A 2-day Itinerary for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

lorisolan
Feb 24, 2018
10 min read

Many people use Kuala Lumpur as a connection hub to their onward destination, however I would say get off the plane and stay for 1 or 2 nights to explore this diverse, multicultural, colourful, food haven of a city. I have lived in Kuala Lumpur for almost one year now and this city never bores me, there is always something new and incredible waiting to be seen. KL's weather stays hot and humid most months meaning the capital is a great place to come all year round. For settled weather with constant heat May - July is the best time to visit. Outside of these months you will catch a rain storm or two during the day however these are only short bursts and clear up immediately. As many people's time visiting here can be limited, below are my top things to do for 2 days in the city.

Day 1:

Hop On, Hop Off bus - not everyone enjoys these types of buses as there can be a lot of waiting around however due to the sheer size of Kuala Lumpur, this is the perfect way to see everything. I have had many family and friends visit over the past year and I have brought nearly all of them on this bus and they have loved it.

Operating at 20 minute intervals from 9am to 8pm, you will not be waiting long. There are 23 stops along the route covering off 40 of the main, must see attractions. I have listed the stops below so it is clear just how much there is to explore.

Bus ticket:

One Day: Adult - 50RM ($12.75USD) Child - 25RM ($6.50USD)

Two Day: Adult - 90RM ($23USD), Child - 45RM ($11.50USD)

Hop on, Hop Off Route Map

Stop 1: MaTiC

Conveniently stop number 1 is the Malaysian Tourism Centre. You can start your journey at any of the 23 destinations however if you begin here at MaTiC you can pick up lots of information about the individual stops ensuring you are prepared entirely for which ones interest you and you want to hop off at.

Opening hours: 8am - 10pm daily

Stop 2: KL Tower

KL Tower is a radio tower and one of the most iconic landmarks that dot the KL skyline. The 276 meter high views from the top are 360 degree panoramic wonderland.

Entrance fee:

Observation Deck: Adult - 52RM ($13USD), Child - 31RM ($8USD)

Sky Deck: Adult - 105RM ($27USD), Child - 55RM ($14USD)

Opening hours: 9am - 10pm daily

Stop 3: P. Ramlee

P. Ramlee Street is a popular destination for restaurants, bars and clubs. P. Ramlee was a Malaysian, actor, director, singer, composer and producer and is one of Malaysia most celebrated stars. He died aged just 44 back in 1973 and in 1986 in honour of his contributions to the Malaysian entertainment industry P. Ramlee Street was named.

Stop 4: Aquaria

Aquaria KLCC is an oceanarium showcasing over 5,000 different exhibits of aquatic and land-bound creatures over a sprawling 60,000 sq. ft building. There are many various species from right here in Malaysia and lots more places throughout the world. Check out their website below for more information and a feeding timetable.

http://aquariaklcc.com/

Entrance Fee: Adult - 69RM ($17.50USD), Child - 59RM ($15USD),

**Free admission for Children under 3 years of age

Opening hours: 10am - 8pm

Stop 5: Karyaneka

Karyaneka is a mall that has a wide collection of rich items of handicraft reflecting Malaysia's ethnic and cultural heritage. The centre sells lots of items that have been made in all the corners of the country to include Sarawak woodcarvings and Kelantanese silvercraft. You can also find a Craft Museum which concentrates on exhibiting culture.

Opening hours: 9am - 8pm daily

Stop 6: Bukit Bintang

Bukit Bintang is a bustling area of KL with plenty of great malls full of worldwide fashion brands, food stalls, restaurants, bars and entertainment. Changkat is a popular tourist street within Bukit Bintang home to lots of late bars and restaurants.

Top food court: Lot 10 Hutong (10am - 10pm)

Top cocktail bar: OPIUM KL, Changkat (Mon to Sat 12pm - 1am, Sun 4pm - 1am)

Top restaurant: Pinchos Tapas Bar/Ciccio Italian Restaurant, Changkat (Mon - CLOSED, Tues to Sat 5pm - 3am, Sun 5pm - 12am)

Top experience: Dining in the Dark, Changkat (6pm - 9:30pm daily)

Stop 7: Temporarily closed

Stop 8: Chinatown

Chinatown is located on Petaling Jaya Street just a 5 minute walk from Central Market. You will find lots of shopping opportunities here as well as some great restaurants, bars and food stalls. The atmosphere is electric as is the selling skills of the vendors so prepare yourself to say 'No thank you' alot.

Opening hours: 10am - late (there will be many vendors who don't set up until 12pm onwards so for a full, bustling experience try to go late afternoon/evening)

Stop 9: Central Market

Built in 1888, Central Market is your one stop shop for all things souvenir. There are over 300 stalls selling everything from trinkets to textiles, Malaysian art and handicrafts.

Adjacent to Central Market, you can stroll through Kasturi Walk, a street filled with clothes, bags and gadgets as well as lots of food stalls selling snacks and refreshing drinks.

Entrance Fee: FREE

Opening hours: 10am - 9:30pm daily

Stop 10: Little India

Little India also known as Brickfields is home to KL's Indian community. Packed full of vibrant textile and clothing stores as well as jewellers and lots of amazing restaurants serving the most delicious Dosa and Banana Leaf Rice around.

**Interesting fact - In 1881, a fire engulfed the city of KL followed by a flood destroying most wooden structures. Since then buildings are constructed with brick, hence the name Brickfields.

Stop 11: KL Sentral

KL Sentral is Malaysia's largest transport hub located right in the heart of the city. From here you can catch the KTM Kommuter, LRT, Monorail and the KLIA Express link to KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) and KLIA2 (Domestic Airport). Adjacent to the station is a 7-storey mall containing many varieties of shops as well as lots of restaurants and GSC cinema.

Stop 12: National Museum

I make sure when I visit a new country that I go and check out their National Museum. It is interesting to learn a bit about other cultures and their history. For a small entry fee you can see an impressive ethnographic and archaeological exhibit. If you prefer a guided tour for these types of experiences, there are English speaking tours held at 11am every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Entrance fee: 5RM ($1.30USD)

Opening hours: 9am - 6pm daily (except Hari Raya holiday)

Stop 13: National Palace

The National Palace or Istana Negara was until 2011 the official home to the King and Queen of Malaysia now it has become a museum which is open to the public. It is quite interesting to roam freely around a residence that was so recently occupied by royalty. The main official rooms have a decor of predominantly yellow, which is the royal colour with touches of gold throughout. The rest of the palace is quite basic in terms of furnishing which leads me to believe that a lot of their good items were moved over to their new home in Jalan Duta.

Entrance fee: 10RM ($2.50USD)

Opening hours: 9am - 5pm daily

Stop 14: Lake Gardens

Lake Gardens officially know as Perdana Botanical Gardens are a beautiful oasis of calm and peace right in the heart of this bustling city. There are 2 man made lakes as well as an abundance of lush greenery and plenty of areas for the kids to play. There is also a deer park and some gardens where you can see hibiscus, orchids and spices.

Entrance fee: FREE

Opening hours: 9am - 6pm daily

Stop 15: Bird Park

KL Bird Park is located adjacent to the Lake Gardens. It is a 20.9 hectare park with over 3,000 birds across 200 different species. There are 4 zones to this park and Zones 1-3 are filled with birds that are allowed to fly and roam freely giving them a sense of being in their own natural habitats.

Entry fee: Adult - 69RM ($17.50USD), Child - 45RM ($11.50USD)

Opening hours: 9am - 6pm daily

Stop 16: National Mosque

The National Mosque is a beautiful building with lots of meaning to the architecture. The best features of the mosque are the 73 meter high towers and its 16 pointed star concrete which makes up its main roof. It can hold up to 15,000 people at one time.

Opening hours: 6:30am - 1:00pm, 2:30pm - 4:00pm, 5:30pm - 7:00pm.

Stop 17: Merdeka Square

Merdeka Square also know as Independence Square is the place where Malaysia proclaimed Merdeka (freedom or independence) on August 31st, 1957. It is found directly across the road from Sultan Abdul Samad Building which originally housed the British Colonial Administration. Merdeka Square is made up of a field that once used to be the Selangor Club Cricket Ground and also has the tallest flagpole in the world (95m).

Stop 18: Medan Mara

Medan Mara is a shopping complex home to fashion and a huge digital mall. The building itself is beautifully designed and was created to display a unique identity and to showcase the richness of the Malay culture. The use of bamboo shoot and arabesque motifs is inspired by the intricate designs adorning the windows of the Mosque of Sultan Mehmet in Istanbul, Turkey. If not worth a visit, definitely worth a photo.

Opening hours: 10am - 10pm

Stop 19: PWTC

PWTC or Putra World Trade Centre is a convention and exhibition centre in KL. If you don't have an event to go to, then no need to get off the bus really. The building is nice enough to take a photo though.

Stop 20: Closed

Stop 21: Palace of Culture

The Palace of Culture or Istana Budaya is Malaysia's main venue for theatre from musicals to classical across local and international performers. It is also located right beside the National Art Gallery. Upcoming events can be found listed on their website below.

http://www.istanabudaya.gov.my/#!slide-1

Opening hours: Mon - Thu 9am - 7pm; Sat 9am - 7pm; Fri 9am - 12pm; Sun 2pm - 7pm

Stop 22: Citibank

This stop is home to Ampang Park Mall built in 1973 which is a stop shop for their wide offering of Malay fashion as well as many other types of stores from accessories to groceries to toiletries. Their food court is also worth a visit.

