Eight Awesome Free Activities in the Capital City of Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur: a big
modern city that never seems to sleep! Due to its central location, chances are
that you will come to Kuala Lumpur when you travel through Asia. The city is
not as expensive as Singapore, another mayor flight hub in Asia, but also Kuala
Lumpur is certainly not cheap. To ensure that you won’t exceed your budget,
here are eight fun things to do in Kuala Lumpur that are completely free!
Eight free sights and things to do in Kuala
Lumpur!
We visited Kuala
Lumpur twice. With its beautiful skyline, cool shopping malls and delicious
food, it is a nice place to spend a few days. Unfortunately, it is not cheap
there compared to the rest of Southeast Asia. Luckily for us, we soon
discovered that there are more than enough activities and fun things to do and
see in Kuala Lumpur that do not cost a penny. Read on to plan your trip to
Kuala Lumpur!
1. Climb the colourful stairs to the Batu Caves
Just outside of Kuala
Lumpur are the Batu Caves. Large limestone caves that are more than 400
million years old. Several cave temples have been made here since the 19th
century. The large cave can be visited free of charge via the Rainbow Stairs:
brightly coloured stairs that lead you all the way up to the caves.
These coloured
staircases are perhaps even more popular and well-known than the Batu Caves
themselves. It is always busy here. If you want a photo without tourists on the
stairs, you have to be there early (on weekdays before 7 a.m.).
Not free: a tour of the Batu Caves, the central
market and a number of cultural highlights in Kuala Lumpur. Click here for more information.
2. Walkthrough the KLCC park and admire the
impressive Petronas Towers
The Petronas Twin
Towers are the iconic image of Kuala Lumpur. The two silver towers are more
than 450 meters high and connected to a walkway. At the foot of the Petronas
Towers is a green park where you can escape the busy city life while
enjoying the view of these beautiful towers. This is the KLCC park, completely
free.
Walkthrough the green
garden, cool off by dipping your feet in the paddling pool or do a workout on
the green grass. Ready to relax? Inside the Petronas Towers, you will find a
huge shopping centre (Suria Mall) where you can marvel at the most beautiful
designer clothing!
3. Admire the beautiful Sultan Abdul Samad and
Merdeka Square
The Sultan Abdul Samad
building is impressive to see. You have the idea of being in the
Middle East instead of Kuala Lumpur. The British colonial government used to be
in the building, nowadays you can find several Malaysian ministries here.
In front of the Sultan
Abdul Samad building is the Merdeka
Square, a large square that is translated as Independence Square. In the
past cricket was played here, nowadays the National Day parade takes place here
every year.
Bonus tip: looking
for a budget restaurant near the Sultan Abdul Samad Building? Then go eat at
the popular and inexpensive Kafe Old Market Square where Malaysian dishes are
prepared.
4. Visit the markets in China Town
The Petaling
Street Market in China Town is a place that you really must see when
you go to Kuala Lumpur. The colours, smells and sounds, it can feel
overwhelming, but this is definitely a part of Kuala Lumpur too. Walk around
this uncovered market, view the people and stalls and if your budget allows it,
buy souvenirs, spices and cheap electronics here. You will also find many
imitation shoes, bags and T-shirts here as well.
Another big market,
also in China Town, is the Central Market. This looks more like a large flea market
with all kinds of small stalls.
Bonus tip: Another nice little market is the hip “The Sunny Side Up”
market that takes place every weekend in The Row. You
will find jewellery, bags and clothing here. It is reminiscent of the halls in
Amsterdam but then smaller. The Row is a street full of hip restaurants. You
will find here Common Grind coffee shop, a nice place to work for a
few hours. The nice restaurant Limapulo Baba Can Cook is also located here.
5. Walk along the KL Forest Eco Park walkways
Escape from the hustle
and bustle of the city, then visit the KL Forest Eco Park that is close to the
Kuala Lumpur Tower. This free park* has mapped out a route via walkways and a
few other walking routes. You can spot all kinds of insects and birds here, but
perhaps even more beautiful is the skyline that you see from the walkways.
The entrance to the KL
Forest Eco Park is hard to find, click here for
the correct location on Google Maps.
