Kuala Lumpur Travel Guide (with Itinerary & Expenses)

If you have been following me on my Instagram account, you will know that I recently visited Malaysia and it was epic!

I told my mom early this year that we should try traveling abroad now that covid scare is not that bad compared to the previous years. This was my first time traveling abroad and I know I can’t give this spot to Japan since we can’t afford it yet. Most of my friends and acquaintances post their travels in Singapore and Thailand, which is quite common. I do love to try visiting those countries, but I am looking for a new experience. And that’s when I saw a promo fare for Kuala Lumpur. I did a little research and found out how diverse this country is, and I wanna experience it. Long story short, I booked that flight!

As a first time traveling abroad, we made a lot of mistakes during this trip, but instead of being discouraged, we kept moving forward and enjoyed our trip. So for today’s post, I would like to share with you some basic information I learned while traveling in Malaysia so you could enjoy it as much as we did.

Kuala Lumpur Travel Requirements

As of August 1, 2022,  the Malaysian government has eased up their travel requirements for tourists. Both vaccinated and non-vaccinated travelers can now enter the country without the need for Covid19 test and quarantine.

Malaysia also lifted the indoor mask mandate. So wearing a mask is no longer mandatory but encouraged to wear for your own safety. For more information, please read it here.

If you are a Philippine passport holder, a visa is not required for visiting Malaysia for short-term stay: 30 days. I recommend having your plane ticket, hotel accommodation and travel insurance printed in case the immigration officer asks for it. You can purchase travel insurance when you book your airline ticket, you can also purchase it on Gcash and Klook.

Update: As of January 2024, the Malaysian Immigration Department requires all travelers to complete the Malaysian Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) within 3 days before arrival in Malaysia. Permanent residents of Malaysia, long term-pass holders, and diplomatic and official passport holders are exempt from this requirement. You can learn more here.

Best Time to Visit Malaysia

I’ve searched online on when is the best time to visit, but most of them don’t always have the same answer, but instead let me tell you the months that are considered the rainiest: March to May and October.

We went there on the 2nd week of August, and I have to say that it was really good. Although it was pretty cloudy, it wasn’t always raining. For the three whole days that we traveled there, we only experienced a sprinkle.

Kuala Lumpur Essentials

• Malaysia Socket – Malaysia uses a G-type socket same as the British socket with a standard voltage of 240V and standard frequency of 50 Hz. And yes, I was able to use my chargers in Malaysia without using a voltage converter but only used a socket adapter.
• Malaysia internet/data connection – while hotels usually offer free wifi, it is recommended to have your own internet connection when you are traveling.
  • Malaysian sim card – I recommend opting for this one if you are only traveling with two or three members to minimize cost. Malaysian sim cards with data are usually priced around RM35 but there were cheaper options you can purchase at 7 eleven. You can get it on Klook and at the airport.
  • Pocket wifi – This is best for groups to minimize expenses. You can usually get one at Klook for a reasonable price.
• MRT/LRT card – If you are planning on traveling mostly on trains, I recommend getting a Malaysia Touch n’ Go card. You can get one at Klook but we got one at their train station for only RM20 with a RM15 already loaded in the card. Important: Make sure to load only a small amount to your card since train tickets are usually pretty cheap.

Currency used in Malaysia

Malaysia uses Ringgit which is around Php 12.19 or $0.21. It is recommended to have a small amount of money before arriving at the airport or if it is not possible, you can exchange only a small amount at the airport since their conversion is really low.

You can convert your peso or dollar at CIMB (though I’m not pretty sure if their conversion is good) or you can ask your hotel if there’s any good money changer nearby. Another convenient option would be withdrawing through their local ATM. Make sure to inform your bank before your travel to avoid it being blocked.

KUALA LUMPUR TRAVEL GUIDE:

Where to stay in Kuala Lumpur

The best place to check places to stay in Kuala Lumpur is in Bukit Bintang and ChinaTown area since most of them offer very affordable prices. You can book directly on your choice of hotel or through apps like Agoda, Traveloka and such.

We booked ours at Innb Park Hotel which is just a few minutes away from Bukit Bintang train station.

