A nol card is Dubai’s public-transport payment medium. It is separate from an attraction pass and comes in different types. Silver is a useful starting comparison for an ordinary visitor; Gold pricing relates to a different travel class.
Silver nol fares are AED 3, 5 or 7.50 according to zones travelled. Buying a card, adding travel credit and loading an unlimited pass are different transactions.
nol card charges: Silver journey fares
RTA’s fare table, checked on 14 September 2026, lists the following Silver fares. A balance top-up is credit for future travel; it is not an extra ticket fee.
| Journey | Silver fare |
|---|---|
| Within one zone | AED 3 |
| Two adjacent zones | AED 5 |
| More than two zones | AED 7.50 |
nol card packages: stored value, 7-day pass or nol Travel?
RTA lists Silver seven-day passes at AED 50 for one zone, AED 80 for two zones and AED 110 for all zones. Anonymous Silver and Gold cards are eligible for seven-day passes; longer-duration products require registration.
nol Travel is a separate discount-card product. Do not read its name as a promise of unlimited public transport or attraction entry. Match the current benefits to purchases you already intend to make.
Plan Dubai Metro and bus journeysIs a seven-day nol pass worth it for your trip?
Our example assumes every separately charged journey crosses two adjacent zones, using Silver fares. The seven-day two-zone pass is AED 80 and each single journey AED 5. Card purchase costs are excluded from both sides. Count completed fare journeys after valid transfers, not every vehicle you board.
Ten such journeys cost AED 50 as stored value, sixteen cost AED 80, and twenty cost AED 100. In this example the pass only saves money beyond sixteen journeys. If even one planned outing leaves the covered zones, recalculate with the appropriate pass and fare rules.
| Two-zone journeys during the pass period | Stored-value cost | Compared with AED 80 pass |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | AED 50 | Stored value costs AED 30 less |
| 16 | AED 80 | Equal fare cost |
| 20 | AED 100 | Pass costs AED 20 less |
Build a Dubai transport budget without counting credit twice
Keep three separate lines: the card purchase, credit loaded for pay-as-you-go trips and any period pass. Adding AED 50 of credit gives you a balance to spend; it is not AED 50 of travel on top of the fares later deducted from that balance.
List the hotel-to-sightseeing journeys first, then add airport travel and any taxi or marine service separately. If your holiday package mentions nol Travel, read the included benefits rather than treating the word Travel as an unlimited transport promise.
Match your hotel area to Dubai transportDoes one nol fare cover the Metro and bus?
A qualifying Metro-to-bus transfer must begin within 30 minutes of checking out of the Metro. RTA also lists a maximum journey duration of 180 minutes and up to three transfers. A sightseeing stop can break those conditions: compare the whole route before treating several rides as one fare.
Where to buy and add credit
Use an RTA ticket office, machine or authorised outlet. Add enough credit for the journeys ahead and check how an online top-up becomes available on the card. Card purchase cost and travel balance are different amounts.
How to use it
Touch in and out so the journey can be priced by the zones crossed. Use the correct cabin and keep your card available until the journey ends. When transferring between eligible services, the permitted connection time matters.
Fares, card costs and what they mean
The published Silver fares are AED 3 within one zone, AED 5 across two adjacent zones and AED 7.50 across more than two zones. RTA specifies a 30-minute transfer window for eligible connections. Different media and Gold travel have different prices.
Prices and terms checked on 9 September 2026. The linked operator tariff is the reference for your travel date.
nol cards: common questions
Is a nol travel pass the same as a city attraction pass?
No. A public-transport pass has transport and zone rules. Sightseeing entry must be explicitly included in the separate attraction product you buy.
How many journeys make a two-zone nol seven-day pass worthwhile?
At AED 5 per separately charged Silver two-zone journey and AED 80 for the matching pass, sixteen journeys cost the same. More than sixteen favour the pass in this specific example; different zones change the result.
Does a nol card cover both the Dubai Metro and buses?
Yes, nol can pay for both. A qualifying connection is charged by the total zones travelled, with RTA’s transfer and journey-time limits. A long break between rides can create a new fare.
Where can I buy transport tickets or a card in Dubai?
Use an RTA ticket office, machine or authorised outlet. Add enough credit for the journeys ahead and check how an online top-up becomes available on the card. Card purchase cost and travel balance are different amounts.
How do I validate my Dubai transport fare?
Touch in and out so the journey can be priced by the zones crossed. Use the correct cabin and keep your card available until the journey ends. When transferring between eligible services, the permitted connection time matters.
What should I check before choosing nol cards?
A sightseeing pass is not a nol card. A marine excursion is also not automatically covered by the fare for an ordinary metro journey. Compare these costs as separate lines when budgeting for a full day.
Written for planning, with official visitor information linked where relevant. Suggested routes and time allowances are editorial recommendations. Check current entry rules, opening notices and ticket conditions before booking. Read how we prepare and update our guides.
