The Best 18 Places to Visit and Things to Do in Kuala Lumpur

April 18, 2020 Mustafa Natalwala 6741 Views

Kuala Lumpur or KL as it has been nicknamed, is not only the political capital of Malaysia, but also its tourist capital. A Kuala Lumpur travel is a pretty balanced one. You get to enjoy incredible architecture, explore nature, engage culturally, learn history, and take picturesque strolls all in a single KL trip. The city has been designed to engaged you with various tourist spot, each with its own unique experience. The Petronas Towers are on the top of places to visit in Kuala Lumpur list for most people. But, from then onwards you can customize your KL tour as per your taste.

The city and its surroundings have a lot of tourist attractions and places to see in Kuala Lumpur. One of the most unique aspects of Kuala Lumpur is the blend of cultures and religions within the city. Places to go in KL includes beautifully architecture mosques, temples, churches, and shrines. You also have museums, palaces, and art galleries to visit to learn and engage with the history and heritage of Malaysia when you visit KL. If you fancy to explore the nature, you will have plenty of options from Nature Parks and Zoos to scenic Forest Reserves and Cave Exploration tours.

There are many tourist places in Kuala Lumpur and even some hidden spots in each travel category. So you would have more fun if you mix and match these, say spent the morning exploring nature, spent afternoon pampering yourself in a spa, bask in the sunset from the Patronas Towers, take strolls in the city market for some street food and shopping and end the happening day at one of the many happening night life clubs; this way you have hit multiple interesting places in KL and have had a variety of incredible experiences.

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Table of Contents

The Best 18 Tourist Places to Visit in Kuala Lumpur (KL) in 3 Days (Trip Itinerary)

Day 1

1. Petronas Twin Towers

These towers are among the best places to visit in KL. Though there are several things to do in these 451 meters tall towers, people gravitate the most towards the observation deck and skybridge. It is the best place for Kuala Lumpur sightseeing. You can easily spend a couple of hours exploring the towers.

2. Aquaria KLCC

This aquarium contains around 5,000 aquatic creatures from several different species. It is one of the most best tourist places in Kuala Lumpur for its walkthrough tunnel. You will need 2 hours to explore it entirely.

3. KLCC Park

The Park is close to the Petrones Towers and is top KL tourist spot for viewing the towers. The park is also known for numerous sculptures spread across it as well as the musical fountain show. You would need 20 to 30 minutes for this park.

4. Bukit Bintang

If you are looking for fun things to do in Kuala Lumpur, this district will delight you. It is the hub for shopping, dining, entertainment and street food in the city. You would need about an hour to explore it.

5. Petaling Street

This is part of the city is well-known for bargain shopping and interesting street food. There several interesting things to see in Kuala Lumpur China Town for those looking to explore asian cultures. You would need an hour here.

6. Sin Sze Si Ya Temple

This Taoist temple was built in 1864 and is believed to the oldest of its kind in the city. It is among prominent Kuala Lumpur tourist destination to explore the local culture and architecture. You will need 30 to 45 minutes this ornate temple.

7. Sri Mahamariamman Temple

This is the oldest hindu temple in the city and was built in 1873. It is popular among KL tourist places for colourful sculptures and temple tower. You will need 30 to 45 minutes for this temple.

Day 2

1. Perdana Botanical (Lake) Garden

This recreational park is among the largest in the city. It is known for its botanical gardens and lake. You can enjoy several activities here when you visit Kuala Lumpur. Keep an hour or so for Perdana Botanical Garden.

I suggest you should go for Segway Tour of Perdana Botanical Gardens

2. Kuala Lumpur Bird Park

This huge park serves as temporary and permanent home to a huge variety of birds. You can explore a few different landscapes and see birds in their natural environment. It is among the most interesting places in KL and would require an hour of your time to explore.

3. Islamic Art Museum Kuala Lumpur

This museum exhibits works of islamic art collected from several places around the globe. It is among most popular Kuala Lumpur tourist spots owing to its wide range of incredible exhibits. You will need about 2 hours to explore it.

4. National Mosque of Malaysia

Built in 1965, this is one of the most beautiful mosques in the world with its unique architectural style. It is a blissful sight and admired among Kuala Lumpur tourist attractions for its landscape, architecture, design and interior decor. You will need 30 to 45 minutes to explore it.

5. Merdeka Square

This is the city’s independence square and is also known among Kl tourist place for having the tallest flag pole in the world. You will need about 20 to 30 minutes here.

6. Sultan Abdul Samad Building

This building was built in 1897 to honor the Sultan of Selangar. It is known for its Moorish design, clocktower and copper domes. You will need 30 to 45 minutes from Kuala Lumpur trip for this historical building.

7. Jamek Mosque

This is the oldest mosque in the city and among the most beautifully architecture structures you would come across among tourist attractions in KL. You will need about 45 minutes to explore it.

Day 3

1. Kuala Lumpur Tower

Also known as Menara Kuala Lumpur, this is one of the most important stop on KL trip. The tower is most known for the observation deck with an amazing view of the city. Though, you can also enjoy other activities like 3D movie and aquarium while exploring this tower. You can easily spend a couple of hours here.

I suggest you can book your ticket of KL Tower Observation Deck in advance

2. Batu Caves

These caves are an important cultural monument and among the best places to visit near Kuala Lumpur. The caves serve as a hindu temple for deity Murugan. It is known for 272 step climb and beautiful carvings and sculptures. You will need 2 hours at least for the Batu Caves.

