buy a NOL card at the airport?
Buy your NOL card at the ticket office or the vending machines inside the Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 Metro stations. A Red Ticket costs AED 2 and a Silver card costs AED 25 including AED 19 of credit. A ticket machine takes AED 20 or more for a top-up, and a ticket office starts at AED 50. Do not top up online at the gate, because online credit sits pending for up to 4 hours.
How much is the Metro from the airport to Downtown?
From Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 to Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall costs AED 5 on a Silver card, because the trip touches 2 zones. It is 12 stops from Terminal 3 and takes about 30 minutes. To Union it costs AED 3, and to the Marina area it costs AED 7.50, because those trips touch 3 zones. Gold costs double Silver on Metro and Tram.
What time does the Metro start on Sunday?
On Sunday the first train leaves the airport at 8:00 am, three hours later than other days. Monday to Saturday the first train leaves at 5:00 am. If you land early on a Sunday, take a taxi or a bus instead, because the station is closed until 8:00 am. Service ends at midnight, except Friday when it ends at 1:00 am.
Can I take luggage on the Metro?
Yes, RTA allows a maximum of two bags per passenger on the Metro. One large suitcase can be up to 81 x 58 x 30 cm and one small bag up to 55 x 38 x 20 cm. Keep your bags with you and avoid blocking the doors. If you have more luggage than the two-bag rule allows, take a taxi from the terminal instead.
How do I get from Terminal 2 to the Metro?
Terminal 2 has no Metro station, so take an RTA bus from Terminal 2 to the nearest Red Line station or take a taxi. Do not walk to Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 expecting a Metro connection on foot. A taxi from DXB to Downtown costs AED 50 to 80. Check the bus departure board at Terminal 2 for the next bus to a Red Line station.
Fares, times and terminal facts on this page were checked 2026-11-10. Verify on rta.ae before you travel. See also our Dubai Metro Map, Dubai Metro Timings, Dubai Metro Fare Calculator and Dubai Metro Tourist Guide pages.
