Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge and Observation Deck
Cross the double-decker Skybridge between the towers, then ride up to the 86th-floor observation deck for the defining view of Kuala Lumpur. Daily numbers are limited, so book ahead.
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is Southeast Asia’s great all-rounder: a skyline city of glass towers, Moorish colonial landmarks and Chinese shophouse streets, where the food is cheap, varied and astonishingly good and the day trips are as memorable as the city itself.
Stand on the Skybridge between the Petronas Twin Towers, climb the 272 rainbow steps to the Temple Cave at Batu Caves, and walk Merdeka Square, where the flag of independent Malaya was raised in 1957. Spend a steamy afternoon in the cool galleries of the Islamic Arts Museum, eat your way down Petaling Street and Jalan Alor, then watch the towers light up from KLCC Park. Beyond the city, the pink-domed Putra Mosque rises over the lake at Putrajaya and a cable car climbs through the rainforest to the cool air of Genting Highlands. This guide books the tickets worth booking, points you to the free sights that matter most, and matches you to the right hotel, from a park-view suite beside the towers to a good-value base a minute from the hawker stalls.
Don't miss
Batu Caves
A golden statue of Lord Murugan, 272 rainbow steps and a vast limestone cavern holding a Hindu shrine. The temple is free; a half-day tour adds hotel pickup and a batik workshop.
Merdeka Square and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building
The green where Malaysia’s independence was declared, faced by the copper-domed Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Free, central and the heart of colonial Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur Tower (Menara KL)
A 421-metre telecom tower on a forested hill, with an indoor observation deck and an open-air Sky Deck that looks straight across at the Petronas Towers. Open late every day.
Aquaria KLCC
A big, air-conditioned aquarium under the convention centre beside the Petronas Towers, with a walk-through tunnel of sharks and rays. The city’s best rainy-day plan with children.
Things to do in Kuala Lumpur
Batu Caves
A golden statue of Lord Murugan, 272 rainbow steps and a vast limestone cavern holding a Hindu shrine. The temple is free; a half-day tour adds hotel pickup and a batik workshop.
Kuala Lumpur Tower (Menara KL)
A 421-metre telecom tower on a forested hill, with an indoor observation deck and an open-air Sky Deck that looks straight across at the Petronas Towers. Open late every day.
Aquaria KLCC
A big, air-conditioned aquarium under the convention centre beside the Petronas Towers, with a walk-through tunnel of sharks and rays. The city’s best rainy-day plan with children.
FreeMerdeka Square and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building
The green where Malaysia’s independence was declared, faced by the copper-domed Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Free, central and the heart of colonial Kuala Lumpur.
1 to 2 hoursDetails →
Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia
One of the finest collections of Islamic art in Asia, set under luminous tiled domes on the edge of the Perdana Botanical Garden. Cool, calm and open every day.
Petaling Street, Chinatown and Central Market
Kuala Lumpur’s old trading quarter: a covered market street, mural lanes, Hindu and Chinese temples, a craft market in an Art Deco hall and some of the best cheap food in the city.
Half a dayDetails →
Hop-on Hop-off Bus Kuala Lumpur
An air-conditioned sightseeing bus linking Bukit Bintang, the Petronas Towers, the National Palace, the Perdana Botanical Garden and the old city, on 24 or 48 hour tickets.
Putrajaya Half-Day Tour with Lake Cruise and Pink Mosque
Malaysia’s purpose-built government city, with the pink-domed Putra Mosque, grand boulevards and bridges, seen from a cruise on Putrajaya Lake. A half-day tour with hotel pickup.
Genting Highlands and Batu Caves Day Trip
Ride a cable car above the rainforest to the cool hill resort of Genting Highlands, with a stop at Batu Caves on the way. A full-day tour with hotel pickup and the gondola included.
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$$Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur
KLCC
The classic luxury address beside the Petronas Towers, with park-view rooms over KLCC Park, a full spa, Cantonese fine dining at Lai Po Heen and MO Bar. The splurge of Kuala Lumpur.
Check rates →
$$$The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Autograph Collection
Old KL Railway Station
A restored 1932 grand hotel opposite the Moorish old railway station, with heritage suites, an Orchid Conservatory, afternoon tea and a pool in the modern Tower Wing.
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$$$Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur, Autograph Collection
Jalan Kamunting and Dang Wangi
A stylish boutique hotel on Jalan Kamunting, with a rooftop pool, rooftop bars and 146 rooms that mix shophouse heritage with a modern edge. Near Kampung Baru and the LRT.
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$$Four Points by Sheraton Kuala Lumpur, Chinatown
Chinatown
A modern mid-range hotel on the edge of Chinatown, with a rooftop pool, a skyline cocktail bar and Peranakan-style afternoon tea, a short walk from Pasar Seni station.
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$ibis Styles Kuala Lumpur Bukit Bintang
Bukit Bintang
A colourful, good-value hotel on Jalan Alor itself, a minute from the city’s most famous food street and a short walk from Pavilion and the Bukit Bintang malls.
Check rates →Kuala Lumpur guides
First Time in Kuala Lumpur: What to Book, How to Get Around & How Many Days
The practical primer for a first visit: the few tickets worth booking, the closing days and dress codes that catch people out, how to move around a hot, spread-out city and how to fit the towers, Batu Caves and a day trip into three or four days.
Where to Stay in Kuala Lumpur: KLCC, Bukit Bintang, Chinatown or the Old City
How to choose your base in Kuala Lumpur, from a park-view luxury hotel beside the Petronas Towers to a 1932 grand hotel, a boutique rooftop stay, a Chinatown mid-ranger and a budget room on Jalan Alor.
