The day is finally here. It is hard to imagine a vacation to Dubai without including its most iconic landmark, the Burj Khalifa. Having visited the CN Tower in Toronto in 2007, when it was the tallest building in the world, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this visit. Here is a list of all the records the Burj Khalifa holds:

The Burj Khalifa set several world records, including:

Source: Wikipedia – Burj Khalifa Records

• Tallest existing structure: 829.8 m (2,722 ft) (previously KVLY-TV mast – 628.8 m or 2,063 ft)
• Tallest structure ever built: 829.8 m (2,722 ft) (previously Warsaw radio mast – 646.38 m or 2,121 ft)
• Tallest freestanding structure: 829.8 m (2,722 ft) (previously CN Tower – 553.3 m or 1,815 ft)
• Tallest skyscraper (to top of spire): 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously Taipei 101 – 509.2 m or 1,671 ft)
• Tallest skyscraper to top of antenna: 829.8 m (2,722 ft) (previously Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) – 527 m or 1,729 ft)
• Building with most floors: 163 (previously World Trade Center – 110)
• World’s highest elevator installation (situated inside a rod at the very top of the building)
• World’s longest travel distance elevators: 504 m (1,654 ft)
• Highest vertical concrete pumping (for a building): 606 m (1,988 ft)
• World’s tallest structure that includes residential space
• World’s highest installation of an aluminum and glass façade: 512 m (1,680 ft)
• World’s highest restaurant (At.mosphere): 122nd floor at 442 m (1,450 ft) (previously 360, at a height of 350 m (1,148 ft) in CN Tower)
• World’s highest New Year display of fireworks
• World’s largest light and sound show staged on a single building

We purchased our tickets online for a 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm visit. There is a cheaper option to visit the towers early in the morning, at 5:30 am, which we decided to pass on.

At 6:00 pm, there is a more expensive option where you can observe two sunsets—first on the ground floor and then by taking the elevator all the way to the 165th floor.

Like most visitors, we settled for a trip to the 124th and 125th floors. An elevator took us to the 124th floor in 18 seconds. From here, we enjoyed breathtaking views of Dubai and the ocean, walking around the floor. The views were even more impressive than what we saw at the CN Tower.

A stairwell took us to the next floor, where, as expected, there was a souvenir shop.

We had also decided to take the Virtual Reality experience, available for a nominal extra charge. In this experience, we became superagents, arming ourselves to save the building—and the world—from an alien attack. It was well worth the additional fee.

On the 125th floor, there is also a glass experience, where a screen simulates a glass floor that “cracks” as you walk on it. While fun, I still preferred the CN Tower experience of walking on real glass and looking down at the traffic far below.

I’ve visited the Empire State Building in New York when it was the world’s tallest building, as well as the Sears Tower, and, as mentioned earlier, the CN Tower when they both held that title. However, I can’t recall an experience as scintillating as my visit to the Burj Khalifa. The trip was well worth the trip!