Things to do in Kuala Lumpur: 7 best attractions & travel tips

Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia and a great place to spend a few days after a long flight. We arrived directly from Singapore and honestly didn't expect to enjoy KL as much as we did! We stayed in Kuala Lumpur for about a week in total, although we also spent a few nights exploring Taman Negara in between.

Read more about our trip to Taman Negara here.

With more than 2 million residents and a mix of different cultures and nationalities, Kuala Lumpur is a vibrant and diverse city. You'll find many different neighborhoods, delicious food, impressive architecture and plenty of things to do.

Below you'll find our favorite places and best Kuala Lumpur attractions.

Rooftop Bars and swimming pools

Just like Singapore and many other large cities in Asia, Kuala Lumpur has an impressive skyline filled with skyscrapers. Because of this, the city is home to many rooftop swimming pools and bars offering incredible views over Kuala Lumpur.

Since we were also traveling to Taman Negara for a few nights, we decided to rent an apartment in Kuala Lumpur. Our apartment complex had a large rooftop swimming pool with a direct view of the famous Petronas Twin Towers.

Of course, Kuala Lumpur also has plenty of hotels with amazing rooftop pools. However, having an apartment with a washing machine and kitchen was extremely convenient during our trip, especially since we were traveling for a longer period.

The fact that we could use the rooftop pool with a view of the skyline was an amazing bonus.

Visit the Petronas Twin Towers & KLCC Park

The most famous landmarks in Kuala Lumpur are without a doubt the Petronas Twin Towers. Both towers are 452 meters tall and were once the tallest buildings in the world (a title now held by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai). The two towers are connected by a famous skybridge, which visitors can access. The towers are mainly used as offices, including by the oil company Petronas, and at the bottom you will find Malaysia's largest shopping mall.

As a visitor, you can purchase tickets to access the skybridge on the 41st and 42nd floors, as well as the observation deck on the 86th floor.

The towers are located next to KLCC Park, where you can enjoy beautiful views of the skyline, take photos and go for a relaxing walk.

Climb the Kuala Lumpur Tower

Another famous landmark in KL is the Kuala Lumpur Tower, also known as Menara Kuala Lumpur. This communication tower is one of the tallest in the world and reaches 421 meters in height. Although slightly shorter than the Petronas Twin Towers, it is definitely worth visiting.

At the top, you'll find an observation deck where you can enjoy panoramic views over the city. There is also a restaurant, an outdoor sky terrace and our personal favorite: a glass viewing box where you can stand above the city and enjoy incredible views of the surroundings.

Visit Batu Caves from Kuala Lumpur

Located only about 15 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur, the Batu Caves are one of the most popular attractions near the city. They are easily accessible by taxi or Grab and make for a great half-day trip. The Batu Caves are a collection of Hindu temples built inside and around a 400-million-year-old limestone cave. The largest cave reaches more than 325 meters high, making it an impressive sight.

Before entering the caves, you'll immediately notice the huge 43-meter golden statue of Lord Murugan. Next to the statue, a staircase with 272 steps leads you up into the cave.

When we visited, the stairs were still grey, but shortly after our visit they were painted in bright colors, making this already impressive location even more photogenic.

Once you reach the top, you can explore the cave, visit several small temples and meet plenty of cheeky monkeys (macaques) along the way.

Chinatown & Thean Hou Temple

Although we really enjoyed visiting Batu Caves, our personal favorite attraction in Kuala Lumpur was Thean Hou Temple. Located in the Chinatown area, this is one of the most important Chinese temples in the city.

The temple sits on a hill in the middle of Kuala Lumpur and offers beautiful views of the Kuala Lumpur Tower. The colorful red architecture is stunning, but our favorite part was the square filled with hundreds of traditional lanterns. It is a beautiful place to visit, especially around sunset.

KL Eco Forest Park canopy walk

Besides KLCC Park, Kuala Lumpur also has another great green escape: KL Eco Forest Park.

This park is located right next to Kuala Lumpur Tower, making it easy to combine both attractions in one visit. The park is open daily, although you need to purchase an entrance ticket (around €8 per person).

Although it isn't a huge park, you can still spot wildlife here, including different monkey species and many birds. The highlight of the park is the canopy walk. A canopy walk is a raised walkway consisting of suspension bridges and platforms high above the forest floor. These walks are very popular in Malaysia, and the most famous one can be found deep in the rainforest of Taman Negara.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building

One of Kuala Lumpur's most recognizable historic buildings is the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. The building was constructed in 1897 and features beautiful Moorish architecture. During British colonial times, it was used as a government building. Today, it remains one of the city's most impressive landmarks and is easy to visit thanks to its central location.

How many days do you need in Kuala Lumpur?

Kuala Lumpur is a fantastic city where you can easily spend several days exploring. We recommend spending around 3 to 4 days in Kuala Lumpur to visit the main attractions, enjoy the food and experience different neighborhoods. The city is also a great starting point for a Malaysia itinerary. If you want to visit the Malaysian jungle, Taman Negara, it is very easy to organize a trip there from Kuala Lumpur.

Best time to visit Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur has two main seasons: dry season from May to September and rainy season from October to April. The heaviest rainfall usually occurs between October and November and again between March and April. Rain showers are often short but very intense, and occasional flooding can occur. However, because Kuala Lumpur is a city destination, it can be visited throughout the year.

Getting around Kuala Lumpur

From Kuala Lumpur International Airport, you can take a train into the city, but the easiest and fastest option is usually booking a Grab. Grab is the Asian version of Uber and works extremely well in Malaysia. Whether you're traveling short distances within the city or heading to a destination further away, Grab is affordable, convenient and the easiest way to get around Kuala Lumpur.