Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur

For six years starting in 1998, the Petronas Twin Towers were the tallest buildings on earth, a fact that matters less now than the quality of the architecture. Argentine-born Cesar Pelli designed each tower on a floor plan of two overlapping squares forming an eight-pointed star, with semi-circular infill panels between the points – a geometric pattern drawn directly from Islamic architectural tradition. The result reads differently from every angle, never flattens into a simple silhouette, and does not look dated, which is more than you can say about most things built in the 1990s.

At 452 metres across 88 floors, the towers remain the tallest twin towers ever built. They sit above Suria KLCC mall, connected directly to the KLCC LRT station. The mall and surrounding park are free; getting inside the towers requires a ticket.

Getting Up There

Two ticketed experiences get you into the structure.

The Skybridge at floors 41-42 connects the two towers at 170 metres. It was engineered as a lateral wind-bracing element – not originally a tourist feature – though it has functioned as one since opening. Visits allow about 15 minutes on the bridge.

The Observation Deck on level 86 at 370 metres is the higher option, with views across the KL skyline in every direction.

Combined tickets for non-Malaysian visitors run around RM 185 and must be purchased online through the official site (petronastwintowers.com.my). The towers open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 9pm, with limited Monday access on the second and fourth Monday of the month. Daily visitor quotas fill quickly, particularly on weekends and public holidays. Booking several days in advance is the minimum; a week is safer in school holiday periods.

The dress code – smart-casual, no t-shirts, shorts, open-toe shoes, or torn clothing – catches more people than you would expect. Check it before you leave the hotel.

Evening visits between 7pm and 9pm let you combine the tower with the KLCC Lake Symphony light and fountain show at 8pm. The towers illuminated against the night sky are more impressive than the daytime view, and the reflections in the lake produce the photographs that hold up after the trip.

Around KLCC

KLCC Park is a 50-acre public park directly under the towers, free to enter, with a lake, children’s wading pool, jogging track, and the best unobstructed ground-level view of the towers from the south lawn. Arrive at dawn if you want the towers without other people in the frame.

Menara KL (KL Tower), about 2 km southwest, is an older telecommunications tower with its own observation deck at 276 metres. It is less visited than the Petronas decks, but it offers the one view you cannot get from inside the towers themselves: looking back at the Petronas skyline. For serious photography of the towers, the KL Tower observation deck is the more useful position.

Eating

The food court below Suria KLCC (basement level) has competent Malaysian food at mall prices. For better street food, Jalan Alor in Bukit Bintang – 15 minutes by taxi or 30 minutes on foot through KLCC Park – is a strip of outdoor restaurants specialising in Chinese-Malaysian cooking, active from 5pm until midnight. The satay at the open stalls and the grilled seafood are the reasons to go.

Changkat Bukit Bintang, about 1.5 km from KLCC, is the main street for upscale restaurants and nightlife.

Where to Stay

Hotels immediately adjacent to KLCC command a premium for the tower view. Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur on the park’s east side has the most direct tower-facing rooms. Traders Hotel on the park’s north side is more moderately priced and has a rooftop bar (Skybar) with a solid angle on the towers at a fraction of the Mandarin’s room rate – an underrated option that most visitors overlook in favour of the obvious luxury address.

Bukit Bintang, a 15-minute walk south, has a denser concentration of mid-range hotels at better prices, and Jalan Alor is within walking distance.