Menara KL Tower in Kuala Lumpur: review of observation decks, tickets and review

Menara KL Tower overview: is it worth going up to the observation deck?

Menara KL Tower, with a height of 421 meters, currently ranks seventh in the world among the tallest telecommunication structures, gradually losing ground to newly built ones. At the time of its construction in 1996, it ranked fifth.

At the top of the tower, at a height of 276 meters above ground level, there is a 360-degree observation deck, and even higher is the open observation deck (access to them is paid separately). The Menara observation deck is higher than the bridge of the famous Petronas Towers (bridge at 170 meters), but lower than the upper observation deck of the towers on the 86th floor (at 360 meters). Be that as it may, a breathtaking view of the city from above and great photos are guaranteed, unless the weather turns bad.

If your camera equipment allows, be sure to capture the tower at night with its lights. Due to its original lighting, Menara has earned the nickname 'Garden of Light'. By the way, at the foot of Menara, there is a small theme park of Malaysian culture.

Also, a new attraction has appeared here — SkyBox – a glass cube with a glass floor at the height of the upper observation deck. We recommend buying a ticket for the open observation deck, as the view and sensations are much more exciting. As for the indoor observation deck, during our last visit (we were there twice), we were very disappointed because of the dirty windows that make it impossible to take good, beautiful photos, and it's not very pleasant to look through them. But it's better to watch our video about this, and below on the page we tell you everything you need to know to visit it on your own:

How to visit KL Tower: levels, tickets and rules

You can simply come to the foot of KL Tower to see it up close, take beautiful photos of it and the city, because it is located on a hill on a rise, and even without going up, you can get great views. If you're lucky, you might even see monkeys; they sometimes come here from Taman Eko Rimba Kuala Lumpur, a patch of jungle preserved in the city center. You can even enter the base of the tower, but there's nothing there except a cafe and ticket offices.

Tower structure and access levels

If you decide to visit the observation decks on the tower, you first need to understand how everything is arranged here. We'll explain everything now:

There are no floors in the tower; there is only a lift that takes you to the 'flying saucer' at the top. 'Flying saucer' is not the official name, we just decided to call it that. It consists of four levels, this infographic will give you an understanding:

In addition to the observation decks, you can eat at the ORBIT Revolving Dining restaurant, or book a banquet in the HEMISFERA Luxury sky Hall, but that's a different story, not an attraction for tourists. But if you want and your finances allow, there is a form on the official website for reserving tables and phone numbers for that.

The revolving restaurant ORBIT Revolving Dining at a height of 282 meters operates as a buffet and à la carte. Prices are above average (from 150 ringgit per person), prior reservation on the website is required. The panoramic view here is no worse than from the observation deck, but entry is only available when ordering food.

Ticket types and prices for foreigners

Now regarding visiting the observation decks with tickets. At the time of our last visit, there are the following ticket options and prices for foreign tourists (adults/children):

• Indoor Observation Deck – 80 ringgit/50 ringgit

  The indoor Observation Deck is fully panoramic, with a 360-degree view through thick glass. There is also a cafe and souvenir shop here. But, in our opinion, it is clearly not worth the money they charge. Yes, the views are great, but dirty glass ruins everything. And if you want to enjoy the views and take beautiful photos of the city at night, the bright, colorful lighting inside the observation deck itself spoils everything by reflecting in the glass. In our opinion, the price here should be three times lower, and essentially it is, but only for local visitors, they pay only 30 ringgit instead of 80. Therefore, we cannot currently recommend it as a must-visit.

• Open Observation Deck SkyTerrace – 140 ringgit/80 ringgit

  We haven't managed to visit the open SkyTerrace observation deck yet. But judging by the reviews, as well as our experience visiting similar observation decks in other places, we can assume that the views there are amazing, especially in good weather. There is also safety glass there, waist-high, but being in an open space creates a more vivid sensation. Also, you can take photos or videos without glass by raising the camera higher.

  Here is also the conditional extreme Sky Box. This is a glass cube with a glass floor that you can step into, and under your feet will be the entire height of the observation deck.

• Combination ticket Observation Deck + SkyTerrace – 180 ringgit/100 ringgit

  Honestly, the idea of this ticket is not entirely clear, since from both observation decks you will see the same thing, just the Observation Deck will be worse due to the dirty glass. But if you really want to and don't mind the money, you can buy such a ticket.

Visiting procedure and useful tips

But there is also good news regarding all three visit options mentioned above: there is no time limit when visiting. Unlike the Petronas Towers, where time is limited and you are escorted in a group to two points (the bridge and the 86th-floor observation deck), giving you 15 minutes at each, here you can stay as long as you want. Therefore, you can come here before sunset to see the city in daylight and wait for dusk.

The procedure for visiting KL Tower is extremely simple: you buy a ticket online or at the ticket office, go to the turnstile at the entrance, and go up to the platform corresponding to your purchased ticket. When you get tired of being at the top, you go back down. Of course, there is staff here who control your movement and help you figure things out, but no one controls your time, which is undoubtedly a big plus.