Car With Driver in DubaiAED 250 per hour, four hours minimum — the car and the driver are yours
You tell the driver where to go, change your mind halfway, wait outside while you shop, and keep your bags in the boot all day. Fuel, Salik and parking are included. One car, one price, no per-person maths.
Car With Driver in DubaiAED 250 per hour, four hours minimum — the car and the driver are yours: The Short Answer
You tell the driver where to go, change your mind halfway, wait outside while you shop, and keep your bags in the boot all day.
- How much does a car with driver cost in Dubai?: Our rate is AED 250 per hour for a sedan or SUV and AED 350 per hour for a Land Cruiser, with a four-hour minimum.
- What is included when you hire a car with a driver in Dubai?: Fuel, the driver and road tolls sit inside the vehicle price we agree, so nothing lands on you at the end of the day.
- What happens if my flight is delayed or I need to cancel?: Cancellation is free up to twelve hours before your pickup time, and because there is no deposit and no booking fee there is nothing to claw back from you.
- Do you provide child seats?: Yes, free, when you ask in advance. Tell us the ages so we bring the right seats, and they stay fitted for the whole booking.
- Is a car with driver cheaper than taxis in Dubai?: It depends entirely on how many stops you make. For one journey there and one back, taxis are far cheaper and we will tell you so.
Everything we run in Dubai, with the price on the card
All prices are per car, not per person, unless the card says otherwise. You are booking the operator directly.
4 hoursHalf-Day Dubai City Tour
Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Frame, Old Dubai, the Creek abra and the Gold Souk in a private 4×4.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Private vehicle, no other guests
- Morning or evening, same price
- Photo stops, not a drive-past
8 hoursFull-Day Dubai City Tour
New Dubai in the morning, Old Dubai in the afternoon — Palm Jumeirah, Marina, the souks and the Creek.
- The only route reaching both Dubais
- Up to 6 people in one car
- Lunch stop where you choose
- Ends at the Fountain show
4 hoursOld Dubai and the Souks
Al Fahidi wind-tower district, the AED 1 abra across Dubai Creek, the Gold Souk and the Spice Souk.
- Abra crossing costs AED 1 each
- Short, flat walking
- Best in the morning
- Car waits, you walk
4 hoursDubai by Night
The Fountain show, Downtown at full light, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Marina, JBR and Bluewaters.
- Starts around 5:30 PM
- Fountain show every 30 minutes
- Most of the stops are free
- Good after a day out
6 hoursDesert Safari From Dubai
Dune bashing, camel ride, sandboarding, a Bedouin camp with BBQ dinner and live shows.
- Private 4×4, up to 7 guests
- Hotel pickup and drop included
- Licensed operator, DCT Abu Dhabi
- Shared seats from AED 35 per person
Full dayDubai to Hatta Tour
Hatta Dam, kayaking, the heritage village and the Hajar Mountains. No passport, no border crossing.
- 90 minutes each way
- Kayak hire paid on site
- Best October to April
- You set the timings
One wayDXB Airport Transfer
Meet and greet with a name board at arrivals, flight tracking, luggage handled, one fixed price at any hour.
- Name board at arrivals
- Flight tracked, delays covered
- No surge at 3 AM
- Fixed price, per car
Per attractionDubai Attraction Transfers
A private car to Burj Khalifa, the Mall, the Frame, the Palm or the seasonal parks, with the driver waiting outside.
- Waiting time included
- Salik, fuel and parking included
- Tickets bought direct, not by us
- Child seats on request
Per rideQuad Biking
An automatic quad on a marked desert track with a guide riding ahead. The cheapest way to add adrenaline.
- AED 200 single rider
- AED 300 double
- Guide rides with the group
- No licence needed
30 min blocksDune Buggy
A Can-Am buggy on the dunes, booked by ride time. Sold as an add-on to the safari, not instead of it.
- AED 800 per 30 minutes
- Two-hour minimum
- Helmet and briefing included
- Decide before you arrive
Blocks, transfers and days out
Every price below is per car. Choose the block you need, or tell us the day and we will price it.
4 HOURSFour Hours, As Directed
The car and the driver are yours for four hours. Decide the route as you go and change it whenever you like.
- Fuel, Salik and parking included
- You set the stops — no fixed itinerary
- Luggage stays in the boot all day
- English, Hindi, Urdu or Arabic driver
6 HOURSSix Hours, As Directed
Long enough for Downtown, the Marina and a proper lunch without watching the clock.
