Things to do · Kuala Lumpur · Malaysia
18 best things to do in Kuala Lumpur
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Wiki Farazi, CC0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Kuala Lumpur are Petronas Twin Towers, Batu Caves and Jalan Alor food street. Of the 18 picks below, 11 are free, 4 work on a rainy day and 7 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Petronas Twin Towers
- Free sights
- 11
- Good on a rainy day
- Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petronas Twin Towers | KLCC | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Batu Caves | Gombak | 2 hours | Free |
| Jalan Alor food street | Bukit Bintang | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| KLCC Park | KLCC | 1 hour | Free |
| Menara KL (KL Tower) | Bukit Nanas | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Merdeka Square and Sultan Abdul Samad Building | Chinatown (Petaling Street) | 1 hour | Free |
| Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia | Perdana Botanical Garden | 2 hours | Low cost |
| National Mosque (Masjid Negara) | Perdana Botanical Garden | 45 minutes | Free |
| Perdana Botanical Garden | Perdana Botanical Garden | 1–2 hours | Free |
| KL Bird Park | Perdana Botanical Garden | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Petaling Street | Chinatown (Petaling Street) | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Central Market (Pasar Seni) | Chinatown (Petaling Street) | 1 hour | Free |
| Sri Mahamariamman Temple | Chinatown (Petaling Street) | 30 minutes | Free |
| Thean Hou Temple | Robson Heights | 1 hour | Free |
| Aquaria KLCC | KLCC | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| National Museum (Muzium Negara) | Brickfields and KL Sentral | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Masjid Jamek and River of Life | Chinatown (Petaling Street) | 45 minutes | Free |
| Kwai Chai Hong | Chinatown (Petaling Street) | 30 minutes | Free |
The 18 best things to do
Landmark · KLCC
1.Petronas Twin Towers
Designed by César Pelli with a floor plan based on an Islamic eight-pointed star, the 452-metre towers were the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004. 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.
Book an evening slot to see the city lights, then watch the towers glow from KLCC Park's lakeside.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Daily visitor numbers are limited; book timed tickets online several days ahead, especially at weekends and in school holidays.
- Iconic
- Views
- Architecture
- Kids
- After dark
Religious site · Gombak
2.Batu Caves
A limestone hill 13 km north of the city with Hindu shrines in its 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.
Go early to avoid heat and crowds, cover your knees (sarongs can be rented), and keep food and plastic bags out of sight of the monkeys.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
- Active
Street · Bukit Bintang
3.Jalan Alor food street
Every evening, Jalan Alor fills with plastic tables, grills and seafood tanks, serving satay, chicken wings, char kway teow, grilled stingray and tropical fruit. It is busy, smoky and the best introduction to KL's street food.
Walk the full length first, then choose stalls with local diners; check seafood prices before ordering.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- After dark
- Iconic
Park · KLCC
4.KLCC Park
A landscaped park behind the towers with a jogging track, a large children's playground and wading pool, and Lake Symphony, where musical fountain shows run in the evenings. It is the best spot for photos of the towers.
Come at dusk for the fountain show and the towers' night lighting; the wading pool is great for small children in the heat.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- After dark
- Photo spot
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Viewpoint · Bukit Nanas
5.Menara KL (KL Tower)
The 421-metre telecommunications tower rises from the Bukit Nanas forest reserve, and its observation deck at 276 metres looks straight across to the Petronas Towers. 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.
Visit near sunset for both views of the twin towers, and walk the canopy walkway in the forest below beforehand.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Kids
- Nature
- Couples
Historic site · Chinatown (Petaling Street)
6.Merdeka Square and Sultan Abdul Samad Building
Malaya's flag was raised for the first time on this former cricket green at midnight on 31 August 1957. 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.
Visit in the evening when the Sultan Abdul Samad Building is lit up and the square is cooler.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- After dark
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Museum · Perdana Botanical Garden
7.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.
Allow time for the architecture models gallery, and have lunch at the museum restaurant before walking to the National Mosque next door.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- History
Religious site · Perdana Botanical Garden
8.National Mosque (Masjid Negara)
Opened in 1965, Malaysia's national mosque has a roof shaped like a partly folded umbrella with 18 points, a 73-metre minaret and reflecting pools. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome outside prayer times and are given robes and headscarves at the entrance.
Avoid Friday midday prayers and check visitor times at the entrance; remove shoes before entering the prayer areas.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
Garden · Perdana Botanical Garden
1.Perdana Botanical Garden
KL's oldest park, laid out in the 1880s around a lake, is a large green space of themed gardens, walking trails and lawns. It connects to the Bird Park, the Islamic Arts Museum, the National Mosque and the National Museum.
