Board the Green Line towards Etisalat by e& and ride one stop to BurJuman. Change to the Red Line towards Centrepoint, with no need to tap your Nol card again, then stay on for five stops to Airport Terminal 3.
7 stops, 1 change at BurJuman. 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 5 (Silver Nol) | ~25 min | Cheapest, no traffic |
| Taxi | AED 22 to 32 | 17 to 25 min | Door to door, luggage, families |
Sharaf DG sits in the Al Fahidi heritage quarter, so the Metro to the airport is the easiest finish to a day in old Dubai. The trip takes 25 minutes and stays inside two zones for AED 5, against a taxi at AED 22 to 32 on the same road. The change at BurJuman is across the platform with no second tap; on a Friday evening allow a few extra minutes at the interchange.
Airport Terminal 3 station is fully underground, with a covered link straight into the terminal building for Emirates and Qantas passengers.
For more on the area around Airport Terminal 3, what is close by and worth a stop, see the Airport Terminal 3 station guide.
Pick up a prepaid Dubai eSIM before you set off from old Dubai so the data switches on the moment you arrive at the gate. Useful for Emirates check-in and at-gate updates.
Yes, once. The Green Line runs one stop from Sharaf DG (G25) south to BurJuman (G26), where you change across the platform to the Red Line. The Red Line then runs five stops north to Airport Terminal 3 (R13). The change is on the same level, no second Nol card tap.
Terminal 3 is the Emirates and Qantas terminal at Dubai International. If you are flying flydubai, Air Arabia, Wizz Air or another carrier, you are at Terminal 1 instead. Get off one stop earlier at Airport Terminal 1 (R14).
The trip crosses two zones (Sharaf DG is Zone 6, Terminal 3 is Zone 5). 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 from platform to platform, including the cross-platform change at BurJuman and the short waits between stations. The walk into the terminal from the station adds another 10 to 15 minutes, longer with bags or a queue.
Yes. Sharaf DG has lifts to and from the platform, BurJuman is fully step-free at the interchange, and Airport Terminal 3 station has a covered, step-free link straight into the terminal. The Red and Green Line trains have wide doors throughout.
No. A taxi from Sharaf DG to Terminal 3 is around AED 22 to 32 and 17 to 25 minutes depending on traffic, against AED 5 on the Metro. The taxi is door to door and works any hour, but the Metro saves around 75 per cent of the fare during operating hours.
Late afternoon and early evening, when residents head home from the souks and tourists travel to the airport for evening flights. Friday and Saturday evenings are the busiest of the week. The first trains in the morning are usually quiet.
The last northbound train from Sharaf DG towards Etisalat by e& runs about 12:34 AM Sunday to Wednesday and 12:36 AM Thursday to Saturday. From BurJuman, the last Red Line train towards Centrepoint (and Terminal 3) runs until just after midnight every day.