Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah is the palm-shaped artificial island off the Dubai coast, built by Nakheel from 2001. It is split into a central trunk, residential fronds and an outer crescent lined with resorts, including Atlantis, The Palm.
Quick facts
- To DXB airport
- About 26 min by taxi with no traffic (Rome2Rio estimate, about 33 km)
- Getting there
- Dubai Tram to the Palm Jumeirah stop, then the Palm Monorail from Palm Gateway
- Monorail stations
- Palm Gateway, Al Ittihad Park, Palm Jumeirah Mall, Atlantis Aquaventure
- Layout
- Trunk (shops and apartments), fronds (homes and villas), crescent (resorts)
- Main sights
- Atlantis, The Palm with Aquaventure and the Lost Chambers Aquarium; The View at The Palm
- Best for
- Resort holidays, families, beach time
- Best for
- Families, couples, beach and resort stays
Top things to do in Palm Jumeirah
Tours and activities you can book here
E-foil lesson at Sofitel The Palm (Seamocean)
from AED 840
All 16 things to do in Palm Jumeirah, grouped by kind and time of day
What Palm Jumeirah is like
Palm Jumeirah is an artificial island in the Gulf, shaped like a palm tree when seen from above. Nakheel developed it, and dredging by the Dutch firm Van Oord began in June 2001. The island has three parts. The trunk holds shops, offices and apartment buildings. The fronds are lined with private homes and villas. The outer crescent is where most of the big beach resorts stand. By 2024 there were about 30 hotels on the island.
The Palm is quieter and more spread out than the city districts on the mainland. Distances along the trunk and crescent are long, so plan how you will get around before you arrive.
What to see and do
- Atlantis, The Palm: the first resort built on the island, opened on 24 September 2008 at the apex of the crescent. It has around 1,544 rooms in two wings.
- Aquaventure and the Lost Chambers: the waterpark and the aquarium at Atlantis. The aquarium is home to more than 65,000 marine animals. See our attractions for tickets.
- The View at The Palm: an observation deck on level 52 of The Palm Tower, about 240 m up, with views over the whole island and back to the Dubai Marina skyline. It is reached from the mall at the base of the tower.
- The monorail ride: the elevated line along the trunk opened on 30 April 2009 and was the first monorail in the Middle East. The ride itself gives a good view of the fronds.
Getting there and around
There is no Dubai Metro station on the island. The usual public transport route is the Dubai Tram to its Palm Jumeirah stop, which connects to the Palm Monorail at Palm Gateway station. You can reach the tram from the Red Line at Sobha Realty or DMCC stations.
The monorail runs for about 5.5 km along the trunk, with four stations: Palm Gateway, Al Ittihad Park, Palm Jumeirah Mall (formerly Nakheel Mall) and Atlantis Aquaventure. The operator lists single trips from AED 5 and a Gateway to Atlantis single fare of AED 20, with free travel for children under 5 or under 110 cm. The service was suspended for station maintenance from December 2025; Wikipedia reports that it resumed in June 2026. Check the operator's website before you rely on it.
By road, the island is about 33 km from Dubai International Airport. Rome2Rio estimates about 26 minutes by taxi with no traffic. Taxis are the simplest way to reach hotels on the fronds and crescent.
The monorail network has changed over the years. Al Ittihad Park station opened in July 2017 and the Palm Jumeirah Mall station in November 2019, while The Pointe station closed in July 2023 for redevelopment. If you drive to Palm Gateway, the operator says monorail users get three hours of free parking once their ticket is validated, with AED 10 per hour after that. More than 25,000 people lived on the island in 2022, so the trunk and fronds are busy residential areas as well as a holiday destination.
Where to eat
Most restaurants on the Palm are inside the resorts, especially along the crescent, and many are open to non-guests. The trunk has malls with cafés and casual restaurants, including Palm Jumeirah Mall at the base of The Palm Tower. For a wider and cheaper choice, the restaurants of Dubai Marina and JBR are a short tram or taxi ride away.
Practical tips
- Hotels on the crescent can be a long way from the trunk. Check the distance to the nearest monorail station before you book.
- Children under 5, or under 110 cm tall, ride the monorail free, according to the operator.
- Leave time for the tram-to-monorail change at Palm Gateway if you are travelling from the mainland.
- Browse hotels on Palm Jumeirah to compare resorts.
Where to stay in Palm Jumeirah
Where to eat in Palm Jumeirah
The Maine Beach House
about AED 188 per person
HANU
about AED 155 per person
Trèsind Studio
about AED 1,350 per person
Hakkasan Dubai
about AED 428 per person
Ibn AlBahr, Club Vista Mare
about AED 85 per person
Questions about Palm Jumeirah
Is there a metro station on Palm Jumeirah?
No. Take the Dubai Tram to the Palm Jumeirah stop and change to the Palm Monorail at Palm Gateway station.
How much is the Palm Monorail?
The operator lists single trips from AED 5, and AED 20 one way between Palm Gateway and Atlantis Aquaventure. Children under 5 or under 110 cm travel free.
What is The View at The Palm?
An observation deck on level 52 of The Palm Tower, about 240 m above the island, with views over the fronds, the Gulf and Dubai Marina.
When did Atlantis, The Palm open?
It opened on 24 September 2008 and was the first resort built on the island.