KL Eco Forest Park and KL Tower in Kuala Lumpur

There are many things to do in KL / Kuala Lumpur from marvellous man-made sights to natural and environmental delights.

KL Eco Forest Park is the only rainforest left in downtown Kuala Lumpur, home to incredible flora and fauna plus wonderful wildlife.

If you have a spare half day in Kuala Lumpur, then we may have an activity a little different for you, combining urban and natural heights – the KL Tower and KL Eco Forest Park.

From way up high on jungle ropeways to something a little more solid and modern, here is complete guide to visiting KL Eco Forest Park and KL Tower.

2023 KL Eco Forest Park Update – there have been several landslides in KL Eco Forest Park in recent years so some restoration may still be taking place.

You might like – Visiting Batu Caves for the Thaipusam Festival in Kuala Lumpur >

Kuala Lumpur accommodation

There is a great range of accommodation choices in Kuala Lumpur to suit all budgets.

Backpacker

Some other hostel accommodations that come highly rated include:

Sunshine Bedz KL 
Small and friendly hostel with with free breakfast, bar, pub quizzes and organised pub crawls. Check out prices and availability for Sunshine Bedz KL 

Mingle Hostel KL 
Chinatown hostel located in a renovated 1920s clubhouse with with up-cycled furniture, free breakfast, rooftop bar and on-site café. Check out prices and availability for Mingle Hostel KL 

Mid range

If you are looking for something mid range then these hotels are comfy and have great reviews:

THE FACE Suites 
Spacious and modern apartments with infinity pool, fitness centre, bars and restaurants. Check out prices and availability for The FACE Suites

Somerset Ampang Kuala Lumpur 
Self-catering apartments with restaurant, fitness facilities and a rooftop pool with city skyline views Check out prices and availability for Somerset Ampang

Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral
Stylish hotel connected to Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station via a link bridge with a gym, 4 dining options and a spacious outdoor pool. Check out prices and availability for Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral

Treat yourself

Alternatively if you are looking for something more special then treat yourself to a stay at one of these beautiful hotels in Kuala Lumpur:

Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur 
Luxurious 5-star hotel with outdoor swimming pool, 3 on-site restaurants and bar overlooking the Petronas Twin Towers. Check out prices and availability for Grand Hyatt

Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur
Stylish suites and serviced apartments overlooking the city skyline and KLCC Park with infinity outdoor pool, 10 award-winning restaurants and spa. Check out prices and availability for Mandarin Oriental

Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur
Stylish hotel connected to Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station via a link bridge with a gym, 4 dining options and a spacious outdoor pool. Check out prices and availability for Shangri-La Hotel

KL Eco Forest Park

No trip to Kuala Lumpur is complete with a trip to the KL Eco Forest Park, Kuala Lumpur’s most natural attraction.

Formerly known as Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve, KL Eco Forest Park has alas shrunk over the years from around 17 hectares to now around 9 hectares (partly to make way for the KL Tower and nearby housing – ‘progress’ eh).

How to get to KL Eco Forest Park

The nearest train station to KL Forest Eco Park is Abdullah Hukum, less than a five minute walk away from the nearest entrance.

If you are visiting KL Eco Forest Park directly after visiting the nearby KL Tower, once back down at the foot of the KL Tower, exit via the same way you came in and head towards the Upside Down house / ‘I love KL Tower’ sign.

Look immediately in front of you and you’ll see a downhill path into what looks like woodland.

You might like – Day Tour in Rainforest Taman Negara and Batu Caves >

The History of KL Eco Forest Park

The KL Eco Forest Park’s full title is ‘Taman Eko Rimba’ or formerly known as ‘Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve’.

Although right next door to the KL Tower, it feels a world away from the hustle and hubris of city-life.

According to the tourist board, “Kuala Lumpur is the only city in the world that has a natural rainforest situated right at its centre.” It was also ‘gazetted’ as a forest reserve in 1906 and is one of the oldest rainforests in Malaysia.

You might like – Cameron Highlands Day Tour from Kuala Lumpur with Lunch >

KL Eco Park Canopy Walk

The main reason for our visit to the KL Eco Forest Park was the free forest canopy walk.

The rest of the park looks like it has seen better days, as all of the park’s other attractions (e.g. the tea room or herb garden) are either boarded up or have been neglected.

The recent landslides in 2021 also haven’t helped with recent closures to parts of the park.

However, even if you are not the biggest fan of heights, this is an accessible and unique way to see the city skyline amongst the lush tree foliage and canopies (although if your companions like to jump up and down on the bridges to make it rock, maybe not so much!).

KL Eco Forest Park Skyline

You can also get photos with the KL Tower as the backdrop through the eco park forest. It is a nice way to see the KL city skyline and a curious juxtaposition of the old and new.

Although there are pictures of monkeys on the official KL Eco Forest Park website, we didn’t really see any wildlife (if you don’t count the woman we saw wearing a ‘Three Bare Bears T-shirt’).

Practical Tips for Visiting KL Eco Forest Park

It only takes about 5 to 10 minutes in total to navigate the KL Eco Forest Park mid-air walk in total, but as with any outdoor activity in Kuala Lumpur, make sure you bring some water and sunscreen for the walk as it is quite exposed up there.

At the end, it is easy to get back to the city hub as you can either jump on the free Kuala Lumpur city circuit bus from just outside the bottom of the KL Eco Forest Park.