- Fuel, Salik and parking included
- Stop as long as you want anywhere
- Driver waits outside, engine off
- Bottled water in the car
8 HOURSEight Hours, As Directed
A full day of the city on your terms — meetings, malls, viewpoints, or all three.
- Fuel, Salik and parking included
- Built for business days across DIFC and Downtown
- Child seats available — just ask
- Driver knows the traffic windows
10 HOURSTen Hours, As Directed
For days that start early and finish after the Fountain show.
- Fuel, Salik and parking included
- Morning start to late evening
- Other emirates possible — just ask
- One car, one driver, one price
AIRPORTDXB Airport Pickup
Meet-and-greet at arrivals with a name board, flight tracked, price agreed before you land.
- Fixed price — the same at 3am as at 3pm
- Sixty minutes free waiting
- Salik, fuel and parking included
- Per car, never per person
CITY TOURDubai City Tour
A planned route with the landmarks in the right order, rather than an open day.
- Half day from AED 599 per car
- Full day, 8 hours, AED 899 per car
- Photo stops built into the route
- Entry tickets are extra — we say so upfront
DESERTDesert Safari From Dubai
Dune drive, camp dinner and the drive back, in your own vehicle.
- Pickup from your Dubai hotel
- Private vehicle, not a shared bus
- Camp dinner and shows included
- Back in the city the same night
ADD-ONDune Buggy
Can-Am buggy on the dunes, added to a desert booking.
- AED 800 per 30 minutes
- Minimum two hours
- Helmet and goggles provided
- A guide rides with you
CUSTOMYour Own Plan
Airport, meetings, another emirate, a wedding, a shoot — describe the day and we price it.
- Multi-day and weekly rates available
- Corporate invoicing on request
- Several cars for larger groups
- Answer on WhatsApp, usually in minutes
Car with driver in Dubai, in one paragraph
A car with driver — the trade calls it as directed or at disposal — means you book the vehicle and the driver for a block of hours instead of for a single journey. Within those hours you go wherever you want, stop for as long as you want, and change your mind as often as you want. Our rate is AED 250 per hour for a sedan or SUV and AED 350 per hour for a Land Cruiser, with a four-hour minimum. Fuel, Salik tolls and parking are inside that price. It is charged per car, not per person, so four people pay the same as one.
The three things people get wrong
- It is not a taxi. A taxi takes you from A to B and leaves. An as-directed car stays with you — the driver waits outside the restaurant, the mall or the meeting, with your shopping and your luggage in the boot.
- It is not a guided tour. There is no fixed route and no commentary unless you ask for it. If you want a planned sightseeing route with the landmarks in the right order, that is our Dubai city tour, and it costs less because the route is known in advance.
- The clock starts when the car reaches you, not when you decide to leave the hotel. Four hours booked at ten in the morning means the car is yours until two.
What “as directed” actually buys you
The honest description of this product is that you are renting a driver’s time and a vehicle’s availability, not a journey. That sounds like a small distinction until you spend a day in Dubai without it.
Dubai is a city built around distance. The Marina and Deira are forty minutes apart on a good day and considerably more at five in the afternoon. Very little is walkable to anything else, the sun makes a two-hundred-metre walk unpleasant for much of the year, and taxi availability collapses at exactly the moments you need one — outside the mall at closing, outside the Fountain show, outside any hotel when it rains. An as-directed car removes all of that from your day. You step out of a building and the car is there.
It also removes the small negotiations. There is no fare to watch, no surge multiplier, no conversation about whether the driver will wait, no worry about leaving a shopping bag or a laptop behind. Your things stay in the vehicle because the vehicle is yours for the block.
Who it genuinely suits
- Business days. Three meetings across DIFC, Business Bay and Media City is a hopeless taxi day and an easy as-directed day.
- Families with young children. The child seat stays fitted, the pram stays in the boot, and nobody re-installs anything four times.
- Shopping days. Bags go to the car between malls instead of being carried around them.
- Photography and content days. Golden hour at the Frame, blue hour at the Marina, and no wait for a ride in between.
- Long layovers where you want freedom to change the plan — although if your bags are with you and the flight is the constraint, our Dubai airport layover tour is the better-shaped product, because it is priced and timed around the flight.
Who it does not suit
If you are one or two people making a single trip — hotel to the mall and back that evening — this is the wrong product and we will say so. Two taxi rides will cost a fraction of a four-hour block. The Dubai Metro is clean, air-conditioned, inexpensive and genuinely fast along the Sheikh Zayed Road corridor between Downtown and the Marina. If your day is one straight line and one return, take the Metro or a taxi and spend the difference on something better.
