For reasons too precious, I truly felt top of the world while being at the top of Burj Khalifa. This will always remain one of the special places I’ve been to. Although, I promise I will try to be less biased with my admiration of this place. 😛 My Burj Khalifa experience was marvelous because of two main reasons – my love for architecture and a good travel partner.
Before I get into talking about it, I would like to mention we covered the entirety of Burj Khalifa in a span of two days. It’s not necessary and can totally be done in a day, but the Burj Khalifa is an amazing architectural attraction and deserved another day from me, also I truly wanted to savor the special moments this place offered me. 😛
We divided this into 5 segments as we explored the places surrounding the skyscraper too. Saying that, this post also features good views for appreciating the Burj Khalifa. Additionally, travelling with someone that has lived in Dubai for long led me to experience the place as a local would. It’s always a treat to have an off the beaten experience of a touristy spot.
The Burj Khalifa Experience from Souk Madinat Jumeirah
The Souk is a traditional Middle- Eastern shopping center selling souvenirs. It has a patio view of the Burj Khalifa and overlooks the Hotel Burj Al-Arab. We chose the restaurant with the patio view to make the most of our lunch, clocked in with the Musical Fountain Show that happens around 1.00 pm (Mon- Thurs)
P.s – It’s really hard to get a good picture of yourself with the entire Burj Khalifa visible in the background . God knows, we tried! 😛
The Burj Khalifa from the Dubai Mall
Dubai Mall which is literally across the bridge from the Souk has it’s own perks. We loved the Dubai Aquarium and wandered about the mall looking around shops while letting the sun set a bit. This is where you can enter inside of Burj Khalifa and it’s best to go a bit early if you want to stuff yourself with some food before going on and exploring this architectural beauty.
There is also an ” I Heart Dubai” installation right outside the mall which makes for a good picture. 😛 And, you know how I love taking Instagram-worthy travel photos.
There is another heart installation right beside the “I Heart Dubai” Installation. This one has a background of the Burj Khalifa too. Now that I look at it, it’s kind of a dynamic I heart Burj Khalifa photo spot 😛
On the right hand side picture, I am standing on a patio with a view of another architectural marvel – Burj Al-Arab Hotel. This was designed to resemble the sail of a ship.
This was the end of the first day for our Burj Khalifa experience, and it was also this idiot’s birthday and we had other things planned 😀 . Also, a selfie was a must 😛
After having finished with some good lunch and wandering the mall, we decided to chill outside on the patio chatting away and being in the moment. This area is the best part of the Dubai Mall for me. There is a river – ish kind of water body with boat rides you can do, and an amphitheater which I can imagine would be amazing to chill about for any events that do take place.
Experiencing The Burj Khalifa From Inside
My Burj Khalifa experience got a whole lot better when we actually went inside the Burj Khalifa. You can get inside through the Dubai Mall. It’s a long wait though, and it’s best to book your tickets before hand to hopefully avoid being disappointed with the crowds. Not that the line gets any shorter but you save a hell lot of money.
After the ticket and security check, we were photographed front of a green background for photo shopped pictures of us front of the Burj Khalifa. Buying the pictures is your choice, but you get clicked either ways. :P. We weren’t interested in those and decided to skip it.
Before you get on the top and during the long wait, you can admire the architectural model of the building.
It exhibits the timeline of the skyscraper from start to finish. You also learn a lot about the design idea and how and why this came to be such an attraction. Even the elevator to the deck is quite an experience.
Also, the design of the tower was inspired by the shape of a Hymenocallis Flower. It is a regional desert flower known for its long petals extending from its center. Apparently, the similarity can be seen when you look at the skyscraper from above.
There is a ton of data displayed on how much material and what kind of material is used to build the skyscraper and how long it took them . You’d definitely won’t mind the waiting if you love to geek abut such things like I do.
At the Top
Once we reached the top, the first thing they do is click pictures again, you know the typical touristy picture poses that make you look lame. 😛 We did that though, just did not bother buying the prints.
Take your time in enjoying the view when ever you get some empty space as the deck is jam packed with people. It’s glass all over so it’s not like that bad but yes, if you’re someone like me that doesn’t enjoy crowded places it’s going to be a bit elbowing around your way through kids and random groups taking a million selfies.
Saying that, we did take our share of selfies too. :p so who am I to complain: P
Since we visited the top during the day time, the sun hits the glass façade and it’s mostly silhouette photography that worked best for us. Especially since we wanted the view in the background 😛
The Night View
Even though I had already witnessed the Fountain show during lunch, he insisted to go for the night show and that I am going to love it with all the lights. So we came back 😛
Needless to say, this was absolutely serene and magical. There are hundreds of people crowding the patio several minutes before the show even begins so make sure you save a good spot. I would definitely recommend this to be in your itinerary. Also, this is absolutely free so would work well for you if you’re traveling on a tight budget.
The Important Stuff
Q: How much is the ticket to the top of Burj Khalifa?
There are two options you can choose from while buying the Burj Khalifa Tickets. One is to view from Deck 124 & 125. Another is to view from Deck 148 as well. Both have a significant difference in price though. If you’re on a budget I would highly suggest only booking for the package of Level 124 & 125 as the view seems similar. This costed us 129 AED per person. You can check out updated prices for both their packages here.
Q: Is it worth going up the Burj Khalifa?
The view is amazing from the top. However, unless one of the things on your bucket list is being on the top of one of the highest building in the world, you can consider skipping the 148 Level. Technically this isn’t the top of the building but only the highest observation deck of the building.
Q: What are the Water Fountain Show Timings?
To make the most of your Burj Khalifa experience you gotta make sure you witness this amazing water fountain show. There are daily performances that last up to 5 minutes. Evening shows begin at 6 pm and are every half hour until 11 pm. There are also 2 performances in the daytime; timings are 1 pm and 1.30 pm (show times are 1.30 pm and 2 pm on Fridays).
This place is going to be a special place for eternity because of personal reasons, thank to my better half for that. :P. And, it is definitely worth visiting, especially if you’re an architectural geek like me.
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Love this post and the content on your blog :))
This is quite a dream come true Monica, being on the tallest building on earth has got to be one of the most unique travel experiences in Dubai.
It indeed was 😀
👍