The Palm
A palm Jumeirah tour is the one booking on this site where the point is not a building but a shape. Palm Jumeirah is too large to read from a car and too low to read from the beach, and the boats that leave the Dubai Marina spend the middle of every ride running along its outer arm. Seven listings here name the Palm, from $20 to $196. This page says which of them get closest, for how long, and what you actually see.
Quick answer
The short answer. The Palm is best seen from a boat running along its outer arm, and the ninety-minute listings are the ones that do it properly. Our top pick is $40 — ninety minutes past Ain Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, Atlantis and the Burj Al Arab, rated 4.8 across 11,719 reviews. The least expensive palm Jumeirah tour at that length is $24, and $196 is the private boat built around the island. Free cancellation applies to every listing here.
The shape
Palm Jumeirah is an artificial island in the shape of a palm tree: a trunk, sixteen fronds and a curved breakwater wrapped around the outside of them. From the ground it reads as ordinary streets with water at the end of them. From the air it reads as a diagram. From a boat it reads as something else again — a low, long wall of villas and hotels that keeps going for minutes at a time, which is the only way to feel how big it is at human eye level.
That is what a palm Jumeirah tour is for. The boats leave the Dubai Marina, clear the mouth, run past JBR and Bluewaters, and then the Palm starts on the right and does not stop. On a ninety-minute ride you are alongside it for a good stretch of the middle of the tour, with Atlantis The Palm and Royal Atlantis standing at the head of the island as the visual full stop.
Two listings go further than running past it. $26 names the Palm Lagoon in its highlights — the sheltered water inside the breakwater — and $149 offers a stop to swim in the clear water of the Palm Lagoon on some of its tour options. Everyone else sees the island from outside the wall, which is where the shape is legible.
The guide matters more here than anywhere else on the coast. A speedboat tour palm Jumeirah Dubai visitors book for the photographs is also, if the listing names a guide, the moment somebody explains what you are looking along: which part is the trunk, where the fronds begin, why the breakwater exists at all. $26 promises a personal guided experience around the Palm and Atlantis, and $40 names the Palm directly in its highlights alongside Dubai Eye and the Burj Al Arab.
The listings
Seven of the sixteen listings on this site name Palm Jumeirah in their description or highlights. They fall into three groups: the ninety-minute shared speedboats, the shorter guided runs, and the private boats.
The ninety-minute speedboats. $40 is our top pick for the Palm as it is for the coast generally: ninety minutes from the Marina up to Jumeirah Beach with Dubai Eye, Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab named in the listing, a guide on board and stops for photographs, at 4.8 across 11,719 reviews. $24 is the cheaper ninety minutes and the one most focused on this end of the coast: its listing names The Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab, and it runs set departures from 9:00 to 19:45, which makes it the easy one to fit around a day. 3,770 reviews at 4.7.
The guided runs. $26 is the RIB boat listing that promises to cruise around the amazing Palm Jumeirah and Atlantis Hotel from the water, bookable from thirty to ninety-nine minutes, at 4.8 across 1,920 reviews. $26 gives you the choice: sixty minutes through the Marina, JBR and Ain Dubai, or ninety that adds Atlantis and the Burj Al Arab, with the Palm Lagoon named among its stunning views. $20 is the lowest fare on the site and reaches Atlantis The Palm inside its hour.
The private boats. $196 is the listing built around this island by name: a private boat from the Marina with three tour lengths, Ain Dubai, Atlantis and the Palm on the route, your own music through the boat’s speakers and, in the listing’s words, a comfortable cruise with the island’s history explained. 802 reviews at 4.7. $149 is the other private way round: you drive, an instructor leads, and the route names The Palm, Royal Atlantis and the World Islands, with a swim stop in the Palm Lagoon on some options.
A speedboat tour around palm Jumeirah Dubai sells by the minute, so the honest comparison is minutes alongside the island rather than fare alone. Sixty minutes gets you to the Palm and a look at Atlantis. Ninety minutes gives you the length of the breakwater and the head of the island, and then the Burj Al Arab on the way back. That is the whole difference, and it is why six of these seven listings sell ninety minutes as their main option.
