Previously known as the Lake Gardens, the Perdana Botanical Garden began life as a public park in the 1880s. Spanning more than 220 acres (90 hectares) in the city center, it offers a sunken garden, herbarium, hibiscus garden, and rainforest trees, plus artificial lakes, a waterfall, a deer park, and a boardwalk through tropical ferns.
With a cool climate more reminiscent of England than Malaysia, the Cameron Highlands provide a welcome break from the humidity of Kuala Lumpur. Located 124 miles (200 kilometers) from the capital, the lush landscape offers tea plantations, strawberry farms, flower-filled gardens, and highlights such as the eerie Mossy Forest and afternoon tea in the hill station.
Jamek Mosque (Masjid Jamek), formally known as Masjid Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek, is Kuala Lumpur’s oldest mosque, dating back to 1909. Inspired by the Mughal mosques of India, it’s a beautiful brick-built affair in the heart of the city, where the Gombak and Klang rivers meet. Some areas are off-limits to non-Muslims.
Kuala Lumpur may be the capital of Malaysia, but Putrajaya, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away, is the nation’s seat of government. A planned city laid out in the mid-1990s, its grandiose buildings, manicured gardens, and space-age architecture spread out around an artificial lake.
With a history dating back to the 19th century, Petaling Street Market is a popular destination with locals and tourists looking for bargains. Packed with stalls selling a wide range of goods, from clothing, shoes, and bags to watches, electronics, and souvenirs, the covered market also offers a wide and diverse array of food options.
Bask in the bioluminescence of thousands of fireflies as they do their mating dance in a mesmerizing display around the berembang trees along the Selangor River at Malaysia’s Kampung Kuantan Firefly Park, in Kuala Selangor. Each species of firefly has a different light pattern. They create a symphony of light in the mangrove swamps as they swarm around their chosen branches. It’s one of Mother Nature’s most spectacular displays.
Housed in a beautiful Minangkabau-style building in Kuala Lumpur, the National Museum (Muzium Negara) details Malaysia’s rich history and diverse cultural heritage. Spanning the prehistoric age to present day, four distinctive galleries exhibit fascinating artifacts such as Palaeolithic-era tools thought to be more than 200,000 years old.
Kuala Lumpur Bird Park (Taman Burung Kuala Lumpur) is the largest free-flight aviary of its kind, with 20 acres (8.1 hectares) of space for more than 3,000 birds to roam. Home to iridescent blue peacocks, flamingos, hornbills, ostriches, and many more bird species, this Malaysian park is a popular choice with nature lovers and families.
Home to the iconic “I LOVE KL” sign and a 2,000-square-foot (185-square-meter model of Kuala Lumpur, the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery sits on Merdeka Square. Part city museum, part tourist information office, it’s home to a café, a gift shop, and exhibits about KL city history, but for many, the heritage building is a big part of the charm.
A magnet for architecture fans, Putrajaya sits on an artificial lake crisscrossed by eight bridges. Highlights include the Seri Wawasan Bridge, shaped like a futuristic sail; the Putra Bridge, a three-tier bridge with minaret-style piers; the Seri Saujana Bridge, with an arcing suspension span; and the Moorish-inspired Seri Perdana Bridge.
Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park, one of the largest butterfly gardens in the world, is home to more than 6,000 species. Its tropical rain forest setting provides a tranquil escape from the bustle of Kuala Lumpur and offers an engaging and educational experience for kids and adults alike.
The sprawling 88-acre (36-hectare) Sunway Lagoon ranks among Southeast Asia’s biggest theme parks and boasts rides, water slides, a man-made beach, a wildlife park, and Malaysia’s first surf simulator. It’s one of Kuala Lumpur’s top family attractions, offering activities that will suit kids of all ages.
Based on an original in Guangzhou, China, the Chan She Shu Yuen Clan House (or ancestral hall) is the Kuala Lumpur headquarters of the Chan (also written Tan or Chen) clan association. Unless your name is Chan, Tan, or Chen, you’ll likely visit the gorgeous heritage-listed temple with its gilded pillars, pottery-decked roof, and opulent altar.
Located beneath the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Aquaria KLCC is home to more than 5,000 aquatic and marine animals from more than 150 species. The 60,000-square-foot (5,574-square-meter) aquarium exhibits flora and fauna from around Malaysia and from areas across the world.
When Malaysia laid out the lakeside Putrajaya, they designed it as a modern garden city. The 35-acre (14-hectare) Taman Warisan Pertanian (Agriculture Heritage Park) is one of its gardens. You can discover crops from rubber and palm oil to tea, coffee, cacao, herbs, spices, and tropical fruit—and then savor them in the food court.
The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur’s standout museum, home to over 9,000 Islamic artifacts from around the world. Collections span the gamut from Korans to tiles, carpets to jewelry, textiles to calligraphy, and architecture to ancient medical texts. To understand the role Islam played in world civilization, start here.
Fringed with mangrove forests and filled with houses on stilts, the relaxed fishing community of Crab Island (Pulau Ketam) couldn’t feel further from nearby Kuala Lumpur. The two villages, which are home to only 6,000 residents, are renowned for their seafood dishes, which tend to feature fresh prawns and crab.
Perched at the summit of the Genting Highlands, almost 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) above sea level, the Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park is a leisure and amusement resort in a unique Malaysian setting. Here, amusements, attractions, and rides get a fun twist. Each is designed around themes such as flying Zeppelins in the Robots Rivet Town or a roller coaster bike ride at Eagle Mountain.
The neighborhood known as Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC is quite literally the heart of the Malaysian capital and home to some of the country’s most recognizable landmarks, including the Petronas Twin Towers. A commercial development project that began in 1993 envisioned KLCC as “a city within a city,” one that would leave visitors feeling like they could quite comfortably never leave the area.
Some of Kuala Lumpur’s best shopping—and eating—happens at night, at the city’s pasar malam, or night markets. Many locals come to Jalan Masjid India Night Market for cheap clothing and accessories. Most foreigners visit to enjoy the excellent Malay, Chinese, and Indian street foods, washed down with a dose of people watching.
The 2,965-acre (1,200-hectare) Templer Park is a green oasis on the northern edge of Kuala Lumpur. Its greenery, streams, ponds, and waterfalls attract visitors wanting to cool off from Kuala Lumpur’s hot, sticky climate. There’s also a country club within the park and a rainforest retreat resort just outside.
Occupying the 4th and 5th floors of the Petronas Towers, Petrosains, the Discovery Centre is a science-focused museum that explores the petroleum industry, with exhibitions and activities that focus on STEM skills. It's arranged into 11 interactive galleries that showcase everything from fossils to space-age technology.
Home to 5,000-plus creatures from about 500 different species, Malaysia National Zoo (Zoo Negara Malaysia) is a premier conservation facility. Visit to see zoo animal favorites such as giant pandas, elephants, and lions. Stop by the petting zoo, bird house, reptile house, and butterfly garden, and don't miss the live animal shows.
Few capital cities can boast a tropical rain forest within driving distance, but Kuala Lumpur can. The Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) is a 3,775-acre (600-hectare) expanse that’s home to hundreds of plant species. Visitors can hike along trails that pass secondary forests, a river, and waterfall.
With more than 236,806 square feet (22,000 square meters) of function space, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre hosts events and conferences, as well as the aquarium Aquaria KLCC. Located at the heart of Kuala Lumpur City Centre, the convention center offers close proximity to accommodation, food, beverage, and entertainment options.
The Cape Rachado Lighthouse, also called the Tanjung Tuan Lighthouse, stands within the Cape Rachado Forest Reserve, which has been a haven for migratory birds and turtles since it was established in the 1920s. A fun excursion for some exercise and beautiful views, visiting the lighthouse requires a short uphill hike along a path surrounded by jungle.
Outside Kuala Lumpur, i-City is an urban, business, and tourism development that contains malls, offices, hotels, tourist attractions, and much more. Of most interest to travelers is the theme park, which consists of a water park, museums, fairground attractions, a Ferris wheel, and the largest snow park in Malaysia.
The sleepy coastal town of Sekinchan, north of Kuala Selangor, is Malaysia’s rice bowl, with spectacularly flat, fertile fields that yield more rice per acre than anywhere in the country. The Sekinchan Paddy Fields (Sawah Padi Sekinchan), vast rice fields that roll away toward the endless horizon, are Sekinchan’s star attraction.
Catch a wave, pose with an elephant, or walk on the ceiling at Kuala Lumpur’s Illusion 3D Art Museum, a fun destination for families or friends traveling together. Snap some amazing photos of yourself and your friends in front of realistic 3D paintings for some funny, surprising, scary, and even confusing effects.
To truly immerse yourself in the bustle of Malaysia’s capital, a visit to the neighborhood of Bukit Bintang (Bintang Walk) is essential. Home to the highest concentration of trendy bars, shopping outlets, and international restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Bintang embodies the city’s cosmopolitan culture.
