Travelling to Kuala Lumpur?
Kuala Lumpur means “muddy confluence”, and it isn’t a metaphor: the city began in 1857 as a tin miners’ camp exactly where the Klang and Gombak rivers meet, and that precise spot is still there, with a mosque on top of it. In a century and a half it went from mudflat to holding two of the world’s tallest buildings, without ever stopping being three cities at once: Malay, Chinese and Indian.
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What to see in Kuala Lumpur
8 ROUTESOur routes, not a list of everything. Places that have been there for centuries: no opening times or prices, which go stale.
- 01
Kuala Lumpur in a day
9 hFrom the mudflat where it all started to the tallest tower in Southeast Asia, by way of the three cities that live here at once.Masjid Jamek · Dataran Merdeka and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building · Chinatown: Petaling Street and Central Market · The Petronas Towers and Merdeka 118Read the full guide - 02
A weekend in Kuala Lumpur
20 hSaturday in the city eating at all hours. Sunday of caves, monkeys and two hundred and seventy-two steps.Saturday: Kampung Baru and the contrast that explains everything · Saturday night: Jalan Alor · Batu CavesRead the full guide - 03
What to see in Kuala Lumpur
8 hTwo record-breaking skyscrapers, an Islamic art museum among the world’s best, and genuine jungle in the middle of the city.Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia · Menara KL and the Bukit Nanas forest · Thean HouRead the full guide - 04
Where to eat in Kuala Lumpur
5 hThree cuisines on the same pavement and a kind of café that never closes. It may be Asia’s best city for street food.Nasi lemak, and why it’s the national breakfast · The mamak: roti canai and teh tarik at any hour · Brickfields: banana leaf riceRead the full guide - 05
Where to stay in Kuala Lumpur
2 hFour areas with very different characters, and one of them is where the airport train stops.Bukit Bintang · KLCC · KL Sentral y Brickfields · Chinatown and MerdekaRead the full guide - 06
Day trips from Kuala Lumpur
10 hAn administrative capital built from nothing, a port city layered with three empires, and synchronised fireflies.Melaka · Putrajaya · The fireflies of Kuala SelangorRead the full guide - 07
From Kuala Lumpur airport to the city
1 hTwo trains on the same track that are not the same thing, and fifty-five kilometres of motorway if you choose wrong.KLIA Ekspres: the non-stop · KLIA Transit: the same train, with stops · Bus and car: when the train isn’t runningRead the full guide - 08
Kuala Lumpur: practical tips
1 hThe heat doesn’t drop at night, the storm is punctual, and there’s one day of the week worth checking before you plan anything.The climate: there’s no season, there’s a timetable · Customs: Friday, feet, and the left hand · Water, money and connectivityRead the full guide
Airport to city centre
4 OPTIONSThe real options, with what actually decides it: which terminal it leaves from and where it drops you. Fares and timetables live with the operator, who keeps them current.
- TrainKLIA EkspresT1 · T2 → KL SentralNon-stop, no intermediate calls. Drops you at KL Sentral, the interchange for everything: LRT, MRT, monorail and commuter rail.30-33 minFares and timesExpress Rail Link (ERL)
- TrainKLIA TransitT1 · T2 → KL Sentral, parando en Salak Tinggi, Putrajaya y Cyberjaya, y Bandar Tasik SelatanSame track and same operator as the Ekspres, but with stops. Only worth it for Putrajaya or Bandar Tasik Selatan. For the centre the Ekspres is quicker.·Fares and timesExpress Rail Link (ERL)
- BusT1 · T2 → KL SentralConsiderably slower than the train and at the mercy of motorway traffic, but far cheaper, and it also ends at KL Sentral.60-75 minFares and timesAirport Coach / SkyBus
- TaxiT1 · T2 → Centro de Kuala LumpurThe airport is some 55 km from the centre, so timing depends entirely on traffic. Ride-hailing apps work and have signposted pick-up points at both terminals.·Fares and timesTaxi de aeropuerto y VTC
VIP lounges in Kuala Lumpur
9Before you fly, or on the layover. Pay per visit, whatever airline.