10 Best Things to Do at the Burj Khalifa from The Inside

10 Best Things to Do at the Burj Khalifa from The Inside

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The Burj Khalifa is one of the top places to see in Dubai, and it's so impressive that you can even see it from the plane! Want to see the world's tallest restaurant and observation deck? Well, you can enjoy that and more by visiting this spectacular building, for which you can book your tickets in advance.

One thing to keep in mind is that the best New Year's Eve fireworks show is held from this building, so this may be one of the best times to travel to Dubai. Below, I'll tell you a bit more about what you can see and do inside the Burj Khalifa.

1. At The Top" Observation Deck

Floor124, At the Top SKY| ©Guilhem Vellut
Floor124, At the Top SKY| ©Guilhem Vellut

The At The Top observation deck, located on the 124th and 125th floors of the Burj Khalifa, for which you can purchase your tickets today. You will literally see the city at your feet, as they are 452 and 456 metres above sea level.

On the 124th floor, you'll have access to state-of-the-art telescopes for an even better view of the landscape. And on the 125th floor, you'll find the largest open space in the building, from where you'll have the best panoramic views of the city. The best thing is that there is no time limit, you can enjoy the views, take photos and videos for as long as you want.

However, if you go in high season it may be difficult to stick to the glass to get a better view. Due to the large number of daily visits to this skyscraper, it is recommended that you buy your tickets in advance.

Book your tickets for the Burj Khalifa 124th and 125th floors.

2. SKY Luxury Lounge

At the At the Top| ©Fabio Achilli
At the At the Top| ©Fabio Achilli

SKY luxury lounge, gives you access to the 148th floor of the building, some 555 metres high with a guided tour which you can book here.

SKY opened on 5 January 2010 and was the highest observation deck in the world. To reduce the number of daily visitors, the administration gives the option to buy tickets for a specific day and time. The tour of this floor only lasts 30 minutes, but there is less flow of people, so you can better enjoy the space and the atmosphere.

From this floor you can see the shores of Iran, if the tide is low and the views are good. You also have the opportunity to enjoy the sunsets from this floor. You can buy your tickets for the Burj Khalifa now, to access the At The Top (124th, 125th floors) and SKY (148th floor) floors.

Book your tickets for the Burj Khalifa up to the 148th floor

3. At.mosphere the world's tallest restaurant

Dining at At.Mosphere at Burj Khalifa| ©David Jones
Dining at At.Mosphere at Burj Khalifa| ©David Jones

As you enter this wonderful restaurant you will find a myriad of exquisite dishes, you can order a snack, a light lunch or a luxurious dinner. The menu includes the best of European cuisine. Among the most recommended dishes are the wagyu sirloin steaks, oysters and foie gras. Note that the New Year's Eve party offers an unparalleled fireworks display, making this one of the best times to travel to Dubai.

Enjoy a dinner at the height of the clouds, in an atmosphere that exudes elegance. Remember that sunset is the busiest time of the day. So if you want to go at that time it is best to go early to book a table to enjoy the views of the city skyline and the Persian Gulf in the background.

It is important to book in advance, whether you go to the café or the restaurant, so that you don't have any problems finding a table.

Book a ticketed tour of the Burj Khalifa

4. The lifts

Burj Khalifa Elevators| ©Reinhold Behringer
Burj Khalifa Elevators| ©Reinhold Behringer

At the entrance of the Burj Khalifa you will first be put in a waiting room while the rest of the group arrives. Once you enter the elevators, the magic begins, and this is definitely one of the top things to see in Dubai.

This building has 57 elevators, one of which is 504 metres high. The fastest one travels at the speed of 10 metres per second, which equals 35 kilometres per hour.

The double-decker elevators have LCD screens that you use to entertain yourself as you go up to the observation deck. They also project images on their walls showing other famous buildings around the world that rise in height as the lift ascends.

Book a ticketed tour of the Burj Khalifa

5. Armani Hotel

Entrance to the Armani Hotel| ©Beech Ovens
Entrance to the Armani Hotel| ©Beech Ovens

At the Burj Khalifa you will find the first Armani branded hotel on its first 39 floors. The famous designer Giorgio Armani conceived this magnificent luxury hotel. It has suites ranging from 45 to 390 square metres in size, are fully soundproofed, air-conditioned and equipped.

Some rooms have balconies overlooking the Persian Gulf and the Dubai Fountain. The largest suites can measure around 390 metres, with a sitting area, private bar and dressing room.

Book a ticketed tour of the Burj Khalifa

6. Jump from the top

Skydiving in Dubai| ©viaggiareadubai
Skydiving in Dubai| ©viaggiareadubai

If you like risk and adrenaline, the Burj Khalifa is a real gem for skydiving.

Not long after its opening, some people entered it as tourists and ended up skydiving illegally. But it has been allowed to do so for some time now, of course, but you need to follow all the safety rules.

Book your visit to the Burj Khalifa up to the 148th floor.

7. Dubai Mall

Inside the Dubai Mall| ©Ole Bendik Kvisberg
Inside the Dubai Mall| ©Ole Bendik Kvisberg

Although this mall is not located inside the Burj Khalifa, I do have to talk a bit about it. Because, to enter the skyscraper, you need to pass through this famous mall.

This mall opened at the end of 2008 and has more than 1200 shops. It is also connected to the metro at the Burj Khalifa Dubai 1 station.

This complex has a fountain at one end that resembles a falling diver, the effect of the water is particularly striking. There is also a professional-sized ice rink where hockey games are held, but it is still open to the public.

Book your tickets for the Burj Khalifa up to the 125th floor.

