Hatta Bus Station is the RTA terminus for Hatta, Dubai’s mountain exclave town in the Hajar range, about 130 km south-east of the city. Every bus journey to Hatta ends here: the H02 Hatta Express coach from Dubai Mall, the E16 stopping bus from Deira, and the H04 hop-on hop-off loop that starts at the station and tours the town’s sights. Set expectations correctly, though — this is not a city-style terminal. It is a small terminus on the main Dubai–Hatta road through the town (planners list it as “Hatta, Bus Station – 01”), and RTA counts it as its one bus station outside the city area. What it lacks in size it makes up for in position: from the station, the whole of Hatta is one short hop-on hop-off ride away.
Hatta’s visitors are mostly weekenders — kayaks on Hatta Dam, the adventure park at Hatta Wadi Hub, the Heritage Village and Hill Park — plus the town’s own residents riding to the city. This guide covers the three routes that use the station, their timings and fares, how to get around Hatta without a car, and the practical details: Nol payment, the early last express bus, and why no bus from here crosses into Oman.
Hatta Bus Station Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Hatta town, on the Dubai–Hatta Road (E44), in the Hajar Mountains — an exclave of Dubai emirate, about 130 km from the city |
| Operator | RTA Dubai (Roads and Transport Authority) |
| Station style | Small terminus with boarding points for three routes — RTA’s external (out-of-city) bus station; listed in planners as “Hatta, Bus Station – 01” |
| Routes | H02 Hatta Express (Dubai Mall) · E16 (Sabkha, Deira) · H04 hop-on hop-off (circular, within Hatta) |
| Fares | H02 AED 25 · E16 AED 25 · H04 AED 2 per stop — all by Nol card; no cash on any RTA bus |
| Service hours | H02 7:00 AM–7:00 PM · E16 6:30 AM–10:30 PM (from the Sabkha end) · H04 7:00 AM–9:00 PM — all daily |
| Nearest Metro | None — Hatta has no Metro. The nearest stations are in Dubai city, a full bus ride away |
| Distance from Dubai | About 130 km — roughly 1.5 hours on the H02 coach in normal traffic |
Routes from Hatta Bus Station
Three RTA routes use the station, and each does a different job: an express coach, a stopping intercity bus, and a sightseeing loop.
| Route | Destination | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| H02 | Dubai Mall Bus Station | The Hatta Express — deluxe coach, the fastest ride at about 1.5 hours; every 2 hours, 7:00 AM–7:00 PM |
| E16 | Sabkha Bus Station, Deira | The stopping service — 35 stops via Al Awir and Al Madam; about 117 minutes; runs later into the evening |
| H04 | Circular — starts and ends at Hatta Bus Station | Hop on hop off — Hatta Wadi Hub, Hatta Hill Park, Hatta Dam and the Heritage Village; every 30 minutes |
One correction before the detail, because several Hatta guides get it wrong: the E16 does not cost around AED 10, whatever some websites claim. It is a flat AED 25 by Nol card — exactly the same fare as the H02. There is no cheap-versus-expensive choice between Hatta’s two Dubai buses; the choice is speed and which end of Dubai you want.
H02: the Hatta Express from Dubai Mall
The H02 is the route RTA built for Hatta’s visitors. Per RTA, it runs from Dubai Mall Bus Station to Hatta Bus Station on deluxe coaches, daily from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, at a frequency of every two hours, for a flat AED 25 per rider per journey by Nol card. With few stops, the run takes about 90 minutes in normal traffic — the quickest way to Hatta without a car, and the natural choice from the Red Line side, since Dubai Mall has its own Metro station. The catch is the early finish: the last H02 leaves at 7:00 PM, so a Hatta day trip on the express is planned backwards from that departure.
E16: the Stopping Bus from Sabkha
The E16 is Hatta’s older, slower link — a 35-stop intercity run from Sabkha Bus Station in Deira, via Oud Metha, Ras Al Khor, Al Warsan, Al Awir and Al Madam, ending at Hatta Bus Station. It runs daily, 6:30 AM to 10:30 PM from the Sabkha end, at a flat AED 25 by Nol card, and the full trip is scheduled at about 117 minutes. Frequency is the weakness: roughly every two hours on most days, and roughly hourly on Fridays per RTA feed listings. Choose the E16 if you are based on the Deira side of Dubai, or if you need the later evening running — it is still going long after the last H02 has left.
