Burj Khalifa

Khalifa Tower

At 828 m and 160 floors this is the world's tallest structure by a long shot, over 300 m taller than the previous contender in Taipei. The observation deck at the 124th floor is the second highest in the world after the Shanghai World Financial centre. Dominating the Dubai skyline, the tower houses a hotel and a Las Vegas-inspired fountain system. The visitors' entrance is at the lower ground floor of Dubai Mall. Although the tour is called At the Top, it isn't! At 452 m it's just over halfway up the tower itself. Console yourself with the knowledge that most of the rest of the tower consists of service areas and the view below looks suitably ant-like.

• viewpoint

Price

Tickets cost 199 dirham for a timed-entry ticket, usually later the same day, or 400 dirham if you do not want to wait. The lines for tickets are often very long and at peak times, they can sell out several days in advance. It is strongly recommended to book tickets online ahead of your visit. For 500 dirham you can book a "SKY" ticket that includes a trip to level 148 of the building (which is relatively empty and exclusive) for 30 minutes, along with sweets and drinks. From there, you descend to the main observatory on levels 125 and 124 to join the masses waiting to go back down. The SKY ticket also includes a brief tour of the building's private areas. If you go for 'sunrise+breakfast' option for 140 dirham you can visit floor 124 at 05:30 and after, with floor 125 opening at 08:30 - this is a great way to avoid the queues and see the city during both night and day

Website

burjkhalifa.ae (opens in a new tab)