KL Tower, Petronas
or Merdeka 118?
Kuala Lumpur now has three towers competing for the same ticket, and the decision is more interesting than it looks — because one of them is the better building, one is the better camera, and one may not be selling tickets at all. Every price below is the non-MyKad rate, checked August 2026.
You cannot photograph the building you are standing inside. That single fact settles most of this. KL Tower sits on a forested hill and has an open-air Sky Deck at 300m, so it frames both the Twin Towers and Merdeka 118 in one shot — RM110 for a non-Malaysian covering the Observation Deck and Sky Deck, open 09:00–22:00. Petronas is the better building to be inside — the Skybridge at 170m and level 86 at 370m, RM98 non-MyKad against RM35 on a MyKad — and the worst place in the city from which to photograph the Petronas Twin Towers. Merdeka 118 is taller than both at 678.9m, the second-tallest building in the world, and we cannot confirm its public deck is selling tickets — no published price, no published hours, no major reseller carries it. If you buy one ticket, buy KL Tower. If you buy two, add Petronas at the sunset slot.
The three towers, decided
KL Tower
RM110 non-Malaysian for the Observation Deck plus the open-air Sky Deck at 300m; Tower Walk 100 is RM27.69 and the combo RM125.99. Open 09:00–22:00. It stands on Bukit Nanas, a forested hill, which lifts it well above its 421m structural height in visual terms — and crucially it is the only place from which you can put the Twin Towers and Merdeka 118 in the same frame. Go at 09:00 before the haze thickens and the glass-box queue builds. We do not publish a MyKad rate for KL Tower because sources contradict each other. Full verdict →
Compare ticket options ↗Petronas Twin Towers
RM98 for a non-MyKad adult against RM35 on a MyKad — a 180% gap, and the reason the “from US$5” you saw online was never your price. Ninety shepherded minutes: the Skybridge at 170m, level 86 at 370m, a fixed slot. Tue–Sun and public holidays 09:00–21:00, last admission 20:30, closed Mondays except the 2nd and 4th. It is the only attraction in Kuala Lumpur that reliably sells out, so book three days ahead. Take the last slot before sunset or do not take one at all. Full verdict →
Check dates and price ↗Merdeka 118
678.9 metres, 118 storeys, the second-tallest building in the world, standing over Stadium Merdeka where independence was declared in 1957. All of that is confirmed. What is not: whether The View at 118 is selling tickets to the public. The official site publishes no price and no hours, both dedicated ticket domains fail to resolve, no major reseller carries it, and the most recent first-hand reports we could find said access was limited to hotel and bar guests. Do not pre-book a “fast track” ticket from a site that will not show you a price. Free to admire from the ground, and worth doing. Full verdict →
Everything that differs, in one table
All prices are the non-MyKad rate you will actually be charged, checked August 2026. Where a figure is disputed or unpublished we say so rather than estimating.
| KL Tower | Petronas Twin Towers | Merdeka 118 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult price | RM110 non-Malaysian, Observation Deck + Sky Deck | RM98 non-MyKad · RM35 MyKad · child/senior RM50 / RM17 | No published price. We will not invent one |
| Extras | Tower Walk 100 RM27.69 · combo RM125.99. The Sky Box add-on is unconfirmed, so we do not price it | Skybridge dining experience, books out well ahead | Park Hyatt occupies the upper floors; lobby around level 98 |
| Height you reach | Observation Deck at 276m, open-air Sky Deck at 300m — on a hill, so it feels higher | Skybridge at 170m, level 86 at 370m, both enclosed | Tower is 678.9m over 118 storeys. Public deck height unconfirmed |
| Hours | 09:00–22:00 | Tue–Sun + public holidays 09:00–21:00, last admission 20:30. Closed Mondays except the 2nd and 4th | No published hours. 118 Mall opens August 2026 |
| Can you photograph the Twin Towers? | Yes — this is the whole argument. Both towers and Merdeka 118 in one frame | No. The most common complaint in the review pile | Would be excellent, if it were confirmed open |
| Booking pressure | Walk-up is usually fine. The glass box queues from mid-morning | Genuinely sells out. Slots capped — book 3 days ahead, a week for weekends | Nothing to book. No reseller carries it |
| Getting there | Monorail to Bukit Nanas or MRT to Merdeka, then a steep walk or the free shuttle from the base | LRT Kelana Jaya line to KLCC, then follow the Suria concourse signs | MRT Putrajaya line to Merdeka — the station exits underneath the tower |
| Verdict | WORTH IT | DEPENDS | SKIP |
Two deliberate omissions. We do not publish a KL Tower MyKad rate because sources conflict, and we do not publish any Merdeka 118 observation-deck price or opening claim because none can be verified. The status page is here and it is dated. Full gap table on dual pricing.
Why the building you are inside is the one you cannot see
This sounds obvious written down and it is still the single most common disappointment recorded about the Petronas Twin Towers. It is worth taking seriously, because it determines which ticket is right for you.
The photograph almost everyone wants from Kuala Lumpur is the one of the Twin Towers — lit, symmetrical, reflected in water. You cannot take it from level 86, because you are standing in it. From inside Petronas you get a genuinely wide view of the Klang Valley, the forest ring around the city and, on a clear evening, Merdeka 118 to the south-west. What you do not get is the building you paid to be in.
