Buggies, trains and shuttles: How you can get around Expo 2020 Dubai site

The thought of covering a 4.38-square-kilometre venue on foot can seem daunting, especially if you have little kids and senior family members tagging along. Expo 2020 Dubai sprawls an area equivalent to four times the area of The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping mall. So getting around the site in a day is going to be near impossible – but we tell you how.

Expo supplements your footwork with plenty of other mobility options. Rental buggies, tour trains, buses and more are available at all times to quickly shuttle visitors to their favourite pavilions and points of interest. Read on to find out about if and how you can book these, their rates and timings.

Looking for ways to get to the site? We have detailed guides on each mode of transport to help you plan: private car and parking, free Expo Rider buses and the Dubai Metro.

Understanding the site layout

Before you browse the list, here is a rough sketch of the Expo layout to help you pick your onsite mobility.

Expo 2020 Dubai is divided into three main districts or ‘petals’, equidistant from the heart called Al Wasl Plaza, the world’s biggest 360-degree projection dome. Named Sustainability, Opportunity and Mobility Districts, these are where you will find the bulk of the pavilions. The spaces between the petals are dedicated to two verdant parks – Jubilee and Al Forsan.

Visitors can enter from any of the four main gates, one at the mouth of each district and the last is reserved for Metro users, 2020 Plaza. Walking from the arrival area (Welcome Plazas) of Sustainability, Opportunity and Mobility Districts to Al Wasl Plaza can take 10 to 11 minutes.

Expo Buggy

Several white golf buggies operated by trained drivers are constantly shuttling visitors around the site. The paid service is bookable for entire families or even one passenger, depending on the size of the cart.

Rates: For one person, the golf buggies charge Dh10 up to an hour; a group of five, Dh250 per hour; a group of seven, Dh300 per hour; and a group of 10, Dh500 per hour. Visitors can pay the driver in cash or card. Note: You can book a buggy for the whole duration of your visit, and your rental fee will be calculated by the hour.

Booking: Advance bookings must be made an hour before you need a buggy. Either call the service provider, EZ Taxi, on 055-8042020 or rent in person.

Location: Buggies of all sizes can be leased at the Golf Buggy Majlis, seen as soon as you enter the districts and by the Metro entrance. But visitors can also hail any empty buggy on sight.

Expo Explorer trains

Tour the site sustainably on free-of-cost electric and compressed-air trains. Meandering the site on fixed routes, the black and yellow trains trace the three districts slowly for sightseeing. This is ideal for families with children.

Train stops: Mobility District (near the Poland Pavilion), Sustainability District (near the Spain Pavilion) and Opportunity District (near Al Forsan Park).

Note: The Expo Explorer trains have a shaded stop in each district. Waiting times may differ.

Electric Bicycles

E-bikes by vehicle-for-hire company Careem are up for renting onsite, and all you need is the Careem Bike app on your phone. With 18 bike stations peppered across the venue, visitors can lease a bike at any time for just Dh20 for the entire day.

Some bikes come with child safety seats as well, so this is another great way for you to take kids sightseeing at Expo. Before you book, there are precautions to take and bike routes to stick to. Check out our detailed guide on renting an e-bike at Expo here.

Strollers and wheelchairs

Available on a free, first-come-first-serve basis, baby strollers and wheelchairs are up for the taking at all entrances and Visitor Centres. Make sure to return them before you leave the fair.

People Mover buses

Expo’s free inter-district shuttle does not run within but rather on the outskirts of the site. You will need a People Mover if you want to visit the Sustainability District, for instance, but you’re across the site in a different zone.

Board these buses from the following seven stops to cross districts easily:

People Movers operate at a frequency of 3 minutes.