I will admit that I’ve been waiting to write this post for some time. The reason I’ve been waiting so long was due to the fact that we needed to be in Kuala Lumpur. Once we got here, it wasn’t a matter of IF, but WHEN we were going to see the views from the Petronas Towers. What can I say? The Engineer in me just loves this sort of stuff!
Flashback to 2015:
Some basic facts about the Petronas Twin Towers:
- Both towers are 451.9 meters / 1482 feet tall
- The Petronas Towers are currently the 6th tallest buildings in the world.
- They were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004.
- They are the tallest twin towers in the world.
- They wash the windows once a week. With 55,000 glass panels, that’s an awful lot of Windex.
- The shape of each tower is derived from an Islamic symbol, the Rub el Hizb:
Our Tour of the Petronas Towers (Petronas Twin Towers)
We were fortunate to have our tour sponsored by Imanizah from Petronas Towers, and it was a fantastic tour. It started off with us going through a security check, and being handed some blue colored necklaces. They’re color-coded so that it’s easy for the guides/security personnel to keep track of visitors.
We were then given a short video explaining the process we would go through. Initially, we would go to Level 41 to see the Skybridge (Level 42 (get it?) is for the tenants of the towers). This was a very brief elevator ride with a unique touch. The elevator is located in the interior of the building, thus no windows. On the elevator walls surrounding you, they have a simulation running that makes it look and feel as if you are looking outside and actually viewing what is around you.
Petronas Towers Skybridge
When you see the Twin Towers in pictures or movies (Entrapment anyone?), you’ll see the bridge linking the two towers. It’s 170 meters off the ground, and it gives a good view of KL. The cool thing about the Skybridge? It’s not connected to the towers as you would expect. It’s supported by a “three-hinged arch” which consists of giant round bearings at the base and a pair of legs 51 metres in length.
One of the guides showed us how it can “float” from side to side, and if you concentrate, you can feel the Skybridge move in the wind. Pretty cool. The Skybridge also lends itself to some interesting photo opportunities.
Pretty wild, huh?! We took a number of pictures of the surrounding buildings, and after about 10 minutes, it was time to head up higher. With that, we walked into the elevator which took us to the 83rd floor. Then we were ushered into a smaller elevator which took us to the 86th floor where the real views are.
Talk about awesome! It’s incredible that we can erect buildings like this. I love looking out on KL from this vantage. Throughout the floor, they have many exhibits and models to look at. They also have a few fixed high-power binoculars that are free to use to look at other buildings or other areas in the city. Very impressive!
Our guide was very knowledgeable about the building and area, and I could have stayed there for a few hours. Your entry ticket is also good for the interactive screens. You just wave your ticket in front of each screen and information and 3D images will pop up for you. We all had a bit of fun with that.
I asked if there were any laws preventing other buildings from surpassing the Petronas Twin Towers. She said “No”, and it follows that in all probability, no company will build a taller building. The towers are such an iconic figure in the KL skyline, and they symbolize Malaysia’s culture and advancement on the global stage.
The end of the tour takes you through the Gift Shop which has a lot of cool souvenirs and books about the towers. If you visit Kuala Lumpur, I would say that taking a tour of the Petronas Twin Towers is an absolute must, but I am a techie and like that stuff. The kids were fascinated too. Heidi could take it or leave it. She doesn’t care much for heights, so she would have been fine admiring from the outside. She did enjoy the activities inside, but wasn’t thrilled about looking straight down. If you have little ones, it may not be so exciting for them.
Petronas Towers Contact Info:
Lower Ground (Concourse) Level, PETRONAS Twin Towers,
Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The concourse is one floor below street level
- Telephone: +60 (3) 23318080
- Operating Hours:
- Visiting Days Tuesday to Sunday (closed every Monday)
- Open on all public holidays with the exception of Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji.
- Visiting Hours 9am – 9pm (closed from 1pm – 2.30pm on Fridays)
- Ticketing Counter Concourse level, PETRONAS Twin Towers
- Ticket Prices: Advance purchase is available. Adult RM84.80 / Child RM31.80 (check website for current pricing)
What about you? Are you into structures and buildings too? Which is your favorite?
Disclosure: Our tour was sponsored and hosted by Petronas Twin Towers, all opinions are our own.