Things to do · Langkawi · Malaysia
15 best things to do in Langkawi
15 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
The essential sights in Langkawi are SkyCab cable car, Langkawi Sky Bridge and Kilim Karst Geoforest Park mangrove tour. Of the 15 picks below, 8 are free, 3 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 5 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- SkyCab cable car
- Free sights
- 8
- Good on a rainy day
- Underwater World Langkawi
- Time to see the highlights
- 5 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| SkyCab cable car | Pantai Kok | 2–3 hours with the Sky Bridge | Mid-priced |
| Langkawi Sky Bridge | Pantai Kok | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Kilim Karst Geoforest Park mangrove tour | Kilim | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Pantai Cenang beach | Pantai Cenang | Half a day | Free |
| Eagle Square (Dataran Lang) | Kuah | 30 minutes | Free |
| Seven Wells Waterfall (Telaga Tujuh) | Pantai Kok | 2 hours | Free |
| Island-hopping boat tour | Southern islands | 3–4 hours | Low cost |
| Underwater World Langkawi | Pantai Cenang | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Tanjung Rhu beach | Tanjung Rhu | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Mahsuri's Tomb (Makam Mahsuri) | Kampung Mawat | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Gunung Raya | Central Langkawi | 2 hours | Free |
| Galeria Perdana | Kilim | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Durian Perangin Waterfall | Northeast Langkawi | 1.5 hours | Free |
| Black Sand Beach (Pantai Pasir Hitam) | Tanjung Rhu | 30 minutes | Free |
| Laman Padi | Pantai Cenang | 45 minutes | Free |
The 15 best things to do
Viewpoint · Pantai Kok
1.SkyCab cable car
The Langkawi Cable Car climbs from the Oriental Village to the top station on Gunung Mat Cincang at about 700 metres, with a middle station on the way. On a clear day the view takes in the Andaman Sea, the islands and southern Thailand's coast. The ride is one of the steepest of its kind and is often suspended in strong wind or storms.
Go up first thing in the morning; cloud often builds over the summit by early afternoon.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours with the Sky Bridge
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Queues are long in school holidays and Chinese New Year; buy timed tickets online or arrive early.
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- Photo spot
Architecture · Pantai Kok
2.Langkawi Sky Bridge
A 125-metre curved pedestrian bridge hangs from a single pylon near the top of Gunung Mat Cincang, reached from the cable-car top station by a steep path or the SkyGlide inclined lift. It looks down onto rainforest and Seven Wells Waterfall, and the deck flexes noticeably in wind.
Check before you go whether the bridge is open; it closes for maintenance and in bad weather even when the cable car runs.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Iconic
Nature · Kilim
3.Kilim Karst Geoforest Park mangrove tour
Boats leave the Kilim jetty in the northeast to weave through mangrove channels between limestone cliffs, usually stopping at a bat cave, a floating fish farm and an opening to the sea. Monitor lizards, macaques and mangrove crabs are common, and the white-bellied sea eagle and brahminy kite circle overhead.
Choose an operator that does not feed the eagles; the practice disrupts their natural behaviour and better tours focus on the geology and the mangroves instead.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Iconic
- Photo spot
Beach · Pantai Cenang
4.Pantai Cenang beach
About two kilometres of soft sand on the southwest coast, with gentle water outside the monsoon months and Pulau Rebak and the southern islands on the horizon. Water sports run from stands along the shore.
Swim at the southern or northern ends away from the jet-ski launch areas, and come back for sunset with a drink from a beach bar.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Iconic
Landmark · Kuah
5.Eagle Square (Dataran Lang)
A 12-metre statue of a reddish-brown eagle about to take flight stands by the water next to Kuah jetty; the island's name is often linked to the Malay words for eagle (helang) and reddish-brown (kawi). The square has ponds and footbridges and is a quick photo stop on the way to or from the ferry.
Visit in the late afternoon, when the light falls on the statue and the square is cooler.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- Iconic
Nature · Pantai Kok
6.Seven Wells Waterfall (Telaga Tujuh)
A series of seven connected pools on Gunung Mat Cincang feeds a waterfall that drops down the mountainside near the Oriental Village. A stairway of several hundred steps leads up through rainforest to the pools, where you can swim and slide on the smooth rock.
The upper pools are slippery; wear sandals with grip and keep food hidden from the macaques at the car park.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
Island · Southern islands
7.Island-hopping boat tour
The classic half-day tour from Pantai Cenang or Kuah visits Pulau Dayang Bunting, whose freshwater Lake of the Pregnant Maiden is a short walk from the jetty, then Pulau Singa Besar and the sandy beach of Pulau Beras Basah. Lifejackets are provided for swimming in the lake.
