Ras Al Khaimah bus rental, with drivers.

Bus rental in Ras Al Khaimah with a driver

Ras Al Khaimah is the UAE’s northernmost emirate, and it packs a lot into a short distance: the country’s highest mountain, a coast of resorts on Al Marjan Island and at Al Hamra, heritage sites, and industrial areas and free zones with crews to move every day. Bus rental in Ras Al Khaimah with a driver gets a group through all of it on one timetable – whether you are visiting for a day, staying at a resort for a wedding or running a daily crew route.

Emirates Bus Hire is based in Dubai and runs vans, minibuses and coaches with drivers across all seven emirates. For Ras Al Khaimah, we collect from the resorts on Al Marjan Island, at Al Hamra and at Mina Al Arab, from Ras Al Khaimah city on both sides of the creek, and from the industrial areas and free zones – as well as from Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman for groups heading north.

Every vehicle comes with a driver, every seat has a seat belt and the air-conditioning is checked before each trip. Coach drivers hold heavy-vehicle licences.

A private bus to Ras Al Khaimah, or the public bus?

Is there a bus from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah? Yes – public intercity buses run between Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah on fixed timetables, between bus stations. For one traveller with a light bag they are a sensible option. For a group they rarely are: everyone has to reach the departure station, the bus doesn’t go up Jebel Jais or to a resort on Al Marjan Island, and the last departure home may come before the end of your day.

A private bus or van starts at your door, goes where your programme goes and waits for you. The same answer applies if you are wondering how to get from Sharjah to Ras Al Khaimah by bus with a group: a hired vehicle with a driver is the simpler choice.

Choosing a vehicle, including van rental in Ras Al Khaimah

In Ras Al Khaimah, the right vehicle depends as much on the road and the stops as on the headcount:

• Up to 7 with suitcases: a Mercedes V-Class, ideal for resort transfers
• Up to 13: a 13-seater HiAce
• 14 to 16: a Sprinter minibus, the most comfortable small vehicle for the mountain road
• 17 to 30: a mini coach
• Larger groups: a 35-seater or 50-seat coach with under-floor holds for luggage

Van rental in Ras Al Khaimah with a driver suits families, small teams and resort guests: the V-Class and the Sprinter have the luggage space for an airport run, and the HiAce is the economical choice for crews. We don’t offer self-drive.

On price, our Dubai to Jebel Jais day trip starts from AED 650 per day in a 15-seater van, against a typical market range of AED 700–800 for a full day from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah. Day rates for every vehicle are in our price guide.

Journey times to Ras Al Khaimah

A rough guide to Ras Al Khaimah city, outside the rush hour. Add about 45 minutes to an hour for the top of Jebel Jais, and allow more on Friday afternoons and holiday weekends.

Jebel Jais and the mountains

Jebel Jais is the UAE’s highest mountain and the reason many groups come to Ras Al Khaimah. The road to the top is well built, with long sweeping bends, and tour coaches use it as well as cars; our drivers take it steadily and stop at the lay-bys for photographs. Parking and turning space at some stops is limited, so we check your planned stops when we quote and match the vehicle to them.

At the top are viewing decks over the Hajar range, the zip line, the toboggan and restaurants with a view. Activities are booked directly with their operators; send us your confirmed times and we plan the transport around them. The summit is noticeably cooler than the coast, especially on winter mornings, so ask the group to bring a warm layer. Our Jebel Jais page has a sample day with timings.

Resorts, weddings and incentive groups

The resorts on Al Marjan Island, at Al Hamra and at Mina Al Arab host destination weddings, company retreats and incentive groups. Guests usually fly into Dubai or Sharjah, so the programme starts with an airport transfer north and often includes a day out and a transfer back at the end. We quote the whole programme together: arrivals from DXB or Sharjah International, a vehicle kept with the group for excursions if you need one, and departures timed to each flight.

For weddings, we run guest shuttles between resorts and the venue, with an early return for families and a late one for the dance floor. Some resorts manage their own coach drop-off areas; we confirm the arrangements with the venue before the day. See wedding bus rental and event shuttles.

