Palm Jumeirah by Monorail, Dubai
Part of the full Dubai From DXB: Burj Khalifa and the Old Creek
Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah is an island built in the shape of a palm tree, and it reads best from above: from The View at The Palm, an observation deck 240 metres up on The Palm Tower, and from the driverless monorail that runs the length of the trunk to Atlantis.
The View at The Palm, 52 floors above the trunk
The Palm Tower stands halfway along Palm Jumeirah’s trunk, above Nakheel Mall, and its 52nd floor is an observation deck called The View at The Palm, with indoor and outdoor sections 240 metres up. From ground level the island is a strip of apartment blocks and a highway; from the deck, the fronds fan out on both sides of the trunk exactly as they do on the map, with the outer crescent closing them off and Atlantis at its centre.
Tickets cost about AED 104 for most of the day and about AED 156 for the late-afternoon prime slot, and a ticket for The View can be bought ahead for a fixed time.
The monorail down Palm Jumeirah’s trunk
The Palm Jumeirah Monorail was the first monorail in the Middle East when it opened on 30 April 2009: a driverless elevated line of about 5.4 kilometres from Gateway station on the mainland side, along the trunk with stops at Al Ittihad Park and the mall beneath The Palm Tower, to Atlantis on the outer crescent. The full run takes about ten minutes, with the fronds in view on either side, and it runs from 9am to 10pm. It was closed for station maintenance from December 2025 and reported back in service in June 2026, so check it is running on the day.
Atlantis, The Palm, the pink-and-cream resort with a great arch at its centre, fills the end of the line and marks the tip of the island.
Reaching the island is the awkward part: the metro, the tram and the monorail each have their own stations, joined by walks between them, so a trip here means three separate boardings with stairs, lifts and gates at each, which is where a suitcase adds the most.
Back from the island by tram and metro
From Palm Gateway, the monorail’s landward station, a short walk leads to the Palm Jumeirah tram stop, and the tram runs on to the Red Line at Sobha Realty or DMCC. From there the metro takes roughly 50 minutes to Airport Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport (DXB), a few minutes less to Terminal 1, so door to door the whole trip comes to around an hour and a half. A taxi from the island is simpler and the only direct option for Terminal 2, which has no metro station. Allow 90 minutes at the airport on top.
That journey makes the Palm a destination for a long gap only. Dubai Marina is one tram ride along from Palm Gateway if you would rather end at the water, and the full Dubai itinerary keeps everything far closer to the airport. With nothing to carry through three sets of ticket gates, the island is a short, easy trip from end to end.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do during a layover near Palm Jumeirah in Dubai?
Go up The View at The Palm, the observation deck 240 metres up on the 52nd floor of The Palm Tower, where the island's palm shape reads clearly, and is worth booking ahead. Then ride the driverless monorail down the trunk to Atlantis on the outer crescent and back. Five to six hours covers it with the long trip back to the airport; Atlantis is the part to skip if time is short.
Is the Palm Jumeirah monorail running?
It was reported back in service in June 2026 after a closure for station maintenance that began in December 2025, running from 9am to 10pm. Because it has been shut before at short notice, check it is running on the day; if it is not, a taxi is the fallback along the trunk.
Is The View at The Palm worth paying extra for at sunset?
Only if the light matters to you. Tickets for the late-afternoon prime slot cost about AED 156 against AED 104 for the rest of the day, and the island's palm shape is just as clear from the deck at any hour in daylight. What the extra buys is the sun going down over the Gulf.
Is Palm Jumeirah worth it on a shorter layover?
Not with less than about five hours. The island is at the far end of the city from the airport, and the trip back by tram and metro takes around an hour and a half door to door before the 90 minutes you need at the terminal. With a shorter gap, the main Dubai itinerary of Downtown and the creek is far closer to the airport.