Burj Khalifa is the most iconic building in Dubai, UAE.
At 829.8 meters (2,722 feet), it is the tallest building in the world.
More than two and a half Million tourists visit Burj Khalifa’s observation decks every year.
In this article, we explain everything you need to know before you visit the Burj Khalifa.
1. How to reach?
2. Opening hours
3. Observation decks
4. Best time to visit
5. Waiting time
6. Tour duration
7. Ticket price
8. Why online tickets?
9. Which ticket to buy?
10. Burj Khalifa tickets
11. Avoid crowd
How to reach Burj Khalifa
The towering structure of Burj Khalifa stands in Downtown Dubai, right next to the Dubai Mall.
If you plan to take Dubai Metro to travel to Burj Khalifa, you must take the Red Line to the Burj Khalifa station.
From the station take the F13 bus and get off at the Dubai Mall Bus Stop.
Now, walk to the Mall through an air-conditioned overpass which will take approximately 15 minutes.
You will have to go through the Mall and reach the Lower Ground Floor (LG).
The Ticket Office to Burj Khalifa is at the Lower Ground floor near the Subway Sandwich Restaurant.
Important: We recommend you buy Burj Khalifa tickets online, much in advance – you save time, money and also avoid last minute surprises.
Burj Khalifa timings
Burj Khalifa is open all through the week.
It opens at 8.30 am and closes at 11 pm.
Last entry is 45 minutes before closing.
These Burj Khalifa hours are divided into prime hours and non-prime hours, which have an impact on the price of the ticket.
Non-prime hours: From 8.30 am to 2.30 pm and 7 pm to 11 pm
Prime hours: 3 pm to 6.30 pm
The Prime Hours are also known as the sunset hours.
Burj Khalifa At the Top – the observation decks
There are three observation decks at Burj Khalifa – at Level 124, Level 125 and level 148.
At the Top, Burj Khalifa (Level 124)
This is the lowest of all the three observation decks, and the most popular.
Level 124 of Burj Khalifa at 452 meters (1,483 feet) helps experience a mesmerising view of the Dubai skyline.
The Burj Khalifa At the Top has high powered telescopes, to get closer to the skyline.
Level 125
Level 125 of Burj Khalifa is one level above At the Top Observatory and stands at 456 meters (1,496 feet).
It is a spacious observation deck decorated in Arabic mashrabiya for illuminating 360-degree views from the top.
At Level 125, you can preserve your memories with the help of green screen photography, where reality is merged with special effects for amazing photographs.
On this floor, you can also step into the ‘Dubai: A Falcon’s Eye View’ exhibit to see an exhilarating ariel view of the city – as a flying Falcon would.
At the Top, Burj Khalifa Sky Experience (Level 148)
Level 148 at the top of the Burj Khalifa is the highest observation deck of the World.
It is at 555 meters (1,821 feet) and has an outdoors terrace as well.
At this top floor you are hosted by a guest Ambassador, who gives you a personalised tour.
You also get refreshments at the famous SKY Lounge.
To gain access to this top observatory, a Burj Khalifa VIP ticket is needed.
Best time to visit Burj Khalifa
If high ticket cost during prime hours is not an issue, the best time to visit Burj Khalifa and see the expanding Dubai skyline is during sunset. Check out the Sunset tickets
If you are on a budget, it is best to visit as soon as the prime hours get over at 6.30 pm.
Or if you don’t mind waiting, you can buy your ticket right before prime hours kick in and stay long enough in the observatories to see the sunset.
Best time to see sunrise
If you are planning to visit the Burj Khalifa to see the Sunrise, you need to go very early in the morning.
The observation deck opens at 5.30 am on Fridays and Saturdays, and it is best to reach before 6 am to see the Sunrise. Check out the Sunrise tickets
Do keep an eye on the weather, for a foggy day means a not-so-good experience.
Burj Khalifa in winter
If you are visiting Dubai in the winter months, it will be best to visit Burj Khalifa in the late mornings or early afternoons since by 6 pm it gets very dark.
Waiting times at Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa is the most popular tourist attraction in Dubai.
Every month, an average of 200,000 tourists come to see the striking views offered by the Burj Khalifa.
Peak months (Nov to March)
If you visit Burj Khalifa during the prime hours, the queue for general admission might exceed 1 hour.
During such times, it is best to buy Skip The Line tickets.
During non-prime hours, you may still have to wait for around 30 minutes in the elevator lines.
Off season (Apr to Oct)
Dubai is hot during these months and hence draws fewer tourists.
However, being the most popular tourist destination in Dubai you may still have to wait for 20-30 minutes during your visit.
Duration of Burj Khalifa tour
If your question is how long does a tour of Burj Khalifa take? Well, the answer is ‘it depends on you.’
