The tandem jump over Palm Jumeirah is the one image most visitors carry home: the door opens at about 4,000 metres, roughly a minute of freefall follows, then five to seven minutes under canopy with the whole island laid out underneath. Skydive Dubai runs two drop zones, and choosing between them is choosing a view. The desert zone costs noticeably less, but what passes below is dunes rather than palm-shaped fronds. With room for one jump only, pay for the Palm.

Altitude is not the only way to buy the sensation. iFly Dubai, the indoor wind tunnel in Mirdif, takes children from three and sells flight time by the minute, so a session fits whatever you plan to spend. XLine in Dubai Marina is the longest urban zipline in the world — close to a kilometre between towers, ridden head-first at up to 80 km/h. Around those sit the XDubai projects, bungee jumping, kayaking off the Palm, and wingsuit flights for the certified.

Check the limits before you pay. Tandem skydiving starts at 18 with a 100 kg ceiling; heavier jumpers face a surcharge or a refusal on the day. The zipline takes riders from 12 years and 120 cm. Weather governs the rest: wind above 25 km/h or dust haze grounds everything, so summer bookings go to the earliest slot. Ask three things — whether photo and video are included (usually not), how long the queue runs in high season, and whether a weather cancellation moves your date or refunds it.