Bring cash for the lake's pedal-boat and lifejacket rental, and keep bags closed around the monkeys on the jetty path.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Photo spot
Aquarium · Pantai Cenang
8.Underwater World Langkawi
An aquarium at the beach on Pantai Cenang with a walk-through tunnel tank, penguins, freshwater rainforest fish and a touch pool. It is the island's most dependable wet-weather activity for children.
Pair it with a late-afternoon swim on Cenang beach right outside.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Beach · Tanjung Rhu
1.Tanjung Rhu beach
A long, shallow beach on the north coast shaded by casuarina trees, with limestone islets offshore and clear water in the dry months. Boat operators by the public beach area run trips to nearby caves and islets, and there are a few simple food stalls.
Check the tide times: at low tide you can wade out across sandbars towards the islets.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Couples
- Nature
- Photo spot
Historic site · Kampung Mawat
2.Mahsuri's Tomb (Makam Mahsuri)
The tomb and cultural complex honour Mahsuri, a woman said to have been wrongly executed for adultery around 200 years ago and to have cursed the island for seven generations. The site includes a traditional Kedah wooden house, a small museum and the legend told through displays.
Combine it with lunch at a local warung on the road to Padang Matsirat.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Viewpoint · Central Langkawi
3.Gunung Raya
At about 880 metres, Gunung Raya is the island's highest peak, and a winding paved road climbs through rainforest to the summit. Hornbills are often seen on the upper slopes, and the top gives a view over the whole island and towards Thailand's islands.
Drive up early in the morning for the best chance of hornbills and clear views; the road is steep and narrow, so take it slowly.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Nature
- Outdoors
Museum · Kilim
4.Galeria Perdana
A museum of thousands of state gifts presented to former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad and his wife, from Formula One cars and porcelain to portraits and weapons. It is an odd but absorbing hour, and sits on the way to the Kilim mangroves.
Stop here on the drive back from a morning mangrove tour, when the afternoon heat makes outdoor sightseeing hard.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Rainy day
- History
- Off the beaten path
Nature · Northeast Langkawi
5.Durian Perangin Waterfall
A forest waterfall in the northeast with several tiers and pools, reached by a short path and stairs from the car park. It is quieter than Seven Wells and best after rain, when the falls are full; in the driest months the flow can drop to a trickle.
Visit between August and December for the strongest flow.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Beach · Tanjung Rhu
6.Black Sand Beach (Pantai Pasir Hitam)
A short stretch of shoreline on the north coast where streaks of dark mineral sand, mainly ilmenite and tourmaline, colour the beach. It is not a swimming spot but makes a quick stop between Tanjung Rhu and the Kilim jetty.
Combine it with Tanjung Rhu on the same drive along the north coast.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Photo spot
Museum · Pantai Cenang
7.Laman Padi
A small rice garden and museum across from Pantai Cenang beach, with working paddy fields and displays on the cycle of rice growing that shaped Kedah, known as Malaysia's rice bowl. It is a calm green break from the beach strip.
Go early in the morning or late afternoon, when egrets and other birds feed in the paddies.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- History
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Galeria Perdana and Laman Padi |
| History | Mahsuri's Tomb (Makam Mahsuri), Galeria Perdana and Laman Padi |
| Views | SkyCab cable car, Langkawi Sky Bridge and Gunung Raya |
| Outdoors and nature | Kilim Karst Geoforest Park mangrove tour, Pantai Cenang beach, Seven Wells Waterfall (Telaga Tujuh) and Island-hopping boat tour |
| With children | SkyCab cable car, Kilim Karst Geoforest Park mangrove tour, Pantai Cenang beach and Island-hopping boat tour |
| On a rainy day | Underwater World Langkawi, Mahsuri's Tomb (Makam Mahsuri) and Galeria Perdana |
What to book ahead
- SkyCab cable car: Queues are long in school holidays and Chinese New Year; buy timed tickets online or arrive early.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Langkawi?
SkyCab cable car. The Langkawi Cable Car climbs from the Oriental Village to the top station on Gunung Mat Cincang at about 700 metres, with a middle station on the way.
+What can you do for free in Langkawi?
Pantai Cenang beach, Eagle Square (Dataran Lang), Seven Wells Waterfall (Telaga Tujuh), Tanjung Rhu beach and Gunung Raya. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Langkawi when it rains?
Head indoors to Underwater World Langkawi, Mahsuri's Tomb (Makam Mahsuri) and Galeria Perdana.