My original plan was to write about Downtown Dubai attractions- Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Dubai Aquarium, the fountain shows and Burj Park- all in one post. But I’m reminded of just how striking and glorious Dubai attractions are and it’s seemingly impossible to condense everything in one post! And, for sure, the Burj Khalifa deserves one post completely dedicated to itself because of its epicness. So here I am, slowing down my writing and giving this landmark all the attention it deserves.

The Burj Khalifa is a skyscraper that holds the record of being the world’s tallest building (It beats Taipei 101 in Taipei). Its total height is 2,717 feet and it has 163 floors. The Burj Khalifa also has eight escalators and 57 elevators, with these elevators being some of the fastest in the world! Visitors can reach the 124th floor in just one minute, with the elevators traveling roughly 33 feet per second.

Emaar Properties -You will see this name on many skyscrapers during your visit to Dubai- an Emirati real estate development company, opened the monumental landmark in 2010 (Construction started in 2004 and ended in 2009).

The Burj Khalifa is home to 900 apartments that span the floors 19 to 108. The Armani Hotel is located on floors 38 and 39, while Armani Residences are on floors 9 to 16. There’s multiple restaurants inside this skyscraper and the world’s highest lounge is on floors 152, 153 and 154. At The Lounge, visitors can have a meal or order a cup of coffee and enjoy access to an outdoor terrace with unparalleled views of Dubai.

Visitors can select tickets that offer a variety of experiences: You can take in views from At the Top (floors 124 and 125), At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY (floors 124, 125 and 148) and from the lounge (level 152, 153, 154). You can even book tickets to the Burj Club Brunch and do a combination ticket with At the Top and Dubai Aquarium. Tickets to access the world’s highest lounge are pricier than accessing At the Top, and evening tickets are pricier when compared to going in the daytime.

No doubt, the Burj Khalifa has transformed into an iconic symbol of Dubai and seems to be the beating heart of this city. Its height is truly remarkable, and no matter what neighborhood you’re at while in Dubai, the Burj Khalifa seems like it’s following you and is asking you to visit it!

I’m so obsessed with architecture and the Burj Khalifa is such an architectural marvel: It has a neo-futurism style and the overall design is inspired by the Hymenocallis flower, a species that has a similar appearance to that of the daffodil. And the dome design is a characteristic of Islamic architecture. It’s also important to note how convenient and awesome the location of the Burj Khalifa is-Located in Downtown Dubai, this burj is within walking distance of the Dubai Mall and Aquarium, the Dubai fountain, Burj Park and Souk Al Bahar. There’s so much to enjoy in this region!

We got evening tickets to At the Top. To go at night is pricier, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be in Dubai and to witness something magical. The experience was so worth it, so I definitely recommend purchasing evening tickets because nothing compares to seeing Dubai at night! You can enter the waiting line through the Dubai Mall. In full transparency and honesty, I would say be prepared for a long line and crowds-We waited for forty minutes and it was a bit hot while waiting. But you’re visiting the world’s tallest building, after all, so crowds are expected. Who wouldn’t want to experience such an opportunity?

The elevator ride was just as fast as the guidebooks say! I couldn’t believe the speed and efficiency, talk about how impressive technology and construction is. And on the 124th floor- an astonishing view awaits.

To see Dubai at night from an elevated point can’t be compared to anything I’ve experienced before. It’s a moving, exciting bucket list activity that you can’t believe you can now actually cross off your list. I could see the Burj Al Arab, Madinat Jumeirah and where the skyscrapers stop and the desert begins. Dubai is sprawling with an impressive road system with SO many lanes, so it’s also cool to see this movement at night and just how intricate the road system is-There’s always a lot of activity going on. And the evening ticket means you see life in this city under spectacular lights. Another unforgettable aspect of going at night-You can see the fountains from below! It’s so cool to see the fountains from this aerial perspective.

Once you’re ready to leave (Although does anyone truly want to say goodbye to such breathtaking views?), the elevators will take you down to the ground floor at what feels is the speed of light. You’ll go through a souvenir shop, and you can exit through the Dubai Mall.

But the fun doesn’t stop there! The Burj Khalifa is illuminated every night with these beautiful flickering lights that you must capture on video. These LED lighting displays start roughly at 7:45 PM and are free to watch. It’s the world’s biggest LED screen (Are we surprised? Dubai is impeccable!) and this skyscraper has its own intelligent system. In other words, if there is a LED light experiencing issues, its spot on the skyscraper can be detected in the central control room. The Burj Khalifa also has mesmerizing light shows (free to watch) set to captivating music: If you’re visiting in between Monday through Thursday, the light shows run every hour. Light shows on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are every 30 minutes until 10:45 PM. The themes are really incredible, I particularly liked a jazz one that played on a Tuesday night. Moreover, the Burj Khalifa has special lighting displays that commemorate both UAE and international observances: The Indian tricolor flag appears on the skyscraper on Indian’s independence day, turns green on St. Patrick’s Day and illuminates on New Year’s Eve.

Overall, you’ll never forget stepping into the Burj Khalifa!

Ready to experience this wonder? Tickets for At the Top start at 169 AED ($46) and tickets that include both At the Top & Burj Khalifa SKY start at 399 AED ($108). Experiencing the world’s highest lounge starts at 769 AED ($209), experiencing both At the Top and Dubai Aquarium starts at 245 AED ($67), and going to a rooftop pool to see the skyscraper and get food & drinks is AED 259 ($70). To get to the Burj Khalifa, travelers can take the metro’s red line to the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall stop. The bus routes that stop near this attraction encompass 27, 28, 29, 50 and 81.

Interested in reading more about Dubai? I wrote about the attractions in Palm Jumeirah, a man-made island in the shape of a palm tree here. I wrote about my experience touring the Burj Al Arab in this blog post and wrote another post about the world’s largest natural flower garden located in Dubai.

Finally, I’ll leave you with some photos of the Burj Khalifa below!