Some sort of appetizer what lies ahead: during the next days, I will start covering the Expo 2020 World Exhibition in Dubai in designated postings. First of all, there will be general information posting, then I will take you to the five sections in separate postings and introduce you to what my wife and I saw, liked and disliked during three days we spent at the Expo 2020 grounds in early November 2021. However, this posting is about a special attraction on the Expo, which is also not included in your admission ticket: the view tower Garden In The Sky. Here are my thoughts.
Garden in the Sky – Location & Admission
Garden In The Sky is located in the Jubilee disctrict of the Expo 2020 grounds. The area also holds other key recreational features ike the main stage in Jubilee Park or the Water Features. I will introduce you to the Jubilee district in a separate posting.
Garden In The Sky is not included in your Expo 2020 ticket. A ride is additional 30 AED per person.
Garden in the Sky – The Visit
Garden In The Sky is a rotating 360 degrees tower. The construction strongly reminded me of the British Airways i360 in Brighton. The maximum height of the tower is 46 meters, which gives you an unobstructed view of the Expo site. The ride time is some six minutes, arranged in time slots of ten minutes (you receive a timed ticket). A fun fact is that there is a fully closed lower deck (this is also the way you enter the capsule) with seats. The upper deck has sets in the interior – most people stay at the outside of the platform anyway.
If they would have called this ride “Expo Sky Tower” or similar, I wouldn’t have been that disappointed about the platform itself. There are some poor trees which feel to need less sun and more water, but I would not call that a “garden”. I read about a capacity of 48 people in a news article – the entrance gave something above 70, though (which also feels more realistic in regards of the number of people who shared our ride). It is still quite convenient and you will find a spot at the edge of the rotating platform to enjoy your view.
Views from Garden in the Sky
Looking down over the Expo grounds is finally the reason why you do this one. Here are our impressions from above.
Garden in the Sky – Services
There are food services around the tower. The toilets are comparably widespread over the area. Garden In The Sky does not feature a dedicated gift shop or similar – they do pictures of you if you want. The vendors wait for you after the ride with a printed copy… Sustainability, eh?
Garden in the Sky – My View
Garden In The Sky is a nice add-on to your Expo 2020 visit. The tower is definitely no Garden in the sky – the world fair shows in multiple place what that could really be alike. That’s a bit of annoying. 30 AED is quite a high price for the six minute experience, but it is overall worth the money, I feel (even though you paid for your tickets already).
Flyctory.com in Dubai
Here are all postings about the entertainment wonderland Dubai:
Flyctory.com Views from Above
Here are all postings tagged as Views from Above, dealing with any kind up-in-the-air viewpoints: