What kind of passes are available for Dubai? Should you look into a city pass or is it recommended to book your tickets separately? We are going to show you the different city passes Dubai has to offer to make the right choice: price, activities included, duration, …
We will also share an overview of the different Dubai passes so that you can easily determine which one will be the most worthwhile and economical for your trip.
Quick comparison of Dubai’s City Passes
Before getting into it, let’s briefly go over some of the key points to know about the 3 tourism passes when visiting Dubai. We will then go over each of them in detail.
This pass can be completely personalized! You can choose between 3 and 7 activities from all major tours, excursions or activities included on the long GO City Dubai Explorer list. The price is inevitably determined by the number of activities you choose to do.
Benefits / Main Attractions
- Burj Khalifa
- Desert Excursion
- Ain Dubai
- Aquaventure Waterpark
- Dubai Aquarium
- Abu Dhabi Tour
Pricing
- 3 attractions : 191 €
- 4 attractions : 237 €
- 5 attractions : 288 €
- 7 attractions : 384 €
An unlimited city pass! During any given period of validity, you can enjoy unlimited activities or excursions included on the Dubai Ulimited Pass. An expensive yet ultra comprehensive tourism pass to enjoy the city at its fullest.
Benefits / Main Attractions
- Burj Khalifa
- Desert Excursion
- Dubai Aquarium
- Ski Dubai
- The View at The Palm
Pricing
- 3 days : 407 €
- 5 days : 525 €
This is the most basic of the city's tourist passes, and therefore logically the cheapest. It covers a few must-see visits but also gives you a 10% discount on other activities and visits. What is nice about it: it's 100% online.
Benefits / Main Attractions
- Burj Khalifa
- Desert excursion
Pricing
- The Dubai Pass : 65 €
GO Dubai Explorer pass: pricing, visits included, & how it works
This city pass gives you the opportunity to choose your activities as you please. You can choose a number of attractions at checkout and choose the activities later, even if it’s last minute. Let’s see what the Explorer pass has to offer.
GO Dubai Explorer pricing
The pass rate varies depending on the number of activities you wish to do. Here is the price grid.
| Age | 3 attractions | 4 attractions | 5 attractions | 7 attractions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13+ | 191 € | 237 € | 288 € | 384 € |
| 3 - 12 | 164 € | 210 € | 260 € | 342 € |
| 0 - 2 | free | free | free | free |
How it works
When purchasing the pass online, you only need to choose the number of attractions you plan to do with your Explorer Pass. For activities that don’t require reservations in advance, you can bring your pass to the attraction.
You will receive an information pack by email. It will indicate which activities require a reservation on a specific date. You will then have to reserve a date (for example for an outing in the desert) in order to arrange a pick-up at your hotel.
Visits included with this city pass
At the time of purchase, you will only need to choose the number of attractions. You can then decide later, even last minute (except for excursions that require a booking date such as a desert excursion).
Here is the list of the main activities you can choose from with the Go Dubai Explorer.
- Ticket for Burj Khalifa At The Top (124/125th floor)
- Desert excursion (including transfer from your accommodation)
- Aquaventure Waterpark
- Abu Dhabi Tour
- Quad Biking Dubai
- Ski Dubai
- Sky Views Dubai
- Warner Bros World
- Dubai Dinner Cruise
- Dubai Aquarium
- Legoland Dubai
- Museum of the Future
- The View at The Palm
- Ain Dubai
- Big Bus Dubai
- Buggy Dubaï
- Motion gate
- Ski Slope in Ski Dubai
- Dhow dinner cruise
- Big Bus Dubai, one day access to Hop on Hop off buses
- Dubai Aquarium (in the Dubai Mall)
- Quad bike tour in the desert
- iFly (skydiving simulator)
- Dinner cruise in the Marina
- IMG Worlds of Adventure
- Entrance to Legoland Park
- Motiongate Dubai
- Ticket for Legoland Water Park
- Bollywood Parks
- Several activities in Abu Dhabi: Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld or Warner Bros World
- And many other secondary activities
How long it lasts
The pass is valid for 60 days, starting from your first activity. It is possible to opt for this one if you want to spread your visits and excursions over your entire stay, for instance over 7 or 10 days.
This means that you don’t have to rush to and from visits which is a positive point. Of course, during these 60 days, the Explorer card can only be used within the limit of the number of activities you selected at the time of purchase…
Where can I pick-up an Explorer pass?
You do not need to go pick up a printed card or any other document on site in Dubai. Right after you purchase your city pass online, you will receive all the necessary documents by email. The GO Dubai Explorer is displayed as a QR code that you can be scanned directly on your smartphone or by printing it out.
Dubai Unlimited Pass: pricing, activities included, and how it works
This is an unlimited activity pass. Here is what you need to know about the Dubai Unlimited Pass.
Unlimited Dubai pass pricing
Rates for this unlimited card vary depending on the number of consecutive days you plan to use it. The longer you want to use it, the more it will cost you.
| Age | 3 days | 5 days |
|---|---|---|
| 13+ | 407 € | 525 € |
| 0 - 12 | 334 € | 420 € |
How it works
This pass works differently than the previous one. You will have to choose a number of days. Then, during this period, you can enjoy unlimited access to all attractions included. Be careful, you can only go to each activity using the pass once. This means that you can’t go to the Burj Khalifa twice for the time the pass is valid.
To make it financially worthwhile, you will have to set out on doing a variety of activities at a fast pace. If you plan to do one activity or excursion per day, this is clearly not the right tourism pass for you.