3. Royal Selangor Visitor Center

This brand is one of the largest manufacturers of pewter in the world. The visit center allows to get an insight into their manufacturing process and their history. You will need about an hour for this tour.

4. Thean Hou Temple

This is one of the largest temples in Southeast Asia. It is among the most visually stunning places to go in Kuala Lumpur for its intricate architecture. You will need about an hour to explore this 6 storey temple.

If you are looking for more things to do in Kuala Lumpur, check out the section below. We have compiled an exhaustive list of places and activities which you can enjoy in and around the city.

Things to do in Kuala Lampur

Historical Places, Monuments & Museums to Visit in Kuala Lumpur

Masjid Negara
Batu Caves
Masjid Jamek / Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque
Islamic Arts Museum
Shri Mahamariamman Temple
National History Museum
Istana Negara
Maybank Numismatic Museum
National Mosque of Malaysia
Then Hou Temple
Pusat Sains Negara / National Science Museum
Tugu Negara / National Monument
Muzium Negara / National Museum
Royal Malaysia Police Museum
Royal Selangor Visitor Center
Sin Sze Si Ya Temple

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Spots in Kuala Lumpur

Bukit Tabur
Bukit Gasing
KL Forest Eco Park
Kanching Rainforest Waterfall
Taman Orkid
Bukit Kiara Park
Taman Tugu
Templer Park
Forest Research Institute Malaysia

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Spots in Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur City Gallery
Petronas Twin Towers
KLCC Park
Perdana Botanical Garden
Butterfly Park
Lake Gardens Park
Berjaya Times Square Theme Park
Sunway Lagoon Theme Park
Aquaria KLCC
Taman Burung / Kuala Lumpur Bird Park
National Zoo of Malaysia
KL Tower Mini Zoo
Taman Tasik Titiwasanga
Planetarium Negara / National Planetarium
ASEAN Sculpture Garden
Taman Rekreasi Bukit Jalil / Bukit Jalil Recreational Park
Bukit Gambang Resort City
Kidzania
Lost World of Tambun
Taman Tasik Ampang Hilir
Istana Budaya
National Visual Arts Gallery
20th Century Fox World Malaysia

Shopping in Kuala Lumpur

Jalan Bukit Bintang
Petaling Street – Chinatown
Kasturi Street
Little India – Brickfeilds
KL Sentral
Central Market – Chinatown
Suria KLCC
Pavilion KL
Cheras Pasar Malam / Connaught Night Market

Sightseeing in Kuala Lumpur

Merdeka Square
KL Tower / Menara Kuala Lumpur
Helipad Lounge – Menara KH
Sultan Abdul Samad Building
Kuala Lumpur Railway Station
Parliament House
Kampung Baru

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Kuala Lumpur

Kampung Baru
Golden Triangle
Plane in the City
The Row Kuala Lumpur
Sky Bar
Luna Bar Rooftop
Pisco Bar
Speakeasy Bar

Where to Stay in Kuala Lumpur?

Here we have listed Top Rated Luxurious, Mid-range and Budget Hotels in Kuala Lumpur. You can check below listed hotels for your perfect stay in Kuala Lumpur.

Luxurious Hotels

Mid-Range Hotels

Budget Hotels

Custom Tours Package in Kuala Lumpur

How to Reach Kuala Lumpur?

By Air

You can fly into Kuala Lumpur International Airport to reach the city of Kuala Lumpur. It is also the most preferred Airport to reach Malaysia as well.

By Road

Kuala Lumpur is the Rome of Malaysia, so all roads lead to Kuala Lumpur and all roads from Kuala Lumpur can take you around Malaysia. You also have intercity and interstate bus services available to and from Kuala Lumpur.
Additionally train connectivity in Malaysia is equally excellent. You can also get to Kuala Lumpur from Thailand and Singapore via train and vice versa.

By Water

Kuala Lumpur is not a port, but you can get to Kuala Lumpur from Indonesia through port Klang. The ferry services take you between the countries at a very reasonable price.

Image Reference

Petronas Twin Towers – Simon_sees / Flickr
Aquaria KLCC – Mohd Fazlin Mohd Effendy Ooi / Flickr
KLCC Park – Andy Mitchell / Flickr
Bukit Bintang – Achilli Family | Journeys / Flickr
Petaling Street – Dr. Thomas Liptak / Flickr
Sin Sze Si Ya Temple – scottgunn / Flickr
Sri Mahamariamman Temple – scottgunn / Flickr
Perdana Botanical (Lake) Garden – Carven Yong Jui Ming / Wikimedia Commons
Kuala Lumpur Bird Park – Geof Wilson / Flickr
Islamic Art Museum Kuala Lumpur – Chongkian / Wikimedia Commons
National Mosque of Malaysia – Sali Sasaki / Flickr
Merdeka Square – Harry and Rowena Kennedy / Flickr
Sultan Abdul Samad Building – salehi hassan / Flickr
Jamek Mosque – scottgunn / Flickr
Kuala Lumpur Tower – Metropolitaneando / PixaBay
Batu Caves – shashankagarwalin / PixaBay
Royal Selangor Visitor Center – Frostpolar / Wikimedia Commons
Thean Hou Temple – a.canvas.of.light / Flickr