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Travel guide
Kuala Lumpur
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: May to September (the least rainy months)
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Welcome
Kuala Lumpur, in a few days
Kuala Lumpur brings together the 452-metre Petronas Towers, a 1909 mosque where two rivers meet and, on the edge of the city, the 272 painted steps of the Batu Caves. Malay, Chinese and Indian communities cook day and night on Jalan Alor, in Kampung Baru and in Brickfields, and a meal costs a few ringgit.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The Petronas Towers · about 1 hTwin 452-metre, 88-floor towers completed in 1998 and the world's tallest until 2004, built on the plan of an eight-pointed Islamic star.
- Afternoon · KL Tower · about 1 hA 421-metre telecoms tower on Bukit Nanas hill; its open-air Sky Deck and glass Sky Box hang higher than the Petronas Skybridge.
🛏️ Where to sleep · The Kuala Lumpur Journal Hotel€60 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Jalan Alor free · an eveningA Bukit Bintang street that turns into an open-air food market each evening, mostly Chinese: grilled chicken wings, sambal stingray, Hokkien mee, satay and durian.
- Afternoon · Petaling Street free · about 1 h 30Chinatown's covered market street; the real interest is nearby: the Sin Sze Si Ya and Sri Mahamariamman temples and the murals of Kwai Chai Hong.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur, Autograph Collection€85 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Merdeka Square free · about 1 hThe former cricket ground where the British flag came down at midnight on 31 August 1957, facing the Moorish-style Sultan Abdul Samad Building.
- Afternoon · Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia · 2 to 3 hTwelve galleries under blue tiled domes near the Lake Gardens, covering Mughal India, Muslim China, the Malay world and the Ottoman Empire.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Pacific Regency Hotel Suites€55 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Thean Hou Temple free · about 1 hA six-tier Chinese temple on Robson Heights, opened in 1989 by the Hainanese community, dedicated to Mazu, protector of seafarers, and hung with red lanterns.
- Afternoon · Batu Caves free · about 1 h 30A limestone cliff of caves north of the city, Malaysia's main Hindu shrine, where a 42.7-metre golden Murugan statue guards 272 painted steps.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Maya€90 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Nasi lemak: rice cooked in coconut milk, with sambal, anchovies, peanuts and egg. The national breakfast.
- Laksa: spicy noodle soup, creamy with coconut curry, or sour with tamarind in Penang.
- Char kway teow: flat rice noodles stir-fried over a fierce flame, a Penang speciality.
- Roti canai: flaky flatbread, torn by hand and dipped in curry.
- Satay, and durian for the brave: a fruit so pungent that many hotels ban it.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Cover shoulders and legs in mosques. The larger ones lend robes at the door.
- Book rides through Grab rather than hailing taxis in the street.
- Drink bottled water, and more of it than you think.
- Eat and pass things with your right hand, and take your shoes off before entering a home.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Malay
| English | Malay |
|---|---|
| Hello | Selamat pagi / Helo |
| Thank you | Terima kasih |
| Please | Tolong |
| Yes | Ya |
| No | Tidak |
| Excuse me | Maaf |
| Goodbye | Selamat tinggal |
| Do you speak English? | Boleh cakap Bahasa Inggeris? |
| I don't understand | Saya tidak faham |
| How much is it? | Berapa harganya? |
| Where are the toilets? | Di mana tandas? |
| The bill, please | Bil, tolong |
| Help! | Tolong! |
| Cheers! | Minum! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyMalaysian ringgit (MYR)
BudgetAbout €70 a day, mid-range
Best seasonMay to September (the least rainy months)
PlugG (prise UK) · 240V
Tap waterBottled or filtered
TippingNot expected, a service charge is often on the bill
Emergency999 / 994
EntryNo visa needed for up to 90 days for UK, US, Canadian, Australian and most EU passports, which must be valid six months. Fill in the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card online in the three days before you land, and expect a second passport check when you fly on to Sabah.
HealthHepatitis A and typhoid are recommended. Malaria is present in some rural areas, Borneo included, so ask about prophylaxis for your route. Dengue is present too: use repellent.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/kuala-lumpur
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.