Attractions included
You can enjoy the following attractions while your pass is valid:
- Ticket for Burj Khalifa At The Top (124/125th floor)
- Desert excursion (including transfer from your accommodation)
- Boat ride around the Dubai Fountain (during the show)
- Ski Dubai
- Sky Views Dubai
- The Green Planet à Dubai
- Dubai Dinner Cruise
- Dubai Aquarium
- Legoland Dubai
- Spectacle La Perle
- The View at The Palm
- Ain Dubai
- Big Bus Dubai
- Motion gate
- Ski Slope in Ski Dubai
- Big Bus Dubai, one day access to Hop on Hop off buses
- Dubai Aquarium (in the Dubai Mall)
- iFly (skydiving simulator)
- Dinner cruise on the Marina
- IMG Worlds of Adventure
- Motiongate Dubai
- Dubai Frame
- Dubai Ice Rink
- Etihad Museum
- And many other secondary activities
How long does the Unlimited Dubai Pass last ?
You can choose the period of validity at the time of purchase. Needless to say, it starts with the first attraction you visit and not on the day of your purchase.
Where can I pick-up this city pass?
Once again, no need to pick anything up on site. The Go Dubai All Inclusive is presented in the form of a QR Code that you will receive by email after your You will have to show it on site, either on your smartphone or printed out.
Dubai City Pass: pricing, attractions included, how it works
This is the last of the passes and it works 100% online. Everything can be done from home in just a few clicks: you can purchase and choose the dates for your visits. This pass is the easiest to understand in terms of how it works.
Dubai City Pass pricing
The pricing is also very simple. You don’t have to choose the duration or the number of visits. There is only one price and it is determined by the holder’s age.
| Age | Price |
|---|---|
| 9+ | 65 € |
| 4 - 8 | 55 € |
How it works
It is really convenient to use. First, when purchasing online, you will need to choose your visit dates for the attractions included.
You will then be emailed your different tickets that allow you to have fast-pass (no line) access. You will also receive an email with a discount code that gives you a 10% discount on your other activities in Dubai. If you want to take advantage of this, you can then make your reservations directly online.
Attractions included with the Dubai city pass
Here is a list of the activities and attractions included:
- Ticket for Burj Khalifa At The Top (124/125th floor)
- Desert excursion (including transfer from your accommodation)
- audio guide to various tourist sites
- 10% discount on your other tours
How long does it last?
The notion of it lasting for a limited amount of time does not apply to this pass. This is a 100% online city pass that is more like a group booking. It is clearly an advantage that this pass has to offer because you can spread your activities over more than 2 or 3 days.
Plus, it is worth noting that your additional 10% discount on other bookings is valid beyond the dates you booked your attractions included in the Dubai City Pass, so you can enjoy the benefits of your tourism pass for your entire trip.
Where can I get the Dubai City Pass?
This is a 100% online tourism pass, so there is nothing to collect on site. Your tickets are sent by email after purchase. You can show them on site directly via your smartphone or print them out if you wish.
Which must-see attractions are included in the Dubai City Pass?
Depending on which pass you choose, you will be able to access all or part of Dubai’s main activities. Here is a summary of the city’s must-sees with the city passes that allow access to them.
Burj Khalifa
A trip to Dubai cannot be complete without a visit to the Khalifa Tower, the tallest skyscraper in the world: 828 meters high. There are 2 observation decks called At The Top and At The Top Sky. The first one is the most common option. The ticket is included in many city passes.
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Desert excursion
A trip to the desert is a must in Dubai. These day trips include dune bashing in a 4x4, camel riding and evening barbecues in the sand dunes.
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Boat ride through the Dubai Fountain
Dubai's famous fountain show at the foot of the Burj Khalifa is a must-see. You can enjoy it for free from the banks of the reservoir. The most impressive experience, however, is by boat. You are just a few meters away from the jets of water that spout more than 250 meters high!
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Aquaventure Water Park
Aquaventure waterpark is the most famous waterpark in Dubai. It is part of a huge complex at the Altantis Hotel located on The Palm Jumeirah. By choosing the city passes that give access to it, you will be saving a lot of money compared to the price of the single ticket!
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Ski Dubai
Within the Mall of the Emirates, there is an indoor ski resort: Ski Dubai. It is a very popular city attraction, which perfectly goes with the image of the city. Admission to Ski Dubai is included with select tourism passes.
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Dhow dinner cruise
In the Dubai historic districts, you can take a dinner cruise on a dhow, a traditional wooden boat. This dinner cruise will plunge you into a typical Middle Eastern atmosphere.
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Conclusion: is buying a Dubai City Pass right for my trip?
Before buying one city pass for Dubai, it’s important to know beforehand if the visits and activities correspond with your interests. Here below is some advice and our opinion for helping you choose which tourist card to buy when visiting Dubai.
Can I visit Dubai during a layover?
If you only have one day or more to enjoy the city, you will probably only be able to do the Burj Khalifa and roam around 2 or 3 key districts such as Deira (historical center) and the Marina for example.
In that case, it would be better to skip the city passes and just book a ticket for the Burj Khalifa. Since admission is by reservation only and by time slot, you should plan your reservation in advance.
The Dubai City Pass for must-see attractions
Spending 2 or 3 days in Dubai? Maybe just a week but you’d like to jump in on the must-see attractions before going shopping or enjoying your hotel?
If so, the Dubai City Pass will be the most worthwhile for you. You can experience the 3 must-do’s: Burj Khalifa, the fountain show and a trip to the desert. If you feel like doing one more activity (or more), you can use its 10% discount!
For an action-packed stay: Go City Dubai Explorer Pass
To take full advantage of the numerous activities the city has to offer, you’ll be needing a more comprehensive city pass. In that case, it is better to turn to the GO City Dubai Explorer which offers an à la carte service: you choose the number of visits and can then choose from a long list of attractions.
On the flip side, this unlimited pass will have you doing a lot of activities or excursions in a short amount of time to make it worthwhile. Ideal for those who prefer keeping a steady pace.