Every trip, current fare
All sixteen tours on the site for comparison, with the speedboats first. The seven that name the Palm are $40, $24, $26, $26, $20, $149 and $196.
| Tour | Length | Price | What is included | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marina, Atlantis, Palm & Burj Al Arab Speedboat TourOur top pick — all four landmarks | 90 min | $40 | Marina, Ain Dubai, Palm, Atlantis, Burj Al Arab, photo stops | $26.67 | 4.8 · 11,719 |
| 1.5-Hour Atlantis Sightseeing Speedboat TourNinety minutes to Atlantis | 90 min | $24 | Marina departure, Palm Jumeirah, Atlantis, set departure times | $16.00 | 4.7 · 3,770 |
| Guided Sightseeing Tour by SpeedboatGuided RIB boat from the Marina | 99 min | $26 | RIB boat, Marina, Yacht Club, Palm, Atlantis, guide | $15.76 | 4.8 · 1,920 |
| Sightseeing Speedboat Tour with Live Tour GuideLive guide, 60 or 90 minutes | 90 min | $26 | RIB boat, live guide, 60 or 90 minutes, Palm Lagoon | $17.33 | 4.7 · 827 |
| 1-Hour Luxury Sightseeing Speedboat TourLowest fare on the site | 60 min | $20 | Marina, JBR, Ain Dubai, Atlantis, guide on board | $20.00 | 4.8 · 375 |
| 100-Min Speed Boat Tour, Atlantis & Burj Al Arab ViewThe longest speedboat run here | 100 min | $43 | Marina Yacht Club start, captain and hostess, photo stops | $25.80 | 4.9 · 202 |
| Guided Speedboat Tour with City Sights & Ice Cream.Sunset hour with ice cream | 60 min | $33 | Sunset run, Burj Al Arab, Atlantis, the Palm, ice cream | $33.00 | 4.8 · 58 |
| Luxury Yacht Tour with Breakfast or BBQ OptionMost reviewed listing on the site | 3 h | $25 | Yacht, guide, breakfast or BBQ, upper deck and lounge | $8.33 | 4.7 · 22,156 |
| Luxury Superyacht Tour with Live DJ, Swim & Open BarSuperyacht with a swim stop | 3 h | $126 | Superyacht, live DJ, swim stop, lunch or dinner, drinks | $42.00 | 4.8 · 4,054 |
| Private Self-Drive SeaKart Jet Ski Boat TourDrive it yourself | 30 min | $149 | Drive your own SeaKart, instructor leading, 30 to 120 min | $298.00 | 4.9 · 598 |
| Marina Private Luxury Yacht TourPrivate yacht, up to four hours | 4 h | $270 | Private yacht from the Marina, 2 or 3 hours, swim stop | $67.50 | 4.9 · 362 |
| Private Sea Escape Cruise - Swim, Tan & SightseePrivate, with a swim stop | 3 h | $150 | Private cruise, JBR, Ain Dubai, Atlantis, swim stop | $50.00 | 4.9 · 660 |
| Private Yacht Cruise for Unforgettable MemoriesPrivate yacht at sunset | 60 min | $153 | Private yacht, sunset skyline, water and music on board | $153.00 | 5.0 · 619 |
| Private Luxury Everest Yacht Cruise from Dubai MarinaPrivate, up to eight hours | 8 h | $170 | Private yacht and skipper, sundeck, swim stop, World Islands | $21.25 | 4.7 · 519 |
| Marina Private Boat Tour & Palm Jumeirah SightseeingPrivate boat around the Palm | 60 min | $196 | Private boat, Palm Jumeirah, Ain Dubai, three tour lengths | $196.00 | 4.7 · 802 |
| Private Luxury Yacht Tour on a 50-Foot YachtPrivate 50-foot yacht | 60 min | $133 | 50-foot yacht, local guide and skipper, drink on board | $133.00 | 4.9 · 765 |
The island
From the mouth of the Marina to the head of the island and back. The same water on every palm Jumeirah tour here; the difference is how much of it your booking covers.
| Stretch | Roughly | What you see | Which boats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out past JBRthe first open water | Minutes 5–10 | Jumeirah Beach Residence along the shore as the boat comes up to speed | Every speedboat here |
| Bluewaters and Ain Dubaibefore the Palm begins | Minutes 10–15 | The wheel on its island, named as Ain Dubai or Dubai Eye in the listings | $20, $26, $196 |
| The outer breakwaterthe long wall of the Palm | The middle stretch | Villas and hotels at eye level for minutes at a time — the part that shows the scale | $40, $24, $26 |
| Palm Lagooninside the breakwater | On some options | Sheltered water; a swim stop on some SeaKart options | $26, $149 |
| Atlantis and Royal Atlantisthe head of the island | The turnaround | The two hotels that close the Palm, and the furthest point of most ninety-minute rides | The 90 and 100-minute boats |
| Back up the coasttoward Jumeirah Beach | The way home | The Burj Al Arab on the longer routes, then the Marina again | $40, $43 |
Book direct
Four ways to book a palm Jumeirah tour: the top pick that names the island alongside three other landmarks, the least expensive ninety minutes, the private boat built around it, and the guided RIB.
★ 4.8 · 11,719 reviews
★ 4.7 · 3,770 reviews
★ 4.7 · 802 reviews
★ 4.8 · 1,920 reviews
The verdict
The island is the same from every boat. What you are choosing is minutes, company and whether anybody is explaining it.