8. Have a drink at the highest bar in the world

Lounge Bar| ©Guilhem Vellut
Lounge Bar| ©Guilhem Vellut

The luxury hotel's new Bar Lounge at the Burj Khalifa is 575 metres high, and exudes luxury and elegance. It is a bar, lounge and concert hall that occupies three floors between 152 and 154.

The Bar has a terrace from where the sunsets over the city are best viewed. This venue is also serviced by the Armani Hotel and offers a wide variety of dishes and entertainment. The Lounge offers three main attractions:

  • Tea in the clouds: you can sit on the lounge's plush and comfortable sofas and indulge in their fresh pastries and desserts. These are accompanied by a fine selection of teas and coffees, and a stroll outdoors on the terrace.
  • Bubbly Sundowner: Enjoy a wonderful view of the sunset accompanied by a refreshing drink and gourmet canapés.
  • Cocktails under the stars: Have the ultimate romantic date with live music and DJ, tasting the best cocktails and gourmet canapés.

Access to The Lounge is through the lobby of the Armani Hotel, but if you go to the At The Top observation deck first, there is also entrance through there.

Book your tour of the Burj Khalifa to the 125th floor

9. The dancing fountains

Dancing Fountains at Burj Khalifa| ©Vasilis blioumis
Dancing Fountains at Burj Khalifa| ©Vasilis blioumis

These fountains are located right in front of the Burj Khalifa, you can see them free of charge and they are very popular. Due to the large crowds of people that go there, I recommend arriving about 20 minutes early to see the show which lasts about 5 minutes. If you are walking around Dubai at night you can't miss this show.

The show is wonderful, it uses lights in different colours both on the water and on the Burj Khalifa. There is also music playing in the background which adds to the ambience.

And it's an even more spectacular experience if you see it from above, on the At The Top Sky observation deck in the skyscraper.

Book your tickets for the Burj Khalifa up to the 148th floor.

10. See the skyscraper that's inspired by a flower

The Burj Khalifa from the Dubai Mall| ©Maher Najm
The Burj Khalifa from the Dubai Mall| ©Maher Najm

The structure of the Burj Khalifa is inspired by a flower called "Hymenocallis", which is typical in the Dubai region. This flower has the ability to adapt to tropical climates and has very long petals. Because of this, the Burj Khalifa has a Y-shaped base, with several Y-shaped elements around the central point.

Its interior design was by Nada Andric, who used polished stone, stainless steel, glass and rock floors. These components were carefully used to simulate local decorations. The skyscraper is also home to a variety of artwork.

Curiosities of the Burj Khalifa

Observation Deck Area of the Burj Khalifa| ©Ilya Varlamov
Observation Deck Area of the Burj Khalifa| ©Ilya Varlamov

The Burj Khalifa is three times the size of the Eiffel Tower, so you can get an idea of how tall it is. You can even see it from 100 kilometres away on a clear day. This building is covered with 26,000 glass panels that are designed to withstand the heat of Dubai's summer.

Its name was originally going to be "Burj Dubai" which means "Dubai Tower". At the last minute it was renamed to honour the president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahayan.

Recommendations for a visit to the Burj Khalifa

Sunset from the Burj Khalifa Observation Deck| ©Simon Bierwald
Sunset from the Burj Khalifa Observation Deck| ©Simon Bierwald

If you wish to watch the sunset from the Burj Khalifa, I recommend that you find out the sunset times at that time of the year. Sunset times vary depending on the month. Winter sunrises also offer the most spectacular views, so you can book your tickets for Fridays and Saturdays.

Although you can buy tickets from the building itself, you are unlikely to find tickets available for the same day. So it's best to buy online before you make your trip, or one or two days in advance.

To get to the Burj Khalifa you have several options, the fastest and most comfortable being a taxi. Depending on the area you're staying in, the journey can cost the equivalent of around €10. You can also take the red metro line to the Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall station.

You can also book a pass for one of Dubai' s best sightseeing buses that will drop you off at the Burj Khalifa entrance, and the best part is that you'll get a tour of the rest of the city.

This city has many attractions just as impressive as the Burj Khalifa, and you can join the best tours and excursions from Dubai so you won't miss out on anything.

Book your tickets for the Burj Khalifa

Is the Burj Khalifa worth a visit?

Climbing the Burj Khalifa| ©Jose Aliling
Climbing the Burj Khalifa| ©Jose Aliling

The Burj Khalifa is definitely worth paying to enter and see the Burj Khalifa from above and admire the whole imposing city from above. As one of **Dubai'**s main attractions, you'll have to queue a bit, but they move pretty fast. They offer entertainment and even refreshments while you wait.

The 124th floor of At The Top includes gift shops and everything, including cameras connected to touch screens. You can zoom in on the floor and see what's going on below in real time.

They offer an audio tour to detail the engineering and architectural process, but it's the views that always get all the attention. So, if you want to know what it's like to stand in the world's tallest building and feel like you're in the clouds, make sure you visit the Burj Khalifa.

But if you want to risk a little more and experience something less luxurious, but equally or more exciting, you can take tours to the Dubai desert.

Book a tour to the Burj Khalifa

Reviews from other travelers

4.6
· 2750 Reviews
  • L
    L.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    Fantastic excursion! It offers a bit of everything.
  • N
    N.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    I really enjoyed the tour, the best part for me was the Monorail ride along the Palm Jumeirah. You do different activities while you get to know Dubai. I highly recommend it!
  • A
    A.
    4
    (0 Reviews)
    Good, but I was left with some questions that could not be answered about the Jumairah Mosque. The guide spoke English and we had an audio guide in Spanish. However, we were able to adjust and enjoy the places we were seeing and the tour.
  • L
    L.
    4
    (0 Reviews)
    Very good excursion, we enjoyed it very much as a family.
  • F
    F.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    I highly recommend this tour!