passenger van
13-Seater Van
From AED 450 per dayThe staff-transport workhorse: thirteen seats, daily or monthly.
- 13 seats
- 10 bags
- Driver incl.
Guide
Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah by bus.
Yes, there is a public bus. Here is how it works, roughly what it costs and how long it takes, and when a group is better off with its own bus and driver.
Is there a bus from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah?
Yes, there is a bus from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah, every day. The public intercity service is run by RAKTA, the Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority. In August 2026 RAKTA announced more direct trips to Dubai and longer hours: about 19 departures a day in each direction, with the first bus leaving Ras Al Khaimah at around 5 a.m. and the last one leaving Dubai at around 11:30 p.m.
Treat those numbers as a snapshot. Timetables, stops and fares change, sometimes at short notice and always in Ramadan. Check the current timetable on RAKTA’s website or its RAKBus app before you set out. If you are travelling as a group, skip to the section on private buses near the end.
Planning this trip? Tell us the date and group size for a fixed price.
Get a quoteWhere the bus leaves from in Dubai
Guides and travellers have long listed the Dubai end of the service at Union bus station in Deira, next to Union metro station, where the Red and Green lines meet. That makes it easy to reach by metro. Some departures run direct to Ras Al Khaimah. Others call at Sharjah or Ajman on the way, which adds time, so confirm the stop and the type of service for your bus when you check the timetable.
At the other end, buses arrive at RAKTA’s bus station in Ras Al Khaimah city. That works for the city itself. The resorts on Al Marjan Island and at Al Hamra are a further 20 to 30 minutes south by road, and Jebel Jais is the best part of an hour away, so most visitors finish the trip by taxi.
Fares and tickets
A one-way ticket between Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah has generally cost around AED 25 to 30. Shorter hops, such as Ajman to Ras Al Khaimah, cost a little less. RAKTA sells tickets through the RAKBus app and its website. Check which payment methods your bus accepts; don’t assume a Dubai Nol card will work.
Weekend and holiday departures are the busiest, particularly Friday afternoons heading north and Sunday evenings coming back. If you have a flight or an appointment at the other end, take the bus before the one you think you need.
How long the bus takes
Ras Al Khaimah city is around 100 to 120 km from central Dubai by road, about an hour and a half by car outside the rush hour. A direct bus takes roughly the same, plus loading. A service that stops in Sharjah or Ajman can take two hours or more.
Now add the parts people forget: getting to Union station, the wait, and the taxi at the far end. Door to door, two and a half to three hours is realistic. Traffic between Dubai and Sharjah is the big variable: weekday mornings into Dubai, weekday evenings out of it, and Friday afternoons northbound are the slow ones.
How to go to Ras Al Khaimah from Sharjah by bus
If you are wondering how to go to Ras Al Khaimah from Sharjah by bus, it is the same network. RAKTA’s intercity buses link Ras Al Khaimah with Sharjah as well as Dubai and Ajman, and the fare is in a similar range. The ride is shorter: around an hour from Sharjah city by road. Buses use Sharjah’s main bus station.
Route numbers on the Sharjah side change from time to time, which is why we don’t list them here. The RAKBus app, or the staff at the bus station, will tell you which bus to take and when the next one leaves. Groups starting in Sharjah can hire a vehicle with a driver instead (see bus rental in Sharjah), and groups flying in can be met off the plane: see Sharjah Airport transfers.
Other ways from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah
The public bus is the lowest-cost way between the two emirates. It isn’t the only one.
| Option | Best for | Rough cost | Door to door? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public intercity bus | One or two people with light bags | Around AED 25 to 30 per person | No, station to station |
| Taxi or ride-hailing app | Up to four people in a hurry | A few hundred dirhams per car | Yes |
| Driving yourself | Visitors with a hire car | Fuel, plus Salik inside Dubai | Yes |
| Private van or bus with driver | Groups, families with luggage, events | Quoted per vehicle | Yes |
Ride-hailing apps show a price before you book. Drivers usually take the E311 or the E611 north. Heading for the east coast instead? Read our guide to the bus from Dubai to Fujairah.
When a private bus makes more sense
For one traveller, the bus is hard to beat. For a group it stops being easy very quickly. Everyone has to reach Union station at the same time, get their bags on and off, wait for the next departure if the bus is full, then split into taxis at the far end. Coming home is the same again, with one extra risk: the last bus may leave before your day is over.
