Burj Khalifa Guide: See the World from the Top

The construction of Burj Khalifa was unveiled by Dubai Emir Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in January 2004, with the building superstructure completed by Emaar Properties in October 2009 and was officially opened for public in Mar 2010, in just 1325 days.Since Dubai has very low revenue from oil and gas, unlike other Middle Eastern countries,its economy is dependent more on tourism and other sources for revenue generation. This mammoth project was conceived as a mixed development project to boost all-round development.This project's objective has largely succeeded with the surrounding buildings recording huge revenue jumps since the opening of the Burj Khalifa.

If you have a statistically curious mind, you might like to know that this building is twice as tall as the Empire State Building in New York and thrice as tall as the Eiffel Tower in Paris. You might also be fascinated to know that it holds quite a few world records, the tallest freestanding structure in the world, building with the highest number of stories in the world with 210 stories, the highest occupied stories in the world at 160,the highest outdoor observation deck in the world on levels 124, 125 and 148, tallest service elevator in the world which hurls through at a phenomenal speed of 10 m/s or 36 km/hr and world’s highest swimming pool in a building on level 76. The building is specifically designed to conquer the high altitude winds and to confuse the wind with several tall structures shooting out to the sky at several places around the central structure. In spite of this, it still sways by around 2 Mt at the top of the building.

Now we take you through the best options for getting an entry to the top observation decks in the Burj Khalifa to have an overwhelming bird’s eye view of the Dubai skyline from the top of the world and guide through the places to visit in the building and the neighboring area.

The Burj Khalifa is located in Downtown Dubai,besides the Dubai Mall. If you are traveling by the Dubai Metro,take the Red Line to Burj Khalifa Station. From there you can take the F13 bus and get off at the next stop,which is the Dubai Mall Bus Stop.

If you are the exploring kind,you can walk to the mall using the air-conditioned overpass. This may take about 15 minutes, and there are moving walkways or travelators to aid your journey. Once you get to Dubai Mall, you need to walk through the mall to the ticket office near the Subway sandwich restaurant on the lower ground floor.

Burj Khalifa has observations decks at three different floors. The first tier decks are on 124^th and 125^th levels, aptly called“At The Top”at the height of 452 Mt.The second observation deck is at level 148, called the "At The Top Sky" at a staggering height of 555 Mt. The entry fees to desks vary depending on the visiting time of the day.

The prime time for visiting this Observation deck is between 3 PM and 6 PM to get a feel of the awesome sunset spectacle. Visits between 8 am and 3 pm and after 8:30 pm are priced lower.

The prime hours, the tickets for everyone above 12 years of age is AED 210 for a visit to levels 124, 125 and AED 525 for a visit up-to level 148. While for children between 4 and 12 years, it is AED 100 and 370 respectively for both levels.For infants below four years,entrance is free always. Since there will be huge crowd generally, especially at the entrance to the decks, you better plan and book in advance online.

Here is a word of caution before you decide on the package for visiting the Burj Khalifa observation decks. If you are on a relatively tight budget, go for the AED 125 basic observation package which takes you to level 124. This package is always in great demand and has to be booked long ahead of your planned visit. However, if you can afford to loosen your purse strings and enjoy luxury in serenity, you can go in for the“Sky”package which costs AED 500. This package includes an initial waiting at a luxurious lounge at the entrance where you are served juice, before you are taken directly to the 148 level,bypassing the rather long lines. Here you find a much smaller group in a plush deck,to be again offered more snacks, juice and nice sweets and can spend about 30 minutes. Then you would be taken to the 125 level where you can spend more time without any restriction. Another advice is that you should reach the normally crowded massive Dubai Mall well in advance as it can be a little confusing to find the way to the ticketing counter.

In case you are waiting in a line, you have interactive displays which give you a lot of information. One of the high points of the visit is also the elevator ride which travels at an incredible 10 m/s speed.