Alternatively head back towards the base of the tower and jump on a ‘hop-on, hop-off’ bus, or use a cheap ‘Grab’ taxi. Kuala Lumpur’s skyline is superb so definitely try these activities to see it as it is meant to be seen.

KL Eco Forest Park Prices and Costs

The KL Eco Forest used to be free to visit (and still is for some local groups).

As of 2023, the cost of entry to KL Eco Forest Park for foreign visitors is 40 MYR (around £6.70 / $8.50 USD / $11.70 SGD or 8 Euros).

After your visit to KL Eco Forest Park, you can make the short walk to the KL Tower.

You might like – Top things to do in Melaka, Malaysia >

Visiting KL Tower

Also located in the Bukit Nanas area of Kuala Lumpur,  KL Tower (also known as Menara Tower) is visible from all over the city.

How High is the KL Tower?

KL Tower was launched in 1997 and at a height of 420m, is the seventh tallest freestanding tower in the world (with the Skytree in Tokyo currently taking the crown as of 2023).

The KL Tower lift is quite the speedy spectacle travelling around 300 meters upwards to the observation deck in less than 1 minute.

Travelling around Malaysia?
Check out our blog posts for travel tips on Langkawi, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Cameron Highlands.

Things to Do at the KL Tower

There are many things to do at the tower, including an aquarium, an upside down house and a 360 degree revolving restaurant. We opted to focus on the indoor and outdoor viewing areas at the top of the tower.

Our first port of call was the outer Sky Deck, with the lift taking just less than a minute to go from the footer from the very top (my ears kind of went pop).

We were fortunate enough to visit on a clear, sunny day so we could see for miles around, with unspoiled 360 degree views of the city and surrounding mountains.

What is also quite nice is that you get to see the Petronas Towers from up high, making it in some ways superior to the towers themselves as you can include it in your photos. Also there is no outdoor deck at the towers so photo opps are better at KL Tower.

The views here truly are stunning and the fact that you are outdoors with no obstructions (such as netting or perspex) makes this a must-visit attraction in Kuala Lumpur.

You might like – Atmosphere 360 Revolving Restaurant Buffet in KL Tower >

KL Tower Sky Box and Other Attractions

There are several other attractions available on the KL Tower outer sky deck, including a cafe and a glass ‘Sky Box’ – for the latter, make sure you grab a numbered ticket as you exit the lift at the top.

Once you take off your shoes, you are then allowed on the clear glass walkway (a bit like a glass box) for two minutes or so (they have a timer!). A KL Tower photographer is on hand to take pictures which you can buy later or you can also take some of your own snaps.

You might like – Kuala Lumpur ‘mist’ see attraction – the River of Life >

KL Tower Observation Deck

You can then get the lift down five storeys to the indoor Observation Deck (again 360 degree views).

This allows you to get better views of the ground below but to be honest, it is a bit of an anti-climax after the Sky Deck.

If shopping is your thing, there are lots of retail concessions and stalls on this level (keyrings, fridge magnets, model aeroplanes etc).

KL Tower Price / Cost in 2023

The KL Tower has various admission packages including admission only entry to the tower or additional packages that include access to the aquarium or buffet.

Admission to the KL Tower Observation Deck only costs 27 MYR for a Malaysian adult or 39 MYR for overseas visitors (around £6.60 or $8.50 USD / $11.50 SGD).

To include admission to Sky Deck + Sky Box, the KL Tower admission price increases to 110 MYR per foreign adult (also discounts are available online).

Get your discounted KL Tower tickets from Klook, GetYourGuide or Viator.

Other Malaysia blog posts you might like

• Top things to do in Langkawi, Malaysia
• Changkat Bukit Bintang Nightlife in Kuala Lumpur
• Jalan Alor, Guide to Kuala Lumpur’s Famous Food Street
• Tasting local Malaysian delights on a Kuala Lumpur food tour
• Top things to do in Melaka, Malaysia
• Thaipusam Festival in Batu Caves
• Langkawi Mangrove tour
• An evening aboard a Langkawi sunset tour
• Georgetown’s street art in Penang – ultimate guide
• Island hopping in Langkawi

Download the Grab app

Grab taxis are widely used by both tourists and locals, and the fares are really cheap! Download the Grab app here.

Sim cards and pocket WIFI

Having data on your phone whilst travelling is almost essential these days – from planning your route around the city, booking a Grab taxi or for staying connected with friends and family back home.

SIM cards are pretty cheap in Malaysia with generous data allowances and are available to purchase from airports, malls and convenience stores (bring your passport along for identification purposes).

You can also prepay online and collect a SIM from KLIA2 airport. Just remember to make sure your phone is not locked to your local network provider before purchasing one.

Alternatively if you do not want to change your sim card then renting a pocket WIFI device might be for you. We’ve used them multiple times and love that we can both connect our devices to it, however the downside to the Malaysian ones is that there is a data allowance of 1GB per day.

Pre-order one online with Klook for collection when you arrive at either KLIA or KLIA2 airport in Kuala Lumpur. 

Disclosure: The KL Tower passes were complimentary, but as always, opinions are all our own.

Did you enjoy our KL/Menara Tower and Eco Forest Park in Kuala Lumpur blog post? Let us know in the comments or by sharing it on social media.

You can follow CK Travels on: 
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok 
YouTube
Pinterest

KL Tower and KL Eco Forest Park in Kuala Lumpur – add to Pinterest!