Visit the Burj Khalifa in Dubai: Priority tickets, prices, times

You want to buy tickets to visit the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai?

You’re at the right place!

In this Burj Khalifa guide, I give you all my best tips to organize your visit. You will know everything about the various entrance tickets and how to save a lot of time and money!

I will also tell you more about the best places to visit around the Burj Khalifa and give you my selection of the best accommodations in Dubai depending on your budget.

So, let’s plan your visit to the Burj Khalifa and Dubai!

The different tickets for the Burj Khalifa + Tips

As I said in the introduction, there are different types of tickets to visit the Burj Khalifa depending on which observation deck you wish to access.

The skyscraper has 3 decks from the 124th floor to the 154th:

• At the Top deck on the 124th floor
• At the Top Sky deck on the 148th floor
• The Lounge bar deck, from the 152nd floor.

The cost of the ticket varies depending on the floor: the higher the floor, the more expensive the ticket.

To help you decide which ticket to book for Burj Khalifa, I have detailed the different options below.

Burj Khalifa At The Top ticket – 124 and 125 th floor

The Burj Khalifa “At the Top” is the standard ticket to visit the Burj Khalifa.

It gives you access to the first observation deck located on the 124th and 125th floors of the building. It’s the lowest observation deck, but that’s a very relative notion as it’s still 456 metres high!

To get to the 124th floor, you will take one of the fastest lifts in the world, which goes up at a speed of 10m/s.

Once you arrive, you can enjoy the breathtaking view through the large windows and from the outdoor terrace of the Burj Khalifa.

The Dubai Mall and all the other skyscrapers of the city are just at your feet, and they all seem very small!

Then, you can go up to the 125th floor to admire the 360° view from another room.

This ticket to the Burj Khalifa is the cheapest, however the price varies depending on the time-slot:

• The cheapest slots are in the morning, early afternoon and night.
• In the late afternoon and until sunset, tickets are more expensive because it’s the best time to visit the Burj Khalifa (I will tell you more about it a bit further in this guide).

You should expect to spend between 35€ and 60€ depending on the time slot.

To book your At the Top Burj Khalifa ticket and choose your time-slot, click on the green button below:

Burj Khalifa At The Top Sky Ticket – 124 + 125 + 148 th floor

Your second option to visit the Burj Khalifa is to purchase the At the Top Sky ticket.

It allows you to access the second observation deck, located on the 148th floor of the tower at a height of 555 metres. It’s simply the world’s highest observation deck.

In addition to being able to access the 148th floor, you will also be treated like a real VIP!

You won’t have to queue up like everyone else to take the lifts: your At the Top Sky ticket is a priority entrance to the Burj Khalifa.

Once up there, you will be able to enjoy the view from the outdoor terrace or from the private lounge where refreshments and pastries are served.

With only 50 people allowed at the same time upstairs, it will also be the perfect opportunity to take great photos without the crowd!

Of course, with this ticket, you will also be able to go to floors 124 and 125, if you wish to.

In terms of pricing, the At The Top Sky tickets costs around 140€.

It’s certainly more expensive than the standard ticket, but luxury comes at a cost and it’s not every day that you can have this unique experience in Dubai!

To book your VIP Burj Khalifa At the Top Sky ticket, simply click on the button below:

Burj Khalifa The Lounge – 152 + 153 + 154th floor

For your visit to the Burj Khalifa, you have another option: getting tickets for The Lounge, the highest lounge in the world at a height of 585 meters!

This is not an observation platform strictly speaking, so the experience is a bit different.

Going to The Lounge isn’t a normal tourist visit: the place is all about luxury and elegance and you should thus be dressed accordingly!

At The Lounge, you can enjoy a splendid view over the city of Dubai while enjoying a good cocktail and all-you-can-eat appetizers/pastries.

The Lounge can only be accessed at specific times of the day (on the booking page, you just have to choose the time-slot that suits you):

• For breakfast/brunch around 11 a.m. Book it here!
• For afternoon tea at 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. Tickets needs to be booked in advance by clicking here
• For sunset, around 5 p.m. Tickets available here
• To enjoy the city at night, you should go at 7.30 p.m. or 9.30 p.m. Book your experience at The Lounge here!

Burj Khalifa + Dubai Aquarium ticket

If you are planning to visit Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Aquarium, you should take a combined ticket. As it’s cheaper than buying a Burj Khalifa ticket + a ticket to the aquarium separately, you will save money!