On an average, visiting the Burj Khalifa and exploring the tower at your own pace might take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Some tourists are also known to finish the Burj Khalifa tour in an hour.
At Level 148 At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY, the maximum time you can stay is 30 minutes.
After that, you are expected to go to either Level 124 or Level 125 and stay for as long as you want.
It is essential to keep in mind that your trip will take longer if you are visiting during peak season and/or sunset hours.
We propose you keep one hour of lead time to reach the top because while the elevators reach the observation deck in one minute, the waiting line to enter the elevator might take a while.
If you want to avoid waiting in the elevator lines, go for Skip The Line tickets – you can reach the observatory in less than 15 minutes.
Burj Khalifa ticket price
The ticket prices for the Burj Khalifa range between AED 125 and AED 300 for the adults and between AED 95 and AED 300 for the children.
The price you will pay for your Burj Khalifa ticket depends on three factors –
1. Observatories you plan to visit
‘At the Top Burj Khalifa experience’ gives you access to two levels – Level 124 and Level 125.
‘At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY Experience’ gives access to the Levels 124, 125 as well as level 148, which is the highest observation deck in the World.
The ‘Burj Khalifa SKY Experience’ provides you with refreshments and a guided tour and is the most expensive experience.
2. Time of your visit
The next factor that affects your Burj Khalifa ticket prices is the time of your entry.
Prime hour tickets are costlier than non-prime hour tickets.
Since there is massive demand to be on the observatories during sunset, from 3 pm to 6.30 pm has been labelled as prime hours.
3. Type of ticket you buy
There are two types of tickets you can buy – the general admission ticket or the Skip The Line ticket.
Since Skip The Line Burj Khalifa ticket helps you avoid all the queues and walk right into the building, it is more expensive.
If you are short on time and can afford the high prices, we recommend you go for Skip The Line tickets.
The general admission ticket is the cheapest ticket you can buy to go up Burj Khalifa.
Best place to buy Burj Khalifa tickets
If you are looking to buy Burj Khalifa tickets, you have two options:
Option 1: Buy them on the day of your visit, at the venue
Option 2: Buy them online, in advance
We highly recommend you buy your tickets online, much in advance.
Here are our three reasons:
Reason 1: You will have to wait in a line to buy your ticket. Once you have the ticket, you must wait in another line to go up in the elevators. Buying your ticket online, helps you skip the first line.
Reason 2: If you are visiting during the peak months, or prime hours, you may reach Burj Khalifa only to find out that all the tickets have sold out.
This is very much a possibility because the officials sell only a limited number of tickets for every time slot.
Reason 3: When you buy your tickets from the counter at Burj Khalifa you pay more than three times the price of online ticket.
For example, the most basic of the tickets costs 125 AED and at the venue it will cost you 400 AED.
Which Burj Khalifa ticket to buy?
While buying Burj Khalifa tickets, you are sure to have lots of doubts.
Should you visit Level 124 and 125 or for Level 148?
What is better – a general admission ticket or a ‘Skip the Line’ ticket?
Which hours are advisable – prime hours or non-prime hours?
At the Top vs At the Top SKY
At the Top Burj Khalifa tickets grant access to the Levels 124 and 125 and At the Top SKY provides access to the Levels 124, 125, and 148.
At the Top Sky ticket is also known as the ‘VIP ticket’.
Besides the bragging rights of having been on the World’s highest observation deck, this VIP ticket also means you get a guided tour of the Level and refreshments at the Sky Lounge.
Our Verdict:
The At the Top SKY ticket is almost 3 times costlier than the At the Top general admission ticket.
If you are on a budget holiday, we recommend you stick to the At the Top tickets.
However, if money isn’t a concern, but you care about the experience we highly recommend the Sky Experience at Burj Khalifa.
You must know that visitors can’t stay at Level 148 for as long as they want – there is a time limit of 30 minutes.
General Admission vs Skip the Line
If you are planning to visit Burj Khalifa and have a lot of time on your hands, then buying the general admission tickets is recommended.
Be aware that during peak times, the general admission tickets holders may have to wait for an hour to get into the elevator.
With Skip The Line Burj Khalifa tickets in hand, you can avoid the crowd.
Our Verdict:
Skip the Line tickets at Burj Khalifa are almost three times the cost of general admission tickets.
If you don’t have a lot of time, and money is not a concern, we suggest you go for the Skip The Line tickets – which take you straight to the elevators.
Prime hours Vs non-prime hours
The Burj Khalifa ticket prices vary according to the time of entry to the building.
The ticket prices for entry at prime hours are around 40% higher than the Non-Prime hour prices.
The prime and non-prime hours are different for the different tickets.
