Buying Burj Khalifa tickets is more confusing than it should be, for one reason: the tower renamed its tickets and most travel articles never updated. If you are searching for "At the Top" and "At the Top SKY" and finding neither on the booking page, that is why.
The official tiers are now Silver, Gold and Platinum. Here is what each one actually gets you, what it costs, and which one is worth the money.
The three tickets, side by side
- Silver — from AED 189. Levels 124 and 125, at 456 metres.
- Gold — from AED 399. Levels 124, 125 and 148, the world's highest observation deck.
- Platinum — from AED 769. Levels 152, 153 and 154, at 585 metres.
Prices and levels read from the official Emaar ticketing site on 31 August 2026. They are the lead-in prices; the checkout price varies by date and time slot, and sunset slots cost the most. Always confirm on the official site before booking.
Silver — Levels 124 and 125
The standard observation deck experience, and the one most people mean when they say they went up the Burj Khalifa. Two levels, viewing telescopes, an outdoor terrace, and the view that put the building on a million phone screens. Open 10:00 to 20:00, last entry 19:00.
For most visitors this is the correct ticket. You are already 456 metres up. The extra height above this is real but it is not transformative — what changes at the higher tiers is the crowd and the service, not the view.
Gold — adds Level 148
Level 148 is At the Top SKY, the world's highest observation deck. The Gold ticket adds it to the Silver levels, plus priority entry, a guided welcome by a Guest Ambassador, and Arabic coffee and sweets. Last entry 18:00.
The genuine argument for Gold is not the extra height — it is the queue. At peak season, on a prime evening slot, the Silver entry through Dubai Mall is a long, slow, densely packed process, and Gold skips most of it. If you are visiting between November and March on a weekend, that is worth something.
Platinum — The Lounge, Levels 152 to 154
The Lounge at 585 metres, described by the tower as the world's highest lounge: priority access, a fine selection of beverages, gourmet canapés and a tour of the outdoor terrace. Last entry 18:00.
This is a seated, unhurried experience rather than a viewing platform, and it should be judged as one. At AED 769 you are buying an evening, not a ticket — compare it to dinner somewhere expensive rather than to Silver.
The combination tickets, which are usually better value
Emaar sells the tower bundled with its neighbours, and several of these are the best-value line on the page:
- At the Top + Dubai Aquarium — AED 319. The aquarium is directly below in Dubai Mall, so this is two attractions with no travel between them.
- At the Top SKY + Sky Views Observatory — AED 488
- At the Top + Rooftop, The Burj Club — AED 332, adding open-air dining on the third floor
- At the Top + Souvenir — AED 204
The nearby attraction worth knowing about
Sky Views Observatory at Address Sky View costs AED 89 — under half the Silver price. Level 52, a 25-metre glass floor you walk across, and a glass slide down to the level below. It is a different experience rather than a cheaper version of the same one: you are looking at the Burj Khalifa rather than out from it, which is arguably the better photograph. The Edge Walk, a harnessed, hands-free walk around the outside at 219.5 metres, is AED 299.
Also nearby and sold on the same site: the Dubai Opera Grand Tour at AED 100, the Dubai Fountain Boardwalk at AED 25 and the Fountain Lake Ride at AED 75.
Check the fountain before you plan around it. As of 31 August 2026 the official Burj Khalifa site carries a notice that the Dubai Fountain is temporarily closed for renovation, with no reopening date given — while fountain-adjacent experiences are still listed for sale on the ticketing site. If the fountain show is a reason you are going, verify its status before you book anything built around it.
Which ticket should you actually buy?
- First visit, any season, on a budget: Silver, booked online in advance, in a non-prime slot.
- Peak season weekend, or you hate queues: Gold. You are paying for time, not height.
- Travelling with children: Silver, plus the Aquarium combination. Level 148's calmer, more curated experience is largely wasted on an eight-year-old.
- An occasion: Platinum, or Gold plus dinner somewhere with a view of the tower — which, for a lot of people, beats being inside it.
- Photographing the tower rather than the city: Sky Views at AED 89, and spend the difference elsewhere.
Timing, and the mistake nearly everyone makes
The sunset slot is the most expensive, sells out first, and is the busiest deck of the day. It is also genuinely the best light. If you want it, book it several weeks ahead and accept the price.
If you do not, the value slot is late morning. Visibility in Dubai is generally best earlier in the day — by late afternoon in summer, haze and dust often flatten the view to a beige wash, which is not what people expect from photographs taken in January. Between November and March, clarity is better at every hour.
One practical note: entry is through Dubai Mall, and the walk from the mall's car park to the entrance is a long one. Add half an hour to whatever you think it will take, particularly in the evening.
Staying in or beside the tower
If the building itself is the point of the trip, there are two ways to skip the ticket queue entirely.
The Armani Hotel Dubai package (5 nights, from AED 14,999) puts you inside the Burj Khalifa — the hotel occupies the lower levels of the tower. The Address Downtown Fountain View package (4 nights, from AED 10,499) faces it from across the lake. And the Dubai Luxury Escape (3 nights, from AED 14,699) includes the Burj Khalifa visit alongside a desert safari and a yacht cruise, so the tickets are handled for you.
For everything else, the Dubai packages range starts at AED 1,199 and every one of them is within reach of Downtown by metro.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Burj Khalifa ticket?
From AED 189 for Silver (Levels 124 and 125), AED 399 for Gold (adds Level 148) and AED 769 for Platinum (The Lounge, Levels 152 to 154), read from the official ticketing site on 31 August 2026. The final price depends on the date and time slot you choose.
Is At the Top SKY worth the extra money?
For the view alone, not really — the extra height does not change the picture as much as the price difference suggests. For the shorter queue and a calmer deck during peak season, often yes.
Which floor is the Burj Khalifa observation deck on?
There are three sets. Levels 124 and 125 (Silver), Level 148 (included with Gold), and Levels 152, 153 and 154, which house The Lounge (Platinum).
Do I need to book Burj Khalifa tickets in advance?
Yes, particularly between November and March and for any slot near sunset. Same-day tickets at the counter cost more than the online price and the good slots are usually gone.
Are Burj Khalifa tickets free for children?
Children's and infant pricing is set at checkout and varies by ticket tier, so select your date on the official site to see it. Under-3s go free at most Dubai attractions, but confirm rather than assume.
How long do you spend at the top?
There is no time limit on the observation decks. Most visitors spend 45 to 90 minutes including the ascent, the exhibition on the way in and the inevitable gift shop on the way out.
Related guides
- Dubai city tour guide — what a city tour covers, and the free option
- How much does a Dubai trip cost?
- Dubai staycation guide — for residents doing this on a weekend
Planning the rest of it
Tickets are the easy part. If you are still deciding when to come, what to see and what it all adds up to, talk to our Dubai team — or start with the Dubai packages, several of which include Burj Khalifa entry, and all of which can be paid for in instalments.