Known for its large international airport, Kuala Lumpur is merely a stopover city for most who are on their way to other destinations. Unfortunately for them, they are missing out on so many awesome things to do and see!! In this post, I will tell you all about the best things to do in Kuala Lumpur!

Since I was only there for two days I in no way could tell you that this is a ‘guide’ to the city! Anyone who says that they have the perfect itinerary for a city after only being there a couple of days is lying! Rather they should just be called ‘this is what I did when I visited *insert city name here* and usually they all will tell you the same things. I too am guilty of this, BUT I am making a change now! Sooo here ya have it, after many hours of research I compiled this Kulala Lumpur bucket list of sorts for myself and now I will share it with you!

Things to do in Kuala Lumpur

This is what I did/you could do in Kuala Lumpur with 48 hours:

Learn more about the Muslim faith at Masjid Wilayah:

The majority of Malaysia is Muslim, so why not immerse yourself a little bit more in their religious culture? Masjid Wilayah also known as the Federal Territory Mosque, is only a few minutes outside of downtown Kuala Lumpur and is an architectural wonder, channeling designs from Iran, the tiling and structures are amazing.

Tours are free and start at 10:00 in the morning! The men and women who work there are some of the kindest I have ever met, they are happy to discuss their faith with you along with any other that questions you may have. Non-Muslims are welcome to join the tours, remember that it is a place of worship and you must act accordingly! They will give you proper attire to wear, as you must wear the appropriate clothing.

Immerse yourself in history at the Islamic Arts Museum:

While you are learning more about Islam, take a trip over to the Islamic Arts Museum! I was a bit skeptical at first because I have been to a handful of sub-par museums in SE Asia but this one was first class! It was on par with art museums in Europe that I have visited. The artifacts were documented and explained in English, and categorized beautifully. Entrance to the museum is only 14 RM, (3 USD) and you can spend as long as you’d like! The gift shop – one of my favorite part about museums was amazing as well. Truly top notch!

Go shopping in Chinatown aka Petaling Street:

Petaling street is one of the best night markets that I have been to! The number of goods for sale was insane. Watches, shoes, glasses, clothes, bags – and it all was really good quality! Well I mean it was all fake but it was that nice kinda fake. Prices weren’t too bad either and you could haggle with the shop owners quite a bit to grab a bargain!

Along with the goods, the food was amazing!! SO many different options and all of it looked delish. I tried some noodles and dumplings which were s’goood along with a winter melon drink that was actually scrumptious despite its coca cola color! All around this area there is no shortage of foods to try, things to buy and photos to take!

Explore Brickfields – Little India:

Because of its primarily Indian population, Brickfields has been dubbed ‘Little India’! All around this area you can find Indian cuisine and shops. Loud music blasts from street speakers and hundreds of pigeons fly overhead! It really didn’t feel like I was in Malaysia anymore. All the shops that line the main thoroughfare are bursting with beautiful fabrics. I bought a beautiful Indian skirt at one shop and later munched on some Pakoras that were made fresh right in front of me! Nom nom nom.  

Marvel at the Thean Thou Temple:

The Thean Thou Temple was legit the most beautiful Chinese temple I think I have ever seen. The weather was gorgeous which helped, but this stunning place should not be missed if you are in KL! The details were astonishing,  and you actually get a pretty cool view of the city from the top!

Related: How to Take Amazing Photos While Traveling Solo

Get the perfect view of the Petronas Towers:

To witness the amazingness which is the Petronas Towers you can venture downtown to KLCC park to see them from the ground or you could also take a visit to the HeliPad Bar for a stunning view of the city! Since I was doing this for the ‘gram I wanted to perfect photo op (shameless I know, I know). After much discourse between fellow bloggers, I was recommended to go to the Traders Hotel! From their top floor pool, you can stand on a bench and hang out the window and get this picture. I am ridiculous I know, but hey, it was a great view!

Hike 272 steps at the Batu Caves:

One of the top sites in Kuala Lumpur are the Batu Caves! This Hindu temple is placed on the inside of a massive cave on top of a huge mountain! Needless to say it was awesome! The only way to see it is to climb up the 272 stairs while dodging 300 monkeys and 400 pigeons, if you survive the ascent up, then prepare to be amazed. The second cave is where the real beauty is, hanging vines and trees line the cliff walls while monkeys scamper up them!

Coffee Shop Hop:

Kuala Lumpur is in the beginning stages of a coffee shop boom, with the level of millennials rising, it can only mean one thing – coffeeshop culture must accommodate our need for hip spaces to drink expensive beverages and eat expensive salads. This is all fine by me though, as there were some beautiful places to stop, recharge and have a delish cup of coffee or tea! My favorites were Merchants Lane Cafe, VCR, and ChoCha Foodstore.  

Useful Info:

Download Grab App or Uber: There are taxi’s everywhere in the city along with an expansive metro system but I opted to just use the taxi share app Grab. Therefore my destination along with price was prearranged and could not be disputed. I have spent so much time getting lost on trains and time was precious and these apps worked great and were much cheaper than the taxi alternative.

When traveling from the airport, again – I would just opt for a grab or uber! I took the train and once I arrived at the station and took a cab to my hostel it ended up being basically the same price as just getting a car from the airport. Next time I will just do that from the get go and save time!

When going to any of these places, arriving early to avoid the crowds is necessary! The Batu Caves were very quiet when I got there at around 8 AM but shortly after it was swamped with tourists!