We distinguished the top things to do in Kuala Lumpur that you should definitely do when you will visit Kuala Lumpur, the capital of beautiful Malaysia. If you are wondering why you should visit the capital of Malaysia probably you missed our general article for Kuala Lumpur. From Chinatown to Batu caves! KL is a budget destination and all the highlights will not cost you a fortune. An example, with less than 40 euros (more or less), you can have a half-day tour tasting at the same time delicious food in Kuala Lumpur!
1. Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur – Buy the panoramic lenses for mobile!
Chinatown is the first place that you must visit in Kuala Lumpur. In Chinatown, besides the amazing imitation of bags and wallets, you may find the cheap photography equipment that you will need for your trip.
There is a huge variety of tripods, selfie-sticks and one gadget that we first met in Kuala Lumpur. Those are the panoramic lenses for mobile use that are absolutely a need for cities like Kuala Lumpur.
Having those you will be able to capture in a single shot your lovely face and the Petronas Towers at the same time! Like we did! But we bought the lenses five times more expensive outside the Petronas Towers. :-/ 😊
2. Petronas Twin Towers – The symbol of Kuala Lumpur
Petronas Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in the world for 6 years. From 1998 to 2004. They cost 1.6 $billion and their height is 451.9 meters (1483 ft). They were built from one Japanese and one South Korean company.
Suria KLCC mall, mostly with luxury shops, is housed inside the Petronas Towers complex. You can learn more about the Petronas Towers here!
Book your tickets, either guided or not, in advance as there is a high possibility to sell out as the permitted visitors per day are limited and distributed during the day!
 | Arrange your visits to the top of the towers by booking a ticket at least 3 days before your visit! |
3. Batu caves
One of the best things to do in Kuala Lumpur is to visit the Batu Caves! Just 15 kilometers away from the city center of Kuala Lumpur you will discover the Batu Caves and the tallest statue in the world of Murugan, a Hindu deity. A gold-painted statue 42.7 meters (140 ft.) tall stands outside the Batu Caves and two buildings full of Hindu art, the Gallery Cave and Museum Cave.
You will need to climb 272 steps to reach the entrance of the caves, but to be sincere those were the most entertaining stairs in our lives.
| The entrance is free, but you may have to buy-rent some textile for covering the legs for the women. |
On the path, you will meet a lot of monkeys walking and climbing around you. They will try to rob your food and probably they will succeed. Be careful!
They are not pets and you do not want to fight with them! They are aggressive and as we read bananas, that are selling at the entrance, it is not the best for their diet as well.
After the small adventure, you will arrive at the entrance of the Batu Caves. An old Hindi temple built on 1891 and one of the most important holy shrines. Enjoy and feel the spirituality.
Back to the ground, there is a small supermarket selling coconuts. Give the extra RM and buy a cold one! We know the technique now from Goa. ;-).
We chose for you the best tours according to recorded reviews Batu Caves tours. This memory, we guarantee, will stay forever!
4. Perdana Botanic Gardens
Petrana Botanic Gardens is the first large-scale recreational park. A park that every big city should have. Even in cities like Kuala Lumpur that is amazingly green. You will need at least couple of days to visit all the available attractions.
Here you may find the Butterfly park, the Hibiscus Garden, the Bird Park, the Lake Gardens, and the National monument.
We chose the first three and the experience was remarkable. In the Hibiscus garden, you can relax, walk through beautiful orchids and for locals it is the perfect place to read a book. In the Butterfly park, we discovered rare kinds of butterflies and we saw all the steps of their lives.
Obviously it is a place 100% suitable for kids while is also safe for them as there are no cars at all inside the parks.
5. Enjoy a cocktail in a terrace by the night
We had the chance our hotel, Red by Scirocco, to have a terrace bar with a swimming pool. Maybe we didn’t swim but we enjoyed a cocktail with some Spanish tapas. The swimming pools on the top floor is kind of a must in that city so look for them and relish the city’s skyline by the night. You will thank us later!
6. Make that photo inside the glass box of Menara Kuala Lumpur tower
We enjoyed more our visit to Kuala Lumpur compared to the Petronas. In Kuala Lumpur tower you will make breathtaking photos standing only on glass at 335 meters.
From that point, you can make also beautiful shots of the Petronas towers. There are two glass boxes and only one is opposite of the Petronas. The queue line for the box which is against Petronas has a pretty big queue line and you may have to wait maybe even two hours.
We chose the box on the opposite side and the experience probably was the same as you don’t look in front or back but… down. 😊
| When you purchase the ticket, you have the choice to visit one extra attraction. Mini zoo, Upside House or Blue coral aquarium. We selected the mini zoo option ticket and we fed monkeys and parrots. Not bad experience at all! |
7. Shopping in Kuala Lumpur
Shopping, shopping, shopping. If you like this kind of therapy, probably here is your place. Kuala Lumpur has tens of blocks with shops. Both local and international brands.
If you prefer something more traditional you should go to the Central Market. There are tens of local products and you can taste before you buy, Malaysian chocolate in all kinds of editions.
Outside of the central market there are small shops with street food and fruits. Here is have we tasted the kuih lapis and the rambutan fruit.
Except of shopping, you can have a 15 minutes fish spa for only 15RM (3€, 3.4$)! It is amusing, especially when it is not you who is got bitten😊!
If you are a fan of the technology go straight away to Plaza Lo Yat. You will find whatever you may need, from computers to cameras. On the second floor, you can even sell your used equipment and find some bargains of refurbished or used gadgets.
8. Illusions museum
Illusions museum is a world-wide trend. You can find it in many big cities around the world and Kuala Lumpur is not an exception. Play some puzzles, make weird photos and share them with us.
If you are traveling with your kids, Illusions museum will be something WoW for them and for you. It was hard to locate it but it was worth it!
9. Thean Hou Temple
Thean Hou temple is located on a hill. As the temperature and the humidity in Kuala Lumpur are usually high, you may escape for a while in a small oasis. The temple is one of the oldest and biggest in South Asia giving an outstanding view of the city.
It was built in 1894 by Hainanese community and is dedicated to Tian Hou god, protector of the fishermen.
10. Sultan Abdul Samad Building
We didn’t have the luck to visit this magnificent building as we didn’t have enough time but is certainly one of the “must-do” things in Kuala Lumpur. Sultan Abdul Samad building is located in Independence Square (Dataran Merdeka).
It was built in 1897 and its scope was to host government offices of the British colonial administration. It was renamed in 1974 and today houses offices of Communication & Media and Tourism & Culture Ministries.
It is one of the most important historical landmarks of the city. On 31 of August, Malaysians are celebrating with a parade their independence day and Sultan Abdul Samad building is the backdrop of the event.
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