The money is often closer than people expect. Example: twelve friends paying around AED 25 to 30 each way spend roughly AED 600 to 720 on bus fares for a return day, before any taxis in Ras Al Khaimah. Our Dubai to Jebel Jais day trip starts from AED 650 per day for a whole 15-seater van, driver and fuel included, door to door, with the driver waiting all day.
For one-way and return group transfers to the resorts and the city, see Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah group transfers. For everything else in the emirate, from weddings to staff routes, see bus rental in Ras Al Khaimah.
Tips if you take the public bus
- Check the timetable on the day you travel, not the week before, especially in Ramadan and around public holidays
- Find out when the last bus back leaves before you set off
- Get to the station early on Friday afternoons and holiday weekends
- Travel light; big suitcases are easier on a private transfer
- Carry water in summer, because waits at stations and taxi ranks can be hot
- Have a taxi or ride-hailing app ready for the last stretch in Ras Al Khaimah
Keep reading
- Bus rental Ras Al Khaimah: Vans, minibuses and coaches with drivers for Jebel Jais trips, resort transfers, weddings and staff routes in Ras Al Khaimah.
- Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah transfers: One-way and return group transfers from Dubai hotels and airports to Al Marjan Island, Al Hamra, Mina Al Arab and Ras Al Khaimah city.
- Sharjah to Dubai by bus: How the public buses between Sharjah and Dubai work, where they struggle at rush hour, and when a private bus is worth it.
- Dubai to Jebel Jais (RAK): Group day trips from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah: Jebel Jais, the coast and heritage sites, with your own driver.
- Bus rental Umm Al Quwain: Vans, minibuses and coaches with drivers for staff routes, Dreamland and lagoon trips, weddings and airport runs from Umm Al Quwain.
- Van & minibus rental with driver: V-Class, HiAce and Sprinter vans plus 30-seat minibuses, each with a driver, for Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and the rest of the UAE.
Vehicles
Recommended vehicles.
When the group outgrows the public bus: your own vehicle and driver.
luxury minibus
Sprinter Minibus
From AED 950 per dayHigh roof, reclining seats: the comfortable sixteen.
- 16 seats
- 12 bags
- Driver incl.
mini coach
30-Seater Bus
From AED 550 per dayNimble 30-seater for school gates, weddings and staff runs.
- 30 seats
- 20 bags
- Driver incl.
Frequently asked.
Quick answers for this trip.
Is there a direct bus from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah?
Yes, some departures run direct, and RAKTA added more direct Dubai trips in August 2026. Other buses call at Sharjah or Ajman on the way, which adds time. Check the timetable for the specific bus you plan to take.
How much is the bus from Ras Al Khaimah to Dubai?
A one-way ticket has generally cost around AED 25 to 30. Fares change, so confirm the current price in the RAKBus app or with RAKTA before you travel.
How long does the bus from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah take?
About an hour and a half on a direct bus in light traffic. Services that stop in Sharjah or Ajman take two hours or more, and Friday afternoons and holiday weekends add time.
Which bus goes to Ras Al Khaimah from Sharjah?
RAKTA’s intercity buses link Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. Route numbers change, so use the RAKBus app or ask at Sharjah’s main bus station for the current bus and departure time.
What is the lowest-cost way to travel from Ras Al Khaimah to Dubai?
For one person, the public intercity bus. For a group, add up everyone’s bus fares and taxis and compare that with one hired van. It is often closer than you would think, and the van goes door to door.
How much does a taxi cost from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah?
Usually a few hundred dirhams for one car, depending on where you start, the time of day and the operator. Ride-hailing apps show a price before you book. More than four people means two cars or a van.
Can a group book a whole public bus?
Public intercity buses are scheduled services for individual passengers. A group that wants its own bus hires one privately. We send a van, minibus or coach with a driver from your door to your address in Ras Al Khaimah.
Does the public bus go to Al Marjan Island or Jebel Jais?
The intercity buses from Dubai serve Ras Al Khaimah city; check whether your bus stops anywhere nearer your hotel. Most visitors take a taxi on to the resorts or up the mountain. A private transfer goes straight there.
Too many for the bus? Hire your own.
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