If you want the Palm inside the full coastline, book $40. Ninety minutes, a guide, photo stops, and Dubai Eye, Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab all named in the listing, with 11,719 reviews at 4.8 behind it. It is our top pick, and for a first palm Jumeirah tour it is the booking that leaves least out.
If you want the same length for less, book $24. Ninety minutes aimed squarely at The Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab, departures every part of the day from 9:00 to 19:45, 3,770 reviews at 4.7. It is the least expensive ninety minutes on the site.
If you want the boat to yourself, book $196. A private boat from the Marina with three lengths to choose from, the Palm, Ain Dubai and Atlantis on the route, your own music on board and the history explained as you go. 802 reviews at 4.7. It is the only listing on this site whose title is built around Palm Jumeirah sightseeing.
If you want to swim inside the island, book $149. Some of its four tour options include a stop to swim in the clear water of the Palm Lagoon, and you drive the boat yourself with an instructor leading and photographing the ride. 598 reviews at 4.9, and it is sold as a private booking.
If you have an hour and no more, book $20. The lowest fare on the site puts you past JBR, Ain Dubai and Atlantis The Palm inside sixty minutes with a guide on board. You will see the Palm; you will not run its whole length. That is the honest trade at this fare.
When to go
The Palm faces west into the Gulf, which is why the hour you book a palm Jumeirah tour changes the photographs more than the choice of boat does.
Morning
The 9:00 and mid-morning departures of $24 and the guided runs. The water is usually at its calmest and the island reads clearly against the sky.
Midday
Strong overhead light. The shapes are all there and the sea is at its most vivid; this is when most shared departures run.
Late afternoon
The light comes in along the breakwater instead of down onto it, which is when the Palm photographs best from a boat. Most ninety-minute listings have a departure in this window.
Sunset
$33 is built around it — an hour past the Burj Al Arab and Atlantis, along the Palm, with ice cream on board. $24 has a 19:45 departure and $153 is the private yacht version.
Mistakes
All five come from the same thing: on a palm Jumeirah tour the island turns out to be much larger than it looks in pictures.
Sixty minutes reaches the Palm and Atlantis. It does not run the length of the breakwater and come back with time to spare. Ninety minutes does.
These are sightseeing boats. They run along the Palm and around Atlantis; the listings describe photo stops on the water, not a stop ashore.
Ain Dubai stands on Bluewaters Island, which the boats pass before the Palm begins. Two separate islands, a few minutes apart on the water.
The sheltered water inside the breakwater is named by $26 and offered as a swim stop on some options of $149. The rest of the boats stay outside.
$196 and $149 run one group at a time. They are the two listings most often unavailable on the day.
Checklist
Thirty seconds each, and they settle the whole booking.
Seven of the sixteen name the island. Read the highlights rather than the title — that is where the operators list what the route actually passes.
Sixty, ninety, ninety-nine or, on the private boats, as long as you book. The island takes a while to go past.
The shared speedboats go out at set times with other passengers. $196 and $149 go out with your group only.
Shown on the booking page for every listing on this site, and worth having on anything booked around a particular light or a particular hour.
Ninety minutes is the length that runs the whole island. Our top pick is $40 at 4.8 across 11,719 reviews; the least expensive ninety minutes is $24, with departures from 9:00 to 19:45.
See the Atlantis routes→Common questions
From $20 for a guided hour that reaches Atlantis The Palm, up to $196 for a private boat built around the island. Our top pick $40 covers the Palm, Ain Dubai, Atlantis and the Burj Al Arab in ninety minutes.
From outside the breakwater, yes — and it is the only way to see it at eye level. The boats run along the outer arm for minutes at a time, which is what shows the scale. The shape of the palm itself is a thing you read from the air; what the water gives you is the size.
Seven listings name it: $40, $24, $26, $26, $20, $149 and $196. The ninety-minute ones cover the most of it.
On some options of $149, which names a stop to swim in the clear water of the Palm Lagoon. Among the yachts, $270, $150 and $170 also include a swim stop.
Sixty minutes reaches the island and Atlantis. Ninety minutes runs its length and adds the Burj Al Arab on the way back. $196 offers three lengths and $149 sells thirty to a hundred and twenty minutes.
$40 at 4.8 across 11,719 reviews is the most reviewed speedboat on the site. Among the private boats, $196 holds 4.7 across 802 and $149 holds 4.9 across 598.
Go deeper
Every boat that leaves the Marina, and what each route covers.
AtlantisHow close the boats get to Atlantis The Palm, and for how long.
Burj Al ArabThe sail-shaped hotel from sea level, and which routes reach it.
90 minutesWhat fits into an hour and a half on the water, stop by stop.
Private boatsYour own boat and skipper: what changes, and what it costs.
SunsetThe last departures of the day and what the light does to the skyline.
Marina, Atlantis, Palm & Burj Al Arab Speedboat Tour
★ 4.8 · 11,719 reviews · Free cancellation 24 h