DUBAI Yacht Cruise – The Ultimate Dubai Experience!

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A Yacht Cruise had not been the first thing on my mind when I visited Dubai for the first time this past September. There is so much to see and explore – and of course, there is the desert with all its adventures and fun.

Fortunately, someone invited me aboard a small yacht and it turned out to be one of the absolute highlights of my trip. Your visit to Dubai will not be complete without one!

The itinerary included a cruise around Palm Jumeirah Island and Atlantis Hotel at its tip, as well as the iconic Burj Al Arab Hotel and the beautiful Dubai Marina Canal.

It was magnificent!

Best way to share the experience and breathe some sea air is this video – enjoy!

Dubai Yacht Cruise from the Marina

The journey started at the Dubai International Marine Club on a small, but very comfortable yacht with the iconic skyline around Princess Tower as a back drop.

The front of the Yacht was especially comfortable….

Cruising Palm Jumeirah Lagoon

We first headed towards Palm Jumeirah Lagoon, an area with private beaches and homes on one side and a private island, owned by the Royal family, on the other.

The Royal Yacht:

Entrance to the lagoon, a group of jet skiers in the background:

7-Star Wonder Burj Al Arab

From the lagoon, the journey continued to legendary 7-star Burj Al Arab Hotel….

…..one of Dubai’s most famous landmarks – with a distinctive shape and famous for its gigantic helipad where Andre Agassi and Rafa Nadal played tennis and David Coulthard drove a race car.

We stayed awhile and then started to circle around Palm Jumeirah Island, with Burj Al Arab quickly disappearing from view:

A man-made Island in the shape of a Palm Tree

Palm Jumeirah Island is a man made island in the shape of a palm tree – one of the great engineering and architectural feats of our time that Dubai has become so famous for.

On our way, we passed the “World Islands“, another man made island group resembling a world map though most are still flat and undeveloped. For that reason, they were also not visible from the boat since a distance of at least 1 mile has to be kept, but they are way over there….;-)

This is an aerial view:

Photostop at the Atlantis Hotel

Instead, another famous Dubai landmark soon came into view: The Atlantis Hotel at the tip of Palm Jumeirah Island:

After a nice photo stop enjoying the beautiful scenery and a pleasant sea breeze, we circled back around the other side of Palm Island and headed towards the Dubai Marina Canal.

Cruising the Dubai Marina Canal

The Dubai Marina is the nicest, most beautiful and most elegant part of Dubai in my opinion. Several Yacht Clubs can be found along the canal as well as the tallest residential buildings in the world around Princess Tower.

A canal with bridges passes through the entire Marina and it was a fitting highlight at the end of this magnificent Yacht Cruise. I will let the pictures speak for themselves:

Historic Dhow Boat on the left, often used for dinner cruises during the spectacular light show the Marina presents at night. Another very special experience!

Princess Tower coming into view on the left – easily recognizable by the little crown at the top.

Princess Tower & the highest residential Buildings in the World

The group of tallest residential buildings in the world at the mouth of the Marina. Each with its own completely unique design, all beautiful and stylish in their own way. Most notable the twisted tower on the left – Cayan Tower.

Sunset in the Dubai Marina

Meanwhile the sun was setting, leaving us with this beautiful memory of a wonderful afternoon:

our yacht….

A Dubai Yacht Cruise – a fantastic experience and wonderfully organized by Dubai Relax Tours – a real find for me among tour companies in Dubai! They are family run – and their attention to detail and each customer’s need were superb, as were their guides. You get more of a luxury feel when you travel with them.

This was a 2 hour cruise and included 4 passengers. You can book a Dubai Yacht Cruise here.

Dubai Relax also offers Yacht Charters, starting at $500/hour. Another fun activity, especially if you travel with a group of friends. More info and booking details here.

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More Fun Activities in Dubai:

DHOW DINNER CRUISE – the fantastic light show of the Marina at night from the comfort of a historic Dhow Boat – the nightly counterpart to the magnificent Yacht Cruise! – also organized by Dubai  Relax Tours – as was the following tour:

DUBAI DAY TRIPS: ABU DHABI – the other major city in the UAE, with a very different vibe….

DESERT SAFARI – unforgettable dune ride in a 4-wheel drive, falcon show, spectacular sunset and Bedouin Dinner – another must-do experience in Dubai

DUBAI DAY TRIPS: UAE EAST COAST – another surprising find! Stunning mountain scenery along the way and then magnificent vistas of the Indian Ocean/Gulf of Oman. Great to get a more complete picture of this fascinating region….