Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Petronas Towers and Batu Caves

Petronas Twin Towers and KLCC Park

The Petronas Twin Towers, designed by architect César Pelli and completed in the late 1990s, are the defining image of Kuala Lumpur. Their steel and glass facades are based on Islamic geometric patterns, and they remain the tallest twin towers in the world.

Even without going up, the towers are worth seeing from KLCC Park at their base, a landscaped park with a jogging track, a children's water play area and a lake with an evening fountain show.

A double-decker skybridge connects the two Petronas towers at their forty-first and forty-second floors. Photo: Marcin Konsek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Menara Kuala Lumpur and KL Forest Eco Park

Menara Kuala Lumpur, the KL Tower, rises from Bukit Nanas, a forested hill a short walk from the Petronas Towers. Its observation deck and open-air sky deck give one of the best views of the Petronas Towers themselves.

Menara Kuala Lumpur stands on Bukit Nanas, a hill whose forest reserve surrounds the tower's base. Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Merdeka Square

Merdeka Square, a large field once used for cricket, is where the Union Jack was lowered and the Malayan flag raised at midnight on 31 August 1957. Today it is surrounded by colonial buildings, including the Sultan Abdul Samad Building with its copper domes and clock tower, built in a style that blends Moorish and British influences.

Allow an hour, and add the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery nearby, which has a detailed scale model of the city and exhibits on its history.

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building, completed in 1897, faces Merdeka Square, where Malayan independence was celebrated in 1957. Photo: This photo was taken by Anton Zelenov. Please credit this with : Photo : Anton Zelenov …, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Masjid Jamek

Masjid Jamek, completed in 1909, sits at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers, the muddy meeting point that gave Kuala Lumpur its name. Its red brick and white stone design, with onion domes and slender minarets, makes it one of the most photogenic buildings in the city.

Masjid Jamek stands at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers, where Kuala Lumpur began. Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Petaling Street and Kwai Chai Hong

Petaling Street is the main market lane of Chinatown, covered by a green roof and lined with stalls selling clothing, souvenirs and snacks. It is busiest in the evening. Duck into the side streets for older shophouses, herbal medicine shops and kopitiams, traditional coffee shops.

Petaling Street is the main market street of Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown. Photo: IQRemix, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Sri Mahamariamman Temple

Founded in 1873 by Tamil immigrants, Sri Mahamariamman Temple on Jalan Tun H.S. Lee is the oldest functioning Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur. Its gopuram, the entrance tower, is covered with sculpted and brightly painted deities.

Sri Mahamariamman Temple, founded in 1873, is the oldest functioning Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Jorge Láscar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Masjid Negara and the Islamic Arts Museum

Masjid Negara, the National Mosque, opened in 1965 with a striking folded concrete roof often likened to an open umbrella. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome outside prayer times and are lent robes to cover up.

Masjid Negara, the National Mosque, opened in 1965 with a roof shaped like a partly opened umbrella. Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Batu Caves

Batu Caves, about 13 kilometers north of the center, is a limestone hill with a series of caves and cave temples. A giant golden statue of Lord Murugan stands at the base of a steep flight of 272 steps, painted in rainbow colors, that leads up to Temple Cave, a vast chamber with shrines and an opening in the roof.

Arrive early to avoid heat and crowds, and allow two to three hours. Cover your knees and shoulders; sarongs can be rented at the entrance.

The golden statue of Lord Murugan stands at the foot of the stairs to Temple Cave at Batu Caves. Photo: *angys*, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Thean Hou Temple

Thean Hou Temple, on Robson Heights south of the center, is one of the largest Chinese temples in Southeast Asia. It is dedicated to Mazu, the goddess of the sea, and its tiered red roofs, carved pillars and rows of lanterns are beautiful, particularly around Chinese New Year.

Thean Hou Temple is a large Chinese temple dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu, set on a hill south of the city center. Photo: Sam Hidayat, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0