Board the Red Line towards Life Pharmacy or Expo 2020 and ride eleven stops to Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall.
11 stops, 0 changes at the interchange. The line colour shows which train you are on at each point.
Terminal 1 handles flydubai, Air Arabia, Wizz Air and most other carriers outside Emirates and Qantas. With bags, take the lifts from arrivals rather than the travelator, since the gap at the top of the moving belt is awkward with a loaded trolley. The Silver daily fare cap is AED 14, so once you tap in for the trip you can ride free for the rest of the day if you stay on Silver.
A covered, air-conditioned walkway with travelators links the station to The Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa, around 820 metres in total.
For more on the area around Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall, what is close by and worth a stop, see the Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall station guide.
The station links to The Dubai Mall by a covered walkway, but popular At The Top time slots sell out in winter. Pre-book the slot you want before you fly.
No. The Red Line runs straight from Airport Terminal 1 (R14) south through the city centre to Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall (R25). One train, eleven stops, no platform change.
The trip crosses two zones. On a Silver Nol card it is AED 5, on a Gold Nol card AED 10, on a Blue personal card AED 5, and on a single-use Red ticket AED 6 plus AED 2 to buy the ticket itself.
About 25 minutes platform to platform. The walkway from the station to The Dubai Mall adds another 15 to 20 minutes.
Terminal 1 is used by flydubai, Air Arabia, Wizz Air and most other international airlines outside Emirates and Qantas. The Emirates and Qantas terminal is Terminal 3, one stop north on the Red Line at Airport Terminal 3 (R13).
It depends on the volume. One bag is straightforward on the Metro, with lifts to and from the platform, low-floor trains, and the covered walkway at the other end. Two or more bags or a family, the taxi is easier door to door. The Metro saves money either way.
Late afternoon and early evening, when tourists head to The Dubai Mall. Friday and Saturday afternoons add to the peak. An off-peak start, late morning into early afternoon, is more comfortable.
The Metro on a Silver Nol card at AED 5. A Red ticket is AED 6 plus AED 2 to buy the paper ticket itself, so AED 8 total for a one-off trip. The taxi rank outside arrivals usually runs AED 50 or more to Downtown, against AED 5 on the Metro.
The last southbound train from Airport Terminal 1 is at about 11:59 PM most nights, with a 1:00 AM service on Friday and 11:56 PM on Saturday. After that the taxi rank outside arrivals runs around the clock.