This combo ticket includes:

• Burj Khalifa: The standard At the Top ticket, granting you access to the 124th and 125th floors
• The ticket to the Aquarium and the underwater zoo, located in the Dubai Mall.

Please note that your visit to the tower and the aquarium must be done on the same day. You should thus go to the aquarium before going up the Burj Khalifa.

On the day of your visit, you will first have to go to the Burj Khalifa counter located at the LG level of the Dubai Mall to collect your combined ticket before heading to the aquarium.

You need to buy your Burj Khalifa + Aquarium combo ticket in advance by clicking on the button below:

Visit to the Burj Khalifa with the Dubai Pass

The Dubai Explorer Pass, also includes a ticket to the Burj Khalifa.

With this city pass, you will get the Burj Khalifa At The Top ticket, granting you access to the 124th and 125th floors.

If you would like to know more about this city pass and its benefits, you should read my detailed article: Dubai Pass – Tips and reservations.

To sum up, the Dubai Pass gives you access 3, 4, 5 or 7 tourist attractions (depending on the package you choose when booking) while allowing you to save time and money.

In addition to the Burj Khalifa, you can choose from 50 other activities including a day trip in the desert, a boat tour or tickets to the Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark. All of them are must-see places during a trip to Dubai!

To buy your Dubai Explorer Pass (including the Burj Khalifa ticket), you just have to click on the following button:

How long does it takes to visit the Burj Khalifa?

To visit the Burj Khalifa, you should allow between 1h30 and 2h, depending on how long you spend taking photos!

You should also take into account the waiting time for the security check and the lifts, except of course if you have taken the VIP Burj Khalifa At the Top Sky ticket.

What’s the best time to visit the Burj Khalifa?

The best time to visit the Burj Khalifa is at sunset.

You should thus plan to go there a bit before (45 mins, just to be sure), as getting through the security check can take a bit of time.

You will for sure love to watch the sunset from the observation deck and stay a bit more to see the city fully lit up at night!

These time slots are a bit more expensive, but it’s totally worth it. They are of course the most popular, so I will repeat myself here, but you really have to book in advance.

To calculate the best time of the day to visit the Burj Khalifa, you can check the sunset time in Dubai on this site.

Everything about the Burj Khalifa: history and key figures

Let’s now talk a bit about the history of the Burj Khalifa. I will also give you a few numbers that will probably give you vertigo before you even get there!

The Burj Khalifa was built in just 6 years and opened in 2010.

At 828 metres high, it’s now the tallest building in the world. However Dubai has already started building an even taller tower: the Dubai Creek Tower, which will be at least 1km tall!

The tower was originally named Burj Dubai, but it has been renamed in honor of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi. During the Dubai financial crisis in 2009, he gave hundreds of millions of dollars to complete the project.

Burj Khalifa in figures:

• 828 meters high
• 160 floors
• Total area of 517,240 m²
• 333 000 m3 of reinforced concrete for foundations
• 57 lifts
• 22 million total hours of work
• 2 million visitors per year
• Budget for the construction of the Burj Khalifa: $1.5 billion.

 

The 2 best things to do around Burj Khalifa

The Burj Khalifa is located in Downton Dubai district.

As you will visit the tower at the end of the day, you should explore the must-see places of the area before!

To help you organize your trip to Dubai, I have written a guide about the 30 best things to do in Dubai. You can find it here: The 30 best places to visit in Dubai.

You can also read my other article dedicated to the best activities of the city: The 30 best activities and guided visits in Dubai.

So, here are the 2 best things to do near Burj Khalifa:

1) Visiting the Dubai Mall

The Dubai Mall is the perfect place to spend some time before going up to the tower!

The largest shopping center in the world has more than 1,200 shops and hundreds of restaurants, enough to keep you busy most of the day with an incredible shopping spree in the city of luxury.

The Dubai Mall also features an ice rink, a go-karting track, cinemas, a flight simulator, arcade games… and more!

But the most visited place in the Mall (apart from the Burj Khalifa) is the Aquarium and Underwater zoo, where you can admire sharks, rays and fish from all over the world as well as one of the largest crocodiles in the world.

If you want to visit Dubai Aquarium, don’t forget to book your Burj Khalifa + Aquarium combo ticket, so you can save money if you do both on the same day:

2) The fountain show

The Dubai Fountain Show takes place every evening on the artificial lake located outside the Dubai Mall, at the foot of the Burj Khalifa tower.

