Things to Do in Kuala Lumpur

A highlight of a trip to Kuala Lumpur is the views from the skybridge at Petronas Twin Towers . Each morning 1,700 passes are distributed on a first-come-first-serve basis to visitors who want to visit the skybridge. It’s best to start queuing at 7am as most tickets are gone by 9am.

The views from the ground are equally incredible as you gaze up at the 88 story gleaming towers that reach 1,483 ft (452m) into the air.

The floor plan is based on the Islamic eight-pointed star and the five sections of the skyscraper reflect the five-pillars of Islam.

Beneath the Petronas Towers is KLCC Park, a large urban park with jogging tracks, a playground and wading pools. There is also the huge Suria KLCC shopping mall which has a number of good restaurants.

The majestic National Mosque, or Masjid Negara, was built in 1965 as a symbol of Malaysia’s recently won independence. It is one of South East Asia’s largest and can hold up to 15,000 people.

It is situated in Kuala Lumpur’s Lake Gardens in the center of the city and surrounded by swathes of beautiful gardens near the bird and orchid parks. It was designed by a group of three architects and the eighteen-pointed star dome is said to represent the thirteen states of Malaysia and the five pillars of Islam. The main dome is covered in thousands of blue and green tiles and there are 48 smaller green domes dotting the courtyard inspired by the grand mosque in Mecca. The 240ft (74m) minaret sounds the call to prayer that can be heard across Chinatown.

An impressive six-tiered Chinese temple, Thean Hou Temple was opened in 1987 and is dedicated to Thean Hou, the heavenly mother.

It is the largest Chinese temple in Kuala Lumpur and sits atop Robson’s Hill 6 mi (8 km) from the city center offering excellent views back over the city. The prayer rooms are filled with bright golden statues and dedicated also to the Goddess of the Waterfront and the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. Below the main prayer rooms are hawker stalls and souvenir stalls while outside there is a Chinese medicinal herbs garden and a tortoise pond. The celebrations at Chinese New Year are a riot of color and noise as revellers, wearing predominantly red (a lucky color), bang drums and clash symbols while watching the lions dance to ward off evil spirits.

Set in an old colonial building beside Merdeka Square, the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery is a great place to learn about the history of the Malaysian capital. It features a collection of paintings and photographs recording the city’s past, plus miniature-scale models of its most famous landmarks.

A huge timeline chronicles the city’s history, from its origins in the 1850s up until the present day. The two main attractions at the gallery include the small-scale model of the historic Medeka Square, as well as the Spectacular City Model Show, which represents modern-day Kuala Lumpur. There are videos of the city’s proudest and most important events, such as the 16th Commonwealth Games, and photographs of the progress of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. The museum also features displays on the country’s multicultural population, with traditional national dress such as baju kurungs and sarees on display.

The neighborhood known as Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) is quite literally the heart of the Malaysian capital and home to some of the country’s most recognizable landmarks, including the Petronas Twin Towers. A commercial development project that began in 1993 envisioned KLCC as “a city within a city,” one that would leave visitors to Kuala Lumpur feeling like they could quite comfortably never leave the area.

Besides housing myriad bars, restaurants and shops, Kuala Lumpur City Centre houses Suria KLCC, a massive six-floor shopping mall occupying the lower levels of the Petronas Twin Towers and filled with international retailers and an excellent supermarket. Those looking for a green escape from the bustle of Kuala Lumpur can find refuge in KLCC Park with its artificial lake, jogging paths, fountains and playgrounds. The neighborhood is also home to the beautiful and modern Assyakirin Mosque, set at the base of the world’s tallest twin towers.

Impeccable Merdaka Square - or Dataran Merdeka - was a cricket ground in colonial times. The cricket ground was overlooked by the Royal Selangor Club which housed a club for the colonial rulers. When independence for Malaysia was declared, it was here that the Union Jack flag was lowered and the Malay flag was first raised. The flag still flies on a massive flagpole on the edge of the square.

The square is surrounded by historic buildings, the most majestic of which is the Sultan Abdul Samad building which housed the British administration and now houses the Ministry for Heritage, Culture and the Arts. The Moorish style building is dominated by a tall clock tower nicknamed "Big Ben." The square is now the focus of many of the city’s celebrations and the Independence Day festival is held here on August 31st.

In Malaysian, “Istana Negara” translates to “National Palace,” and Kuala Lumpur’s Royal King’s Palace (Istana Negara) serves as the official residence of the supreme King of Malaysia. The king relocated to a newly built Istana Negara in 2011, and while you can’t enter, it’s possible to see the beautiful architecture of the palace from afar and watch the hourly changing of the guards.

Before 2011, the Royal King’s Palace occupied another mansion. The structure was originally built in 1928 by a wealthy Chinese immigrant on a plot overlooking the Klang River. During the Japanese Occupation during World War II, the mansion became the home of the Japanese Governor before becoming a British military office after the Japanese surrendered in 1945. In 1950, the Sultan of Selangor moved into the residence and lived there until Malaysian independence in 1957.

Located near the famous Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur, the National Monument (Tugu Negara) commemorates those who lost their lives in the fight for Malaysia’s independence. Built in 1964 to replace a cenotaph originally erected by the colonial British government, the bronze monument stands 50 feet (15.5 meters) tall and depicts seven soldiers, each representing a different quality of leadership, with one carrying the Malaysian flag. The original statue now stands behind the newer piece.

American architect Felix de Weldon, the same man who designed the Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington, D.C., also designed the Malaysia National Monument. Besides serving as a testament to Malaysia’s history, the National Monument itself made history by being the world’s tallest freestanding bronze sculpture grouping.

Considered among the world’s most beautiful train stations, the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station showcases the Moorish style of architecture favored by the British during Malaysia’s colonial era. Built in 1911 and designed by A.B. Hubback, the station is one of the most recognizable (and most photographed) landmarks in the city, thanks to its white arched facade and onion domes on the roof.

Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station took over as the city’s major train transport hub in 2001, but the old station still operates on a smaller scale (for commuter trains mostly) and remains a popular sightseeing stop.