After The Frame was suggested by one of our beloved #traveltribe on Twitter, I searched for it online and read favourable reviews about it as an alternative to Burj Khalifa.
As you can see from the above tweet, @FlyingFiveCAN suggested the Bedouin desert safari and The Frame. I’m happy to report that we got to do both! Thank you for that DE 👌
Burj Khalifa is the first choice for city views from very high up because it’s the world’s tallest tower. We recently paid a staggering amount and queued for hours to spend 90 seconds on the Chicago Skydeck and left frustrated by the experience. The Frame sounded like a different type of experience where we could get the city views but at an affordable £10 p/p entry fee.
And we weren’t disappointed this time.
The blindingly bright gold-coloured Frame is another awesome Dubai landmark attraction that, like most things in Dubai, lights up at night in bright changing colours. In fact, Dubai reminded me of Las Vegas with all the coloured lights.
Why The Frame?
The highest view from the Burj Khalifa is at 555 meters on the 148th floor on the world’s highest public viewing deck called At The Top Sky. That ticket will cost you about £60 p/p and it’s the same price for children and adults.
You can go to the 2nd highest viewing deck, called At The Top, at 452 meters on floors 124 and 125 for about £30 per adult and £20 per child over 4yrs old. Burj Khalifa has 163 floors, but the public can only go up as high as the 148th.
In comparison, The Chicago Skydeck, which we went on last year, is 412 meters high and cost the five of us nearly £100.
We are happy to recommend a visit to the Frame. You can be up and out in under an hour, it’s a fraction of the Burj Khalifa ticket price and you get to see those 360-degree views of Dubai from 150m high.
Going Up The Frame
Although its creation is shrouded in controversy, The Frame is, in true Dubai style, the largest frame in the world.
The Frame connects Dubai’s past with its future and was positioned so that you can see the old city on the one side and present Dubai as it is today on the other. Future Dubai is digitally shown at the end of the experience.
After you’ve bought your tickets at the entrance gate, you walk for a few minutes to get inside The Frame where you’ll start the experience going up the left side. If you’re going with a stroller or pram, you’ll have to leave it at the front entrance gates as strollers aren’t allowed inside.
At the start, you’ll see a small exhibit of old traditional Dubai as a fishing village and of desert life before going up in the elevator.
Old Dubai exhibit at the start 
Future Dubai shown at the end
Touching the tip of the Burj Khalifa from The Frame!
At The Top: The Bridge
At the top of the structure is what they call the bridge where you’ll have a birds-eye view of old and new Dubai on either side. We head straight for the windows to see the city in all it’s glory.
Then you’ll walk across the floor.
This floor is not just any old floor. What seems like a plain white floor, suddenly and randomly disappear under your feet when the middle panels electronically change from white to see-through clear glass! It’s fine if you see it coming before you step in the middle and most people do, but I can imagine major heart trauma if people are caught unaware. Ha-ha!
It’s thrilling to walk over the clear bridge while watching the teeny-tiny cars and people 150m literally under your feet. The kids got over the initial shock quickly, but my heart skipped a beat every time Milly ran up and down the glass or when I set foot on it myself.
To drag the experience out a bit longer have a drink and a snack at the top while getting your fill of Dubai’s skyline on all sides before making your way down. The views certainly are worth it.
Related Post: Going To Dubai With Kids – Where What When & How
Going Down The Frame
Going back down, there are more thought-provoking and fun interactive exhibits that amongst other things, describe the scientific inspiration behind The Frame, which was interesting.
Watch the fascinating film at the end about future Dubai as it will be in 50 years. It takes only a few minutes and is worth your time. We actually watched it twice!
A beautiful water feature and landscaped greens on the outside make you linger a moment longer to commit The Frame to memory in its splendid entirety one last time before leaving.
Final Thoughts
An Uber got us there in 20 minutes from JBR and you need about an hour to spend at The Frame. We went on Saturday the 26th of October arriving just after 3 pm and walked straight up to buy our tickets. We did not have to queue and were not pushed or shoved once. It was relatively busy but we never felt crowded. Not having to wait in a long line is always a big plus for us!
The Frame is popular for sunset views from 5 pm onwards in late October, so expect crowds and queues around that time. Hordes of sunset chasers lined up just as we left the building, instead opting for a quiet sunset and night swimming at JBR beach.
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