On a visit to Dubai you must visit the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. The Burj Khalifa stands over 2,716.5 feet tall (828 meters) and has more than 160 stories. The Burj Khalifa holds seven world records including the world record for being the world's tallest free standing structure. Seeing the Burj Khalifa from a far is iconic. The windows are curved and reflective like the Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan. The reflective glow makes the building sparkle day and night. Its beauty makes it distinguished and the view from the top is magnificent.
If you are planning a trip to Dubai, we are going to do a number of blog posts to give you some travel tips for the city. Here are a few tips for visiting the Burj Khalifa.
1. Determine your tour options. When visiting the website you will find several options for tours. I recommend booking the VIP tour (At the Top, Burj Khalifa Sky) if you want to go to the highest observation deck on floor 148. This tour is also helpful if you are going in the evenings or on weekends when the lines can get to enter and exit the observation decks. Otherwise, I recommend purchasing the At the Top Ticket to view the observation decks on floors 124 and 125 (those two floors are also included on the VIP tour).
2. Make your reservation in advance. Each day the Burj Khalifa has a limited number of spaces for each half hour from approximately 8:30am - 11:45pm (actual times vary by date). I recommend going early if possible. We were the first group up on a Saturday and the observation deck was more crowded by the minute.
3. Book your tickets online. We visited on a saturday and had the first time slot. When we arrived, most of the morning time slots were taken. The most popular time is before sunset, but anytime gives you spectacular views of Dubai.
4. For sunset viewings book your reservation approximately one hour before sunset. Most people think that they will breeze right in and go straight to the observation decks, but that's not the case. If you have a general admission ticket, you may be waiting in the line to get to the observation deck. Some people even missed the sunset completely. Don't let that be you. I recommend if you are planning a visit during peak season, make a reservation to see the sunset at the top.
5. Make time to visit the Dubai Mall. Burj Khalifa, is connected to the Dubai Mall, the biggest mall in the world. We ran out of time and did not see the mall in it’s entirety, but we enjoyed exploring.
Plan a trip to the Burj Khalifa and let us know if these tips helped you.