The Best 2 Day Kuala Lumpur Itinerary

Kuala Lumpur is a beautiful, fascinating, and affordable city.  However, before I visited – I knew none of these things.  I simply went to Kuala Lumpur as it’s hard to avoid when traveling through Malaysia.  And while I originally booked three nights in the capital of Malaysia, I ended up extending my stay to spend five nights exploring the ins and outs of what makes Kuala Lumpur so intriguing.  So, without further ado – this is the best 2 day Kuala Lumpur itinerary; plus everything else you need to know about visiting KL.

 

FOR A MORE VISUAL LOOK AT KUALA LUMPUR, CHECK OUT MY INSTAGRAM POST!

 

Why Should You Visit Kuala Lumpur?

You should visit Kuala Lumpur for many reasons!  First off, it’s a city where history and modernity intertwine in the most fascinating ways.  Imagine strolling through the bustling streets of Chinatown, where every corner offers a new sensory delight.  Or imagine standing under the towering Petronas Twin Towers, marveling at their architectural brilliance (which is even cooler when lit up at night).  Kuala Lumpur’s rich culture is evident in its historic landmarks, like the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, which narrates the city’s colonial past.  Not to mention, you can also indulge in the city’s incredible food, restaurants, and vibrant street markets; or finding tranquility in one of its many green spaces.  Kuala Lumpur has something to offer every type of traveler.

 

If you’re planning a trip to Malaysia, don’t miss…

• Everything You Need to know About Visiting Malaysia
• The Best Packing List for Malaysia
• The Best 7 Day Malaysia Itinerary – Malacca to Penang

 

How to Get to Kuala Lumpur

If you’re traveling to Kuala Lumpur, chances are you’re either flying internationally or domestically into Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).  A heads up, they do refer to the two terminals as KLIA1 (used by Malaysian and other major airlines) and KLIA2 (used by Air Asia and other budget airlines).  Another way to arrive to Kuala Lumpur is by bus from Singapore, Thailand, or another city in Malaysia.

The airport, KLIA, is located in the Sepang District of Selangor which is about 30 miles from the heart of Kuala Lumpur.  Depending on traffic, it can take up to an hour and a half to get to Kuala Lumpur.  The easiest way is to take a taxi from the airport.  However, that will be more expensive than using the app GRAB to request a taxi.  When you use GRAB, you’ll most likely have to wait longer, but the price will be much cheaper.

• If you’re flying to Kuala Lumpur, I recommend using Expedia to compare flight prices
• If you’re taking a bus to Kuala Lumpur, I recommend using 12Go or Bookaway to compare bus prices

 

How to Get Around Kuala Lumpur

Getting around Kuala Lumpur is surprisingly pretty easy!  While there is a lot of traffic and certain streets can be congested, there are tons of options as far as private and public transportation.

First off, Kuala Lumpur is pretty walkable.  Aside from the blazing heat in the summer months, it’s an easy city to walk around in and take in all of the sites.  However, if you’re going further then you have other options.  The easiest option is to download the app GRAB and use it to request a taxi.  (It’s comparable to Uber or Lyft in the US).  Another option – and something that is very cool about Kuala Lumpur – is that you can utilize the FREE public bus system.  That’s right, FREE.  You can hop on and hop off the bus as you please for no charge at all!  And the last option, and what would be the best option during rush hour, would be to take the train.  If you have Google Maps downloaded on your phone, you can easily see which train you need to be taking and have your maps navigate for you.  (You will need service for this so if you don’t have service, I recommend an E-SIM.  You can get one here and use the code “KYLEE5” for 5% off).

 

The Best Time to Visit Kuala Lumpur

Due to its location, there are two monsoon seasons that hit Kuala Lumpur.  The first is from October-January when the eastern storms hit the city; and the second is from March-April when the western monsoons hit the city.  The coldest month in KL is January, and the hottest March.  Because of the monsoon seasons, Kuala Lumpur has two tourists peaks throughout the year.  One is from December-February, and the other from May-July.

