Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia and a familiar stop on your journey through Asia. The large airport and strategic location make it easy to fly to Kuala Lumpur from Indonesia or Thailand. From Singapore you can even take the bus to Kuala Lumpur. This only takes 4 hours, including border crossing. You can easily book tickets for this bus ride via 12GO.
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There is plenty to do in this beautiful and modern city. With the mix of Chinese, Indian and Malay neighborhoods, there are many cultural activities to be found as well as great food. This mix makes the city very similar to Singapore, only it’s a lot cheaper. Also in Kuala Lumpur, residents speak English very well and it is easy to travel within the city. Check out the 15 best things to do in Kuala Lumpur below.
1. Bike tour at Mike Bikes
The most fun and easiest way to discover a new city is by bicycle. On this bike tour, you’ll join locals on a tour of Kuala Lumpur’s famous and lesser-known spots. You do this with 8 to 12 others which also makes it a fun activity socially.
The bike tour takes you to the different neighborhoods of Kuala Lumpur – Little India, Chinatown and the modern center – and tells interesting facts about them all as well as letting you taste delicious specialties. You visit a large fruit and vegetable market where you get to taste all kinds of tropical fruits. The bike tour also includes breakfast with the whole group at an Indian restaurant. After this you will have a good idea of how you want to spend the next few days in this city. Bookings can be made through GetyourGuide here.
2. Visit the Petronas Towers
After the bike tour, you can walk straight to the Petronas Towers. These iconic towers are 452 meters high and have 88 floors. You can take an elevator ride up to get a great view of Kuala Lumpur from the Towers. You can buy your E-ticket through this website.
3. Dining at the Kuala Lumpur Tower.
Instead of visiting the Petronas Towers, you can book a high-tea, lunch or dinner in the 421 high KL Tower for a relatively small price. This is an activity that not many travelers are aware of. From the Kuala Lumpur Tower, you have a great view of the entire city as you spin around on the platform. Read everything you want to know about dining at Kuala Lumpur Tower here.
4. Batu Caves
The colorful staircases at the Batu Caves are a real draw in Kuala Lumpur. It is wise to be here as early as possible – between 07:00 and 09:00 – so that it is not yet very hot and crowded. Also, avoid weekends due to crowds.
There are 272 colorful steps that take you to the top. From here you have a great view of Kuala Lumpur’s nature and skyline. You can easily get to the Batu Caves by subway.
Pay close attention to the cute monkeys as you walk up the steps or are at the top of the cave. They will try to steal loose purses, food or drinks right out of your hands. They are also curious about shiny silver or gold. Therefore, be sure not to wear large earrings or rings.
5. Wilayah Mosque
This beautiful mosque is located slightly outside the city center. You can easily get here with a Grab. The Wilayah Mosque was inspired by the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. This is reflected in the details and, of course, in the color.
Admission is free and you will receive covering clothing at the entrance. Then you will meet the guide. People are no longer allowed to enter the mosque on their own because tourists have misbehaved considerably here in recent years – think shouting, coming in half-drunk and walking around without covering clothes.
The tour lasts 45 – 60 minutes and the guide tells all about the mosque, the faith and Kuala Lumpur. Afterwards, you can put some money in the tip jar, but this is not mandatory. We found visiting this mosque to be one of the most fun things to do in Kuala Lumpur!
Make sure you’re not here on Friday. This is the Muslim holy day and there are no tours then. You are not allowed to enter the mosque then either. All other days the mosque is open to tourists from 10:00 am.
6. Botanical gardens
If you enjoy running or hiking, a route through the botanical gardens in Kuala Lumpur is a nice outing. Here you are outside of the busy city in nature where you can completely unwind. A beautiful 1-kilometer trail runs along the lake which is in the middle of the park. This route, unlike the rest of the botanical gardens, is flat.
Tip: If you like these botanical gardens, also check out the botanical gardens in Singapore.
7. Helipad lounge bar
Because of its high skyline, Kuala Lumpur has a number of rooftop bars from which you can get sweeping views of the city. The Helipad Lounge is a helicopter pad during the day, which turns into a rooftop bar after 6 p.m. Have a nice drink and enjoy the sunset. When it is dark, you have a phenomenal view of the illuminated Petronas Towers.