When you arrive at the observation decks after taking the electrifying elevator ride, awaits the breathtaking view of the famous Dubai skyline. Normally, At the Top level-124 will be more crowded compared to the At the Top Sky level 148. Telescopes are provided for the visitors to have a closer look at the important landmarks and structures down in downtown and it will be an awesome view from that height. The telescopes have a built-in recorded view facility which shows you the skyline both during the day and night. If you have booked for the evening prime time, you can watch the beautiful sunset over the vast unhindered skyline, as also the Dubai fountain show after 6:30 pm. The observation decks are covered with floor to ceiling glass perimeter which allows you an unhindered 360-degree panoramic view of the Dubai skyline, the Persian Gulf, and even the desert.

The helicopter ride from the top of the world is worth every penny and shouldn’t be missed if you are in Dubai. Even a simple basic ticket for the At The Top during non-peak hours, if you are on a tight budget, will be enough to leave you with a sense of awe. However, for some with a fear of heights, peering through the all-glass floor and walls perimeter can be a bit stressful and hair-raising experience.

It is worth remembering that Burj Khalifa and Dubai always try to retain the tallest in the world tag for as far as humanly possible. In line with this unique challenging attitude, when the world’s highest observation deck title held by At The Top observation deck at level 125 at the height of 452 Mt was pushed by the 488 Mt high“488 lookouts”at Canton Tower in Guangzhou, China within a short time to second place, the building owners took very little time to respond by opening the At The Top Sky observation desk at level 148 at an astounding height of 555 mt to take back the top spot, which is arguably the most vertiginous spot on the planet.

There are no dearth attractive spots in the building complex for the curious visitor, and we shall list out a few for your guidance.

Dubai Fountain on the Burj Khalifa Lake is the world’s biggest choreographed musical fountain show. It is so huge that from the ground floor, one cannot observe the entire show. To grasp the full extent of the full show and appreciate its enormity and beauty, you need to view it from At The Top observation decks, especially during the evening shows which go on from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm and extend by 30 minutes on some days of the week.

When you are at the Burj Khalifa, you can expect to spend some hours here and obviously, your expectation of finding some quality dining experience will be matched. There are various places and options you find for dining in the building. One of the lovely options is to go in for a combo ticket for At The Top visit combined with a three-course dinner at the Burj Club on the fifth floor for around AED 300. Here you get great food with a spectacular view of the Dubai fountain show.

Apart from this, there are also a few smaller restaurants at the ground floor around the Burj Khalifa to get a quick bite.

The first 15 floors in the Burj Khalifa are occupied by the Armani Hotel which has 304 rooms and suites, a luxurious spa and a total of 6 high-end restaurants. This hotel offers world-class customer service, and you can enjoy international cuisines if you have the budget and taste for it. You can have the ultimate lounge experience in the premium Armani lounge located in the heart of the hotel. It offers an extravagant spread of international delicacies in one of the most luxurious locations in the world one can experience.

The 122 level houses the world’s highest-altitude restaurant, At.mosphere. At AED 490 per person for a window table at this high altitude restaurant, this offers a location for a special event celebration, or a rare family gets together. At this rate, you can expect some good food to tickle your taste buds.

The levels 19 - 108 holds 900 flats which are occupied for residential purposes. A resident here has many perks, including entry to the two swimming pools in the 41st and 76th floors, spa, gym, and other luxurious amenities.

All the remaining floors, except a few, are taken by the corporate houses which are generally not open to the tourists.

You have the mammoth Dubai Mall, which is beside the Burj Khalifa for all your major and minor shopping needs. The mall is home to around 1200 stores of all kinds imaginable, and you can get almost anything you need. Even with its size, it is still very crowded and most of the time has a festive atmosphere.

On the At The Top souvenirs shop, you can look for some attractive takeaways for gifting to family and friends and posterity. It has everything from clothes to crystal Burj Khalifa replicas for your showcase back home.

Dubai, like all its neighboring countries in the Gulf, experiences very hot summer months that are very difficult to tolerate. The best time to visit this Middle Eastern Emirate is from November to April. January and February are normally extremely crowded because of the Dubai Festival when the avid shoppers visit this place for bargains, as well as glitter and gold.

The Burj Khalifa is an awesome place to visit at least once in life and soak in the beauty of the\is engineering marvel in Dubai Downtown. In view of the tourism that this superstructure has created, you can rightfully expect a huge crowd almost always,so plan your visit here accordingly.