Main mode of transport in Kuala Lumpur

The main mode of transport in Kuala lumpur are:

• Road transport – They also have Grab there which is pretty cheap for timely transport.
• Railways – Their railway system is very efficient so I recommend using one if you want to save money. 
• Air transport
• Water transport

How to get to Kuala Lumpur

• KLIA (also called KLIA1) – is for many flagship airlines.
• KLIA2 – is for budget friendly airlines like AirAsia and Cebu Pacific.

Traveling from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur

Budget friendly airlines like Cebu Pacific offer cheap flights to Kuala Lumpur. For our recent trip, we booked one from AirAsia during their sale, so we got ours from a pretty cheap rate. Usual flights are from Manila to Kuala Lumpur but also have direct flights from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur.

It is also important to note that Philippine travel tax is usually not included in your airline ticket and you need to pay it at the airport. Here’s the rate below:

From Kuala Lumpur Airport to Kuala Lumpur City

• Private transfer/car rental – It is recommended if your travel time is usually at inconvenient times like at dawn or late at night. You can book one at Klook, from your hotel, and AirAsia.
• Train – Another fast way to get to Kuala Lumpur City from KLIA or KLIA2. Their rate is RM55 (Php 670.88 or $11.85) for adults and RM25 (Php 304.94 or $5.38) for kids aged 6-15 years old.
  • KLIA Ekspres – links KLIA and KLIA2 that will take you directly to KL Sentral
  • KLIA Transit – stops at all stations along the line
• Bus – If you’re not in a hurry, this is the most affordable option to get to KL Sentral. Just proceed to level 1 and look for the bus terminal. Fare is RM12 (Php 146.37 or $2.58)
• Taxi

Getting around Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur has a very efficient transport system consisting of LRT, MRT and buses.

For convenient travel, I recommend to get their Touch n’ Go card you can purchase at train stations, or get one from Watson (they have one at the airport). It can be used for a lot of services such as trains, buses, and even food.

By Rail

LRT, MRT and monorail in Kuala Lumpur operate under the Rapid Rail.

• LRT – the most common rail line being used, it can be found near most attractions in Kuala Lumpur.
• MRT and the commuter rail (KTM Komuter) – for longer distances and connects Kuala Lumpur with nearby towns.
• Monorail – goes through the city center and is connected to LRT lines.
• ERL – this operates the KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit.

Kuala Lumpur has a total of 10 rail lines:

1. KTM Seremban Line
2. KTM Port Klang Line
3. LRT Ampang Line
4. LRT Sri Petaling Line
5. LRT Kelana Jaya Line
6. ERL KLIA Ekspres Line
7. ERL KLIA Transit Line
8. MRT Sungai Buloh – Kajang Line
9. KRM Skypark Line

See more and download Kuala Lumpur train lines here.

Hop-on hop-off bus

One of the best ways to explore Kuala Lumpur because it has bus stops at most major tourist attractions in the city. This is best if you are traveling with kids and seniors. You can book your ticket on Klook.

Car/Van rental

This is a hassle to explore Kuala Lumpur. You can book one at Klook.

Taxi

You can calculate your estimated taxi fare here.

Grab

Just download and install the app and you’re good to go.

Tour Package

If you don’t have the energy to commute, tour packages are the way to go. You can book one at Klook.

Final Travel Tips before you explore Kuala Lumpur

• Malaysia is a tropical country, so make sure to always bring water, a hand-held fan or just an ordinary fan, a towel or a handkerchief, a cap or umbrella to relieve you of the hot weather.
• If you are going to follow my itinerary below, make sure to wear comfortable footwear since it will involve a lot of walking
• When visiting genting, make sure to bring a sweater or a jacket with you because of the cold weather.
• Still in genting, when riding their cable car, make sure that you are riding the correct car before embarking
• As mentioned before, when loading your MRT/LRT cards, only load a small amount since train ticket fares are usually pretty cheap.

3 days Kuala Lumpur Itinerary

We didn’t have the perfect airline ticket booked, so we only have a 3 whole days tour in Malaysia, and it’s pretty much a good way to start. Below are our 3 days itinerary you could copy in your Kuala Lumpur tour soon.

