The View from Burj Khalifa Observation Deck: Reviewed

July 3, 2014

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On a recent trip to Dubai, I was lucky enough to witness the incredible view from Burj Khalifa, the tallest man-made structure in the world!

Standing at an eye-watering 829.8m tall, the structure has the world’s highest observation deck, which is named “Burj Khalifa At The Top”. It was built in just six years and today is a worldwide icon of Dubai and the city’s desire to reach new heights.

As a London-based city girl, I’m used to being around high-rise buildings, but at more than eight times the height of the Big Ben tower, the Burj Khalifa is a feat of architecture that definitely had me in awe!

Burj Khalifa

The Burj Khalifa – rising high above Dubai

The Burj Khalifa holds numerous world records, including:

  • Tallest building in the world
  • Tallest free-standing structure in the world
  • Highest number of floors in the world
  • Highest occupied floor in the world
  • Lift with the longest travel distance in the world
  • Tallest service lifts in the world

The Burj Khalifa boasts a whopping 163 floors, and more than 26,000 glass panels were used in the exterior cladding of the building. The foot of the building is connected to the lower ground floor of Dubai Mall.

Much like New York’s Empire State building, Burj Khalifa is always a busy place so booking your ticket in advance is highly recommended.

At the top of the Burj Khalifa

Me at the top of the Burj Khalifa

The “Burj Khalifa At The Top” experience

With our tickets pre-booked and printed out, we were shown to a waiting area for the next available lift. The double-deck lifts are equipped with LCD displays to keep visitors informed of their escalation to the observation deck. Each lift holds up to 14 people and literally glides up to the observation deck at a speed of 10m/s, reaching At The Top in just 60 seconds. Dimmed lights and background music add to the atmosphere as the lift approaches the very top of the building.

As we reached the top floor and the lift opened onto the observation deck, that first moment was truly unforgettable, as we stood 452m above the ground witnessing the view from the 124th floor on one of the highest observation decks in the world.

I visited late in the afternoon and found that the observation deck wasn’t too crowded. With a 360° viewing area there is plenty of space to see Dubai from every angle!

There is a chance to have professional photos taken at the top of the building, but I’d recommend taking your own camera along as well to snap memories of the views (which include the desert in the distance!) of this wonderful city.

Burj Khalifa At The Top

The dizzying view from Burj Khalifa At The Top!

My top tips for visiting the Burj Khalifa Observation Deck:

  • Book your Burj Khalifa tickets in advance. You’ll save money and secure your time slot well in advance – a welcome stress-reliever.
  • Burj Khalifa is well-organised for crowd control – follow the process and you’ll find it very straightforward.
  • Take your own camera to capture your memories, and those incredible views!
  • Depending upon the time of day, you can see the Dancing Fountains behind Dubai Mall, which makes the experience even more magical!

About the author

Colleen Williams

Colleen Williams is the founder of Ad-lib Traveller, a travel blog that shares that her passion for destinations around the world. With the flexibility to consider low, mid-range and luxury budgets, Colleen regularly enjoys global travel fulfilling her aim to experience new cultures.

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