بالون دبي أتلانتس

The Dubai Balloon lifts you 300 metres above Palm Jumeirah in a tethered helium balloon. Because it is anchored, the ride is smooth and controlled — there is no flight path, no wind dependence in the way a free balloon has, and no early-morning desert transfer. You simply step into the gondola and rise.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The ascent

The balloon climbs steadily to around 300 metres and holds there, giving you time at the top rather than a moving view. The gondola circles a central column so everyone gets the full panorama.

The view

Directly below is Atlantis and the crescent of Palm Jumeirah; beyond it the Dubai Marina towers, Bluewaters and Ain Dubai, the coastline running toward the Burj Al Arab, and the open Arabian Gulf on the other side. It is one of the few vantage points that shows the Palm's shape and the skyline in a single sweep.

Morning or evening

Early morning flights are the calmest and clearest. Evening slots run late and put the whole coastline in lights — a very different photograph.

GOOD TO KNOW

The whole experience takes around 30 minutes and requires no fitness or preparation, which makes it one of the easier Dubai attractions to do with older relatives or young children. Flights are weather dependent and can be paused in high wind.

For observation decks rather than balloons, The View at The Palm looks over the same island from The Palm Tower. On the same resort, The Lost Chambers Aquarium and Aquaventure Waterpark make an easy full day. Browse more Dubai attractions.