Last updated: 25 June 2023
Setting long pointy shadows over the city of Dubai is the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. At over 800m it appears through the haze and low lying clouds, if there happens to be any!
The Ticket Line
A traveler tip would be to purchase your tickets online beforehand, as on-the-spot tickets go for 4x the online price!
The line is misleadingly long. We spent easily 45 mins being shuffled from the initial line, through security and then, like sheep, you’re moved from one holding pen to another, being held at security checkpoints, swipe-card access-only doors and snaking through crowd control tapes. Until you finally reach the elevators.
There is only two lifts to shuttle 15 curious tourists each at a time to the open-air observation deck, 124 floors from the ground. The lifts hurl you up to the deck in just on a minute, the whole time, you’re unaware of the speed you’re traveling 10 m/s (33 ft/s).
The Extraordinary View from the Burj Khalifa
Exiting the elevators you are welcomed out onto the outdoor observation deck that feels eerie and gives you goosebumps.
Plenty of glass and wind breakers to protect viewers from the cyclonic desert winds with the odd slit in the glass at varying heights just large enough for a camera lens to poke through so you don’t have to shoot through the glass.
The observation deck is larger than you realise. If you’re lucky and its not too hazy you might see the Jumeriah Palm, the Burg Al Arab hotel, and the closer and much easier to see The World islands.
The Dubai Fountain Show
If you time your visit right, you might get to see the Dubai Fountain show from above. Only running twice throughout the day at 1pm and again at 1:30 pm its well worth seeing.
Queuing once again for the lifts to return you to the ground, you discover there is more glass indoors to show you more of Dubai. By this stage you’re almost at the elevators so you’re wondering should I leave the line? Well if you have the time, yes. If you have a screaming/complaining child or husband, then no its time to leave.
You spend just as much time queuing to get up and down as you do meandering around the observation deck.
Final Thoughts
While tickets are timed there isn’t actually a time limit on the deck itself. Take your time and enjoy the views. You may need to wait back for the crowds to dissipate if you want 1:1 photos with the Dubai city as your background, initially there is a mad rush but if you wait back you won’t get crushed.
There isn’t much up there to keep little kids entertained so go prepared.
