Jet Ski Tour to Burj Al Arab and Atlantis with Photos Dubai

Umm Suqeim marina and Jumeirah Beach

The jet ski base sits in the small marina of Umm Suqeim, a relaxed beachside neighbourhood between Jumeirah and Al Sufouh, right next to the Burj Al Arab. Public car parks are on site, and the marina is about 20 minutes by taxi from Downtown Dubai or Dubai Marina, which answers the common question of how to get to the Burj Al Arab jet ski start.

Check-in opens 20 minutes before your ride. The team fits your life jacket, explains the controls and hand signals and assigns your instructor, who rides alongside you for the whole tour. Beginners quickly feel confident in the calm marina before heading out to sea along Jumeirah Beach, with its soft white sand and turquoise water.

The Burj Al Arab

Rising from its own artificial island just off the beach, the Burj Al Arab is Dubai's most famous landmark. Opened in 1999, its 321-metre tower is shaped like the sail of a traditional dhow and glows in changing colours at night. A helipad juts out near the top, and a private bridge links the island to the shore.

From the water you see the building as it was designed to be seen, rising straight out of the sea. Your instructor stops at the best angle so you can pose for photos and videos with the tower behind you. For many visitors, this Burj Al Arab jet ski tour is the most memorable way to see it, closer than you can get from any beach.

The wave-shaped hotel and the Jumeirah coastline

Next to the Burj Al Arab stands the long, wave-shaped beachfront hotel that was one of the first landmarks of modern Dubai, built in the 1990s to echo a breaking wave. From the sea, the two buildings together form one of the most photographed views in the city, framed by the beach and the low houses of Umm Suqeim.

Leaving the landmarks behind, you pick up speed along the coast with the skyline of Dubai Marina and Al Sufouh rising ahead. Your instructor sets a pace that matches your confidence, from easy cruising to faster stretches on open water. This part of the ride is pure fun, with spray and sun on the open sea.

Palm Jumeirah

Palm Jumeirah is the palm-shaped island built on reclaimed sand off the coast of Dubai from the early 2000s, with a trunk, fronds lined with villas and a long crescent breakwater that protects it from the open sea. It added kilometres of new beaches to the city. From a jet ski you ride along the outside of the crescent, with the fronds and towers behind it.

Is Palm Jumeirah worth visiting? Seen from the water, its scale is impressive, and the jet ski reaches parts of the coast that cars cannot. The ride along the crescent is the highlight of the 1-hour option and the reason many travellers choose it over the shorter ride.

The Atlantis resorts

At the tip of the crescent stand the two Atlantis resorts: the pink, palace-like building with its great central arch, opened in 2008, and its neighbour, opened in 2023, a striking tower of stacked blocks with sky pools and terraces. Together they mark the outer edge of Palm Jumeirah and are among the most recognisable buildings in Dubai.

Your instructor stops for photos with the resorts behind you before you ride back along the coast to Umm Suqeim. The best time of day for a jet ski tour in Dubai is the morning, when the sea is calmest, or late afternoon for softer light. From October to April the weather is perfect; in summer, early slots are cooler.