Sky Views Observatory and Edge Walk

Sky Views is the Downtown observation deck for people who want a thrill as well as a view, and a strong alternative or add-on to the Burj Khalifa. It sits in the bridge that links the twin towers of the Address Sky View hotel, more than two hundred meters above Downtown and directly beside the Burj Khalifa, which is the point: from the Burj you cannot see the Burj, whereas from Sky Views it fills the window, rising out of the Dubai Mall and the fountain lake with the whole of Downtown spread around it. The visit begins with a lift ride and an observatory floor with floor-to-ceiling glass, then moves to the features that make it different. A section of the floor is glass, so you can look straight down to the street. A transparent glass slide carries you from one level to the floor below, enclosed in glass and hanging outside the building's edge for a few seconds; it is fast, smooth and suitable for most ages within the height and weight limits. The headline experience is the Edge Walk, a separately booked activity in which you are clipped into a harness and rail and walk around an open ledge on the outside of the tower, with instructors guiding you and the city falling away beneath your feet. It requires booking ahead, minimum ages and health conditions apply, and it is weather dependent. Tickets are cheaper than the Burj, queues are usually shorter, and it is easy to combine with dinner in Downtown. Fit: thrill-seekers, couples, teenagers, and photographers who want the Burj Khalifa in the frame.

Burj Khalifa or Sky Views? If you only do one, first-timers usually choose the Burj for the record height and the sense of occasion. But Sky Views has the better photograph of the city, because the tallest building in the world is in it, and its glass slide and Edge Walk make it feel like an attraction rather than a viewing platform. Many travellers do both: the Burj at sunset for the light, and Sky Views on another day, or the same afternoon, for the thrills and the view of the tower. Combined tickets are sold for exactly this reason.

How to do it well: book a late-afternoon slot so you see the city by day and lit up after dark, and the fountain shows on the lake below. Wear trainers or flat shoes for the glass floor and slide. For the Edge Walk, read the requirements before booking, including minimum age and height, health conditions and the clothing rules; personal items, phones included, are stored in lockers, and the operator photographs the walk for you. The Edge Walk can be cancelled at short notice for wind or weather, so do not schedule it on your last evening. The observatory itself is enclosed and air-conditioned.

Getting there: the Address Sky View is in the heart of Downtown, a short walk from the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa; the nearest metro station is Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall on the Red Line, from which it is a walk through the mall or a short taxi ride. Pair it with dinner by the fountain or a stroll around Souk Al Bahar. Sky Views is part of the Address hotel complex, so follow signs for the observatory entrance rather than the hotel lobby.