Kuala Lumpur 1 day itinerary — How to spend a day trip in Kuala Lumpur?

Whereas many visitors just like to “pass by” Kuala Lumpur for transit when flying, or go straight to the shopping centers, they would miss many appealing points as well as the outstanding scenery of this capital of Malaysia. There are almost everything here, from ancient temples built from colonial-era domination to the art museums that can take the viewers’ breath away. You can spend other time on shopping, but now, let’s join us to the only 1 day to know the truly Kuala Lumpur through our Kuala Lumpur 1 day itinerary (Kuala Lumpur in a day, a day trip in Kuala Lumpur, one day trip in Kuala Lumpur) — How to spend 24 hours in Kuala Lumpur with Living Nomads below.

Notice before the trip

• Tip in Kuala Lumpur restaurants makes up to 10% of the total bill.
• Kuala Lumpur is a “sporadic” city, which means you cannot easily get from one site to another. The public transport here is acceptable to some extents, but travelling by taxi is preferable when wandering around the city.
• Taxi price is reasonable and you can catch a taxi anytime anywhere in the city, just with a waving hand. You can also remember to go in your opposite site, not wasting your time and money, by getting a taxi which goes the same direction as yours.
• Taxi is all installed the meter to calculate the kilometre you travel, so you have to insist the drivers on using it. If the drivers try to give you a fixed price to get around the city, you should catch a different taxi.
• Malaysia climate is quite hot so you had better wear something casual and plan in advance the main activities in the early morning, or late afternoon/evening, to get the most of the comfortable time of the day.
• In the Muslim churches and other religious places, you should take good care in wearing nice clothes and humbly. In some Muslim churches, they also provide suitable clothes for both genders.
• You can give some tips for the taxi drivers by rounding up the price to some ringgit.

Petronas Twin Tower

This twin tower is the marking symbol of Malaysia, representing for the modernization of Kula Lumpur city. Tourists can visit sky bridge (the bridge connecting the two towers with the crystal windows that looking outside), and feel like flying in the air in the scenes between the towers, or go straight to the top of the tower to enjoy the whole breath-taking Kuala Lumpur.

You can come here in the daytime, or let try at sunset, around 6 pm, or the evening. You can the glittering city of light. It is a suggestion to bring your telescope to clearly look at the sky bars of the skyscrapers.

Remember to book a reservation online or line up here in the morning to buy a ticket within the day, because you can choose the time you want to climb up the tower. It is better to buy the ticket and return later or you can buy no tickets at all.

The building will be stopped shining after midnight.

Petronas Twin Tower

• Address: Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Operating Hours
  Visiting Days: Tuesdays to Sundays
  (CLOSED every Monday)
  (CLOSED on Hari Raya Aidilfitri & Aidiladha)
  Visiting Hours: 9.00 am – 9.00 pm
  (CLOSED between 1.00 pm – 2.30 pm on Fridays)
  Note: Issuing of tickets will start from 8.30am (tickets are limited and issued on a first come, first served basis). Advance purchase is available.
• Estimated time spent: 1 to 2 hours
• Tickets prices: Adult RM85 / Child RM35 (prices as of July 3, 2016)
• Telephone: +603 2331 8080
• Website: https://www.petronastwintowers.com.my

Batu Caves

With the natural significant views, along with the giant impressive limestone caves, Batu is one of the most important chains of the native Malaysia who has the origin from India.

It cannot be denied that Batu is the most outstanding, irresistible site that you mustn’t miss when being in Kuala Lumpur.

Actually, if wanting to visit the caves, there are tons of steps that you need to climb. Therefore, it is recommended to commence in the early morning so that you could have more time on enjoying the fresh air, and fewer people to compete with.

To find the accurate bus from the centre Kuala Lumpur to Batu caves is quite complicated. You are suggested to go to LRT to Gombak station, then catch a taxi to Batu (around 10 to 20 minutes). It is easier to be back, catch a bus outside the main gate of the cave to get to the city centre.

The monkeys living around are likely too aggressive and overexcited so that they think you are hiding foods from them. Be careful not trying to feed them, even holding foods in hands.