The fountain show starts every 30 minutes between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.

You will therefore have the opportunity to see it before or after visiting the Burj Khalifa, and also probably at least once from the observation deck of the tower!

As the show is free, it’s always crowded, so get there at least 10 minutes before the start to get a good viewpoint.

To get a better view, you can also attend the fountain show from the terrace of the Apple store located on the first floor of the Dubai Mall.

And if you want to make the most out of your experience at the Dubai Fountains, you should take a boat ride on the lake in front of the fountains.

To book your Abra (traditional boat) boat ride and get a VIP experience of the Dubai Fountains, simply click on the button below:

Where to stay in Dubai close to the Burj Khalifa?

There are thousands of hotels in Dubai and if you don’t know the city well, it can be a bit complicated to choose a good one!

In order to help you out, I have selected for you the best hotels in Dubai for each district, depending on your budget.

You find my selection of the best hotels next to the Burj Khalifa as well as a special list of the most beautiful luxury hotels in Dubai.

As always, to get the best prices, you should book your hotel as early as possible!

The best hotels in Downtown Dubai (near the Burj Khalifa)

• DoubleTree of Hilton Dubai – Business Bay: Located 1.5 km from Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall. Very spacious and comfortable room, well decorated and equipped from 110€ per night, breakfast included. Strong points: free shuttle to the Dubai Mall, good breakfast, comfort, tranquility. This my favorite hotel in Dubai for its exceptional value for money!
• Rove Downtown: Only 600 meters from the Dubai Mall. Bright and clean double room with view on Burj Khalifa, from 150€, breakfast for 15€. Strong points: Access to the Dubai Mall on foot, helpful staff, free shuttle service to the beach, Dubai Museum or Madinat Souk.
• Taj Dubai: Located 800 meters from Burj Khalifa. Modern and luxurious room with bay window overlooking the city and marble bathroom starting at 220€ per night, breakfast at 32€. Strong points: The magnificent view from the roof, the Indian decoration, the large swimming pool. An excellent hotel in Dubai city center, perfect for a romantic stay!
• Palace Downtown: Located on the lake at the foot of the Burj Khalifa, this 5-star hotel offers magnificent rooms with balcony, with an exceptional view of the Burj Khalifa. From 380€ per night, breakfast at 39€. Strong points: the exceptional location, the beautiful surroundings, the very attentive and helpful staff. This is my recommendation for a luxury stay in Downtown Dubai!

The best hotels in old Dubai (Deira and Bur Dubai)

• Golden Sands Hotel Apartments: Located in Bur Dubai, 1.5 km from the Dubai Museum. Apartment equipped with kitchenette and washing machine, from 80€ per night, breakfast from 11€. Strong points: Cleanliness, the heated swimming pool, the comfortable apartments
• Swissôtel Al Ghurair Dubai: Located in Deira district. Warm and spacious room from 115€, breakfast at 27€. Strong points: the pleasant staff, the view, the good breakfast. It’s my favourite in Old Dubai for its excellent value for money!
• Hyatt Regency Creek Heights Residences: Located next to Creekside Park. Very spacious, super comfortable and very well equipped rooms starting at 130€ per night, breakfast at 33€. Strong points: 5 minutes walk from the metro, the warm welcome, the quiet location, the spa.
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek: 5* hotel located in Deira bay. Double room with balcony overlooking the bay from 150€, breakfast at 29€. Strong points: The proximity of the metro and the shops, the beautiful swimming pool, the comfortable bed and the amazing view. This is my recommendation for a luxury stay in Old Dubai!

Dubai’s best beach hotels

• Delta Hotels by Marriott Jumeirah Beach, Dubai: Located 300 meters from the beach. Rooms and apartments with sea view from 125€, breakfast at 27€. Strong points: The view, the comfortable beds, the location near the beach and the harbor.
• Amwaj Rotana, Jumeirah Beach – Dubai: Located along “The Walk”. Rooms with balcony overlooking the Gulf and Palm Jumeirah from 175€, breakfast at 24€. Strong points: the exceptional view, the proximity of the tram and metro, restaurants and shops at the foot of the hotel.
• Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach: Located 150 meters from the beach. Contemporary room with balcony and sea view from 230€, breakfast at 22€. Strong points: the infinity pool, the very good breakfast, the spa, the ideal location to enjoy the sea.
• Grosvenor House Hotel and Apartments: Located on the port promenade. Elegant and bright double room from 290€, breakfast at 42€. Strong points: Comfort, access to the private beach, the quality of the food.

