Taxi & Transfers from Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) to Abu Dhabi

How to Get from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Abu Dhabi City Centre

By Public Bus

The round-the-clock A1 bus is the lightest-on-wallet transfer route: every 30 minutes it rolls straight from Arrivals to the Corniche for just AED 4.

Leatherette seats, strong air-conditioning and a rack for medium suitcases make the 45-minute ride surprisingly comfortable, though the bus pauses at more than fifteen stops and crawls when rush-hour lights stack red.

Clever move: load a Hafilat card inside the terminal and skip fumbling coins while the driver watches the queue grow behind you.

By Taxi

Silver TransAD cabs wait at the kerb twenty-four hours. An airport flag-fall of AED 20 plus AED 1.82 per km brings the final fare to about AED 70-85, pricey compared with the bus yet still cheap per kilometre for a Gulf capital.

The taxi route follows Airport Road onto Sheikh Zayed Street; in light traffic the journey ends at hotel doors in twenty-five minutes, during Friday brunch it can touch thirty-five. Drivers accept card or cash, meters run honestly, and you can ring 600 53 53 53 for a child seat.

Mention your hotel pin at the rank—two Rotanas sit on opposite blocks and a wrong left turn adds an irritating u-turn,, patience runs thin when luggage shifts on every corner.

Private Transfer

Booking a Kiwitaxi car fixes one figure—about AED 125—for a meet-and-greet inside the terminal, sixty minutes of free wait time and help with every bag.

This taxi-transfer route mirrors street-cab timing but skips the rank; the driver tracks flight delays, the toll-free road keeps costs still, and bottled water appears before you ask.

Ride Categories for Your Journey

• Smart Compact – perfect for two light travellers and cabin wheels
• Everyday Sedan – family of four plus three big suitcases
• People Carrier – six seats and a deep boot for golf clubs or prams
• Executive Quiet – leather hush, extra leg-room and rear USB-C sockets

Transfer with Children

Local law demands a certified restraint for riders under 135 cm. Tick baby, toddler or booster while booking and the seat arrives clipped ready—no frantic kiosk hunt five minutes before check-in closes.

Private drivers will gladly pause at a petrol-station mini-mart if juice boxes spill, turning a potential meltdown into a calm snack break.

Transfer with Pets

Small cats or dogs ride safely in a hard-shell carrier; larger crates need the People Carrier. Note crate length so the driver folds a seat in advance.

Papers are rarely checked at city limits, yet flashing vaccination slips quickly beats rummaging under beach towels if asked.

What to Do When You Arrive Downtown

Stroll the Corniche promenade: turquoise Gulf on one side, mirrored towers on the other, and cycle lanes that let jet-lag unwind at a breeze-cooled pace.

If time allows, detour ten minutes to Qasr Al Hosn; the white-coral fort narrates the city’s pearl-diving past while an art-hub café serves cardamom lattes under palm-leaf shades—proof that choosing the right transfer route saves energy for exploring, not queueing.