Burj Khalifa (Khalifa Tower), Dubai (must see)

Dubai’s ambitions have always been sky-high—quite literally. Once reliant on oil, the city shifted gears to tourism and real estate, turning its skyline into a vertical brag sheet. And right in the middle of it all, Downtown Dubai gives you the ultimate neck-stretching experience: standing at the foot of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building on Earth!

This tower looks like it beamed down from a sci-fi blockbuster—sleek, shimmering, and almost 830 meters of pure “look what we can do” kind of appearance. It rises from a 27-acre park complete with palm-lined paths, fountains, and gardens that bloom thanks to an ingenious irrigation trick: the building’s own air-conditioning condensation. Only in Dubai, where water is scarce, can recycled humidity turn into flowers...

Inside, the Burj is a vertical city. It packs 160 stories of homes, offices, and attractions, plus another 46 for maintenance and communications, and two more underground for parking. Just gazing up at the spire is enough to make your head spin—or your phone camera fill up.

Luxury is mandatory here. There’s a pool on the 76th floor, fine dining on the 122nd, an observation deck with sweeping views on the 124th, a nightclub on the 144th, and even a mosque perched serenely on the 158th. If heaven had zoning laws, they’d look something like this.

The Burj Khalifa wasn’t cheap—it came with a $1.5-billion price tag and a dramatic twist. When Dubai’s finances wobbled during the world economic crisis, UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan stepped in with a bailout. Out of gratitude, the tower was renamed in his honor, changing from “Burj Dubai” to “Burj Khalifa.”

And one last insider tip: book your tickets online at least a day or two in advance. Choose the second-highest viewing platform—it’ll save you serious money for nearly the same jaw-dropper. Because in Dubai, even your thriftiness can feel first-class...