Dubai is unlike any other city in this world – full of life, adventure, and energy all around. The lifestyle is non-stop and the standard of living high, so the word hustle is frequently thrown around in casual conversation because no one can escape the Dubai hustle.
But apart from the futuristic infrastructure, luxurious lifestyle, and hustle of Dubai one of the simpler perks of living in Dubai is that you’re always near the ocean. This means you’re always around a relaxing beach or adventurous water sports. Whether you’re in the mood for a relaxing cruise down the Dubai canal, a sporty fishing trip to the high seas, or a crazy party aboard your chartered private yacht the possibilities are endless.
For chartering any boat, you can go to the website of any tour provider and make the booking for the tour of your choice. Along with that, also look into the finer details of that booking, such as trip timings, documents required, etc. Before diving into the fun part, let us go through some formalities and warnings. For booking and boarding any boat all the guests are required by law to carry their original ID. Tourists are required to present their original passport and UAE residents can show either of the following – Emirates ID, passport, or Emirates Driving License.
All charter companies in Dubai are required to meet very strict rules and regulations enforced by the Dubai Coast Guard & fines are commonplace. Example of fines: Lack of identification of guests onboard AED 1500 per person. swimming during restricted timings, AED 5000. Jumping while cruising AED 10,000. Littering AED 5,000.
Upon arrival at the boarding point, a security deposit would be collected will be returned to you at the end of your trip. You might be asked to remove your footwear when boarding the boat and no animals or pets are allowed on board.
There are tons of fun to be had on the open seas of Dubai! Listed below are a few trips you can hire a boat for.
Short Cruises & Boat Rides
Dhow Cruise
This beautifully-lit traditional wooden boat called Dhow will take mariners on a gentle cruise around either of the two dhow cruise locations in Dubai. One is cruising along the Dubai Creek, this route is like a heritage cruise through Old Dubai’s heritage buildings and old architecture. The other route takes you through the entire Dubai Marina, one of the most talked-about waterfront developments in the world that was purpose-built for leisure and tourism activities. While the former showcases the heritage of Dubai, the cruise through Dubai Marina is all about displaying the new world that the country has ushered in.
Long before the five-star beach bars arrived, dhows were part of the daily life of the coastal tribes of Dubai, for centuries these boats have been used in the region for pearl diving, fishing, and trade industries. Nowadays, a dhow used as a cruise boat is typically a large boat featuring an upper & lower deck with proper seating arrangements and is decorated with colorful lighting, while enjoying a relaxing atmosphere sailing on the mellow waters of the lagoon, these dhows offer a dining, entertaining, and skyline gazing experience that is unparalleled.
There are a few providers offering this cruise:
● Dhow Cruise Tour
● Happy Adventures Tourism
Sunset & Dinner Cruises
These boats take a route similar to the one taken by dhow boats in the Dubai Marina, but they offer an experience that is unique, and their service is arguably superior. Enjoy a romantic sunset watching experience while sailing on the serene waters of the Marina or share a sumptuous dinner spread with your loved ones while gazing at the futuristic skyline of Dubai on a 125ft glass houseboat. The boat features a lower deck and an upper deck that provides you with an unobstructed 360 view for photo opportunities. While booking the tour, there is an option to book the upper deck at an additional cost.
This cruise does 2 trips daily, the first is known as the sunset cruise – 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm whereas the other is called the Dinner cruise – 8:30 pm – 10:00 pm. The sunset cruise is not inclusive of food, and consequently, its ticket prices are comparatively less expensive than the dinner cruise.
There are a few providers offering this cruise:
● Xclusive Yachts
Sightseeing Tours
While the above two cruises offer a luxurious dining experience around the Dubai Marina, these tours offer a rather sightseeing opportunity from the sea. The sightseeing packages offered by these tours cover almost all of Dubai’s major coastal landmarks — starting from Dubai Marina to AIN wheel, cruising around the Palm Jumeirah to the Atlantis and then to Burj Al Arab, the Palm Lagoon, Dubai Harbor, and back to the Marina. Providers offer various packages with different sail times, but they can be largely divided into 3 categories:
● Marina tour – that stays in the Dubai Marina. Around 30 mins
● Atlantis tour– the boat sails to Atlantis and back. Around 60 mins
● Burj Al Arab tour – this covers all the above with the addition of the famous hotel. Around 90 mins
The tours operate daily from 9 am to 9 pm, with the departure timings being staggered throughout the day. The pace of the boat varies allowing you the opportunity to click picturesque selfies against the most breathtaking backdrops. Most providers also offer a private charter for larger groups.