What it costs, and how the hours are counted
One rate, two vehicle classes, four-hour minimum. Everything below is per car, not per person.
How the clock is counted
- The block starts at your agreed pickup time, or when the car arrives if that is later. We do not start charging because traffic delayed our own driver.
- Extra hours beyond the block are charged at the same hourly rate, in whole hours. There is no penalty rate for running over — you tell the driver and the day continues.
- There is no night surcharge. A car at three in the morning costs what a car at three in the afternoon costs. Very few operators in this market will put that in writing.
- The driver’s meals and breaks happen while you are inside somewhere. They neither pause your clock nor extend it.
Why we are not the cheapest, said plainly
You will find cars with drivers advertised in Dubai from roughly AED 80 to 200 an hour, and five-hour packages under AED 600. Those offers are real. What they usually buy is an older economy sedan, a driver who has already been on the road since dawn, tolls and parking billed back at the end, and an hourly rate that only holds if the day goes exactly as planned.
Our rate buys a newer vehicle, a driver who speaks your language, every running cost already inside the number, and no arithmetic at the end of the day. If price is the only thing that matters for your day, book the cheaper option with a clear conscience. We would rather write that here than take a booking you resent.
What is included, and what is not
Included in the price
- The vehicle and the driver for the whole block
- Fuel, however far the day goes inside Dubai
- Salik road tolls, however many gates the route crosses
- Parking at malls, hotels, offices and attractions
- Bottled water in the car
- Child seats, when you ask in advance
- Waiting time — all of it, at every stop
- VAT
Not included
- Entry tickets to attractions — Burj Khalifa, the Frame, aquariums, theme parks
- Meals, yours or the driver’s
- Guided commentary — the driver knows the city well but is not a licensed guide
- Travel outside the UAE
- Anything not written on this page. Ask before you book and we will put it in writing.
We list the exclusions this bluntly because the complaint we hear most about Dubai transport is not the price — it is the extra that appeared at the end. Tolls added back. Parking added back. A waiting charge nobody mentioned. There is nothing to add back here.
The vehicles, and which one you actually need
Two classes, priced differently for a reason. Most people over-buy, so here is the honest guide.
Sedan or SUV — AED 250 per hour
Comfortable for up to three adults with hand luggage, or two adults with two large cases. This is the right car for a business day, a shopping day, a couple, or a small family staying inside the city. It is also the quieter and more economical choice in Dubai traffic, and nothing about the service changes — same driver standards, same inclusions, same waiting.
Land Cruiser — AED 350 per hour
Right when any of these are true: you are four to six people, you have more than three large suitcases, you have grandparents or anyone who finds a low seat difficult, or the day includes desert terrain. The extra AED 100 an hour buys space and ride height, not status.
If you are not sure, tell us the number of adults, the number of children and the number of cases, and we will tell you which one fits — including when the cheaper car is enough. Sending you a Land Cruiser you did not need is not a favour.
Larger groups
Above six passengers the answer is either a van or two cars, and which one is cheaper depends on the day. Message us with the group size and we will quote both so you can choose.
The drivers
The driver is most of what you are paying for, so it is worth being specific about what that means.
- Languages. English, Hindi, Urdu and Arabic are all available. Tell us which you would prefer when you book and we will match it. For guests from India and Pakistan in particular, a day spent explaining yourself in a second language is a worse day, and it is an easy thing for us to fix.
- Local knowledge. Which mall entrance to use, where the car can actually wait, which road is closed for an event, when the Sheikh Zayed Road is worth avoiding. This is unglamorous and it is what saves you an hour.
- What they will do. Load and unload your bags, wait as long as the day needs, take your shopping to the car, help with a child seat, suggest where to eat if you ask.
- What they will not do. Give licensed guided commentary inside attractions, buy your tickets for you, or leave the vehicle unattended in a tow zone. If you want a licensed guide with you for the day, say so when booking and we will arrange one separately.
Four days that actually happened
Abstract hours are hard to picture, so here are four typical shapes. Times are indicative, not promises — Dubai traffic decides.
The business day — 8 hours, sedan, AED 2,000
Hotel at 8:30. Meeting in DIFC, car waits. Second meeting in Business Bay at 11. Lunch in Downtown while the driver parks. Media City at 2:30, then back to the hotel by 4:30 to change, then dinner drop-off in the Marina. Six separate journeys, no taxi apps, no receipts to chase, laptop bag in the car all day.
