The Petronas Towers certainly have a reputation that precedes them. Once the tallest buildings in the world, they remain an icon of Kuala Lumpur and a symbol of the incredible economic progress of Malaysia.
But are the Petronas Towers worth ascending? In our 1 year trip around the globe, we’ve encountered many opportunities to go up tall towers for great views. We don’t do them all because they are relatively expensive and there’s often just better ways to spend your time. So what makes the Petronas Towers different?
First of all, the surrounding area is amazing. The KLCC Mall is first class and the KLCC light show out the front is not to be missed (especially at night). You can’t go to Kuala Lumpur without visiting the surrounding area.
Ascending the Petronas Towers
However, the real highlight really is ascending the Petronas Towers. The first stop is the skybridge on the 41st floor which provides excellent views of Kuala Lumpur. They let you stay here for 15 minutes before you are ushered up to the observation deck on the 86th floor in tower #1. It has mind blowing 360 degree views and lots of information about the construction of the towers. If you go later in the day, you can catch the sunset. However, buying tickets for the right timeslot would have to be well timed. Lastly you go down a couple of floors where you can enjoy a coffee and more views. And of course, the obligatory gift shop.
The whole tour is well organized and takes around 45 minutes – depending on how long you spend at the cafe at the end of the tour. They do like to keep you moving (you are assigned a color with the rest of the ticket holders in your time slot). Buying a coffee gave us a good excuse to hand around for longer and enjoy the views!
My favorite view is of the under-construction Merdeka 118 which will be the world’s second tallest building once it is completed. You can also see the KL Tower next to it which you can also ascend.
Our tips for the Petronas Towers
- Buying Tickets. You have to pre purchase tickets online and they sell out up to 10 days in advance. However, they have an allocation of tickets each day if you show up early enough. Weekdays are best, we went on a Thursday turned up at 8.45am (it opens at 9am) we got tickets and went straight up.
- Clear weather. Buying tickets on the day allows you to go up when its good weather with clear skies. Kuala Lumpur can be cloudy or hazy with limited views at the best of times.
Check out our Reel on IG here. You can buy tickets online here.
