What is Aura Skypool, exactly?
Aura Skypool sits on the 50th floor of The Palm Tower on Palm Jumeirah, roughly [VERIFY: 200 metres, sources vary between ~200m and 210m] above the ground, with a 360-degree glass-edged deck that wraps entirely around the building. There’s no wall blocking any angle, which is the whole point: on one side you get the Palm’s fronds fanning out into the Gulf, on another the Dubai Marina skyline, and on a clear day you can pick out the Burj Khalifa in the haze. It opened in December 2021 and was almost immediately certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s first and highest 360-degree infinity pool — a fairly specific title, and one worth understanding properly, because a lot of write-ups blur it into a vaguer “world’s highest infinity pool” claim that isn’t quite accurate any more.
Here’s the nuance most competitor guides skip: since Aura opened, a taller pool has appeared in Dubai. ZETA Seventy Seven, on level 77 of Address Beach Resort in Jumeirah Beach Residence, holds the record for the world’s highest outdoor infinity pool inside a building, at 293.9 metres. That’s a different, narrower category to Aura’s — Aura’s record is specifically about the 360-degree design, not outright altitude. In plain terms: Aura is still the highest pool you can swim in a complete circle around with unobstructed views on every side; it’s no longer the highest pool in Dubai full stop. If pure altitude bragging rights matter to you, that distinction is worth knowing before you book.
How much does it cost and how do you book?
Aura runs on dynamic, session-based pricing, and it moves around by day of the week, season and how far ahead you book — so treat every number below as a starting point rather than gospel. Across the sources we cross-checked, the shape of it looks roughly like this [VERIFY: exact current AED figures, as third-party listings disagree by AED 25-75 per session]:
- Sunrise session (earliest slot, roughly 6.30am-9am): from around AED 225 on weekdays, up to AED 295-300 on weekends.
- Morning session: from around AED 250-275 weekdays, AED 345 weekends.
- Afternoon session: around AED 295 weekdays, up to AED 395 weekends.
- Sunset session (the busiest, priciest slot by far): from around AED 300-350 weekdays, climbing to AED 450 on weekends.
- Full-day access: bundled options exist from roughly AED 600 up to AED 900+ depending on sunbed position.
- Indoor lounge only (no pool access): from around AED 175-225, the cheapest way to see the view.
Most sessions include a food and beverage credit toward the Pan-Asian-leaning menu — commonly cited at somewhere between AED 100 and AED 200 depending on the slot — which meaningfully softens the effective cost once you factor in what you’d have spent on lunch or drinks anyway. Sun loungers are sold by position: front-row spots right at the glass edge cost noticeably more than second-row terrace seating, and private cabins or VIP packages can run well past AED 1,500. Book directly through auraskypool.com or via SevenRooms, or through resellers like Klook and Trip.com if you’d rather bundle it with other Dubai attractions. Weekend sunset slots are the ones that sell out — some sources report bookings closing 2-4 weeks ahead in peak season (November to March), so if a specific Friday or Saturday sunset is non-negotiable, lock it in early. Weekday afternoons, by contrast, are usually bookable within a few days.
Best time to visit
Sunset gets all the hype, and it earns it — golden light hitting the Palm’s fronds and the water going pink is genuinely one of the better view moments in the city. But it’s also the most crowded slot, the priciest, and the one where you’re least likely to get a front-row lounger unless you book weeks out. If photos and a quieter pool matter more to you than the sunset itself, the late morning or early afternoon session is the smarter play: clearer visibility (Dubai’s haze tends to build through the day), thinner crowds, and better odds of snagging edge-of-pool seating without paying the premium. Wind is worth factoring in too — at that height it can pick up noticeably in the afternoon, so if you’re squeamish about height and gusts together, mornings tend to be calmer.
Dress code and age policy
The dress code sits somewhere between “resort casual” and “actual swimwear rules.” In the pool, it’s proper swimwear only — one-pieces, bikinis, swim shorts, rash guards and burkinis are all fine. What’s explicitly not allowed: cotton clothing, jeans, abayas, sarees, underwear worn as swimwear, and sheer or see-through pieces. Once you step out of the water onto the deck, a light cover-up or t-shirt over your swimwear is expected rather than optional.
On age: under-15s aren’t admitted at all. Guests aged 15-18 need to be accompanied by an adult. After 7pm, the venue shifts into a 21-and-over space for the indoor lounge, and you’ll need valid ID on you — Emirates ID or passport, not a photo of one. [VERIFY: some sources mention a seasonal family-friendly window (roughly March-May) with a lower minimum age; this wasn’t independently confirmed and may have changed or been discontinued, so check directly with the venue if travelling with younger children.]
What’s actually included
Ticket price typically covers pool access for your session, a sunbed (position depends on what you book), towel service, and use of the changing rooms, showers and lockers. Food and drink are separate line items unless your session includes a credit, as most do — the menu leans Pan-Asian with sharing plates, plus a fairly serious cocktail and mocktail list given the setting. Toiletries and a hairdryer are usually available in the changing facilities, and previous visitors mention a small welcome pouch or tote as a nice touch, though that’s the kind of perk that comes and goes with promotions rather than being a permanent inclusion.
Getting the photos right
A few things actually make a difference here. Bring a waterproof phone pouch — you’re 50 floors up over water and nobody wants to test gravity with an unprotected phone. Wide shots work better than portrait-mode close-ups because the whole appeal is the 360-degree sweep, so don’t crop yourself into losing it. If you want the classic infinity-edge reflection shot, get low to the deck rather than shooting from standing height — it flattens the horizon into the pool surface properly. And if you’re chasing that golden-hour glow without the sunset crowd, the last 20 minutes of the afternoon session often catches decent light before the sunset slot even begins.
Pairing it with the rest of Palm Jumeirah
Because you’re already out on the Palm, it’s worth building a half-day around the visit rather than treating Aura as a one-stop errand. The Pointe and Nakheel Mall are a short taxi or monorail hop away for dinner afterwards, and if you’re doing a morning session, The View at The Palm observation deck (also inside Palm Tower, a few floors down) is an easy add-on since you’re already in the building. Beach clubs along the Palm’s crescent — think Cove Beach or Nikki Beach — make sense as a full-day pairing if you want sand time either side of your pool session, though be mindful of double-booking swimwear-only venues back to back; two pool days in one outing is a lot of sunscreen.
How it compares to other high-altitude Dubai experiences
The obvious comparison is At.mosphere at Burj Khalifa’s 122nd floor — higher up (about 442 metres), but it’s a lounge and restaurant, not a pool, so the experiences don’t really compete for the same booking. The more relevant rival is the aforementioned ZETA Seventy Seven at Address Beach Resort in JBR: taller, newer, and arguably the pool to book if raw altitude and record-holder bragging rights are what you’re after, with a comparable pricing structure (weekday passes from around AED 277, weekend from AED 477, both with F&B credits built in). Aura’s edge is the 360-degree unobstructed design and the Palm Jumeirah setting specifically — you’re looking down at the most recognisable manmade island shape in the world, which ZETA’s JBR location can’t replicate. If the Palm view is the point, Aura wins. If the number on the record plaque is the point, ZETA now takes it.
Is it worth it?
For a one-off Dubai bucket-list moment or a visiting-friends outing, yes — the view genuinely delivers and the 360-degree design is a real differentiator rather than a marketing line. It’s not cheap, and it’s not a full beach-club day out (the pool deck itself is modest at around 750 square metres, so don’t expect sprawling lounging space). Book a weekday session if budget matters more than sunset drama, book sunset weekend if the photo is the whole reason you’re going, and either way, book ahead — this is one of the few Dubai experiences where “just show up” genuinely doesn’t work most weekends.
Aura Skypool Dubai: quick facts
- Location: 50th floor, The Palm Tower, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
- Record: Guinness World Records’ first and highest 360-degree infinity pool
- Height: approximately 200 metres above ground [VERIFY: exact figure]
- Minimum age: 15 (15-18 must be accompanied by an adult); 21+ after 7pm for indoor lounge access, ID required
- Dress code: swimwear in the pool, cover-up on the deck; no cotton, denim, abayas or sheer clothing
- Booking: auraskypool.com, SevenRooms, or resellers including Klook and Trip.com
- Price range: roughly AED 175 (indoor lounge) to AED 450+ (weekend sunset), plus premium/VIP options above AED 1,500 [VERIFY: current pricing, which changes seasonally]