The family day — 6 hours, Land Cruiser, AED 2,100
Late start, because everyone with small children starts late. Aquarium first, then lunch at the mall while the driver takes the shopping bags. The Frame in the afternoon for the view, then back for the pool before the Fountain show in the evening. The child seat stays fitted all day. Nobody carries anything.
The shopping day — 6 hours, sedan, AED 1,500
Three malls and the Gold Souk. The car becomes a moving wardrobe: bags go out to the boot each time you finish a shop, so you walk into the next one empty-handed. This is the day where the maths turns most clearly in your favour, because the alternative is four taxis and carrying everything.
The photography day — 10 hours, sedan, AED 2,500
Sunrise at the desert edge, mid-morning at the Frame, afternoon in Old Dubai and the creek, golden hour on the Marina walk, blue hour at Bluewaters, night shots downtown. Ten hours, five locations, all the gear stays locked in the car between them. This day is impossible with taxis and everyone who has tried it knows why.
Salik, parking and the things you never have to think about
Dubai charges road tolls electronically through Salik gates on the main arteries, and parking is paid nearly everywhere you would want to stop. On a normal city day a car crosses several gates and parks three or four times. Handled badly, that is a running tally you argue about at the end.
On our bookings it is not a tally at all. Tolls are on our account, parking is on our account, fuel is on our account, and none of it reaches your bill. You will not be asked to reimburse anything, and the price you agreed is the price at the end of the day. If the route crosses ten gates because that is where you wanted to go, that is our problem, not yours.
Traffic, honestly
Dubai traffic is heavy roughly from seven to nine-thirty in the morning and from five to eight in the evening, and Friday afternoons behave differently again. A driver who knows the city will route around some of it and will tell you plainly when a plan does not fit the hours you have booked. Expect to be told “that is possible, but not before your dinner reservation” rather than discovering it yourself at six o’clock.
Leaving Dubai for the day
An as-directed block can leave the emirate, and often should. The two questions are how many hours it needs and whether a fixed-price product is cheaper for the same trip.
- Abu Dhabi. Roughly ninety minutes each way. A meaningful day — the Grand Mosque, the Corniche, lunch, one museum — needs ten hours, and at that length our fixed Abu Dhabi city tour from Dubai is usually the better value. Ask us to compare both before you book.
- Sharjah. Close enough that four to six hours is genuinely comfortable, traffic on the Dubai–Sharjah road permitting. The museums and the souks are the reason people go.
- Hatta. The mountain road, the dam and the heritage village. Two hours each way, so an eight-hour block is the practical minimum and ten is more relaxed.
- The desert. If the point of the day is dunes, camels and a camp dinner, book the desert safari instead. It is a fixed price, it includes the camp, and an as-directed car cannot take you off-road.
Booking, changing and cancelling
- To book, send the date, the start time, the number of hours, how many people and how many bags, and which language you would like the driver to speak. WhatsApp is fastest and you will usually have an answer within minutes.
- No deposit. You pay on the day.
- Changing the plan mid-day is normal and costs nothing. That is the entire point of the product.
- Extending on the day is charged at the same hourly rate, in whole hours, and is subject to the driver’s hours — tell us as early in the day as you can and it is almost always possible.
- Free cancellation. Cancel up to 12 hours before the start time and there is nothing to pay.
- Corporate bookings can be invoiced. Tell us the company details when you book rather than afterwards.
Which page do you actually need?
We sell four things that people confuse with each other. Picking correctly usually saves you money, so here is the plain version.
If you are still unsure, describe your day in one message and we will tell you which of the five is cheapest for what you actually want — including when that is not this page.
How many hours do you actually need?
This is the question we are asked most, and the honest answer is that it depends far more on how far apart your stops are than on how many stops there are. Dubai punishes zig-zagging. Four stops inside Downtown is a short day; four stops spread from Deira to the Marina is a long one.
Four hours
Four hours is one area of the city plus one anchor activity, and not much more. It works well for: Downtown and the Dubai Mall with a Burj Khalifa slot; the Marina, JBR and Bluewaters; Old Dubai, the creek, an abra crossing and the souks; or a hotel-to-hotel day of two meetings in the same district. It does not work for Downtown plus Old Dubai plus the Marina. People try, and then spend the last hour of their booking in traffic feeling cheated by a car that did exactly what they asked.
If your list has three widely separated places on it, take six hours instead. The extra AED 500 buys you the difference between rushing and enjoying it.
