Board a Red Line train at Expo 2020, all of which head north towards Centrepoint, and ride twenty-eight stops to Airport Terminal 3. One train the whole way, no change; roughly 60 minutes plus the walk into the terminal.
28 stops, 0 changes at the interchange. The line colour shows which train you are on at each point.
For one or two people, the Metro wins on cost and predictability. For a family with luggage, or in a hurry, a taxi is door to door and skips the walk.
| Option | Cost | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro | AED 7.5 (Silver Nol) | ~60 min | Cheapest, no traffic |
| Taxi | AED 109 to 160 | 44 to 65 min | Door to door, luggage, families |
This is the airport transfer from Expo City. Every train that leaves Expo 2020 heads north towards Centrepoint and stops at Terminal 3, so there is no branch train to check for. Boarding at Expo, the terminus, means the front carriage almost always has a seat and space for bags. Even though the trip crosses five fare zones on paper, the Nol fare is capped at the top three-zone band at AED 7.50 on a Silver Nol card. Allow the full 60 minutes if you have a flight.
Airport Terminal 3 station sits directly under the Emirates and Qantas terminal, with a covered escalator link from the platform up into the arrivals concourse.
For more on the area around Airport Terminal 3, what is close by and worth a stop, see the Airport Terminal 3 station guide.
No. Every northbound Red Line train from Expo 2020 runs straight through to Terminal 3 (R13) and continues to Centrepoint. One train, no platform change, twenty-eight stops.
The trip crosses five fare zones on paper (Expo 2020 Zone 1, then Zone 3, Zone 2, Zone 6, Zone 5), but the Nol fare is capped at the top three-zone band. On a Silver Nol card it is AED 7.50, on a Gold Nol card AED 15, on a Blue personal card AED 7.50, and on a single-use Red ticket AED 8.50 plus AED 2 to buy the ticket itself.
About 60 minutes from platform to platform, including the short waits between stations. This is one of the longest single-line Metro trips on the network, but with no change to worry about.
Add at least 30 minutes on top of the 60-minute Metro trip to cover the walk into the terminal, security, immigration and gate walk. For international departures at peak, aim to be at Terminal 3 airside a full three hours before the flight, which means boarding at Expo about four hours out.
Yes. Expo 2020 is fully step-free with lifts to the platform, the Red Line trains have wide doors and dedicated luggage space, and Airport Terminal 3 has lifts to the terminal level. Boarding at Expo, the terminus, makes finding space for bags easier.
Much cheaper on the Metro. A taxi from Expo 2020 to Terminal 3 is around AED 109 to 160 and 44 to 65 minutes depending on traffic, against AED 7.50 on the Metro. For a family with several bags a taxi may still be worth it for the door-to-door convenience, but a single traveller saves about 95 per cent by taking the Metro.
Evenings around 6 to 9 PM as Expo City visitors head home, and match days at Expo City when events end together. Morning and mid-day trips are usually quiet on the Route 2020 southern section.
The last northbound train from Expo 2020 towards Centrepoint runs about 11:48 PM Sunday to Wednesday and 11:49 PM on Friday. After that a taxi is the only option back.