Burj Khalifa Sky Level 148 & Sky Views Combo Tickets Dubai

Burj Khalifa: the tallest building in the world

Burj Khalifa opened in January 2010 and rises 828 metres above Downtown Dubai, the tallest building on Earth. Its Y-shaped floor plan was inspired by a desert flower, the hymenocallis, and the three wings step back in a spiral as they climb, so the tower narrows gracefully to its needle-like spire. The building mixes apartments, offices and a hotel, with the public observation decks high in its upper floors.

Is Burj Khalifa worth visiting? For most first-time visitors to Dubai it is the single view that explains the city: the desert meeting the sea, the grid of towers and the Palm in the distance. The best time to visit Burj Khalifa is the hour before sunset, when you see the city in daylight, at dusk and lit up in one visit; clear winter mornings give the sharpest long-distance views.

Level 148 and the lounge

With this ticket the visit begins with fast-track security and a dedicated elevator, avoiding the main queue. Level 148 sits at about 555 metres, high above the standard decks, with an outdoor terrace where only glass panels stand between you and the sky. Interactive screens identify the landmarks below, from Palm Jumeirah and the coast to Business Bay and the desert stretching inland.

Access to the lounge is included, with snacks and hot drinks served in a quiet seating area, a welcome pause before or after time at the windows. You then descend to levels 125 and 124, the decks at around 452 and 456 metres, for wide 360-degree views, telescopes and exhibits about how the tower was built. Burj Khalifa level 148 tickets are limited per slot, which keeps the top deck noticeably calmer than the floors below.

Sky Views Observatory

Sky Views sits about 220 metres up, at the top of twin towers joined by a glass bridge beside Dubai Mall. Its greatest advantage is simple: from Burj Khalifa you cannot see Burj Khalifa, but from Sky Views the whole tower stands right in front of you, from its base by the lake to its spire. Floor-to-ceiling glass and panels set into the floor give a dizzying look straight down onto Downtown.

A spiral staircase leads up to level 53, where the Sky Glass Slide, a transparent tube hanging outside the building, carries you down to the level below; the slide is not included and is paid on site. Your Sky Views Dubai tickets are valid at any time during opening hours on the same day, so you can go before your Burj Khalifa slot or after it, whichever suits the light you prefer.

Dubai Mall, Burj Lake and the Dubai Fountain

Both attractions are reached through Dubai Mall, one of the largest shopping centres in the world, with the Burj Khalifa entrance on the lower ground floor. How to get to Burj Khalifa: take the Dubai Metro Red Line to the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station and follow the long air-conditioned walkway into the mall, about ten minutes on foot, or ask your taxi for the Dubai Mall entrance.

Between your two visits, walk out to the Burj Lake promenade. Every evening from 18:00 the Dubai Fountain performs about every half hour, with jets shooting high into the air in time to music, and the tower glows above it. Shows also run in the early afternoon. Watching one show from the lake and another from above is a memorable way to finish the day.