Six hours
Six hours is the block most guests should book, and the one we recommend when someone is unsure. It absorbs a real lunch, one long stop and one unplanned detour without the day collapsing. A typical six-hour shape: late-morning start, Old Dubai and the souks, lunch somewhere with air conditioning, the Frame or the Museum of the Future in the afternoon, then back to the hotel before the evening. Two districts, comfortably.
Eight hours
Eight hours is a working day or a proper sightseeing day. Three districts is realistic. This is the block for business days with meetings on both sides of the city, for families who want a morning attraction and an afternoon one with a hotel break in between, and for anyone combining shopping with sightseeing. It is also the shortest block that comfortably includes Hatta or a long desert-edge drive.
Ten hours
Ten hours is an early start to a late finish, or an out-of-emirate day. Abu Dhabi and back with the Grand Mosque and lunch fits here and nowhere shorter. So does a photography day chasing sunrise and blue hour. So does the classic long layover where you want everything and the flight is not until midnight.
Longer, and multi-day
Beyond ten hours you are into two drivers or a multi-day arrangement, both of which we quote individually. Weekly rates exist and are meaningfully cheaper per hour than daily ones. If you are in Dubai for a week and expect to use a car every day, ask for the weekly number rather than booking seven separate blocks.
How long it really takes between places
Planning a day without these numbers is how people end up disappointed. Times below are typical door-to-door in normal traffic; add half again in the evening peak, and subtract a little late at night.
The pattern worth noticing: everything on the Sheikh Zayed Road corridor is quick, and anything that crosses the creek or heads to Sharjah is not. A driver who knows this will sequence your day so you cross the city once rather than three times, which is frequently worth an hour.
Car with driver, taxi, ride-hailing, rental or Metro?
All five are reasonable choices in Dubai for different days. Here is when each one wins, including the days when we lose.
The honest summary: if your day is a line, use the Metro or a taxi. If your day is a loop with waiting in it, use a car with driver. Most tourist days in Dubai are loops, which is why this product exists at all — but plenty of days are lines, and we would rather you booked correctly than expensively.
What to check before booking any chauffeur in Dubai
Use this on us as well as on anyone else. Every one of these questions exists because guests have been caught by it.
- Is the quoted rate per car or per person? Some operators quote per person and the number quietly doubles for a couple. Ours is always per car.
- Are Salik tolls included? A city day crosses several gates. Ask whether they appear on your bill afterwards.
- Is parking included? Malls, hotels and attractions all charge. Same question, same reason.
- Is waiting time charged? This is the one that catches people out. An hourly car that charges for waiting is not really an as-directed car.
- Is there a night or weekend surcharge? Ask directly. Get the answer in writing.
- What is the minimum, and does the clock start at pickup or at booking time? A four-hour minimum that starts when the driver leaves their base is not a four-hour minimum.
- What happens if you run over? An hourly rate for extra time is normal. A penalty rate is not.
- Which vehicle exactly, and how many bags does it take? “Luxury sedan” is not a specification.
- What language does the driver speak? If it matters to you, confirm it before the day, not on the day.
- Is there a deposit, and what is the cancellation window? No deposit and 24-hour free cancellation should be the baseline.
If an operator will not answer these in writing on WhatsApp before you book, that is your answer.
Book this tour
No deposit and no card details. Message us and we confirm the plan and the exact price before you commit — answered at any hour.
- Send your date and guest countYour date, how many of you, and where we collect from. That is all we need.
- We send the plan and the pricePer car, not per person. You see the route, the timings and the exact figure first.
- Pay the driver on the dayCash or card, after the run. Free cancellation up to 12 hours before pickup.
Answered 24 hours · No deposit · No booking fee · Licensed operator
Frequently asked questions
How much does a car with driver cost in Dubai?
Our rate is AED 250 per hour for a sedan or SUV and AED 350 per hour for a Land Cruiser, with a four-hour minimum. That works out at AED 1,000 for a half day in a sedan and AED 2,000 for a full eight-hour day. Fuel, Salik tolls, parking, waiting time and VAT are all inside that price, and it is charged per car rather than per person.
Is a car with driver cheaper than taxis in Dubai?
It depends entirely on how many stops you make. For one journey there and one back, taxis are far cheaper and we will tell you so. From about four separate journeys in a day, or any day where the car needs to wait for you, the block becomes the cheaper and much easier option.
What is the minimum booking?