I happened to visit Kuala Lumpur during the rainy season in December, and didn’t experience terrible weather.  Sure, there were scattered rainstorms, but nothing that deterred my travel plans.  Most days were cloudy with a few hours of sunshine throughout the day.

 

Where to Stay in Kuala Lumpur

One of the things that I love about Kuala Lumpur is that you can find tons of luxury hotels and quaint boutique hotels – all at an affordable price.  Seriously, the hotel prices at some of these well-known hotel chains are much lower than elsewhere in the world.  So if you’re interested in staying somewhere “nice”, this would be a great city to do so!

I opted to stay for cheap at Alia Premier KLCC.  The room was affordable, comfortable, and in a great location.  However, if you’re looking for something nicer, here are the hotels that I had on my radar and that I would recommend…

• EQ Kuala Lumpur
• WOLO Kuala Lumpur
• KLoe Hotel
• The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur
• Villa Samadhi by Samadhi (adults only)

 

For more information on hotels in Kuala Lumpur, don’t miss…

• 10+ of the Best Hotels in Kuala Lumpur (with an Infinity Pool!)

 

BOOK YOUR STAY IN KUALA LUMPUR HERE!

 

2 Day Kuala Lumpur Itinerary – Day 1

HIGHLIGHTS OF DAY 1:  National Museum of Malaysia + Perdana Botanical Garden + Chinatown + Merdeka Square

 

TOP RECOMMENDED TOUR IN KUALA LUMPUR:  STREET FOOD TOUR WITH 15+ TASTINGS

 

Don’t miss…

• 14 of the Best Tours in Kuala Lumpur

 

Spending the Morning in Kuala Lumpur

To start your morning in Kuala Lumpur, head to the beautiful Perdana Botanical Gardens for a stroll through this beautiful and peaceful garden in the heart of the city.  The park is open every day from 7 am-8 pm and entrance is free.  Perdana Botanical Garden was created in 1888 and is 226 acres.  So while there are tons of areas of the park to explore, I do highly recommend heading to the “Perdana Canopy” and “Bamboo Playhouse” (nearby each other).

From the botanical gardens, make your way to the National Museum of Malaysia to learn a bit about the country’s history.  The museum is open every day from 9 am-5 pm (the last entrance is 4:30 pm) and entrance is 5 Ringgit/foreign adult.  The National Museum was built from 1959-1963 and the architecture resembles palaces of Malay Kings.

 

Spending the Afternoon in Kuala Lumpur

As for the afternoon, I recommend hiring a GRAB and heading to Chinatown to explore the local Chinese culture.  There are tons of temples to discover in Chinatown, street food to eat, and little alleyways to get lost in (which I highly recommend doing).  Make sure that you don’t miss the chance at visiting Sri Maha Mariammam Temple – the oldest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur that was founded in 1873.

For lunch, eat at the traditional Malay restaurant Ali, Muthu, & Ah Hock Kopitiam – located in Chinatown.

If you have some extra time to spend, I also recommend walking to Jalan Tun H S Lee Street.  This street is super cute and has tons of cafes to stop for a coffee and sweet treat.  If you need a better location, put “Timothy Cafe” into your maps.

After your explore Chinatown and its surroundings, walk to Merdeka Square – Kuala Lumpur’s “independence square”.  It’s a really pretty area to walk around.

 

Spending the Evening in Kuala Lumpur

Once evening comes, I highly recommend checking out the unique bar located on top of an old helicopter pad – Heli Lounge KL.  The views are spectacular as there is really nothing blocking your view (not even a rail!).  If you have a big group, you’ll want to make a reservation, otherwise you should be fine to just show up.  The cost to enter is 100 Ringgit/person, but you get two drinks included in that payment.  I recommend visiting about an hour before sunset so that you can enjoy the views during the sunlight and when it’s dark and all of the city lights turn on.

For dinner, make your way to the delicious Indian restaurant – 1947 Namaste India.

