How to buy a Nol card and how much does public transport (metro/tram/bus) cost in Dubai from your hotel to the malls?

Route correction from the hotel: exit the hotel parking lot and turn RIGHT (not left, as previously stated by mistake).

A Silver Nol card costs 25 AED, leaving a balance of 20 AED after purchase. It can be bought at any metro station, but not at tram stops. The card works on metro, bus, and tram alike. Tram fare is a flat 3 AED, while metro fares range from 3 to 7.5 AED depending on distance. You can top up the balance whenever needed.

Walking route from the hotel to the tram stop: exit the parking lot, pass by McDonald's, walk around the building, and after a couple of minutes you'll reach the tram stop, from which you can ride to the metro station.

Alternatively, you can walk directly to the metro station, which takes about 15 minutes.

Among the malls, Mall of the Emirates was the favorite — it's crowded, but closer to reach than other options.

With teenage kids, they also visited an outlet mall, but the trip took a very long time and it didn't live up to expectations — better to pick a closer mall instead.

Fare cost depends on the number of zones traveled: metro fares range from 3 to 7.5 AED, bus fares from 3 to 25 AED. You can buy a Silver Nol card and top it up right away.