Four hours. We do not sell one-hour or two-hour blocks, because a driver cannot build a working day around them. If you only need a single journey, book a fixed-price transfer instead.
Does the price change at night?
No. A car at three in the morning costs exactly what a car at three in the afternoon costs. There is no night rate, no weekend rate and no holiday rate.
Are tolls and parking extra?
No. Salik gates, parking and fuel are all on our account and never appear on your bill, however far the day goes inside Dubai.
Can I change the plan during the day?
Yes, and most people do. There is no fixed route to deviate from. Tell the driver where you want to go next and that is where the car goes.
What happens if I run over my booked hours?
Extra hours are charged at the same hourly rate, in whole hours, with no penalty rate. Tell the driver as early as you can so we can check the day still works for them.
Can the driver speak Hindi, Urdu or Arabic?
Yes. English, Hindi, Urdu and Arabic drivers are all available. Say which you would prefer when you book and we will match it.
Can I leave my luggage and shopping in the car?
Yes, all day. The vehicle is yours for the block, so bags, shopping and equipment stay in the boot between stops. This is one of the main reasons people book this instead of taxis.
Do you provide child seats?
Yes, free, when you ask in advance. Tell us the ages so we bring the right seats, and they stay fitted for the whole booking.
Can the car take me to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or Hatta?
Yes. Sharjah works comfortably in four to six hours; Hatta needs at least eight; Abu Dhabi realistically needs ten. For Abu Dhabi our fixed-price day tour is often cheaper than a ten-hour block, and we will compare both for you before you book.
Is the driver a tour guide?
No. Our drivers know the city extremely well and will happily suggest places, but they are not licensed guides and do not give commentary inside attractions. If you want a licensed guide for the day, tell us when booking and we will arrange one.
Do I pay a deposit?
No. You pay on the day. Cancellation is free up to 12 hours before the start time.
Can you invoice my company?
Yes. Give us the company details when you book rather than after the trip, and we will issue a proper invoice.
How much does it cost to hire a car with a driver in Dubai?
We never quote a figure online, because a private car with driver is priced per vehicle and per itinerary, so message us on WhatsApp with your dates and we will price it properly. What we can give you is the public benchmark. A Dubai street-hail taxi starts at AED 5 between 06:00 and 22:00 and AED 5.50 overnight, while e-hail starts at AED 9 off-peak, AED 13 at peak and AED 10 overnight (rta.ae, read 17 August). Because our price is per vehicle rather than per seat, adding children changes nothing.
Is it cheaper to hire a driver for the day or just take taxis in Dubai?
For two or three short hops inside one district, taxis beat us and you should not book a car with driver at all. A street hail starts at AED 5 in the day and AED 5.50 overnight, and a silver nol Metro fare is AED 3, AED 5 or AED 7.50 depending on the zones you cross (rta.ae, read 17 August). A driver earns his keep when you want the vehicle waiting outside Burj Khalifa, luggage staying in the boot, and one agreed price for the whole day with no deposit and no booking fee.
Can a private driver in Dubai take me to Abu Dhabi for the day?
Yes, and it is the trip our Abu Dhabi base suits best, since the car stays with you rather than leaving you to find transport at the other end. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque entry is free with a pre-booked online access pass, and it opens 09:00 to 20:30, with Friday split into 09:00 to 11:30 and 14:30 to 20:30 and last entry at 20:00 (szgmc.gov.ae, read 17 August). Book that pass yourself before you travel. For the vehicle price, message us on WhatsApp.
What is included when you hire a car with a driver in Dubai?
Fuel, the driver and road tolls sit inside the vehicle price we agree, so nothing lands on you at the end of the day. Tolls matter more than visitors expect: Dubai toll crossings add AED 4 to a taxi fare (u.ae, read 17 August), and Abu Dhabi’s Darb gates charge AED 4 per crossing between 07:00 and 09:00 and between 15:00 and 19:00, excluding Sundays and public holidays, with authorised Abu Dhabi public taxis exempt (admobility.gov.ae, read 17 August). We take no deposit and no booking fee.
How far in advance should I book a car with driver?
Earlier is better if you want a specific vehicle on a busy weekend, but there is no financial reason to rush a decision. We take no deposit and no booking fee, payment happens on the day, and cancellation is free up to twelve hours before your pickup time. Some operators hold a card the moment you click book; we do not. If your plans are still loose, send the rough window on WhatsApp and we will hold what we can rather than push you into an itinerary you have not finished.
Can my driver pick me up at Dubai airport arrivals?