Batu Caves

• Address: Batu Caves, Sri Subramaniam Temple, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Opening Hours: 7.00am – 8.00pm (open daily)
• Entrance Ticket: Free / RM2.00 charge for car parking
• Telephone: +603 2287 9422
• Notes:
  + Do not smile at the Monkey
  + Do not bring any food during climbing the steps
  + Dress Code For Visiting Batu Caves Kuala Lumpur: NO Short Pant and Hot Pant; NO Short Skirt Above Knee
  + Others Regulation: NO Pets Allowed; NO Spitting Around; NO Smoking in the area
  Bring your own toilet paper
• How to get there: 13km north of Kuala Lumpur How to get there: Take Intrakota bus No 11D from the Central Market or the Cityliner bus No 69 at Jalan Pudu to get to Batu Caves. Taxis are also available anywhere around city.

Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

The models of the Muslim Museums are popularly worldwide, with complex styles of paving stones and the nation writings. This is one of the greatest museums in Kuala Lumpur. There are also bonus advantages like the fresh halls welcoming and others places nearby.

Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

• Address: Jalan Lembah Perdana, Tasik Perdana, Wilayah Persekutuan, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Opening Hours: 10AM–6PM
• Phone: +60 3-2092 7070
• Ticket prices: Adults RM14.00; Students (with ID) RM7.00; Senior Citizens (Malaysian 55 and over) RM7.00;Children (6 and under) FREE; Tickets are charged at RM12 & RM6 respectively when the Special Galleries are closed.
• Website: http://www.iamm.org.my
• How to get there: Public transit access: Kuala Lumpur railway station (KTM Komuter)

Kuala Lumpur Bird Park (KL Bird Park)

An evergreen valley in the middle centre of the city covered by a huge nest is the habitat of hundred kinds of tropical birds (except for some kinds are kept in the smaller caves). This park will take quite much time of yours, but it is better than wasting time on just shopping.

Right in front of the gate, the children cannot resist on taking photos with the colourful parrots, or the tamed birds that alight on the shoulders or their head.

KL Bird Park

• Address: KL Bird Park, 920, Jalan Cenderawasih, Perdana Botanical Gardens, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Telephone: +60 3-2272 1010
• Opening hours: Daily from 9.00am to 6.00pm including Public Holiday & School Holiday
• Admission: Adult RM67, Child RM45
• Website: https://www.klbirdpark.com/
• How to get to KL Bird Park
  By Train
  By KTM Commuter Train, disembark at the KTM Old Railway Kuala Lumpur Station located near the National Mosque. KL Bird Park is just a 5-minute walk from the National Museum.
  By Car
  From Jalan Bangsar, head straight towards the KTM Railway Station round-a-bout, then turn left towards Masjid Negara.
  From Jalan Mahameru, turn left into Jalan Parlimen. At the traffic light, turn right towards the Kuala Lumpur Lake Gardens.
  By Bus
  Take the Rapid KL Bus No. B115 from Kotaraya to Jalan Parlimen.
  KL Hop-On-Hop-Off Double Decker Tour Bus Service: Disembark at Station No. 14 in front of KL Bird Park Main Entrance. Buses available every 30 to 45 minutes.

Menara Kuala Lumpur

Menara Tower in the middle of Kuala Lumpur gives you 2 options. One is enjoying the inside. The other is outside viewing the beautiful city. You can even see the Twin Tower Petronas nearby.

The tickets will be cheaper when you choose to be in the inside option. However, if you buy the whole service ticket, you can come outside to the observation station to have the better views.

Menara Kuala Lumpur

• Address: No. 2 Jalan Punchak Off Jalan P.Ramlee 50250 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
• Tickets prices: Observation deck adult/child RM52/31, open deck adults only RM105
• Opening hours: 09:00 – 22:00 weekday; 09:30 – 22:00 weekend & public holidays; Observation deck 9am-10pm, last tickets 9.30pm
• Telephone: +603 2020 5444 / + 603 208 5448
• Website: https://www.menarakl.com.my
• Estimated time spent: 1 to 2 hours
• How to get there
  By Train
  Take a LRT (eg, KL sentral station) to Dang Wangi station and take a short 10 minute walk following the signage to Menara Kuala Lumpur.
  By Taxi
  The easiest way is to catch a cab as the roads in KL city center is rather confusing. Try to avoid peak time; 7.00-9.00am, 5.30-8.00pm as the road in the city center will be rather congested.