Opening hours: 10am - 9pm

Stop 23: KLCC

Drum roll please for the stop of the hour - The Petronas Twin Towers. These towers are what comes to mind when you think of Kuala Lumpur. Standing at a height of 451.9 meters they can be seen from all over the city and many outer suburbs. There are plenty of places to grab a snap of the towers, the most popular being right out in front however just last week I viewed the towers from the KLCC park located at the back and the view was breathtaking especially with the greenery in the forefront.

You can take a trip up the towers and walk across the sky bridge, note that tickets go on sale from 8:30am and are limited so can sell out therefore get in early to avoid any disappointment.

Entrance fee: Adult - 85RM ($21.75USD), Child - 35RM ($9USD)

**Free admission for Children under 3 years of age

Opening hours: Tues to Sun - 9am - 9pm (closed from 1pm - 2:30pm on Fridays)

Jalan Alor Street Food - after experiencing all there is to offer in the city, no doubt a hunger will have been building throughout the day. Get off at Bukit Bintang stop and walk from there to Jalan Alor, the popular street food street in Kuala Lumpur. With lots of restaurants, food and drink stalls as well as live entertainment from various buskers it is a great way to eat your dinner amongst the busy goings on. Sai Woo restaurant is my go to when visitors come. It is consistently busy, their menu is so vast and I have yet to try something that wasn't appealing to my taste buds. With it being a tourist area, you would think that their prices would reflect this however you can get a really great meal for one person for approx. $5-$10USD. Sit back, order lots of food and wash it all down with a cold Tiger bucket.

Petronas Towers View from Skybar - by far the best view of the Petronas Twin Towers is from Skybar in The Traders Hotel. Looking directly across at the towers from the 33rd floor is a sight worth seeing. The view is from the back of the towers so you can look down on the KLCC park as well as Suria KLCC shopping mall which puts on a light and music show in time with the water fountain outside each evening.

Light and music show times: 8pm, 9pm, 9:45pm

Day 2:

Batu Caves - this is or should be on everyone's to-do list when they come to KL. It is a limestone hill located in Gombak and is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside of India. There are three main caves found here along with a handful of smaller ones. The biggest cave, called the Cathedral or Temple Cave is home to several Hindu shrines and to access it, visitors must climb 272 steep steps to the top. It is best to go early morning to avoid the heat of the afternoon. Beware of the monkeys, they are friendly and used to crowds however can be known to snatch food from passers by.

If you are in Kuala Lumpur towards the end of January, do not miss the Indian festival Thaipusam which commemorates the day when Goddess Pavarthi gave her son Lord Muruga an invincible lance with which he destroyed evil demons and is held here at the Batu Caves.

How to get here: Catch the KTM Komuter train to Batu Caves from KL Sentral. 2RM ($0.50c) one way

Entrance fee: FREE (If you wish to visit Art Gallery Cave, there is a 5RM fee ($1.25USD)

Opening hours: 6am - 9pm daily

Thean Hou Temple - this is one of the oldest and largest Buddhist temples in all of Southeast Asia. The six-tier temple is devoted to Tian Hou, a goddess who protects fishermen. The temple is also a shrine where people come to worship Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. It is a beautifully built temple, with lots of intricate detailing and colour and has amazing views of the city.

During the month of February for Chinese New Year, the temple is adorned with thousands of lanterns and brings with it throngs of local Chinese and many tourists.

Entrance fee: FREE

Opening hours: 9am - 6pm

Dinner and Cocktails at Fuego, Troika Sky Dining - this is by far my favourite place to come to watch the sun set across the city skyline. You can just have cocktails or choose from their extensive tapas menu as well.

Even though one of the twin towers is blocked by another sky rise apartment block, it still does not take away from the stunning sight of the cities skyline. The atmosphere and colours of the restaurant is just as you would expect to find in a lively South American restaurant with the added bonus of the open air view. In the lead up to sunset, the colours of the sky change from blue, to silver, to pink and purple to and the from then on the lights begin to turn on all over the city.

Top tapas: Super Spicy Guacamole; Prawn Ceviche; Grilled Watermelon; Spinach Hashbrown; Mini Ivano Magnum

Top cocktails: Fuego Coole; Flip

Best time to go: 6pm

Cocktails at Elysium Bar & Terrace - if you are a stickler for a view then you will love the one from Elysium bar located on the 32nd floor of the Wisma Goldhill. This bar has an open air concept and is in close proximity to the most iconic KL landmarks.

Thursday night is ladie's night in lots of the bars around KL city and at Elysium they have 3 choices of cocktails that flow freely all night for the gals.