Day 0 (Arrival)

• 3:00 PM – Depart Cebu via Air Asia (delayed: original flight 1:45 PM)
• 7:00 PM – Arrival at KLIA2 (Kuala Lumpur)
  • Clear Immigration. Claim luggage.
  • Purchased sim card
• 8:00 PM – Private airport transport to Hotel (InnB Park Hotel in Bukit Bintang) via klook
• 9:15 PM – Hotel checkin-in
• 9:30 PM – Dinner at Jalan Alor night market (we weren’t able to proceed on this one since we are too tired because of our delayed flight)

Day 1  (Thean Hou Temple + KL City Tour)

• 6:00 AM – Breakfast
• 7:00 AM – ETD KL Sentral
  • Our hotel is in Bukit Bintang, so here’s our route:
  • Walk to Bukit Bintang Station
  • Take Monorail to KL Sentral. 5 stops.
  • Get off at KL Sentral
• 7:30 AM – ETD Thean Hou Temple
  • LRT Kelana Jaya (KJL) to Putra Heights
  • Get off at Bangsar Station. 1 stop.
  • Ride a grab car since walking takes roughly 23 minutes
• 9:00 AM – ETD Little India (Brickfields). Ride a grab car from Thean Hou Temple since it’s a 19 mins walk.
• 9:30 AM – Early lunch/snack.
• 10:30 PM – ETD National Mosque
  • Walk to KL Sentral. 9 mins.
  • Take KOMUTER train to Sentul or Batu Caves
  • Get off at Kuala Lumpur Station. 1 stop.
  • Walk to Old KL Railway Station
  • Old KL Railway Station. FREE
  • Walk to the National Mosque
  • National Mosque. FREE
• 12:30 PM – Islamic Arts Museum (we only took pictures inside)
  • Entrance fee:
    • Adult – RM20
    • Students (with ID) – RM10
    • Senior Citizens (Malaysians 60 years old and over) – RM10
    • Child (6 years old and under) – Free
• 1:00 PM – Royal Malaysia Police Museum. FREE
• 1:30 PM – Perdana Botanical Garden (Lake Gardens)
  • Walk to Perdana Botanical Garden via Jalan Perdana and then Jalan Ria.
  • Perdana Botanical Garden. FREE
• 2:30 PM – National Monument. FREE
  • National Monument (currently closed during our travel for renovation)
  • Plaza Tugu Negara
  • ASEAN Sculpture Garden
• 3:40 PM – Grab going to Masjid Jamek Station
• 3:50 PM – Masjid Jamek Station to KL Sentral
  • LRT Kelana Jaya to Putra Heights
  • Get off at KL Sentral Station. 2 stops.
  • Take Monorail to Titiwangsa
  • Get off at Bukit Bintang Station. 5 stops
• 4:10 PM – Walk back to hotel (DIY travel via train can be pretty tiring since there’s a lot of walking involved so I recommend you take rest before going to another major tourist destination)
• 4:15 PM – Rest
• 5:15 PM – Freshen up. Then early dinner.
• 6:15 PM – KLCC
  • Walk to Bukit Bintang Monorail Station.
  • Take Monorail to Titiwangsa
  • Get off at Bukit Nanas. 2 stops
  • Walk to Dang Wangi Station. 5 mins.
  • LRT Kelana Jaya to Gombak
  • Get off at KLCC. 2 stops.
• 6:25 PM – KLCC, Petronas Tower, Saloma Link Bridge
  • KLCC park. Light Show
  • Suria Mall
  • Petronas Twin Tower
  • Walk to Saloma Link Bridge. around 13 mins.
• 8:00 PM – Back to the hotel.
  • From Saloma Link Bridge, walk to Kampung Baru Station. 4 mins.
  • LRT Kelana Jaya to Putra Heights.
  • Get off at Dang Wangi Station. 1 stop
  • Walk to Bukit Nanas Station. 5 mins.
  • Take Monorail to KL Sentral.
  • Get off at Bukit Bintang Station. 2 stops.
• 8:15 PM – Hotel/lights out

Day 2 – August 13, 2023 Sunday (Batu Caves & KL City Tour)

• 6:30 AM  – Train to Batu Caves
  • Walk to Bukit Bintang Station
  • Take KL Monorail to KL Sentral
  • Get off at KL Sentral. 5 stops. Around 13 minutes
  • Go to KTM Komuter/Seremban Line

