9 Best Things to Do in KLCC

Anchoring the sprawling Kuala Lumpur City Center are the iconic PETRONAS Twin Towers. Standing 452 meters tall, it was declared the tallest buildings in the world in 1998 when it was first completed and retained its world-title claim to fame until 2004 when Taipei's 101 was built, measuring 508 meters tall.

Today, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (opened in 2010) holds on to the record as the world’s tallest building, but the PETRONAS Twin Towers remain the world’s tallest twin structures. Called the Twin Jewels of KL, the 88-storey chrome and steel towers are joined at the 41st and 42nd floors (175m above street level) by a 58-metre-long, double-decker Sky Bridge. A visit to KL just is not complete unless you have visited these double structures: visitors need a pass to enter the bridge and since a limited number are issued each day, it is useful to get there early.

Alongside the PETRONAS Twin Towers, Menara KL is easily one of Malaysia's most recognizable and popular landmarks. Constructed in 1994, the tower stands 421 meters tall, and despite the PETRONAS Twin Towers' superior height, the viewing deck at Menara KL is a full 100 meters higher, providing an even more spectacular panoramic view. As one of the tallest freestanding structures in the world, Menara KL features a revolving restaurant, Atmosphere 360, that serves local and Western cuisine.

Sitting atop the Bukit Nanas (Pineapple Hill) Forest Reserve – the oldest gazetted forest reserve in the country – the tower's architectural style reflects Malaysia's Islamic heritage with walls inscribed with Arabic scripts, floor tiles featuring floral motifs and abstract patterns.

At the foot of the PETRONAS Twin Towers, Suria KLCC is a 6-storey mall that houses top international brands, a 12-screen movie theater, an art gallery, Malaysia’s first concert hall, and a science discovery center.

Popular not only for its right-on-the-money location but also for its outstanding variety of retail and entertainment options, it is divided into three sections (Ampang Mall, Park Mall, and Ramlee Mall). Home to over 320 high-end local and international retailers, some of the brands represented include Balenciaga, Banana Republic, Motorcoach, DKNY, Jimmy Choo, Kate Spade, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, and Versace. A bridge on the Concourse Level leads to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center and Traders Hotel, while a connection at the other end links the mall to the KLCC LRT (light rail transit) station.

At the concourse level of the KL Convention Center, Aquaria KLCC is a 464,515 square-metre aquarium just waiting to be explored, with over 150 species of marine life. Some people dismiss it as a tourist trap, but they are sorely missing out – beyond the gallons of water filled with sea creatures, coral, and necklaces of kelp is one of KL’s top sightseeing attractions with real depth and complexity.

The Kuala Lumpur Aquarium is laid out to take visitors through different watery landscapes, from the highlands and flooded jungles of Malaysia to the Amazon basin, coral reefs, and the open ocean. One of the highlights of Aquaria KLCC is a giant tank (featuring an authentic-looking shipwreck), with a 90-metre walk-through tunnel with a moving travelator in its center. Inside, you will be surrounded by sand tiger sharks, huge stingrays, and more.

Good for a few hours of fun-filled activity, Petrosains is a 7,000-square-metre interactive science discovery center on the 4th floor of Suria KLCC. Opened in 1999, the complex is largely dedicated to the field of petroleum and presents science and technology in a fun and entertaining way.

With a collection of everything from space-age exhibits to fossils, this hands-on interactive science museum is divided into 11 showcases, with its first gallery devoted to PETRONAS in the form of a Sauber PETRONAS F1 race car. It is easy to see why Petrosains is busy on a regular basis – it is not a simplified tourist attraction but a real museum presenting lots of information in a fun and entertaining way. What’s more, there are two IMAX 3-D theaters and an iWerks theater here.

A masterpiece conceptualized by world-renowned Brazilian landscape artist, the late Roberto Burle Marx, KLCC Park is a 202,343-square-metre urban sanctuary in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Adjacent to Suria Shopping Mall, it was designed to provide a touch of greenery for the PETRONAS Twin Towers, and its main highlight is a spectacular ‘dancing’ water fountain in the 10,000-square-metre man-made Lake Symphony. Popular with kids, it can shoot water up to a height of 42 meters. These daily water shows occur at noon and in the evenings.

Around 1,900 trees and plants from 74 different species are available on the park grounds, as well as a 1.3 km-long jogging track, an 8,100-square-metre children’s playground, and a 43-metre elevated bridge that provides a vantage point from which to get a good view of the park and the twin towers. Besides that, there is a public bathing pool for kids, plus waterfalls, fountains, cascades, and reflecting pools scattered around the park.

Jalan P Ramlee is considered one of the city's hottest venues for nightlife in Kuala Lumpur. Nightclubs are an almost inevitable part of Kuala Lumpur's social life, and there are quite a few city streets that host after-dark venues ranging from custom-built super-clubs to classic pubs with niche soundtracks. They're strategically located around the corner from landmark attractions such as the PETRONAS Twin Towers and Suria KLCC.

Similar to its neighbor, Changkat Bukit Bintang (which is just a 15-minute walk away), Jalan P Ramlee is a hub of pubs, bars, and live music venues, making it the perfect place to see emerging local bands, enjoy live indie-rock, and groove to innovative jazz bands. What's more, it is also a great spot for food, with plenty of international flavors represented in the restaurants along this avenue.

Airy and alluring, Sky Bar is a glamorous cocktail lounge situated on the 33rd floor of Traders Hotel KL. As a local landmark, its focal point is a bathing pool, bordered by "cabanas" (large sunken alcoves with chaise longues) on one side, and a bar on the other. It is recommended not only for its ideal location and breathtaking views over the city but also for its exceptional beverages. It is a must-visit if you are planning on exploring the nightclubs in KL.

An overhead skylight makes you feel like you are on top of the world, with KL's renowned Twin Towers clearly visible. Sky Bar is an industrial-chic bar with an unmistakable personality. It has no particular theme or overplayed concept but instead feels like a secret club with a sophisticated and sultry ambience. Resident DJs spin techno music at Sky Bar on selected nights, while on other nights, the tunes alternate from jazz, easy listening, and soft rock to modern pop hits.

Established in 1998, the Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS (DFP) is Malaysia's first dedicated classical music concert hall. Home to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), the 920-seat jewel-box-shaped room is located between the PETRONAS Twin Towers and KLCC Park. Billed as Southeast Asia's premier venue for classical music concerts, it has not only hosted performances by the MPO but also some of the world's leading artists and orchestras, including the legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, Harry Connick Jr., and world-renowned orchestras like the New York Philharmonic.

One of its most distinctive features is a concealed movable ceiling that can adjust the acoustics of the room to suit meetings, chamber music concerts, large orchestra concerts, and organ recitals. Check out the MPO official website for upcoming performances and to purchase tickets online, or visit the concert hall in person to buy tickets.