Honestly the metro is perfect for lazy travelers who don't want to deal with dubai traffic or expensive ubers. Two main lines cover most tourist stuff and it's stupidly easy once you figure out the basics.

red line essentials: starts at airport terminals 1 & 3, hits burj khalifa/dubai mall (station r25), then splits at jabal ali — One branch goes to uae exchange (near marina), other to expo 2020. Covers basically every instagram spot you want. green line: connects old dubai — Al ras station (g23) for gold souk, baniyas square (g21) for spice markets. Union station (r17/g20) transfers between lines.

Get a nol silver card at any vending machine — Costs 25 aed deposit plus whatever credit you want (minimum 25 aed top-up). Machines take cash or card, have english options. Pro tip: buy extra credit, refunding unused balance is annoying.

lazy person hacks: trains every 4-7 minutes so don't stress about timing. First carriage is gold class (costs extra but sometimes worth it for personal space). Last carriage is women and children only. All stations have elevators because apparently dubai planners aren't monsters. Download rta dubai app for real-time schedules — Works offline once downloaded which is clutch when you're underground with no signal.