Dubai Airports is explicit that there are no pick-up areas at Arrivals, so no driver can simply pull up outside the doors (dubaiairports.ae, read 17 August). Terminal 3 runs a QR-code meeting service where you scan at a kiosk, see your assigned driver, vehicle and registration number, and are walked to the car by ground staff; it is open to licensed limousine providers and tour operators (dubaiairports.ae, read 17 August). Send us your terminal and flight number when you book so we meet you the correct way.
Is a taxi from Dubai airport cheaper than a private car?
Official sources disagree here, and you deserve to know which one we follow. The transport regulator lists an airport taxi start of AED 20 and an airport van start of AED 25 (rta.ae, read 17 August), while the airport’s own taxi page states the starting fare is AED 25 (dubaiairports.ae, read 17 August). The national portal separately lists a Dubai daytime start of AED 8 (u.ae, read 17 August). We trust the emirate regulator, because it sets the fares. For one or two people with light bags, the rank beats us.
What can I do during a long layover at Dubai airport?
If your layover is short, do not hire us at all. Terminal 3 has free showers at Gates A and B, and left luggage runs twenty-four hours at all three terminals, at AED 35 standard and AED 40 non-standard in Terminal 3 and AED 40 and AED 50 in Terminals 1 and 2 (dubaiairports.ae, read 17 August). Metro passes are sold at Terminals 1 and 3, with trains from 05:00 to midnight Monday to Thursday and Saturday, 05:00 to 01:00 on Friday and 08:00 to midnight on Sunday (dubaiairports.ae, read 17 August).
Do you tip a private driver in Dubai?
Nothing is added by us. Our private cars are priced per vehicle, there is no booking fee and no deposit, and the figure agreed on WhatsApp is the figure you pay on the day. Tipping is entirely your choice, it is never built into a quote, and our drivers are not asked to prompt for it. If you want to recognise someone who worked a long day in the heat, cash handed over directly is simplest. We publish no guidance on customary amounts, because no official source sets one and we will not invent a number.
Is the Dubai Metro better than hiring a car with a driver?
For moving between Dubai’s central sights on your own schedule, the Metro is usually the better buy and we will happily say so. Silver nol fares are AED 3, AED 5 or AED 7.50 by zone, and the Creek abra crossing costs AED 1 to AED 2 (rta.ae, read 17 August). Trains run 05:00 to midnight Monday to Thursday and Saturday, 05:00 to 01:00 on Friday and 08:00 to midnight on Sunday. Hire a car with driver when you have luggage, older travellers, or you are leaving the city entirely.
Can a wheelchair user travel in a car with driver?
A foldable wheelchair travels in the Land Cruiser boot provided you declare it at the time of booking. Powered chairs and non-folding chairs cannot be carried in our vehicles, and we would far rather tell you now than at the kerb on the day. If that rules us out, the regulator operates People of Determination taxis at AED 8 during the day and AED 9 at night, which is both accessible and cheaper than any private hire (rta.ae, read 17 August). Describe your exact chair on WhatsApp and we will answer straight.
Can the driver take us into the desert?
Yes. Your driver can run you out of the city to our own desert camp, which we built and operate ourselves rather than renting space at somebody else’s site, so the evening bends around your car instead of a shared coach timetable. Helmets are provided and are compulsory for anyone riding a quad bike with us. We do not publish a minimum age for quad biking, because the honest answer depends on the rider, so ask on WhatsApp and we will tell you before you commit.
Do I have to pay a deposit to book a car with driver?
No deposit and no booking fee. You pay on the day, and cancellation is free up to twelve hours before your pickup time. We are licensed by the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, and we do not print licence numbers on a public web page; ask and we will show credentials in person. If a quote elsewhere asks for a card upfront with a non-refundable element attached, work out exactly what that money is buying you before you hand it over.
Is the Dubai Fountain show free to watch?
Yes, and you should not pay anyone for the view, us included. Emaar states the Dubai Fountain is free to watch from the promenade, and the closed-for-renovation banner still sitting on the tower’s own site is stale (emaar.com, read 17 August). If your driver drops you at the promenade you can watch the shows for nothing and walk back to the car afterwards. We flag it because fountain viewing is sometimes bundled into paid evening packages, where you are really only paying for the transport.
Can I hire a car with driver from Dubai to the Northern Emirates?