8. Thean Hou Temple
The Thean Hou Temple is also Chinese, but is not in Chinatown. You will find this temple on a mountain just outside the center of Kuala Lumpur. You can easily get here by Grab.
Admission to the temple is free and it is recommended to be here as early as possible. In fact, touring buses with Chinese arrive here from 8:30 a.m. and it continues all day. The temple is open from 08:00 so make sure you get there right then. Then you have the temple to yourself for a while. With its six floors, it is one of the largest Chinese temples in Southeast Asia.
9. Chinatown
Kuala Lumpur could not be a big Asian city without having its own Chinatown. This fine neighborhood has everything if you are looking for like a big market with all the fake stuff. Think Adidas, Nike, Chanel, Calvin Klein and many more. You can also find great souvenirs at the Central Market and, of course, visit Chinese temples. In the middle of Chinatown, you will also find the Hindu temple Sri Maha Mariamma.
10. Eco Forest Park
In the middle of Kuala Lumpur is the Eco Forest Park, also known as the Bukit Nanas (Pineapple Hill) Park. The park and suspension bridges are free to enter. It is a short walk across the suspension bridges, but fun to do. The Eco Forest Park is also home to the KL Tower. It is fun to combine these two activities.
11. KLCC Park
Behind the Petronas Towers is the Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC) Park. In the afternoon, the park is full of children playing. In fact, there is a large playground here and an outdoor swimming pool (unfortunately only for children). The many trees cool the park slightly, which is nice with the hot climate in Kuala Lumpur.
12. Excursion to Melaka
When you have seen everything in Kuala Lumpur and are ready for a smaller place, it is nice to take a trip to Melaka. This city in southern Malaysia was owned by the Dutch for a time during colonial times. You can still see much of this in the form of the Stadthuys, mills and the Dutch harbor.
Melaka is a wonderful city to see lots of beautiful street art and you can get there by bus in 2 hours from the TBS station in Kuala Lumpur. You can easily book your tickets in advance through 12GO.Asia. Read all about the TBS station and transportation in Kuala Lumpur here.
13. Rooftop pool
Because Kuala Lumpur has many tall buildings, rooftop bars as well as rooftop pools can be found in the city. During the day you can enjoy the sunshine here, while at night you can enjoy a sweeping view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline. All the buildings are beautifully lit, the Petronas Towers even all in white. Check with your hotel in advance to see if it includes a rooftop pool. We stayed at Regalia Suites which is highly recommended, with rooftop pool!
14. Little India
As in almost every city in Southeast Asia, there is a Little India district in Kuala Lumpur. At night, Bollywood music blares from the speakers here and everyone eats at the delicious restaurants. The food in Little India is really delicious and the prices are also a bit lower than in other parts of Kuala Lumpur.
The streets in Little India are beautifully lit in all kinds of colors. You will also see many stores here that make the beautiful dresses of Indian women. If you are looking for a dress to cover yourself in the mosques this is the place to buy one.
15. Chow Kit Fruit Market
During the bike tour, we passed the Chow Kit market. Here we got to taste all kinds of tropical fruits. The next day we went back to this market ourselves to do some shopping. There is a wide variety of fruits and vegetables on offer. Prices are listed on signs so you don’t have to bargain endlessly, which is nice.
The best accommodations in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur has many different great accommodations. For a detailed list with our reviews, check out the best accommodations in Kuala Lumpur here: hostels, hotels and apartments. Or check our top 3 accommodations below this article.
Travel further in Malaysia
After Kuala Lumpur, continue your journey in Malaysia to the Cameron Highlands where you can enjoy hiking through the tea plantations. Or to Penang where you can enjoy the best food in all of Malaysia. Are you ready to relax on the beach? Then head to the islands of Pangkor, Tioman, the Perhentians or Langkawi. You easily book all bus connections in advance through 12GO.Asia. This assures you of a seat and you know exactly what time the bus leaves (in Malaysia, the bus always leaves punctually).
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