H04: the Hop-On Hop-Off Loop
The H04 never leaves Hatta. This circular tourist route starts and ends at Hatta Bus Station and passes the town’s four headline landmarks: Hatta Wadi Hub, Hatta Hill Park, Hatta Dam and the Heritage Village. It runs daily from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM, every 30 minutes, at AED 2 per rider per bus stop — you pay per hop, so a day spent riding between all four sights costs a handful of dirhams on top of your Dubai fare. It is what makes a car-free Hatta trip genuinely workable.
Hatta Bus Station Timings
There is no single station timetable — each route keeps its own pattern, and all three run daily. The H02 express keeps office-like hours, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM every two hours. The H04 loop runs 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM every 30 minutes. The E16 has the longest day, 6:30 AM to 10:30 PM from Sabkha, with Hatta departures spread through the day and evening; because it only runs about every two hours, the exact departure matters more than the pattern. Check your specific bus in RTA’s S’hail app before you travel — timings shift on public holidays, and Hatta is busiest on winter weekends.
Getting Around Hatta
Hatta’s sights are spread wider than they look on a map. The Heritage Village and Hill Park sit in and around the town, but Hatta Dam and Wadi Hub are too far from the station — and from each other — to walk between, especially in the heat. The H04 is the designed answer: board at the station, hop off at each landmark, and take the next loop bus 30 minutes later. Within the town centre itself, the station, shops and cafeterias are a short walk apart. For anywhere the H04 does not reach, a local taxi is the fallback — but plan the day around the loop first, as it covers everything most visitors come for.
How to Reach Hatta Bus Station
By Bus from Dubai
Two ways in, both covered above: the H02 from Dubai Mall Bus Station (best from the Downtown and Red Line side) and the E16 from Sabkha in Deira (best from old Dubai — the Sabkha stops sit a short walk from Baniyas Square Metro, and Deira’s other termini, Union Bus Station and Gold Souk Bus Station, are close by). There is no Metro anywhere near Hatta itself, and no other RTA bus serves the town.
By Taxi or Car
By road, Hatta is about 130 km and roughly 1.5 hours from central Dubai on the Dubai–Hatta Road (E44). A Dubai taxi will make the run — expect roughly AED 200–300 one way, so agree the fare before you set off — and the drive through Al Madam into the mountains is half the appeal of the trip. If you are driving yourself, the station area is the natural place to aim for in the middle of town.
Facilities and Tickets
Keep expectations in line with the station’s size: Hatta is a small working terminus, not a terminal building with a ticket hall. Do not count on buying or topping up a Nol card at the station — there is no Metro station in Hatta to rescue a low balance, and no verified ticket office. Sort your card out in Dubai before you leave: a return trip on the H02 or E16 is AED 50, plus a few dirhams for H04 hops, so arrive with at least that loaded. You can top up at any Dubai Metro station, online, or in the Nol Pay app.
Payment is by Nol card only on all three routes — the H02 and E16 at a flat AED 25, the H04 at AED 2 per stop. Cash is not accepted on any RTA bus, whatever some Hatta guides suggest. Tap in when you board the coaches; on a flat-fare route the full fare is deducted at tap-in.
Hatta and the Oman Border
Hatta sits close to the Sultanate of Oman — the Hatta–Al Wajajah border crossing is a short drive east of the town — and visitors sometimes assume the bus continues across. It does not. Every RTA route terminates at Hatta Bus Station, no scheduled bus crosses the border here, and ordinary Dubai taxis are not authorised to cross into Oman either. If Oman is part of your plan, you will need your own car or a pre-booked cross-border transfer, plus your passport and the right visa arrangements sorted in advance — no bus ticket covers any of that. Treat Hatta as the end of the line, because for public transport, it is.
Travel Tips for Hatta Bus Station
- Plan your day backwards from 7:00 PM: The last H02 Hatta Express leaves Hatta at 7:00 PM. Miss it and your options shrink to the slower E16 (if its evening departures suit) or an expensive taxi. Set the return first, then fit the sights around it.