Weekends, retreats and multi-day hire

Many groups make Ras Al Khaimah a weekend rather than a day: a resort on the coast, the mountain on the second morning and a long lunch before the drive home. We can quote the transfers either side and a vehicle for the day in between, or keep one vehicle and driver with the group throughout on multi-day hire, which suits company retreats and family reunions with a busy programme.

Inland, Ras Al Khaimah has desert camps and wadis as well as mountains. Our coaches stay on tarmac roads; for dune drives, camps use their own 4x4s, and we meet them at the agreed point. Tell us the full itinerary when you ask for a quote, and we will check access for each stop.

Airport transfers for Ras Al Khaimah

From Sharjah International, Ras Al Khaimah city is usually a little over an hour by road; from Dubai International, allow an hour to an hour and a half, and more at peak times. We track the flight, the driver meets the group in the arrivals hall with a name board, and the vehicle waits until everyone is through. On a long transfer, a comfort stop on the way is easy to arrange. See Sharjah Airport transfers and airport group transfers.

Staff and project transport in Ras Al Khaimah

Ras Al Khaimah’s industrial areas, quarries, ports and free zones run on shift work, and many projects draw crews from accommodation elsewhere in the north. We plan monthly routes the same way as in Dubai: a map of pick-up points and shift times, the fewest vehicles that cover them, a regular driver where possible and a replacement vehicle if one is in for service.

Long routes – Ajman or Sharjah to a site in Ras Al Khaimah, for example – need earlier departures and a realistic journey time, and the extra distance is reflected in the monthly price, confirmed in writing. Air-conditioned vehicles and a belted seat for every passenger are standard. See staff transport.

School and university trips in Ras Al Khaimah

Ras Al Khaimah is a ready-made field trip. Jebel Jais shows the change in rock, plants and temperature with altitude; the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah occupies the old fort in the city; Dhayah Fort looks out over the date palms towards the coast; and the abandoned pearling village at Al Jazirat Al Hamra tells the story of life before oil. The mangroves along the creek make a calm stop for younger pupils.

Every seat on our buses has a seat belt, drivers are briefed on the school’s pick-up procedure and the trip lead receives the driver’s details the day before. From Dubai, a Ras Al Khaimah field trip is a full day; schools in Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain have a shorter drive. See school and university trips.

Route and timing from Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman

From central Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah city is around 100–120 km and about an hour and a half by road. The usual route is Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (E311) or Emirates Road (E611) north through Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain; the coastal road through Umm Al Quwain is an alternative when the inland roads are busy. Groups starting in Sharjah or Ajman save a good part of the drive.

Weekends between November and March are the busiest time to visit, and Friday afternoon traffic heading north can be heavy. For a day trip, leave Dubai by 7:30 or 8 a.m. so the group reaches the mountain in the cooler morning, and book full-day hire – ten hours, with the driver waiting. Longer days and overnight stays are quoted as multi-day hire.

Umm Al Quwain on the way

The road north passes through Umm Al Quwain, the quietest of the seven emirates, with lagoons, mangroves and an old town and fort. Groups heading to Ras Al Khaimah sometimes add it as a stop on the way back, and staff routes between the two emirates are planned the same way as any other. We collect in Umm Al Quwain too, quoted for the actual route.

Comparing bus rental companies in Ras Al Khaimah

Whoever you book with, ask for a written quote that lists what is included – fuel, tolls and the driver – and what is extra, such as waiting, parking and hours beyond the booking. Check that every seat has a seat belt, that coach drivers hold heavy-vehicle licences, and what happens if a vehicle breaks down on the way. Our quotes include the vehicle, driver, fuel and road tolls, with anything optional listed before you confirm, and nothing is charged until you reply to confirm.

Request a quote through the booking form, by email to info@emiratesbushire.com or on WhatsApp at +971 54 126 1681. Groups starting further south may also find bus rental in Sharjah and bus rental in Ajman useful.

Related: Dubai to Jebel Jais (RAK) · Bus rental Ajman · Sharjah Airport transfers · Bus rental prices · Tours & Desert Trips · Get a quote