The Burj Khalifa in Dubai… It's the most iconic building in Dubai that rises far, far, far above its mystical skyline. No visit to Dubai is complete without admiring the tallest building in the world and we´ll tell you everything you need to know!
The amazing Burj Khalifa in Dubai, we tell you about its fascinating history, some cool facts, and if its worths visiting. Spoiler alert… it is!
About the Burj Kahlifa in Dubai: a brief history.
Construction started on September 21, 2004. And already in 2007, the building still under construction reached such a height that it took the title “tallest building in the world” from the Tapei 101 in Tawain. Two years later, the highest point was reached and on January 4, 2010, the building was officially opened with a grand fireworks show. The shape of the Burj Khalifa is quite special, it was given a floor plan based on the shape of a desert flower (the hymenocallis).
The Burj Khalifa was initially called Burj Dubai (Tower of Dubai). It was only renamed to its current name, Burj Khalifa, a few hours before the opening. Khalifa refers to Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE and Emir of Abu Dhabi. He provided financial support to Dubai and Abu Dhabi during the crisis, including for the construction of the tower.
Whether it will always remain the tallest building is a question; they have already started the construction of The Dubai Creek Tower, also in Dubai. This futuristic tower is said to be at least 100 meters higher and there will even be sounds of it being more than 1 kilometer / 2700+ feet…
Before you book that flight,… do you have the correct travel insurance for this destination?
What is the height of Burj Khalifa? And other facts!
> The Burj Khalifa is 828 meters tall and consists of more than 160 floors. The highest restaurant in the world, At.mosphere, is located on the 122nd floor. The lifts go 42 km/h/12 m/s.
> The building has 24,348 windows covering 120,000 square meters of glass area. Window washers are constantly year-round at work here.
> It mainly consists of office buildings and luxury apartments. There are over 900 apartments in the Burj Khalifa. Imagine living there!
> There is also a hotel located in the tower, the Armani Hotel. The Armani Hotel has occupied 15 of the 37 lower floors.
> Emaar Properties is the owner of the tallest tower in the world. This is thé project developer / real estate investor who has realized many homes and offices in Dubai. You see their logo regularly in Dubai.
Visit the tallest building in the world
A visit to the tallest building in the world is ranked #3 of all things to do in Dubai according to TripAdvisor. It is very worthwhile to visit the tower in our opinion. The Burj Khalifa view is amazing and breathtakingly high! You can enjoy a panoramic view of the two observation platforms. You have two choices when buying a ticket: at the top (124th floor) or Sky (148th floor). We highly recommend getting the best package for the optimal experience. I mean, you will probably never be there again, so better spend some extra on this. This is the Burj Khalifa, for Pete's sakes 😉
At the very top
After buying a ticket you can enjoy the shocking views of Dubai. Let's start on the 124th floor, where the observation deck is partly inside and partly outside. You look out over the palm islands, the Sheik Zayed Road, the Dubai Marina, and you can even catch a glimpse of the luxurious Burj al Arab hotel. You can even stick your hands through the windows!
The infamous Sky level, the 148th level, is also a more luxurious experience. You will be welcomed in a dedicated lounge with a drink on the 148th floor. In general, this floor is much quieter, because fewer people have chosen this option. There is a nice lounge and you can order coffee and thee. In addition to a drink, there is also staff walking around with delicious treats from the Middle East (baklava!). All in all, it is more of a VIP experience when you book the more expensive option of the two.
With this more expensive ticket, you also get access to the 125th floor. A Falcon's Eye View lets you fly virtually over Dubai's most famous attractions. Quite honestly, that was a bit simple and therefore a little disappointing. And of course, you can also visit the 124th floor after the 125th floor, after which you go down again with the ultra-fast elevators.
A couple of tips from us, who went all the way up!
Pro tip: We strongly recommend online purchasing the skip the line ticket, before your visit. The visit to the Burj Khalifa is very popular, so you will at least skip the line for ticket sales. You buy the ticket in a time slot of your choice, but keep in mind that with a skip the line ticket you still have to queue for a long time (we were there around New Year's Eve and still had to wait 30 minutes at the lifts). You have to go through a security check and there are a limited number of elevators.
Pro tip: The best time to visit the observation deck is during golden hour, aka sunset. You enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets you have ever seen and you slowly see the city come to life, which makes the view very different than a half-hour earlier. The nightlife makes the city beautifully lit! The downside is that visiting the Burj Khalifa at sunset can make it more crowded.
Opening times Burj Khalifa Dubai
Book your ticket here
Prices vary, depending on the time of arrival and which package chosen. The At The Top and Sky-package can be between 80 and 100 US dollars. Our recommendation is to get skip the line tickets and get the ticket where you get the most of the experience. It might cost you a limb, but this is a very special onetime bucket-list experience!
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