Walk here early in the morning, before the heat, and combine it with the Bird Park.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Kids
Zoo · Perdana Botanical Garden
2.KL Bird Park
A large walk-in aviary in the Lake Gardens where hornbills, peacocks, flamingos and parrots move freely around you under a huge netted canopy, with feeding sessions through the day.
Arrive at opening when the birds are most active and the paths are cooler.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Market · Chinatown (Petaling Street)
3.Petaling Street
Chinatown's main street is covered by a green roof and lined with stalls selling clothes, bags, souvenirs and snacks, with old coffee shops and food stalls in the side streets. The restored lane of Kwai Chai Hong, with murals of mid-century Chinatown life, is a short walk away.
Bargain for anything without a price tag, and eat at the hawker stalls on nearby Madras Lane and Jalan Sultan.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- After dark
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Market · Chinatown (Petaling Street)
4.Central Market (Pasar Seni)
An art deco market hall from 1937, painted pale blue, now filled with craft and souvenir shops selling batik, songket weaving, pewter, wood carvings and Malaysian art, plus a food court upstairs.
Use it as a cool, air-conditioned break from Chinatown's streets and for fixed-price crafts.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Rainy day
- Art
Religious site · Chinatown (Petaling Street)
5.Sri Mahamariamman Temple
Founded in 1873, this is the oldest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur, with a five-tier gopuram (gate tower) covered in painted figures of deities. During Thaipusam, a silver chariot carries the statue of Lord Murugan from here to Batu Caves.
Leave your shoes at the entrance counter for a small fee and visit during an evening prayer for bells and music.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Religious site · Robson Heights
6.Thean Hou Temple
A six-tiered Chinese temple on a hill south of the centre, dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu and built by the Hainanese community. Its red pillars, ornate roofs and rows of lanterns frame views of the city skyline, and it is especially colourful at Chinese New Year.
Take a taxi or ride-hailing car up the hill, and visit around sunset for the lanterns and views.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Views
- Photo spot
Aquarium · KLCC
7.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.
Combine it with KLCC Park and the Suria KLCC mall for an easy family day out of the heat.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
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Museum · Brickfields and KL Sentral
8.National Museum (Muzium Negara)
Built in the style of a traditional Malay palace, the National Museum traces Malaysian history from prehistory and the Melaka Sultanate through colonial rule to independence, with outdoor displays of vintage locomotives and cars.
It is walkable from KL Sentral and pairs well with the Perdana Botanical Garden.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Religious site · Chinatown (Petaling Street)
9.Masjid Jamek and River of Life
Completed in 1909 at the muddy confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers that gave Kuala Lumpur its name, this mosque has onion domes and arches in an Indo-Saracenic style. The riverbanks around it have been landscaped as the River of Life, with a blue-lit pool and mist show after dark.
View the mosque from the riverside walkway at night, when the lights and mist effects are switched on.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- After dark
- History
- Photo spot
Street · Chinatown (Petaling Street)
10.Kwai Chai Hong
A once-neglected back lane behind Chinatown shophouses, restored with murals and installations showing family life in 1960s Chinatown, reached through a small arched entrance.
Visit in the evening when the lanterns are lit, then continue to the cafés on Jalan Sultan.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
- Art
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, Central Market (Pasar Seni), National Museum (Muzium Negara) and Kwai Chai Hong |
| History | Batu Caves, Merdeka Square and Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia and National Mosque (Masjid Negara) |
| Views | Petronas Twin Towers, Menara KL (KL Tower) and Thean Hou Temple |
| Outdoors and nature | KLCC Park, Menara KL (KL Tower), Perdana Botanical Garden and KL Bird Park |
| Food and markets | Jalan Alor food street, Petaling Street and Central Market (Pasar Seni) |
| After dark | Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC Park, Merdeka Square and Sultan Abdul Samad Building and Petaling Street |
| With children | Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC Park, Menara KL (KL Tower) and Perdana Botanical Garden |
| On a rainy day | Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, Central Market (Pasar Seni), Aquaria KLCC and National Museum (Muzium Negara) |
What to book ahead
- Petronas Twin Towers: Daily visitor numbers are limited; book timed tickets online several days ahead, especially at weekends and in school holidays.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Kuala Lumpur?
Petronas Twin Towers. Designed by César Pelli with a floor plan based on an Islamic eight-pointed star, the 452-metre towers were the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004.
+What can you do for free in Kuala Lumpur?
Batu Caves, KLCC Park, Merdeka Square and Sultan Abdul Samad Building, National Mosque (Masjid Negara) and Perdana Botanical Garden. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Kuala Lumpur when it rains?
Head indoors to Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, Central Market (Pasar Seni), Aquaria KLCC and National Museum (Muzium Negara).
+What is there to do in Kuala Lumpur at night?
Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC Park, Merdeka Square and Sultan Abdul Samad Building and Petaling Street are best after dark.