• 7:15 AM – Kmuter Train to Batu Caves
  • Get off at Batu Caves Station. 8 stops. Roughly 40 minutes
• 7:40 AM – Batu Caves
  • Lord Murugan Statue. FREE
  • Main Temple. FREE
  • Temple Cave. FREE
  • Ramayana Cave. Entrance fee RM10 (Php 121.97/$2.15)
• 9:32 AM – Train to KL Sentral
  • Komuter train from Batu Caves Station to KL Sentral
  • Get off at KL Sentral. 8 stops. 33 min.
• 10:15 AM – ETD KL Sentral
  • Early Lunch
• 11:15 AM – MRT/LRT to Masjid Jamek
  • LRT Kelana Jaya to Gombak
  • Get off at Masjid Jamek Station. 2 stops
• 11:40 AM – Masjid Jamek. FREE
• 12:15 PM – Old Heritage District. FREE
  • Sultan Abdul Sahman Building
  • Merdeka Square
  • KL Gallery
  • River of Life
• 1:40 PM –  Walk to Chinatown. FREE
  • Petaling Street
  • REX KL
  • Guan Di Temple
  • Sri Maha Mariamman Temple
  • Kwai Chai Hong
  • Sin Sze Si Ya Temple
  • Kuan Yin Temple
• 3:40 PM – Snack at cafe’ in Chinatown
• 4:10 PM – Central Market. Shopping.
• 6:00 PM  – To KL Sentral for Dinner
  • Walk back to Masjid Jamek Station. 5 mins.
  • LRT Kelana Jaya to Putra Heights.
  • Get off at KL Sentral. 2 stops.
• 6:11 PM – Dinner
• 7:11 PM – Back to hotel
  • Take Monorail to Titingwasa
  • Get off at Bukit Bintang Station. 5 stops
  • Walk back to the hotel.
• 8:00 PM – Explore Bukit Bintang malls.
• 9:30 PM – Walk back to the hotel.
  • Lights out.

Day 3 (Genting Highlands)

• 8:00 AM – Monorail to KL Sentral
• 8:30 AM – Light Breakfast
• 8:45 AM – Bus to Genting Highland
• 10:45 AM – Alight at Awana Bus Terminal
• 11:00 AM – Cable Car to Genting Highland via Klook
• 11:15 AM – Disembark to explore Chin Swee Caves Temple. FREE
• 11:35 AM – Cable car to Genting Highlands
• 11:45 AM – Lunch
• 12:45 PM – Explore Genting Highlands
  • Genting Skyworld
  • Shop at Premium Outlet
• 4:00 PM – Bus to KL Sentral
• 5:30 PM – ETA KL Sentral
  • Dinner
• 6:30 PM – MRT/LRT to Hotel
  • Monorail to Titiwangsa
  • Get off at Bukit Bintang Station. 5 stops.
  • Hotel check in
  • Last minute pack-up for tomorrow’s flight

Day 4 (Departure)

• 4:00 AM – Early check-out at hotel
  • Depart to KLIA2 via private transfer c/o Klook
• 5:00 AM – ETA KLIA2
  • Flight check-in via AirAsia
• 10:00 AM – Airasia flight to Manila (delayed: original flight 8:10 AM)
• 2:05 PM – ETA NAIA Terminal 3
  • Clear immigration. Claim luggage
  • Ride rideshare app to Terminal 2
• 8:00 PM – Depart Manila to Cebu via AirAsia
• 9:25 PM – ETA Mactan International Airport
  • Claim luggage
• 9:35 PM – My Bus to SM My Bus terminal (closing: 10PM)
• 10:25 PM – SM Cebu to home
• 10:45 PM – ETA home

Check out our Kuala Lumpur photos here.

Expenses

Please note that I didn’t add any personal expenses, such as food and souvenirs. This computation is good for 1 person per 2 pax traveling together. I also didn’t include individual train fare per station/destination since it was already added to day 1 TNG card with RM95 reload purchase.

Btw, our budget for food per meal was RM20 (which already has drinks and sometimes is already good for 2 people).

Note: We had a remaining RM63.7 in our TNG card after our trip which we refunded at the TNG office at KL Sentral. Will probably have a separate post for this one?

Important: Only reload a small amount into your TNG card or calculate in advance how much you would need since train fares are usually pretty cheap.

Recommendation: If you are going to Genting Highlands, I recommend to book on the day at the bus terminal so there won’t be an additional fee for the admin fee.

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