Heading to the Genting Highlands and heard the best way to get there is by cable car?
I have to agree. The Genting Highlands cable car, Awana Skyway, is my favourite way to arrive in the Genting Highlands. It’s quick, easy and scenic, although it can get busy at peak times.
Could there be a better way to travel?
So if you are wondering if it’s worth taking Awana SkyWay or what you’ll find when you get there, keep reading! This is my full review of the Awana Skyway cable car including the operating hours, ticket price (and how to get tickets), how to get to the cable car, what you’ll see and what it is like.
By the end, you’ll know everything you need to know about the whole experience of taking the Awana SkyWay.
Contents
What Is Awana SkyWay?
Awana SkyWay is a gondola lift system connecting Sky Sentral Station, where you can arrive by bus or park your car, with Genting Highlands Station at SkyAvenue in Resorts World Genting. It also stops along the way at Chin Swee Station, where you can visit Chin Swee Caves Temple.
The current system opened in 2016, replacing an earlier cable car service. It travels 2.8 kilometres up the mountain at speeds of up to six metres per second and can carry approximately 3,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
The journey takes about ten minutes, climbing 620 metres from Sky Sentral Station (1,105 metres above sea level) to Genting Highlands Station (1,725 metres above sea level).
This service has been built to be a scenic experience, and there can be great views from the gondolas, weather dependent.
Why Take The Cable Car To Genting Highlands?
There are two main reasons to take the Awana SkyWay.
One is if you need to get to Resorts World Genting Highlands. This is a great way to do this from the same building as where buses arrive from KL. It’s a quick and easy way to get to the top where all the main attractions in the Genting Highlands are located.
You can read our full guide of how to get from KL to Genting Highlands here which includes how to get the bus to Awana Skyway.
Secondly, it’s for the views and experience or if you want to visit Chin Swee Temple.
There can be great views of the 130-million-year-old rainforest surrounding the area and the highlands themselves. It’s fun, and it’s also worth taking it to easily visit Chin Swee Temple.
How To Buy Tickets
There are several ticket options for Awana SkyWay, depending on your budget, whether you want a glass-floor gondola and how much time you’re prepared to spend queuing.
The cheapest option is a standard gondola, which is a shared service. You can also pay extra for express boarding, which is worth considering at busy times when queues can be long.
Here are the current ticket prices:
| Ticket Type | One-Way | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Standard gondola | RM11 | RM19 |
| Standard gondola with express boarding | RM17 | RM32 |
| Glass-floor gondola | RM32 | RM54 |
| Glass-floor gondola (online rate) | RM29 | RM48 |
| Private gondola | RM324 | RM594 |
The glass-floor gondolas give you extra views of the rainforest below and have a dedicated boarding lane. They carry a maximum of six passengers, compared to up to ten in a standard gondola. If you want the discounted online glass-floor ticket, you need to purchase it at least one day in advance.
You can also charter a private gondola if you don’t want to share with other passengers. These are available as standard or glass-floor gondolas and include express boarding.
There are discounted fares for eligible senior citizens and Malaysian guests with disabilities. Oversized luggage costs extra.
You can purchase tickets at Sky Sentral Station or Genting Highlands Station, but I recommend buying online beforehand to avoid queuing at the ticket counter.
I bought my tickets through Klook and simply scanned them at the turnstiles when I arrived. It was very straightforward and saved me time.
Click here to check the latest prices and buy your Awana SkyWay tickets on Klook.
Awana SkyWay Opening Hours
Awana SkyWay generally operates daily from 7am to 11pm.
However, it occasionally closes for scheduled maintenance. During these periods, the separate Genting SkyWay cable car may operate instead, with shuttle transport arranged between the terminals.
How To Take The Cable Car In Genting Highlands
Taking Awana SkyWay is very straightforward. Simply head to Sky Sentral Station, at the bottom, or Genting Highlands Station if you are already at Resorts World Genting.
You can buy your ticket at either station, although it’s even simpler to purchase it online beforehand.
If you arrive by bus at Awana, you simply need to go to level 4 of the same building to take the cable car.
It’s directly above where you descend from the bus and there are escalators and signs the whole way. You can’t get lost. The ticket counters are at the entry and there it’s clearly signposted where to go to board.
Like I said before, if you bought your ticket online, go straight to the turnstiles in the boarding area.
Each passenger can bring one airline cabin-sized bag onto the gondola.
If you have oversized luggage, you’ll need to pay an additional RM22 one-way or RM38 return to take it with you. Alternatively, there’s a 24-hour luggage storage service on Level 2 of Sky Sentral, with prices starting at RM22 for a small storage compartment.
Once you are in the boarding area, simply line up until it’s your turn to walk straight on as the gondola opens its doors.
If it’s not busy, like when I last visited, they weren’t putting ten people in a cabin and small groups got to ride privately.
Children under 90cm tall can ride free. Standard gondolas are also accessible for wheelchairs and strollers, although only baby strollers are permitted in glass-floor gondolas. Let the staff know if you need assistance boarding.
Awana Skyway Review
I found it very easy and smooth to get the Awana Skyway both up and down from Resorts World Genting. At both ends, there are plenty of signs to direct you where to go and I encountered minimal queues at both ends on a weekday.
I bought tickets online beforehand with Klook which made it ultra easy as well since the lines for tickets were longer than the lines for the cable car itself.
I was travelling by myself and only had to share a gondola with one or two others.
The views were great to start with, but we were quickly engulfed by fog. It was crazy how foggy it got and by SkyAvenue, I couldn’t see anything. It was also quite windy, which made a scary sound into the cable car 😀
So while I didn’t really get to see the rainforest, it was still an experience.
The two times I have travelled up here since, the weather has been much clearer although still somewhat grey and a little foggy towards the top. I don’t see why you would take any other method of transport up to Genting.
Stopping at Chin Swee Station
Partway up the mountain, you can get off at Chin Swee Station to explore Chin Swee Caves Temple. This stop is included in your Awana SkyWay ticket, so you can spend some time visiting the temple before boarding another gondola to continue your journey. Alternatively, you can stay in your gondola and travel straight to Genting Highlands Station.
On my first visit, it was so foggy that it wasn’t worth stopping.
I have enjoyed visiting here since though and I recommend you make the stop and take the short walk to the temples. You can also take a taxi/Grab if you prefer.
Make sure you keep your ticket or QR code, as you’ll need it to board again after exploring the temple.
You can read more about it in our guide to things to do in Genting Highlands here.
Awana Skyway Video Review
You can watch our full video review here so you can really understand what it’s like taking the Awana Skyway.
Final Words
Taking Awana SkyWay is an easy and enjoyable way to start and finish your Genting Highlands trip. It’s scenic and fun and easy to do. It’s also quite affordable so a win in every way.
The only downside is that at peak times, lines can be long and slow. Thankfully, this wasn’t my experience, but if you do plan to go at a peak time, like on the weekend, I recommend buying an express boarding or glass-floor gondola ticket for a more pleasant experience.
I hope you enjoy your ride on the Awana Skyway.
Click here to buy your tickets now.
Check out my guide to all the Genting Highlands attractions here so you know what to do when you get there. You can also find our full guide to travelling from KL to Genting Highlands here and all travel guides to Genting Highlands here.