We can do it, and the price stays per vehicle regardless of how many seats you fill. The public comparison is worth knowing: taxi trips from Dubai to the Northern Emirates carry an AED 20 surcharge on top of the meter (u.ae, read 17 August), and Dubai toll crossings add AED 4 to a taxi fare. For a single one-way transfer with light luggage, a metered taxi may genuinely come out cheaper. Hire us when you want the car to wait and bring you back the same evening.
What happens if my flight is delayed or I need to cancel?
Cancellation is free up to twelve hours before your pickup time, and because there is no deposit and no booking fee there is nothing to claw back from you. Inside twelve hours, message us on WhatsApp with the flight number and we will do what we can rather than hide behind a policy line. If we ever have to cancel a booking ourselves we will contact you directly to talk it through; we publish no blanket promise of refund or rebooking, because we will not promise what we cannot guarantee.
Going to the dhow jetty? Creek or Marina, and the return-leg problem.
Going to Abu Dhabi for the day? See what the taxi actually costs.
Never been before? See first time in Dubai: what to know before you land.
Connecting through Dubai rather than staying?
Car with driver is sold by the hour with no fixed route. If your visit is a break in a longer journey and the return to the airport is the thing that matters, the Dubai stopover tour page plans the hours backwards from your departure and prices the whole day as one number.
Luggage while the car is yours
Bags travel in the boot at no charge on every booking, which is why an hourly car is often cheaper than a locker for a long day. The official counter prices, terminal by terminal, are on the Dubai airport luggage storage page.
What guests say
Every review below is quoted as written on our TripAdvisor profile. We have not edited them, and we have not written any of them. The names in them — Malik, Tamour, Ikram — are the drivers who would be meeting you.
8-hour layover · TripAdvisor
Great 8 hour layover experience
“Malik was great when bringing you around! He brings you to walk around instead of only being in the car. He will also help to show you / take great photo at th…”
· Verified on TripAdvisor
Stopover · Family · TripAdvisor
Excellent
“Taking advantage of a stopover of our plane we did a 3-hour tour with Tamour and we got to know the most significant sites in Dubai and we were able to shop in the souk. I highly recommend this activity and especially Tamour!”
· Verified on TripAdvisor
Friends · TripAdvisor
Nice tour with Ikram
“We visited iconic landmarks like Burj Khalifa, the Al Fahidi Historical District, the Gold Souk, and the Spice Souk. At every stop, Ikram shared interesting stories that brought each place to life. What I appreciated most was his personal touch — he patiently answered all questions, managed time perfectly, and even suggested local food and shopping spots that made our experience more authentic.”
· Verified on TripAdvisor
Couples · TripAdvisor
Excellent tour of Dubai — knowledgeable and helpful guide
“Tamour was the perfect tour guide, he was extremely knowledgeable, helpful and courteous. He took his time to answer questions properly and he took us to all the famous landmarks in Dubai. The tour was very reasonably priced and we thoroughly enjoyed the day. I would recommend this. Excellent value!”
· Verified on TripAdvisor
Family · TripAdvisor
Dubai Private Tour
“We had an amazing private tour with Malik. He has an immense knowledge and love of his city. We learned a lot about the culture and growth of Dubai. Highly recommended for a great experience.”
· Verified on TripAdvisor
Couples · TripAdvisor
Highly recommend
“It was such a great experience! Malik was amazing — I learned so much in such a short time. Highly recommend! We visited all the famous spots, and I was so happy. He explained everything in detail, which made it all feel new and exciting!”
· Verified on TripAdvisor
We do not publish incentivised or invented reviews, and we do not mark up review stars for search results on this page. If you want to read the full set, look us up on TripAdvisor directly.
Book a car with driver
Tell us the date, the start time, how many hours, how many people and bags, and the language you would like the driver to speak. No deposit — you pay on the day.
For a fixed-price day rather than an hourly one, the Dubai to Hatta tour covers the whole trip at AED 1,199 per car.
If you have one destination in mind rather than an open day, Dubai attraction transfers price it per trip with waiting included.
If we have to cancel, what happens?
A cancellation policy that covers your obligations but not ours is only half a document. Here is our side of it, in writing.
If we have to cancel your booking — for weather, a vehicle issue, or driver illness — we will contact you as soon as we know and rebook you at no charge on the next date that works for you. You pay nothing for the cancelled booking.
If we need to send a different vehicle than the one you booked, we will ask you first rather than turning up in something you did not book.
This is separate from your own cancellation rights, which are unchanged: you can cancel free up to 12 hours before pickup. Because we take no deposit and no booking fee, there is no money of yours sitting with us either way — nothing to chase, and nothing to wait for.