* The KL Forest Eco
Park is unfortunately no longer free since 01-01-2020.
Tip: The
KL Forest Eco Park is next to the KL Tower. This 421-meter high communication
tower has a sky deck and restaurant from which you can see all over Kuala
Lumpur. Going up is certainly not free, but it is a special experience.
6. Admire the architecture of the Wilayah
Mosque (Federal Territory Mosque)
Inspired by the Blue
Mosque in Turkey and Taj Mahal, the Wilayah Mosquee is a place that we really wanted to
see. And wow, this mosque is beautiful! Both outside and inside you will find
beautiful architecture with mosaics, Moroccan arches
and blue domes that brought us back to Turkey. Strangely
enough, you will hardly find any other tourists here!
Another reason why you should definitely
visit this place is the free tours that you can do here daily. You can just
walk in and a volunteer then walks you through the entire building, meanwhile
telling about the architecture, customs in the mosque and history of Islam. The
religious discussion that we had with our guide was also very special. The
mosque is open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Guided tours are not possible
during prayer hours on Friday.
7. Walkthrough the Perdana Botanical Gardens
Need some rest around
you? Then go to the Perdana
Botanical Gardens. This free park is located west of China Town and what a
contrast to the crowds that you find in China Town. We enjoyed the beautiful
art that resembles the Singapore Botanical Gardens. In addition, you will find
all kinds of insects, birds and, with good luck, even deer.
Tip: The Butterfly Garden, part of the Perdana Botanical Garden, is not free but beautiful. What we definitely do not recommend is the Bird Garden that you will also find here. We found the living conditions of the birds very bad. They didn’t look good and the lofts were downright dirty. Click here for more information about a tour through the gardens.
8. Visit the Thean Hou Temple and see the
skyline of Kuala Lumpur
The Thean Hou Temple is
one of the largest Chinese temples in Southeast Asia. It is located just
outside the city centre, on a small hill that gives you a nice view of the city
skyline. Admission is free for the temple and the best time to come here is
early in the morning. We visited this place after a few days of rain so all the
lanterns were killed on the roof, so normally this place is even more
beautiful!
Tip: not
free but a place with a beautiful view is in the Thrityeight restaurant/wine
bar of the Grand Hyatt Hotel. We drank a drink here to celebrate Ries’
birthday and looked straight out at the Petronas Twin Towers and the rest of
the KL skyline!
Extra budget tips for Kuala Lumpur
Cheap transportation in Kuala Lumpur City
Part of the public
transportation of Kuala Lumpur is free. Yes, you read that right: free! These
are the GO KL City Bus buses that run four different routes along with the most
popular areas. You can easily recognize the buses: they are bright pink.
Click here for the exact routes.
Bonus tip: in addition to the bus and metro, you can
also use cheap(er) taxi companies Grab and MyCar. Never used MyCar before?
Then we have a nice introduction discount for you. Click here to install MyCar with a discount.
Cheap food in Kuala Lumpur
You can eat cheaply
and eat out in Kuala Lumpur at one of the food stalls on the street or in a
food court. Our favourite food markets are Jalan Alor and Tapak Urban Street
Dining. In every shopping centre, you will find a food court where you can
eat well for a few euros.
Tip: Not cheap but a fun activity to get to
know Kuala Lumpur’s street food: a food tour. Click here for a tour that we can absolutely recommend!
Cheap transport from and to the airport
The airport of Kuala
Lumpur is quite far from the centre. For € 15- € 20 you are in the centre by
taxi. The Express train is also not cheap at € 11.50 per person. What is a
cheap way to get from the airport to Kuala Lumpur City is by taking the bus.
There are four different bus companies that bring you to the centre for € 2.50
per person in an hour. The buses are waiting for the indicated bus stop in
front of the terminals, you can buy tickets inside the airport.
The best budget hotels in Kuala Lumpur
One of the biggest expenses during a trip to Kuala Lumpur is undoubtedly your accommodation. Hotels are not cheap in Kuala Lumpur. We have done our best to find the best budget hotels and hostels. If you want to sleep in one of the hotels below, book on time and get a good price, as the rooms are quickly sold out!