National Mosque of Malaysia (Masjid Negara)

The proud architecture of the 1960s, with the capacity up to 15,000 religious people, this is the best place to get the deeper knowledge about the importance of Muslim in the Malaysia country. The volunteers will introduce friendly to travel around the large city. And even you could not have to right to step into the pray room, you still can look from the outside.

Everyone is welcome to visit, but you need to carefully check while the praying is held.

Both male and female are required to wear casually but politely. If you accidently wear your shorts, don’t worry. You can borrow a nice shawl outside.

Free to go inside and for the whole tour. If you want to donate, then it is really nice.

National Mosque of Malaysia

• Address: Jalan Perdana, Tasik Perdana, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Telephone (Office Number): +603 2693 7905
• Opening Hours: 06:30am – 01:00pm, 02:30pm – 04:00pm, 05:30pm – 07:00pm
• Estimated time spent: 1 to 2 hours.
• Dress code
  Women – Wear loose long pants or a floor-length skirt along with a plain, loose, long-sleeved shirt that covers all the way up to your neck (or something of the equivalent). Make sure all of your hair is covered under a scarf. If you do not have a shirt that goes up to your neck you can use your scarf to cover any exposed chest/cleavage.
  Men – Wear long pants and a plain shirt that at least has sleeves. Short sleeves are permitted as long as they are not borderline sleeveless. Business casual is the best option, though not required.
  Do not wear shirts that contain images or text
  Do not wear pants that contain holes, have chains, are stained or ripped
  If you wear clothes outside of the above advisement you will be required to wear a robe while inside the mosque.
  Hats and shoes will need to be removed before entering the mosque
• Other tips
  Make sure there is not a separate entrance for men and women
  Do not offer to shake hands with someone of the opposite gender if they are Muslim. If they offer, it is okay to shake their hand, but do not make the first move.
  Be aware of prayer times for the day of your visit and visit outside of those hours.
  Do not take pictures of people praying
  Avoid eating or drinking by a mosque during the month of Ramadan (there’s no rule against it, I just think it’s rude)
  Turn off your phone and do not talk on your phone while in the mosque
  If you must speak inside the mosque, do so quietly
  Avoid making loud noises or making inappropriate comments while inside the mosque
  If you are allowed inside the prayer room and sit down, sit on your feet with your feet pointing away from the main wall
  Do not be afraid to ask questions. Muslims are happy to explain about the mosque and their religion.
• How to get there: The easiest way to get to the National Mosque is via taxi. Per trip via taxi should set you back about RM20 from anywhere within the city center. But if you want to opt for a cheaper means of transportation, you can take the RapidKL bus (B101 and B112) and get off at the Dayabumi Complex. From the complex, you can walk to the National Mosque. If you plan to take the KTM Kommuter, just remember to stop at the Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. You will need to walk towards the National Mosque.

Sri Maha Mariamman Temple (Sri Mahamariamman Temple)

Combining the appealing beauty with historical scent, the temple in the centre Kuala Lumpur stands out for its colourful tower that you can easily find in the Northern temples of India. You can spend some time on shopping on Petaling Street in Chinatown nearby then visit the Sri Maha Mariamman.

This large and elaborate Hindu temple was founded by Tamil immigrants, from southern India, who arrived in Malaya as contract labourers to build the railways and roads or work in the rubber plantations – its primary purpose was to serve as a solace from the rigours of their working life. Construction of the temple began in 1873 with plenty of ongoing restoration and embellishment occurring over the years.

Sri Mahamariamman Temple

• Address: 163, Jalan Tun H S Lee, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Telephone: +60 3-2078 5323 / +603 2078 3467
• Opening Hours: 06:00 – 21:00
• Estimated time spent: Less than 1 or 2 hours
• Admission: Free entrance
• How to get there: Originally situated near the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, the temple was moved to its present site in 1885. It’s always open to the public and is free to visit, although you may want to donate a ringgit or so towards its maintenance. There’s a free facility near the entrance where, before entering the temple, you leave your shoes. Outside the pyramid-shaped entryway are flower vendors selling garlands as well as stalls where sweetmeats and other delicacies can be had. Leaving behind the pillars, the red and gold lacquer, gleaming gongs and polished wood of the temple can be a little jarring: inside is almost a place of waking dreams – outside on the streets is the reality of Kuala Lumpur by day.

Sin Sze Si Ya Temple

The ancient temple and unique reflexes the Chinese religion culture in the middle of modern buildings in Kuala Lumpur, near Chinatown. Red and yellow is two main colours of the temple. Hereby there are many kinds of curl incenses hanging in the wall. You can even see the locals making the incenses in their culture.

