[UAE] Dubai - Burj Khailifa

At over 828 meters and more than 160 stories, Burj Khalifa holds the record of being the tallest building and the tallest free-standing structure in the world. Prior to its inauguration in 2010, this skyscraper is known as the Burj Dubai. It is certainly not an attraction to be missed in Dubai.

Getting there:

The nearest metro station is Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station (11 minutes walk). In my case, I stayed somewhere the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa and just walked over in the morning.

The best place to take photo of Burj Khalifa is from a distance. It is hard to capture the whole tower. I took this photo at the swimming pool terrace of my hotel which is near to the tower.

My anticipation increased as I was walking towards Burj Khalifa.

No Dubai itinerary would be complete without going up to the top of Burj Kahlifa. I would recommend to buy the tickets online and avoid waiting in line. It is best to book the earliest time slot available to avoid the crowds.

This is the corridor that showcase the process from vision to reality of Burj Khalifa. 

Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in 2004. 

The cladding was completed five years later in 2009.

Burj Khalifa has two observation decks: At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY and At the Top, Burj Khalifa. At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY is located on Level 148. It has an outdoor terrace and a premium lounge. Visitors will enjoy a guided tour to Level 148 before heading to Level 125 and 124.

At the Top, Burj Khalifa is the 360-degree observation decks with an outdoor terrace at level 125 and 124. Most visitors (such as myself) will opt to go to this observation deck as it is much cheaper.

Afterwards, we took the lift to Level 124. Traveling at 10m/s, it is one of the world's fastest lift.

The outdoor terrace of Level 124.

Incredible view from At the Top.

Make your own penny souvenir machines.

Want to pose like Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol"? No problem. Just do so in front of the green screen.

An Instagrammable photo spot with a beautiful pair of wings!

Going up to Level 125 where my husband tried the augmented reality device. He even tried to mimic the Tom Cruise's stunt in "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" (2011) movie, haha. 

It is fun to step on this glass floor and watch the stimulation of glass cracking underneath your feet on Level 125. Don't worry, the glass won't break.

Photo bombed by my son when posing with another pair of wings.

The people behind Burj Khalifa who played an important role in this project.

Goodbye, Burj Khalifa!

Souvenirs of Burj Khalifa. I would suggest not to buy here, the price tag is too steep.

Instead, buy it from a local souvenir store like this one. It is much cheaper, trust me.

Burj Khalifa as viewed from Dubai Mall.

Burj Khalifa at the Wings of Mexico statue.

Dubai Steel Heart is another location you can capture the Burj Khalifa in the background. The angle of this photo wasn't very good. After travelling for 40 days, Dubai being my last stop, I was exhausted to say the very least. Nonetheless, I found a good blog on the best spots to take photo of the Burj Khalifa. Further reading if you're interested: https://one-million-places.com/en/travel-dubai/burj-khalifa-instagram-photo-spots 

Don't miss the Burj Khalifa light show at night. Timing in 2022: Wed - Fri: 7.45pm and 9.45pm, Sat - Sun: 7.45pm, 8.15pm and 9.45pm.

Burj Khalifa is indeed a magnificent building. There is plenty to see in this area. Burj Park, Souk Al Bahar, Dubai Mall and Dubai Fountain are all within walking distance from the Burj Khalifa. 

Burj Khalifa

Admission fee:
At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY (Level 148, 125 & 124): AED 389
At the Top, Burj Khalifa (Level 125 & 124): AED 159
The Burj Club Brunch: AED 259
At the Top + Dubai Aquarium: AED 235
The Lounge (Level 154, 153 & 152): AED 759
Opening hours: 
Website: https://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/