Between 1998 and 2004, the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur (the capital of Malaysia), at 452 meters, was the world’s tallest building. The towers were designed by the renowned Argentine architect Cesar Pelli, for that time the very modern design was based on the five pillars of the Islamic faith (which is also reflected in the shape of the building). It began in 1992 with the construction of the towers in the center of the city where the track once was.

Further facts about the Petronas Twin Towers

• For years, the walkway between the towers was free to visit. All you had to do was stand in line for free tickets in the early morning. A few years back they introduced ticket prices, for RM10 you could then visit the walkway. Not long after they opened the observation deck on the 83rd floor, to visit both places you had to pay RM50. Now the fare is RM80, and you have access to the walkway and the platform, including a video presentation of the construction of the towers up front.
• The cost of construction of the towers amounted to more than $2 billion.
• A total of 32,000 tower windows, 1800 doors, 765 steps and 88 floors.
• Under the towers is Suria KLCC, one of the most popular shopping malls of Kuala Lumpur. Here you can shop at very competitive prices, especially during the sales periods. Here you find all the well-known international brands.
• Within the complex, you also have the orchestra building, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. On their website, you can check if there are performances. A visit to the orchestra is a great daytime activity.
• The sky bridge is located on the 41st floor, and it’s a walkway between the two towers. It is the highest sky bridge (two floors) in the world.
• Each of the towers was built by a team, a Korean team and Japanese team. Eventually the Korean team “won.”

The Petronas Twin Towers have become a symbol of Malaysia and tourism to Malaysia. Although the ticket prices have risen sharply over the years, there are still daily rows of people buying tickets at the ticket office on the basement floor of the towers.

How to get to the Petronas Twin Towers

The Petronas towers are very easy to visit. They are located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and are accessible in multiple ways. If you stay in one of the hotels in the center of the city, you can just walk there. If you stay in/around Bukit Bintang, you can walk from Pavilion KL through the special pedestrian walkway that ends at Suria KLCC and the towers. You can also hop on the free GOKL bus in either Bukit Bintang or Chinatown. Directly below the towers, you have a metro station, along the RapidKL metro line. This line goes through KL Sentral, which is a hub. Once you reach Suria KLCC, follow the signs to the Petronas Twin Towers ticket office.

We do not recommend taking a taxi to the towers. A taxi from outside Kuala Lumpur is worth a considerable amount, provided the driver uses the meter. However, this is often impossible in the center, especially around the towers themselves. The same goes for the way back to your hotel after a visit. Do not use the taxis in front of Suria KLCC, they are notoriously bad in the way they treat tourists. Expect to pay at least five times the amount if you are using a taxi to get back to your hotel within KLCC.