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Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala LumpurTravel Guide

Malaysia5 stories

Malaysia's capital is a glass-and-steel skyline stitched over colonial shophouses, Hindu cave temples, and some of the best street food in Asia — a city where mosques, temples, and megamalls share the same block.

Is Kuala Lumpur right for you?

When to come

The relatively drier months of June to August, though showers can arrive year-round

Around 34°C by day in March, 32°C in December — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

It depends where you stand. There is a cheap version and an expensive one — the guides below say which is which.

What we've planned, and who for

We publish a multi-day route for this one.

Kuala Lumpur is inWarm in January
When to go
January: around 33 degrees by day, 24 at night, 227 millimetres of rain, very wet.
February: around 33 degrees by day, 24 at night, 193 millimetres of rain, very wet.
March: around 34 degrees by day, 25 at night, 270 millimetres of rain, very wet.
April: around 34 degrees by day, 25 at night, 302 millimetres of rain, very wet.
May: around 34 degrees by day, 25 at night, 230 millimetres of rain, very wet.
June: around 33 degrees by day, 25 at night, 146 millimetres of rain, wet. We recommend this month.
July: around 33 degrees by day, 24 at night, 165 millimetres of rain, very wet. We recommend this month.
August: around 33 degrees by day, 25 at night, 174 millimetres of rain, very wet. We recommend this month.
September: around 33 degrees by day, 24 at night, 220 millimetres of rain, very wet.
October: around 33 degrees by day, 24 at night, 284 millimetres of rain, very wet.
November: around 32 degrees by day, 24 at night, 356 millimetres of rain, very wet.
December: around 32 degrees by day, 24 at night, 281 millimetres of rain, very wet.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

The relatively drier months of June to August, though showers can arrive year-round

Average daily highs, recorded at Kuala Lumpur (Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport), 1991-2020 normals.

Where this comes from

World Meteorological Organization; Pogodaiklimat.ru / NOAA — Box is transcluded as {{Kuala Lumpur weatherbox}}; read from the template page.

Budget level

Mixed

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
  • George Town290 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · but their best months do not overlap with this one · a different price level (budget)

  • Singapore, Singapore310 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · but their best months do not overlap with this one · a different price level (luxury)

  • Krabi, Thailand630 km

    a full travel day · but their best months do not overlap with this one

Plan itWhere to stay in Kuala Lumpurad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Kuala Lumpur

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Kuala Lumpur

The Moorish arches, copper domes and clock tower of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building on Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur, warm sandstone against a deep blue sky.
01
Destinations

Should You Stop in Kuala Lumpur? A First-Timer's Briefing

Malaysia's capital is the city most travellers pass through on the way somewhere else — give it two or three days and it turns out to be one of the easiest, tastiest and best-value stops in Asia.

Malaysia · 12 min
A plate of wok-fried noodles with vegetables served on a carved wooden dish with chopsticks resting across it
02
Food

Kuala Lumpur's Cheap Eats That Outclass Their Price Tags

Malay, Chinese and Indian kitchens have been competing in Kuala Lumpur for over a century, and the result is street food of astonishing depth at prices that barely register — here is how to eat it on the city's own schedule.

Malaysia · 14 min
The Petronas Twin Towers rising above the illuminated Kuala Lumpur skyline at dusk under a violet sky
03
Destinations

Kuala Lumpur for First-Timers: The Complete Guide

Twin towers, cave temples, and hawker stalls that outcook fine dining — how to crack Malaysia's exhilarating, multicultural capital on a first visit.

Malaysia · 2 min
A small white rowing boat drifting on the still water of Titiwangsa Lake in Kuala Lumpur, park fountains playing across the middle distance and the city skyline rising beyond the treeline under piled white cloud.
04
Hidden Gems

The Kuala Lumpur Neighborhoods Most Visitors Overlook

Eight Kuala Lumpur districts a short train ride from the towers, with what to eat in each, how long to give it, and when in the day and the year each one works.

Malaysia · 10 min
Thousands of red lanterns strung in long rows beneath the tiered gold and vermilion roof of Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, with the KL Tower and city towers on the skyline behind.
05
Itineraries

Give Kuala Lumpur Three Days and Surrender the Afternoons

The equatorial sun and the four o'clock storm write this itinerary: the city gets your mornings and evenings, the middle of every afternoon belongs under a roof, and a fourth day belongs outside town.

Malaysia · 12 min
Our picks

What we'd do in Kuala Lumpur

See and do

Eat and drink

Before you go

Practical essentials for Malaysia

Money

Malaysian ringgit (MYR)

Language

Malay (Bahasa Malaysia) is the official language; English is widely spoken, especially in Kuala Lumpur and George Town.

Power

Type G, 230V 50Hz

Getting around

Grab covers door-to-door travel everywhere; in Kuala Lumpur the LRT, MRT, monorail, KTM Komuter and Rapid KL buses all take a Touch 'n Go card.

Tipping

Not the norm and not expected; restaurants commonly add a 10% service charge instead.

Tap water

Treated tap water meets national standards, but ageing pipework means locals boil or filter it and visitors normally drink bottled water.

Driving

Left-hand side; the 1949 International Driving Permit is required alongside your national licence.

Emergency

999 (112 from a mobile)

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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