The most beautiful luxury hotels in Dubai

• Atlantis The Palm, Dubai: One of the emblematic hotels of the city, located in Palm Jumeirah. Room from 300€, breakfast from 42€. Strong points: Includes access to Aquaventure Park and The Lost Chambers aquarium, private beach, swimming pools.
• Rixos The Palm Hotel & Suites – Ultra All Inclusive: Also located in Palm Jumeirah, this luxury hotel offers all inclusive rooms (all meals included) from 452€. Strong points: the quality of the meals, the setting, the amazing rooms.
• The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai: Located directly on the beach of JBR Walk. Elegantly furnished rooms with balcony and sea view from 500€ per night, breakfast at 39€. Strong points: 6 swimming pools, a private beach, the spa, the very helpful staff.
• Armani Hotel Dubai: Located in the Burj Khalifa Tower! Rooms decorated by the fashion designer Giorgio Armani, starting at 550€ per night, breakfast at 41€. Strong points: the privilege of sleeping in the Burj Khalifa, the refinement of the place, the view.
• Kempinski Hotel & Residences Palm Jumeirah: Located in Palm Jumeirah. Luxury suite with living room and dining room starting at 750€, breakfast included. Strong points: The private beach, the huge swimming pool and the beautiful gardens.
• Burj Al Arab Jumeirah: THE luxury hotel, one of the rare 7* hotels in the world! The “smallest” suite is 170m² and prices start at 1290€, breakfast at 74€. I can assure you that your stay in Dubai will be truly exceptional and unforgettable!

Itineraries in Dubai (with visit to the Burj Khalifa)

In addition to visiting the Burj Khalifa, there are many other things to do in Dubai!

You will find them all in my article: The 30 Best Things to do in Dubai

In order to help you organize your visits, I have also prepared itineraries to visit Dubai in 2, 3, 4, 5 days or even a week. All of them, of course, include the visit to the Burj Khalifa.

In these guides, you will find day to day itineraries and maps. You will see, organizing your trip to Dubai will be super easy!

You can read them by clicking on the following orange links:

• 2 days in Dubai – The perfect itinerary for 48h!
• 3 Days in Dubai – The best 72h itinerary
• 4 Days in Dubai – The definitive guide to plan your trip
• 5 Days in Dubai – How to spend 5 days in Dubai
• 1 Week in Dubai – The best itinerary to visit Dubai in 7 days!

You can also read my article dedicated to the best activities, guided visits and day trips from Dubai: The 30 best activities in Dubai.

And of course, if you need help organizing your stay in Dubai, feel free to ask me your questions in the comments section located at the bottom of each article!

FAQ – I answer your questions about the Burj Khalifa

To make your visit to the Burj Khalifa as smooth as possible, I will sum up some practical information to end this article.

Do you plan to visit the Burj Khalifa while in Dubai?

You’re traveling to Dubai? These articles will help you !

Discover all my articles about Dubai: All my articles to help you plan your trip to Dubai are listed there.

• Dubai: The 30 best places to visit – All best things to do and activities!

• 2 days in Dubai – The perfect itinerary for 48h!
• 3 Days in Dubai – The best 72h itinerary
• 4 Days in Dubai – The defitinive guide to plan your trip
• 5 Days in Dubai – How to spend 5 days in Dubai
• 1 Week in Dubai – The best itinerary to visit Dubai in 7 days!

• Burj Khalifa: The definitive guide to all tickets + Tips
• Dubai Aquarium: discover one of Dubai’s must see attraction

• Dubai Mall: How to plan your visit of this huge shopping center!
• Dubai Old Town: 10 best things to do
• Dubai Fountain Show: all my tips to enjoy it to the fullest!
• Palm Jumeirah: the 15 best things to do!

• TOP Activities in Dubai – The 30 best activities and excursions to do in Dubai!
• Dubai Zipline – Price, info and reservations for the best experience in town!
• The best desert safaris in Dubai – my 7 favorites! (4WD, quad, buggy and more)

• Where to stay in Dubai? The guide to the best hotels by district, for all budgets

• Dubai Pass: The best way to save time and money in Dubai!

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