- Load your Nol card in Dubai: There is no Metro station in Hatta and no reliable way to top up at the terminus. Carry at least AED 50 for the return intercity fare, plus small change worth of balance for H04 hops.
- Choose your Dubai end: H02 for Dubai Mall and the Red Line side, E16 for Deira. Same AED 25 fare — the real difference is the journey time and where in Dubai you start.
- Ride the H04, do not walk between sights: Hatta Dam and Wadi Hub are kilometres apart. At AED 2 per hop and a bus every 30 minutes, the loop is cheaper than the taxi and kinder than the midday sun.
- Come in the cool season, and come early: Hatta is a winter destination — roughly October to April — and some attractions reduce their hours in the summer heat. On winter weekends the H02 coaches fill up, so take an early departure from Dubai Mall.
- Ignore the AED 10 E16 claim: A few guides price the E16 at around AED 10. The fare is a flat AED 25, the same as the Hatta Express — budget for AED 50 return either way.
Related Routes
- Sabkha Bus Station — the E16’s Dubai terminus in Deira
- Union Bus Station — Deira’s Metro interchange for reaching Sabkha
- Gold Souk Bus Station — Deira’s other main terminus, near the E16 corridor
Where is Hatta Bus Station located?
In Hatta town, on the Dubai–Hatta Road (E44) in the Hajar Mountains, about 130 km south-east of Dubai city. Hatta is an exclave of Dubai emirate, and the station — listed in journey planners as “Hatta, Bus Station – 01” — is the town’s RTA terminus for the H02, E16 and H04 buses.
Which buses use Hatta Bus Station?
Three RTA routes. The H02 Hatta Express runs to Dubai Mall Bus Station on deluxe coaches, the E16 runs to Sabkha Bus Station in Deira, and the H04 is a circular hop-on hop-off loop within Hatta, calling at Hatta Wadi Hub, Hatta Hill Park, Hatta Dam and the Heritage Village. No other RTA bus serves Hatta.
How long does the bus from Dubai to Hatta take?
The H02 Hatta Express takes about 90 minutes from Dubai Mall in normal traffic. The E16 from Sabkha is scheduled at about 117 minutes for the full 35-stop run, and longer if traffic is heavy leaving Deira. By car or taxi the journey is roughly 1.5 hours.
What time is the last bus from Hatta to Dubai?
The last H02 Hatta Express leaves Hatta Bus Station at 7:00 PM. The E16 runs later — its service window is 6:30 AM to 10:30 PM from the Sabkha end, with evening departures from Hatta too — but it only runs about every two hours, so check the exact last departure for your day in the S’hail app before you rely on it.
How do I get around Hatta without a car?
Use the H04 hop-on hop-off bus. It loops from Hatta Bus Station to Hatta Wadi Hub, Hatta Hill Park, Hatta Dam and the Heritage Village every 30 minutes from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM, at AED 2 per rider per stop. The sights are too far apart to walk between, so the loop is the practical way to see Hatta car-free.
Can I take a bus from Hatta to Oman?
No. The Hatta–Al Wajajah border crossing is a short drive east of Hatta town, but no RTA bus crosses it — every route terminates at Hatta Bus Station, and regular Dubai taxis cannot cross into Oman either. Continuing into Oman means your own car or a pre-booked cross-border transfer, with passport and visa formalities handled separately.
Can I buy or top up a Nol card at Hatta Bus Station?
Do not count on it. Hatta Bus Station is a small terminus with no Metro station in the town, so arrive with a topped-up Nol card — you need AED 25 per intercity leg plus balance for the H04. Top up in Dubai before you leave, at any Metro station, online, or through the Nol Pay app.
Do I need to book the H02 Hatta Express in advance?
No — there is no advance booking; you simply board at Dubai Mall Bus Station or Hatta Bus Station and tap your Nol card. The trade-off is that seats are first-come, and the coaches can fill on winter weekends and public holidays, so arrive in good time for the departure you want.
Daniyal Sheikh
Transport Editor, UAE Travel Hub
Dubai daily commuter covering the Metro, Nol cards, RTA buses and intercity routes across all seven emirates — every fare and timing checked against official RTA, ITC and SRTA sources.