You don’t need to spend a penny fee here.

Sin Sze Si Ya Temple

• Address: 113A Jalan Tun HS Lee, 14A Leboh Pudu, Kuala Lumpur
• Opening Hours: 7 am to 5 pm every day
• Telephone: +603 2078 9052
• Admission: Free
• Estimated time spent: Less than 1 hour
• How to get there: Easily accessible via public transportation, the best way to get to Sin Sze Ya Temple is to take the LRT train to the Pasar Seni station or Masjid Jamek station. The temple is just a six-minute walk away from both stops.

Perdana Botanical Garden

With numerous kinds of floras, you can comfortably walk around and enjoy the heaven atmosphere here. The place is not really far from Kuala Lumpur. One thing needs to notice is taking the map with you and plan carefully the ways because of the park largeness.

Perdana Botanical Garden Kuala Lumpur

• Address: Jalan Kebun Bunga, Tasik Perdana, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Opening Hours: Mondays to Sundays, 7am to 8pm
• Entrance fee: Free on weekdays; weekends and public holidays entrance costs RM 1 (about 30 cents).
• Estimated time spent: 1 to 2 hours
• Telephone: +60 3-2617 6404
• Website: http://www.klbotanicalgarden.gov.my/
• How to get there: You can either get down at KL Sentral interchange or Kuala Lumpur KTM station and walk about 1km to the garden. Though it is nearer to walk from KL Sentral, it is advisable to avoid the route as you’ll have to go across main roads that are always heavy in traffic.

Kuala Lumpur Old Train Station (Old Railway Station)

History of KL Station: The station was completed in 1910 and designed by that most prolific and talented of British colonial architects, Arthur Benison Hubback. Working at the Public Works Department, he was responsible for many other iconic buildings in Malaysia such as the stately Ipoh Railway Stationand the Royal Gallery in Klang. The KL Railway Station was built with Mughal features such as the elegant chhatris (dome-capped pavilions of Indian origin) along its roof line. The station served as the city’s main rail hub until the modern KL Sentral station took over in 2001. The old station is still used for KTM Komuter services. Some of its platforms were too low for KTM Komuter trains and a more modern extension with a separate entrance was built in the 1980s.

The beautiful train station is now being replaced by the modernising Kuala Lumpur Sentral, but it is still one need-to-stop-by site. It looks like coming from a fairy tale, and you would have plenty of impressive pictures when being here. Moreover, it was built with the Maroc styles with the small cute temples and pointy peak.

Note that only KTM Komuter trains still stop here. Across from the station is the Malayan Railway Administration Building, opened in 1917 and another beautiful Indo-Saracenic piece of architecture.

Old KL Train Station

• Address: Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, Kuala Lumpur (Directions: Located at Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, close to the Masjid Negara)
• Estimated time spent: Less than 1 hour
• How to go Old Railway Station Kuala Lumpur: You can easily walk there when you are in the Chinatown or Lake Gardens area. The KTM Komuter train still stops here (Kuala Lumpur station). The station is a also a departure point for a few bus companies (Plusliner, Nice Bus).

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to from Kuala Lumpur you can refer to

• Private Airport Transfers (KLIA/KLIA2) for Kuala Lumpur
• Shared Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Transfers for Kuala Lumpur
• Premium Private Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Transfers
• Private Transfer between Genting Highlands and Kuala Lumpur Airport (KLIA/KLIA2)
• Shared Bus Transfers between Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 and KL Sentral by AeroBus
• Kuala Lumpur Half Day City Tour
• KL Pass in Kuala Lumpur
• Kuala Lumpur City Full Day Tour
• Kuala Lumpur Suburbs and Batu Caves
• Kuala Lumpur Food Experience
• KL Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Pass (24/48 Hours)
• Genting Highlands Day Trip
• KL TravelPass (Metro Card) in Kuala Lumpur
• [SALE] 4G Prepaid SIM Card (MY Airports Pick Up) for Malaysia
• 4G WiFi (MY Airport Pick Up) for Malaysia

Are you looking for more Kuala Lumpur travel guide and top things to do in Kuala Lumpur: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Kuala Lumpur blog (KL blog) — The fullest guide for a budget trip to Kuala Lumpur.