The Burj al Arab, the sail-shaped, world-famous and extremely luxurious seven-star hotel, has unfortunately closed its doors to casual day visitors. But you can still get in.

The Burj al Arab is spectacular and beautiful. The hotel is 321 metres high and shaped like the sail of a dhow, the classic vessels used in the waters around the Arabian Peninsula. Thanks to clever marketing, the Burj al Arab has become known as the world's first seven-star hotel, even though no hotel classification system allows more than five stars.

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Previously, anyone wishing to experience the hotel, without booking a room, could pay an entrance fee for a short visit. This option is no longer available.

A night's stay at the hotel in one of the 202 sumptuous suites - the smallest is 169 square metres - starts at around SEK 11,000. So what should you do if your travel budget doesn't stretch to one night, but you still want to check out the hotel? Answer: book a classic Afternoon Tea!

Experience the Burj al Arab on a guided tour

You can book a table and get to the hotel on your own (see info below), but we would like to recommend the possibility of combining a visit to the Burj al Arab with a guided tour of Dubai, an excursion that also includes the At the Top viewing floor in Burj Khalifa included.

Thanks to our partnership with Viator, you can book such a tour with pick-up at your hotel. In five hours, you'll experience two of Dubai's top attractions without having to buy tickets, book a table or plan ahead. If you add up the costs of the different elements, you'll see that it's a great value deal.
" Read more and book the tour here

Burj al Arab from inside

Of course, you can also book a table for lunch or dinner in one of the hotel's restaurants, but Afternoon Tea is the most affordable option for those who want to visit the Burj al Arab. And it's a great culinary experience too, with a wide range of cakes, pastries and breads.

Afternoon Tea is served in the Sahn Eddar restaurant on the first floor at 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00. The price is 560 dirham (September 2016), about 1280 Swedish kronor.

If you want to sip tea and munch on pastries with a view, Afternoon Tea is also served in the Skyview Bar on the 27th floor. It's slightly more expensive, 620 dirhams, and the times are 1pm, 1.30pm, 4pm and 4.30pm every day except Fridays.

Book Afternoon Tea in advance

Making a reservation a day in advance is recommended. Contact details for the restaurants can be found via the links below. There are also always current times and prices for Afternoon Tea and recommendations for how you should dress.

• Sahn Eddar
• Skyview Bar
• www.burjalarab.com

If you still decide it's not worth the money to see the Burj al Arab, you can always watch this clip. A promotional video for the hotel, from owner company Jumeirah, showing the good life inside.

(Page updated 2016-09-08.)