At the Top (Level 124 and 125)
Prime Hours: 4 pm to 6 pm
Non-Prime hours: 8.30 am to 3.30 pm and from 6.30 to closing time
At the Top SKY (Level 124, 125 and 148)
Prime hours: 9.30 am to 6 pm
Non-prime hours: 7 pm to closing time
Our Verdict:
If your primary objective to visit Burj Khalifa is to see the sunset on Dubai skyline, you have no option but to buy the ticket during the prime hours.
If this is your first visit to an observatory, and money is not a concern we suggest you go for the prime hours.
If you have already seen the sunset on a skyline from some observatory, we recommend you stick to non-prime hours and avoid the crowd of prime hours.
Burj Khalifa tickets
Burj Khalifa offers various kinds of experiences for visitors.
Before you book your Burj Khalifa tickets online, please read through this section thoroughly so that you the different kinds of Burj Khalifa tickets.
1. General admission tickets
This is the most popular ticket to the tallest building in the World.
It gives you access to the world’s most panoramic sight from Level 124 and 125 of Burj Khalifa.
With this ticket, you also get a 10% off at the souvenir shop as well as the “THE CAFE” on the ground floor.
Ticket Prices
(non-prime hours)
Adult Ticket (12+ years): AED 135
Child Ticket (4 to 11 years): AED 101
Ticket Prices
(prime hours – 4 to 6.30 pm)
Adult Ticket (12+ years): AED 216
Child Ticket (4 to 11 years): AED 180
2. ‘Skip the Line’ tickets
This ticket offers everything the previous general admission ticket provides plus the Skip the Line facility.
With this ticket in your hand, you can skip the long lines at the elevator and get to Level 124 and 125 immediately.
Ticket Prices
Adult Ticket (4+ years): AED 340
Note: On ‘Skip the line’ tickets the prime and non-prime hours don’t apply
3. Burj Khalifa VIP tickets
The VIP Tickets allow Skip the Line access to all the three observation decks on Burj Khalifa – Levels 124, 125 and 148.
All through your visit, you are treated like a VIP – so you don’t wait in long lines for the elevator.
On Level 148 a guest ambassador of Burj Khalifa gives you a tour of the observation deck.
After spending 30 minutes in Level 148, you can come down to Level 124 and 125 and hang around for as long as you want.
Children 3 years and below enter for free.
Ticket Prices
(prime hours – 9.30 am to 6 pm)
Adult Ticket (4+ years): AED 380
Ticket Prices
(non-prime hours – 7 to 10 pm)
Adult Ticket (4+ years): AED 520
4. Sunset Tickets
The ticket helps you experience the beautiful sunset from Burj Khalifa, with 360-degree views of the Arabian Gulf.
The ticket does not include Skip the Line access to the elevator.
This means you need to start an hour earlier to factor in the sunset timing.
On the ticket booking page, you can choose between 5 pm, 5.30 pm and 6 pm slots.
Ticket Prices
Adult Ticket (12+ years): AED 230
Child Ticket (4 to11 years): AED 190
5. Burj Khalifa tickets with Snacks at ‘The Cafe’
The ticket includes access to the Levels 124 and 125 to enjoy and witness breathtaking sights of the city.
Later, you can enjoy a hot drink and a pastry at the newly renovated ‘The Cafe,’ Burj Khalifa’s world-class restaurant.
Ticket Prices
(non-prime hours 10 am to 1 pm, 7 pm to 8.30 pm)
Adult Ticket (12+ years): AED 155
Child Ticket (4 to 11 years): AED 125
Ticket Prices
(prime hours 3 pm to 7 pm)
Adult Ticket (12+ years): AED 235
Child Ticket (4 to 11 years): AED 190
How to avoid the crowd at Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Dubai and attracts around 2.5 Million tourists every year.
But three tips can help you avoid the crowd in this usually crowded tourist attraction.
1. Buy tickets online, and in advance
Being the must-visit attraction in Dubai for most tourists, Burj Khalifa tickets are always in demand. Especially during tourist seasons, weekends, school holidays, festivals etc.
This leads to a lot of rush at all times especially at peak hours and peak months when waiting time at the ticket counter can even exceed one hour.
The best way to avoid these lines at the ticketing counter is by booking the tickets online and in advance.
While booking online, helps you avoid the lines, booking in advance helps you get your preferred time slot.
2. Purchase ‘Skip the Line’ tickets
All visitors to Burj Khalifa need to take the elevators to go up to the observatories.
Visitors with ‘general admission’ tickets must stand in long lines till it is their turn to take the elevator.
However, if you buy a ‘Skip the Line’ ticket you can walk past all these people waiting for their turn and get into the elevator.
If you want to avoid crowds at the elevator, it is recommended that you opt for the Skip the line access tickets.
3. Get the time of your visit right
If you want to avoid crowds and are on a low budget, you can choose to visit the Burj Khalifa during the non-prime hours.
The tickets during these times are decently priced and will allow you to avoid crowd for the most part.
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