Burj Khalifa Floors: Which Floors Can You Visit?

The Burj Khalifa has more than 160 floors and rises 828 metres above Dubai, but only a small number of these floors can be visited by tourists. Much of the tower is occupied by the Armani Hotel, private residences, offices and other facilities. The observation decks and other visitor experiences are located on several specific floors high above the city.

Burj Khalifa Tickets

For most visitors, the most important Burj Khalifa floors are Levels 124 and 125, which are included in the standard At the Top experience. You can travel even higher with an At the Top SKY ticket, which adds Level 148, while The Lounge occupies Levels 152, 153 and 154. There is therefore quite a large difference between simply visiting Burj Khalifa and reaching its highest visitor-accessible levels.

Knowing what is available on each floor makes choosing a ticket much easier. Below you can see which Burj Khalifa floors you can visit, how high they are and what you can expect when you get there.

How many floors does the Burj Khalifa have?

The Burj Khalifa rises to a total height of 828 metres (2,716.5 feet) and has 160 habitable levels. Its enormous height is one of the reasons the number of floors can be slightly confusing. Not every numbered level is an observation deck and large sections of the tower are not accessible to tourists at all.

The building contains a mixture of hotel rooms, private residences, corporate suites, restaurants and technical areas. The Armani Hotel occupies part of the lower section of the tower, while residential apartments and corporate spaces can be found much higher up. There are also restaurants, private leisure facilities and Sky Lobbies on selected floors.

As a tourist, you will therefore only visit a very small part of the entire building. The floors that matter most when planning a visit are Levels 124 and 125 for At the Top, Level 148 for At the Top SKY, and Levels 152–154 for The Lounge. Which of these you can access depends on the ticket or experience you book.

Burj Khalifa 124th floor

Level 124 is one of the two main observation floors included with standard At the Top admission. At approximately 456 metres above ground level, you are already high enough to look far across Dubai and appreciate the enormous scale of the city.

One of the main attractions of the 124th floor is its outdoor observation terrace. Although you are still surrounded by the structure of the tower, stepping outside creates a very different experience from looking through glass. From this height you can look down over Downtown Dubai and see many of the roads, towers and developments that surround Burj Khalifa.

Level 124 also has viewing telescopes that allow you to explore different parts of the Dubai skyline in more detail. On a clear day, the view stretches far beyond the immediate Downtown area, although visibility naturally depends on weather and atmospheric conditions.

For many visitors, the 124th floor already provides exactly what they came to Burj Khalifa for: the feeling of standing hundreds of metres above Dubai and seeing the city from one of the world’s most famous skyscrapers.

Burj Khalifa 125th floor

The 125th floor is also included in the standard At the Top experience, so you normally don’t have to choose between visiting Level 124 or Level 125. A regular At the Top ticket gives you access to both floors, allowing you to move between two different viewing areas during the same visit.

Level 125 sits just above the outdoor terrace on Level 124 and provides another panoramic perspective over Dubai. The floor is designed as a spacious observation area with large windows looking out across the city. Because the two levels offer slightly different experiences, it is worth spending time on both rather than treating Level 125 simply as an extension of the floor below.

When comparing Burj Khalifa tickets, the important choice is therefore usually not 124th floor versus 125th floor. Instead, you need to decide whether Levels 124 and 125 are high enough for the experience you want or whether you would also like to continue up to the premium observation deck on Level 148.

Burj Khalifa Tickets

Burj Khalifa 148th floor

If you want to go significantly higher, Level 148 is part of the premium At the Top SKY experience. At around 555 metres above the ground, this observation level gives you an even more elevated perspective over Dubai and feels noticeably removed from the city far below.

The 148th floor has both indoor viewing areas and an outdoor terrace. The experience is designed to be more exclusive than the standard At the Top visit, and visitor access is generally more controlled. This can make Level 148 attractive not only because of its height, but also for travellers who want a more premium Burj Khalifa experience.

An important point when comparing tickets is that an At the Top SKY ticket does not mean you miss Levels 124 and 125. Access to these lower observation floors is also included, so you can experience all three levels during the same visit. This makes it possible to compare the views from different heights and still visit the outdoor terrace on Level 124.