 

2 Day Kuala Lumpur Itinerary – Day 2

HIGHLIGHTS OF DAY 2:  KL Forest Eco Park + Petronas Twin Towers + Batu Caves

 

Spending the Morning in Kuala Lumpur

On your second day in Kuala Lumpur, head to the beautiful and unique KL Forest Eco Park.  KL Forest Eco Park is another great green space in the heart of the city.  What’s unique about this park is that there are bamboo bridges to walk on, allowing you to walk amongst the tree tops while still enjoying city views from afar.  The park is open every day from 8 am-5:30 pm and costs 40 Ringgit/adult.

Please note:  Getting to KL Forest Eco Park can be confusing.  To find the entrance, put “Menara Kuala Lumpur” into your maps.  From there you can take a taxi to the top or walk up the hill.  Once you’re at the top of the hill, if you’re looking at the Menara tower, the entrance to the park is directly behind you.

 

Spending the Afternoon in Kuala Lumpur

After walking around KL Forest Eco Park, make your way to the famous Petronas Twin Towers.  Connected to the towers is a mall – Suria KLCC – and if you haven’t been to a mall in Southeast Asia yet, I highly recommend checking this one out.  Not only can you find just about every store imaginable, but I’d recommend heading to the food court on the second floor for lunch.  There are tons of great options and the food is really good too.  Eating at the mall in Southeast Asia is definitely an experience!

As far as the Petronas Twin Towers, you can take an elevator up the tallest twin towers in the world and experience Kuala Lumpur from above.  If you’re planning on doing this, I highly recommend buying your tickets ahead of time, which you can do here.  If you show up day of, chances are tickets will be sold out (trust me, this happened to me!).

 

Spending the Evening in Kuala Lumpur

Finally, to wrap up your two-day itinerary to Kuala Lumpur, you can’t miss seeing the famous Batu Caves.  These caves are just about a 20-minute drive north of Kuala Lumpur in Selangor, Malaysia.  The Batu Caves have had a viral moment on social media after the government decided to paint the 272-steps in vibrant colors in 2018.  I have to admit, it is quite the sight to see!

To visit Batu Caves, your best bet is to get a “GRAB” and either offer the driver more money to wait for you or just chance getting a taxi back to Kuala Lumpur.  Make sure to wear comfortable shoes to climb the steps and visit the temple up top.  Also, there is a dress code but it is not heavily enforced.  To play it safe, I recommend covering your shoulders and knees if you plan to visit.  And the most important thing to say is that the Batu Caves are known for the monkeys that hang around.  You should NOT interact with these monkey’s as they can be quite aggressive and are known to steal people’s belongings.

 

 

FAQ

Q:  “Is 2 days enough for Kuala Lumpur?”

• A:  Two days is enough to see the main sights and enjoy the city.  However, your itinerary will be a bit rushed.  If you have the time, I recommend slowing down and spending three to four days in Kuala Lumpur.

Q:  “Where can I go for a day trip from Kuala Lumpur?”

• A:  One of my favorite day trips from Kuala Lumpur is to Malacca which is only a short 2-3 hour bus ride.

Q:  “How many days should I spend in Malaysia?”

• A:  If you have the time and flexibility I would recommend spending two weeks exploring Malaysia.  The country is absolutely fascinating and there is so much to discover.  However if you’re short(er) on time, I’d say that you can see the highlights of Malaysia in 10-days.

 

Malaysia Essentials – What You Need & Need to Know About Visiting Malaysia

 

I hope that this 2 day Kuala Lumpur itinerary ensures that you have a fun, activity-filled, yet relaxing trip to Malaysia’s capital.  It’s a truly incredible place and I hope to go back one day.  If you have any questions about visiting Kuala Lumpur, let me know in a comment below!

 

If you’re looking for more places to visit in Malaysia, don’t miss…

• The Best 3 Day Penang Itinerary
• The Best Itinerary for Malacca (1-2 Days)

 

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For more information on things to see and do in Kuala Lumpur, make sure to check out my Instagram page/highlight reel by searching “#ppinmalaysia” or under my highlights for “Malaysia”; alternatively, head to my TikTok and search for the saved “Malaysia” highlight

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