There are a few providers offering these tours:
● Splash Tours
● Black boats
● Yellow boats
Charter Boats
Gulet Experience
Ever wanted to sail over sparkling blue waters on a gleaming wooden yacht? Gulet experience offers just that. A gulet is traditionally a Turkish sailing vessel that is made entirely of wood and is designed with two or three masts. It was built particularly in the coastal towns of the southwestern coast of Turkey, and a typical gulet varies somewhere between 14 to 35 meters in size. UAE offers 2 locations for an authentic gulet experience, Dubai and Abu Dhabi but for the purposes of this article, we would discuss just the Dubai experience.
It might be the only sailing boat in all of UAE that offers an experience of sailing along with swimming in the oceans. The journey begins from Dubai Marina, and the boat sails along the JBR eventually being anchored at the Dubai Lagoon allowing the seafarers to dive into the ocean waters for a swim. The boat comes equipped with a fully A/C lower deck to beat the heat and inflatables for swimming. Apart from this, the gulet also has a live BBQ station onboard the vessel, offering mouthwatering meat, chicken and vegetarian options. This cruise does 2 trips daily, the first at High noon – 11:00 am – 3:00 pm and the second is around sunset time which is aptly named, sundowners – 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm.
So far, there is just one provider offering this cruise:
● Xclusive Yachts
Fishing trips
Whether you’re the CEO and want to forge your bunch of employees into a team with some out-of-box team building exercises, or want to enjoy a relaxing day with some regular fishing or gear up for big game trips these providers have you covered. Sit back and relax! let the professional plan a hassle-free experience that comes complete with all the necessary fishing equipment, bait, onboard barbeque, snacks, and refreshments. Some providers also offer you fish cleaning services so that you can bag up your catch and take it home.
It doesn’t matter how polished your sailing skills are, these boats come with a captain and an experienced crew. And you get to choose from a variety of boats ranging from – luxury motor yachts to the classic sailboat. There are various providers offering these daily trips, timings, and the number of people per boat will vary from one provider to another. Each trip is roughly 3-4 hours long. And the common catch is Barracuda, Sultan Ibrahim, Sharie, Queen/King Fish. If you are lucky, you might just fish out Cobia, Tuna, Hamour, or Trevally.
There are a few providers offering these tours:
● Deep Sea Fishing
● Go Fishing Dubai
Charter your private luxury yacht
Charter a private luxury yacht as a way to get out of the city and enjoy a few hours with your friends out on the open waters of Dubai. Want something extra for your birthday? Nothing embodies Dubai more perfectly than partying on a private yacht!
Insta snap-worthy destinations you’ll spot en route include Burj Al Arab, Dubai Eye, Atlantis the Palm, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Cayenne Towers, Zabeel Saray, One & Only The Palm, Palm Jumeirah, JBR, and Bluewaters.
These boats come with cutting-edge designs oozing sophistication and luxury from every crevice. Along with the boat comes an experienced crew that isn’t hesitant to pull out all the stops for providing you with a bespoke experience. Dubai boasts a host of providers offering you an experience on the luxury yacht, the size, and corresponding prices will vary, but largely all the providers travel three main cruise routes. These boats might come with a minimum charter time of two to four hours. It’s best to enquire about the finer details before booking.
You won’t be at a loss for entertainment as the cruise might come with an exclusive DJ, watersports such as a banana ride, and a jet ski. The boat also comes with an onboard electric grill for live BBQ and burgers. Included with each charter, most providers offer pick-up and drop-off services to any place in Dubai, some might even provide you with an option to book a chauffeured limousine.
There are a lot of providers offering these luxury experiences:
● Xclusive Yachts