Whether the additional cost is worthwhile depends largely on what you want from your visit. If simply seeing Dubai from high above is your priority, Levels 124 and 125 already provide impressive views. If reaching one of Burj Khalifa’s highest observation decks is an important part of the experience, Level 148 is the more interesting choice.

Burj Khalifa Levels 152, 153 and 154

Level 148 is not actually the highest part of Burj Khalifa that visitors can experience. The Lounge, Burj Khalifa occupies Levels 152, 153 and 154, reaching approximately 585 metres above ground level.

The Lounge is different from a conventional observation-deck visit. Rather than simply buying admission to a viewing platform, the experience combines the extraordinary height and views with a more luxurious hospitality setting. Depending on the experience you choose, a visit may be centred around refreshments, afternoon tea or an evening visit high above Dubai.

These floors are particularly interesting if your main goal is to reach some of the highest publicly accessible spaces inside Burj Khalifa. However, The Lounge should not necessarily be viewed as a direct replacement for At the Top. The two experiences have a different character, and most first-time visitors who simply want to visit the famous Burj Khalifa observation decks will probably start by comparing Levels 124/125 with Level 148.

For a special occasion or for visitors who have already experienced the regular observation decks, Levels 152–154 offer a very different way to experience the tower.

What is on the other floors of Burj Khalifa?

The vast majority of Burj Khalifa’s floors are not observation decks. The tower was designed as a mixed-use building, which means that thousands of people can live, stay or work inside it without ever being part of the tourist areas visited by At the Top guests.

The Armani Hotel Dubai occupies floors in the lower section of Burj Khalifa, while private residences extend through a substantial part of the tower. Higher levels contain corporate suites and other private areas. Several floors are also used as Sky Lobbies, mechanical levels or facilities for people living and working inside the building.

One particularly interesting level is Level 122, which is home to At.mosphere. Located hundreds of metres above Dubai, the restaurant and lounge provide another way to experience Burj Khalifa without booking a conventional observation-deck ticket. Access and reservations for At.mosphere are separate from the At the Top visitor experience.

This mixture of hotel, residential, business, dining and observation spaces helps explain why having more than 160 floors does not mean there are dozens of floors for tourists to explore. Your Burj Khalifa ticket only gives access to the specific visitor areas included with that experience.

What is the highest floor you can visit in Burj Khalifa?

The highest floors included in a public visitor experience are Levels 152, 153 and 154, where The Lounge is located. Level 154 is therefore higher than the observation deck on Level 148, although the experiences are not directly comparable.

If you specifically want to visit a traditional Burj Khalifa observation deck, Level 148 is the highest level included in the main At the Top experiences. At approximately 555 metres above the ground, it sits almost 100 metres higher than the observation areas on Levels 124 and 125.

There is still a considerable amount of Burj Khalifa above you even when you reach these levels. The tower continues all the way to its architectural height of 828 metres, but the uppermost sections are not public observation areas. Visitors therefore cannot simply take an elevator all the way to the very top of the Burj Khalifa.

Burj Khalifa Tickets

124th, 125th or 148th floor: which should you choose?

For most visitors, Levels 124 and 125 offer the best introduction to Burj Khalifa. They are the standard observation floors, they already place you approximately 456 metres above Dubai, and you can experience both indoor panoramic views and the outdoor terrace on Level 124. If this is your first visit and your main goal is simply to experience the view from Burj Khalifa, these floors will be sufficient for many people.

The 148th floor is the better choice if the height itself is an important part of your visit. You travel almost 100 metres higher than Levels 124 and 125 and get access to the premium At the Top SKY experience. Because your ticket also includes the lower observation floors, you don’t have to sacrifice the standard At the Top experience to visit Level 148.

The Lounge on Levels 152–154 is a different proposition. Choose this if you are looking for a more exclusive experience high inside Burj Khalifa rather than simply wanting to visit an observation deck.

Whichever option you choose, there is no need to reach the very top of the 828-metre tower to understand why Burj Khalifa is such an extraordinary building. Even from the standard observation floors, Dubai appears far below you and the scale of the world’s tallest building becomes much easier to appreciate.