KL Tower is the answer to that, and its advantage is topographic as much as architectural. It stands on Bukit Nanas, a forested hill in the middle of the city, so its 300m open-air Sky Deck reads far higher than the number suggests and looks directly across at KLCC. It is the one paid vantage point in Kuala Lumpur from which the Twin Towers and the world's second-tallest building appear in the same frame. It is also open-air, which matters for photographs: no glass, no reflections, no smeared handprints at eye level.
The corollary is that Petronas is the better building to be inside. The Skybridge at 170m is a genuinely unusual piece of engineering to stand on, and there is a specific pleasure in being in the structure rather than looking at it. It is just a different purchase from the one most visitors think they are making.
And if the photograph is all you want, the honest answer is that it is free. KLCC Park, directly below, is where the postcard shot is taken from, and the Lake Symphony fountain shows at 19:30 and 20:30 cost nothing. RM4 of LRT gets you there. That is on our free things page, and it is the option we would take if we were counting ringgit.
Which one you should actually buy
One ticket, chosen by what you want out of it. If you are buying two, the pairing is always KL Tower in the morning and Petronas at the sunset slot.
First-timers: KL Tower, then Petronas if the budget stretches. Most people fly home wanting the picture rather than the altitude, and KL Tower delivers it. If you have RM208 for both, do KL Tower at 09:00 and Petronas at the last slot before sunset on a different day.
Photographers: KL Tower, unambiguously. Open-air at 300m, on a hill, with both landmark towers in frame and no glass in the way. Go at 09:00 for clarity or take the last hour before 22:00 for the lit city. Add KLCC Park at 19:30 for the fountain shot, which no paid deck can give you.
Couples: Petronas at the sunset slot. Up in daylight, down in the dark, with the city lights coming on while you are at level 86. It is the one version of this ticket that is genuinely romantic — the midday slot is a queue with a view.
Families: KL Tower, or neither. The open-air deck and the Tower Walk 100 at RM27.69 hold children's attention better than a shepherded 90 minutes in a lift queue. Under-eights get more from the free KLCC Park playground and splash pad than from either tower.
Budget travellers: neither. RM98 buys about twelve hawker plates, and the free view from KLCC Park is the one you actually wanted. Spend the money on the Islamic Arts Museum at RM20 and a food tour instead.
Architecture people: Petronas, and go and stand under Merdeka 118 afterwards. The Skybridge is worth the money if the engineering is the point, and the 678.9m tower over Stadium Merdeka — built directly above the ground where independence was declared in 1957 — is the most interesting thing in central Kuala Lumpur right now, and free to look at.
Where to buy, with the gate price beside it
Almost every ticketed attraction in Kuala Lumpur charges foreigners more than Malaysians — Petronas is RM98 against RM35, a 180% gap. Resellers headline the MyKad rate. Every price on this site is the non-MyKad rate you will actually pay, and the gate price sits next to the reseller price so you can see the markup.
KL Tower vs Petronas FAQ
Which is better, KL Tower or Petronas Twin Towers?
KL Tower for the view and the photographs, Petronas for the building. KL Tower stands on a forested hill with an open-air Sky Deck at 300m and is the only place you can frame both the Twin Towers and Merdeka 118 in one shot. Petronas is RM98 against KL Tower's RM110, and you cannot photograph it from inside it.
How much are KL Tower tickets?
RM110 for a non-Malaysian, covering the Observation Deck and the Sky Deck. Tower Walk 100 is RM27.69 and the combo is RM125.99. It is open 09:00–22:00. We do not publish a MyKad rate for KL Tower because sources contradict each other on it.
Is the Petronas Skybridge worth RM98?
At the last slot before sunset, yes. At midday, no. You get about 90 shepherded minutes covering the Skybridge at 170m and level 86 at 370m. A Malaysian pays RM35 for the same ticket. Full verdict on our Petronas page.
Is The View at Merdeka 118 open?
We cannot confirm that it is, as of August 2026. The official site publishes no price and no hours, both dedicated ticket domains fail to resolve at DNS level, no major reseller carries it, and the most recent first-hand reports said access was limited to hotel and bar guests. Do not pre-book a ticket that will not show you a price.
Can you see the Petronas Towers from KL Tower?
Yes, and that is the entire argument for buying the KL Tower ticket. The open-air Sky Deck at 300m looks directly across at KLCC and puts the Twin Towers and Merdeka 118 in the same frame. It is the only paid vantage point in the city that can do that.
What is the tallest building in Kuala Lumpur?
Merdeka 118, at 678.9 metres over 118 storeys — the second-tallest building in the world after the Burj Khalifa. The Petronas Twin Towers are 452m and KL Tower is 421m, although KL Tower sits on a hill, which lifts its viewing decks considerably in practice.
Do I need to book tower tickets in advance in Kuala Lumpur?
For Petronas, yes — it caps daily slots and is the one attraction in the city that reliably sells out. Book three days ahead for a weekday and a week for a weekend or school holiday. KL Tower walk-up is usually fine, although the glass box queues from mid-morning.
Is there a free view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline?
Yes, and it is the one most people actually want. KLCC Park, directly below the Twin Towers, is where the postcard photograph is taken from, and the Lake Symphony fountain shows at 19:30 and 20:30 are free. Total cost RM4 of LRT. More on free things to do.