A 3-Day Guide to Exploring the Best of Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is a varied, fresh, and modern city - and can easily be covered in three days. "KL", as it is locally known, has a cool vibe matched with its traditional religious tourist sites.

It is a pretty easy city to navigate with loads of tourist information centres and readily available brochures and maps. English is also widely spoken, so non-Chinese/Malay speakers can feel comfortable touring the city.

Three days would be the perfect amount of time for must-do KL sightseeing and to enjoy the city to the fullest.

Fly in and stop off at your hotel for the next three days. There is a plethora of qualityand value-for-money hotels in the city. Suggestions for Kuala Lumpur include the Shangri-La, Traders Hotel, or the Sheraton Imperial. These hotels will provide comfort for those quick-stop travellers, and they also are quite close to the Petronas Towers, the shining icon of the city.

But, if you’re travelling on a budget, no worries! There are also plenty of excellent hostels to spend your three Kuala Lumpur nights in. And, this way, you get the opportunity to meet other travellers!

We recommend booking the KL Pass in advance to get easy access to all the main attractions. With the Pass you can skip the queue on 15 activities, including the Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus (unlimited rides!) and the KL Tower - all you need to do is show the Klook voucher when you arrive.

MORNING: The best thing to do right off the bat is to head to the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery. This is a free museum and tourist centre which explains the history of the city as well as provides exhibits, and important tourist information. There are audio tours which are in a variety of different languages. Outside of the gallery, take a picture with the I Love KL sign. Now you’ll be well-equipped for your 3-Day Kuala Lumpur excursion!

Next, it’s time to see the biggest thing in this city and KL’s crowning glory: The Petronas Twin Towers. This shimmering pair has won the record for the tallest twin towers in the world. They dominate over the city, and touring them is one of Kuala Lumpur’s top things to do! After the gallery visit, book a tour to head up into a world landmark and get a record high view of this beautiful city, which is fast becoming a top hub. It’s best to go in the daytime in order to get the best view, and come back at night to see from ground level.

For lunch, why not take a taxi to Kuala Lumpur’s Petaling Street which is located in Chinatown and visit a local hawker food shop or some of the street food? Get your haggling shoes on because this is the place to do it. Grab lunch, buy some clothing or souvenirs, and maybe even get your fortune told…

AFTERNOON: Time to see some of the street art! Start where you left off in Petaling Street by viewing 'Funkdamental', painted by local Malaysian street artist Katun. Then walk over to a secret laneway hidden between Lorong Panggung and Jalan Petaling to view all the murals to remember the Chinese settlers during the 1960s.

EVENING: One of the top attractions as well as a great spot for good nightlife in the city is Marini’s on 57. Every traveller needs to give this place a try. It has the absolute best view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline as well as of the stunning Kuala Lumpur towers. Any taxi driver will know the place. Not only is it a swanky lounge, but it is also an Italian restaurant, and thus a wonderful choice for a first night’s dinner.

MORNING: The first day is always a bit of a tough one, getting over the travel fatigue and all. So, now that the first day was a bit light, let’s move on to the nitty-gritty of Kuala Lumpur tourism. Since it’s only a 3 day trip, it can be gruelling to try and get around a city and see all of the important spots. It can almost be stressful, which is a big no-no for a holiday! The best way to avoid this is to do an on-and-off bus tour. These are extremely easy buses to pick up. The bus covers over 70 attractions. Bus pickup locations are all over the city (The KL City Gallery will be a source of information for this.) Or, if you’re more of the scheduling type, you can also book a half day tour to get all of the important sites in!

AFTERNOON: Later in the afternoon, why not fly on over to the Kuala Lumpur bird park? This park, covering 20.9 acres, is the largest walk-in aviary in the world. Seems like they’re really trying to hit the record books. Either way, it is nothing less than impressive. Even if people aren’t much of bird fans, no one can deny the relaxing and fresh vibe of nature in the middle of a bustling city. There are a number of other gorgeous parks in this city, and with alternatively, you can also book a full tour of all the city’s parks.

EVENING: Jalan Alor is the next place for you hungry folks to be in the evening. It is also the place to see more of KL's famous street art. Definitely try the famous Fei Fei Crab - you can get RM100 off with this voucher! Jalan Alor is where the true heart of the city comes out, and travellers can sample a variety of different local foods and really get a good vibe.

MORNING: Since it’s the last day of the trip, Batu Caves is a MUST-DO for any traveller who comes to Kuala Lumpur. It can get a little busy, and tiring (because of all the steps), it is an amazing site one won’t forget in a heartbeat. Imagine it: 272 steps lead the way to the cave entrance of one of the most important Hindu religious sites! It is not for the faint of heart (literally). It can be a tough climb, but it’s fun to stop and take pictures of the views as you rise up and up, and interact with the monkeys that climb on the steps among the tourists and have a cheeky attitude.

Outside of the caves stands the largest gold-painted statue of Murugan, a Hindu god. It’s one of Kuala Lumpur’s icons and top attractions. You can book a tour for this site, but it also possible to do alone. As you enter the caves, there are statues and paintings and lots of picture opportunities. It can take an hour or two to get full enjoyment of the spot.

AFTERNOON: In the afternoon, head for lunch and then go to the Royal Museum for a great view of a beautifully structured building. It almost reminds one of Buckingham Palace in England with its solemn guards standing watch. This was formerly the residence of the King of Malaysia up until 2011, and now it is the Royal Museum. Even if you don’t get the chance to go inside, it’s worth a picture!

EVENING: On the last day, who can resist going to the party central of the city? Changkat Street is the place to go. This is the centre of nightlife in Kuala Lumpur, and is a long street of bars, clubs, and restaurants. There are ladies’ nights, live bands, DJ’s, dance floors, and more. You can go for a chilled out bar and restaurant vibe or you can dance the night away. There is also a variety of world cuisine, so visitors from all over can find a place they enjoy.

You can check out No Black Tie, which is a popular Jazz bar. Or maybe you’d prefer Nagaba Bar and Restaurant or Pallillos Bar. Most of the bars and restaurants on this street have a terrace front, so even if you’re at one place, you can still check out the others and feel the hustle-bustle of this vibrant part of town. If you're wanting to meet some likeminded travellers, join up on a pub crawl!

Once the last cocktail has been drunk, say goodnight to a breezy, quick, yet amazing 3-day stay in the architecturally stunning, modern, yet traditional city of Kuala Lumpur: the city that will leave you wanting to book another trip.

And if you're limited on time, have no fear. Check out a full day tour which covers most of the sights above without you having to worry about getting around!