10 Best Things to Do in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Due to its ideal location, Kuala Lumpur is a melting pot of cultures and is used by many visitors as a hopping point to many other countries.

Tourism is the primary focus of Kuala Lumpur, and there is an abundance of things to explore for all the family.

With a depth of culture and the more modern, the city can be one of Malaysia’s most exciting places to visit.

With this in mind, here are the top 10 Kuala Lumpur attractions that make the vibrant city well worth a visit.

In This Guide

In no particular order, here are some things to do in Kuala Lumpur during your visit.

Top Ten Places to Visit in Kuala Lumpur

Petronas Towers

1. Visiting the Petronas Towers

This must be the top Kuala Lumpur point of interest because it takes such a dominant position on the skyline. It takes pride in the city and is an iconic building in the world because the two towers are the tallest in the world.

The Petronas twin towers not only give the best views of Kuala Lumpur, but they also have many attractions inside for visitors.

One of the best attractions inside the towers for the kids is the Petrosains Discovery Centre a 7,000-square-meter interactive science park on the fourth floor. Its focus is on how petroleum was created, but it can keep children entertained for a few hours.

Batu Caves Kuala Lumpur

2. Batu Caves

With a cab ride of around 11km outside the city, you can visit the world-famous Batu Caves. After passing the giant statue, you can make your way up the 272 steps to the top, leading you deep into the 400 million-year-old limestone hill and the temple constructed 100 years ago.

With other caves and shrines dotted around, it can take half a day to visit all there is to see. To keep the kids amused, there are a ton of monkeys hopping around who look all cutesy-cutesy, but they are well known for leading you into a false sense of security and stealing food and sodas, and on occasion, they have taken cameras from unsuspecting photographers.

3. Suria KLCC 

Nestled at the foot of the Petronas Towers is the Suria KLCC, and what you think is only another shopping mall, you would be very much mistaken with the 10,000 sqm.

The man-made lake is the musical fountains, which are a treat to see after a full day’s shopping. During the day, the kids can use what has to be the most extensive kid’s playground, with a complimentary water park at its side.

Best saved until the afternoon when the temperature drops, it keeps the kids quiet while mom and dad take in some of the many other sites around one of Asia’s largest shopping malls.

4. KLCC Park

At 50 acres in size, the KLCC park adds plenty of greenery and a relaxing atmosphere in such a busy city. It was designed by Roberto Burle Marx to accompany the Towers and the KLCC shopping center that it sits beside.

It gives access to the kid’s playground and water park and is also home to the musical water fountains, which are a joy to watch in the evening.

The park is home to over 74 species of trees and many waterfalls, which are scattered around the park and reflecting in the sunlight.

The park gives very different views of the city, which are rare, and provides some respite from all the hustle and bustle going on a few short meters away.

5. KL Bird Park

This is the centerpiece of the highly regarded 60-ha Lake Gardens, now renamed The Perdana Botanical Gardens.

The bird park is also known as the Taman Burung Kuala Lumpur; the covered KL bird park is touted as the largest in the world. Opened in 1991, the park is now home to over 200 bird species from around the globe.

This can be a treat to take children to because most birds are allowed to roam freely and are used to being around people.

A walk-in aviary is home to 60 species of foreign and local bird species, including peacocks and the world’s largest species of pigeon.

Inside the park, many species are segregated into types so that you can find the world of parrots, Flamingo Pond, Hornbill Park, and numerous others. Each of the species is free to fly around their respective enclosures.

6. Sultan Abdul Samad Building

For one of the most historical landmarks in KL, nothing holds as much history as the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. It sits across the road from the old KL railway station and no longer serves any official purpose.

It was once the home of the Ministry of Information Communications and Culture of Malaysia, and since it ceased serving this, it has become one of KL’s most must-see places.

With all of its construction made of brick, it has plenty of Gothic influences along with Moorish and other Western styles.

It is full of porches, arches, and curved colonnades,, topped with bright copper domes and a 40+ meter high clock tower.

7. Central Market

The famous Central Market is close to the Pasar Seni MRT station and a quick walk from Petaling Street, so it is easy to access rather than needing a cab. Although not ideal for kids, there are still some things that can keep them amused.

With artists who will be more than happy to draw a picture of the children for a small fee, to the vast must-try dining experiences of central Kuala Lumpur.

This doesn’t take away anything from the 350+ stores and kiosks where there is pretty much everything available from handicrafts, antiques, local batik, and souvenirs. Built in 1928 as a wet market that supplied much of the produce until the 1980’s, it was converted into the craft market that is found today.

National Museum Kuala Lumpur

8. National Museum

The National Museum is located within a short walk of the botanical gardens. While being fashioned in the shape of a traditional house, albeit much more extensive, it is an architectural wonder full of traditional designs and a host of contemporary decorations.

Visitors can learn all about the history and culture, and for a complete insight, it is one of the best places to visit in Malaysia You can see replicas of hunting displays, scenes from traditional weddings, and old Malay houses of yesteryear.

Along with these, a broad range of national costumes and musical instruments are being shown. The museum does have permanent exhibitions, while many temporary exhibitions will change at different times of the year and are shown in the central hall.

9. Royal Selangor

The name precedes itself, and you will find Royal Selangor is the world’s leading name for pewter products. Around 20 minutes from the city center is the award-winning visitor center, which sits on the edge of another KL landmark, Merdeka Square.

The square is home to the KL Independence Day festivities, which are held annually. Sat at the side is the very English-named Royal Selangor Club that was built in 1884. back then, it was the place to go for an afternoon tipple and the place to be seen if you were the center of colonial society. Nowadays, it is still popular, but this time with the KL vips.

The visitor center, though has over 200,000 visitors per year, and for a start, it has no admission, so tours are entirely free.

Being shown are the world’s largest tankard and a tankard replica of the Petronas Towers, which is made up of 7,000. As with any suitable place of this nature, you can watch demonstrations of the skilled craftsmanship employed in the bang-up to that factory.

National Mosque Kuala Lumpur

10. National Mosque

The Malaysian National Mosque is a large, imposing building and can hold 15,000 people at prayer time. It sits in the middle of a 13-acre patch of lush greenery. The mosque was built on the site of an old church in 1965 and is seen as one of the most essential Kuala Lumpur attractions, if not the whole of Malaysia.

From a distance, you can see the 73-meter tall minarets and the 16-pointed concrete star adoring the main roof.

The design was supposedly taken and supposed to resemble open and closed umbrellas. The main roof uses the concept of folding plates, increasing the space in the central gathering hall.

Like many other KL landmarks, there are plenty of reflecting pools and fountains in the surrounding gardens of the mosque.

Kuala Lumpur has far more attractions than are listed here, and many are delights in their own right. No food haunts have been touched upon, and you can choose street foods or the best restaurants possible.

Even for children, there are numerous parks and plenty of, roller coaster rides close to the city center.

As the mainstay or a part of a much extended vacation, Kuala Lumpur has more than enough to satisfy the most hungry traveler.

10 Best Things to Do in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia