2 days in Kuala Lumpur

Day by day

1. Day 1: Petronas Twin Towers and KLCC Park

   Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC Park, Aquaria KLCC and Batu Caves, then Jalan Alor food street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Petronas Twin Towers

      Timed tours take you to the Skybridge linking the towers at the 41st and 42nd floors and up to the observation deck on the 86th.

   2. Late morning

      KLCC Park

      It is the best spot for photos of the towers.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Nasi lemak

      Roadside stalls in the morning, often wrapped in banana leaf and paper, and Malay restaurants and mamak shops all day.

   4. Afternoon

      Aquaria KLCC

      An aquarium in the KL Convention Centre with Malaysian river and rainforest habitats and a long underwater tunnel where sharks, rays and turtles swim overhead.

   5. Late afternoon

      Batu Caves

      A 42.7-metre golden statue of Lord Murugan stands beside the 272 rainbow-painted steps that climb to the vast Temple Cave. Long-tailed macaques roam the stairs, and the site is the focus of the Thaipusam pilgrimage.

   6. Evening

      Jalan Alor food street

      Walk the full length first, then choose stalls with local diners; check seafood prices before ordering.

2. Day 2: Menara KL (KL Tower) and Merdeka Square and Sultan Abdul Samad Building

   Menara KL (KL Tower), Merdeka Square and Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia and National Mosque (Masjid Negara), then Petaling Street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Menara KL (KL Tower)

      The open-air Sky Deck and glass Sky Box are on the level above. At its foot, the KL Forest Eco Park has a canopy walkway through rainforest.

   2. Late morning

      Merdeka Square and Sultan Abdul Samad Building

      It is overlooked by the Moorish-style Sultan Abdul Samad Building of 1897 with its copper domes and clock tower, the mock-Tudor Royal Selangor Club and a 95-metre flagpole. The KL City Gallery nearby tells the city's story.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Roti canai

      Mamak (Indian-Muslim) restaurants across the city, many open late or around the clock.

   4. Afternoon

      Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

      Southeast Asia's largest museum of Islamic art, with manuscripts, textiles, jewellery, ceramics, architectural models of famous mosques and a fully reconstructed Ottoman-era room, all under decorated domes.

   5. Late afternoon

      National Mosque (Masjid Negara)

      Non-Muslim visitors are welcome outside prayer times and are given robes and headscarves at the entrance.

   6. Evening

      Petaling Street

      Bargain for anything without a price tag, and eat at the hawker stalls on nearby Madras Lane and Jalan Sultan.

Before you go

• Petronas Twin Towers: Daily visitor numbers are limited; book timed tickets online several days ahead, especially at weekends and in school holidays.

If it rains

• Swap in Central Market (Pasar Seni) (Chinatown (Petaling Street)): Use it as a cool, air-conditioned break from Chinatown's streets and for fixed-price crafts.
• Swap in National Museum (Muzium Negara) (Brickfields and KL Sentral): It is walkable from KL Sentral and pairs well with the Perdana Botanical Garden.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 14–16 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.9 hours in December to 12.3 hours in May.

Getting between stops: Metro. Rapid KL's LRT, MRT and KL Monorail lines connect KLCC, Bukit Bintang, Pasar Seni (Chinatown), Masjid Jamek and KL Sentral.

More or fewer days

• One day in Kuala Lumpur
• 3 days in Kuala Lumpur
• 4 days in Kuala Lumpur
• 5 days in Kuala Lumpur
• 7 days in Kuala Lumpur

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