There are many things to do in Kuala Lumpur (KL), but if you can spare a day, there are many great things you can do around Kuala Lumpur as well on a day trip. You won’t regret a 1 day getaway from KL!
For example, you can go shopping and enjoy the theme parks at Genting Highlands. You can see the culturally significant sites of UNESCO listed Melaka. You can enjoy the thriving food scene in Ipoh.
Or, you can escape the city and see the rural side of Malaysia in Cameron Highlands. Malaysia is one of those places where there’s so much to see – and you can visit each place separately in a Kuala Lumpur one day itinerary.
While there are many things to do in Kuala Lumpur, a day trip from KL can really add something special to your trip. It’s a great way to see another great slice of Malaysia.
Below are our pick of the best day trips from Kuala Lumpur from our one day trip from KL blog!
Prefer to listen? I also talk about all the best KL day trips in this podcast episode.
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Contents
Why Book A One Day Trip In Kuala Lumpur?
If we have a day to spare when we’re staying in KL, we always book Kuala Lumpur tours and day trips. There are many places to take a 1 day trip near KL, and a tour makes visiting these places very easy and hassle free. Many of the places in this guide simply take too long to get to on public transport to make a day trip viable, so a day tour is the only way to see them from KL.
If you know where you want to go, but you don’t want to do the planning, a one day tour from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia is the best option.
Tickets, transfers and occasionally meals are usually taken care of as part of your one day getaway from Kuala Lumpur. Plus, you will have the added convenience of having a local with you as a guide. Most options are also very affordable with the more expensive tours taking you to otherwise difficult to access destinations.
Compare All The Best Day Trips From Kuala Lumpur
Here’s a quick comparison of all your best day trip from KL options.
| Tour Name | Best For… | Price | Book Now |
| Putrajaya And River Cruise Tour | Exploring the new city of Putrajaya in half a day with transfers and river cruise | $ | Click |
| Genting Highlands And Batu Caves Day Tour | Experiencing the hills around KL with a cooler climate, many attractions and the bonus of the Batu Caves | $ | Click |
| Genting Highlands Day Trip | Enjoying the attractions and hilltop climate at Genting Highlands | $ | Click |
| Historical Melaka Tour With Lunch From Kuala Lumpur | Exploring the history and culture of a UNESCO city in one day with return transfers | $ | Click |
| Malacca Historical Tour With Personal Chauffeur | Connecting with Melaka’s history with a private tour | $$ | Click |
| Cameron Highlands Day Tour | Seeing Malaysia’s rural side and enjoying its farms and fresh climate in the Cameron Highlands | $$ | Click |
| Taman Negara National Park Join-In Day Tour | One of the best ways to explore the jungle heart of Malaysia | $$$ | Click |
| Ipoh Private Day Trip | Seeing the colonial architecture of Ipoh and tasting some of the best food in Malaysia | $$ | Click |
| Sunway Lagoon With Transfers | Enjoying a day of fun at a local theme and water park | $ | Click |
| Kuala Selangor Fireflies Night Tour With Seafood Dinner And Boat Trip | Leaving the city behind and enjoying a boat cruise at night as well as a great dinner | $ | Click |
| Crab Island Sightseeing Boat Ride And Seafood Lunch | Visiting a unique island fishing community near Kuala Lumpur | $$ | Click |
You can read more about each of these options below.
Best Day Trips Kuala Lumpur
Putrajaya And River Cruise Tour – Best Short Day Trip From KL
As Malaysia’s administrative capital, purpose built Putrajaya is an interesting city to visit. This half day trip from KL is one of the best ways to experience Putrajaya. I personally took this tour and really enjoyed it. It is both affordable and convenient with hotel pickup in Kuala Lumpur City Centre and Bukit Bintang. It also includes cruise tickets.
This Kuala Lumpur half day tour begins around 9:30am where you’ll head straight to Putrajaya. The drive only takes 45 minutes (in normal traffic). On arrival at Putrajaya, you’ll hop straight onto your cruise around the Putrajaya Lake where you can see many of the famous sites as well as the bridges inspired by other famous bridges all around the world.
This KL half day tour includes a visit the impressive Putrajaya Perdana where Malaysia’s prime minister resides as well as the stunning Putra Mosque and the PJ Government Centre. Your guide will have you back in Kuala Lumpur around1pm.
As stated this is one of the top Kuala Lumpur day trips excursions for visiting Putrajaya. It makes things easy, organised and it’s a great alternative to a one day tour in KL.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Read more about Putrajaya here.
Genting Highlands And Batu Caves Day Tour
This tour is one of the top KL day trip 2024 options to see two impressive tourist sites in one day. With return transfers and tickets on the Awana Skyway included, it is also a very affordable one day trip from Kuala Lumpur.
From your hotel at 9am, this Genting day trip from KL first stops at Batu Caves. Most visitors to Kuala Lumpur visit Batu Caves, and it really shouldn’t be missed. This cave temple is impressive from both a cultural and environmental perspective. It is a huge and important Hindu temple adorned with a large golden statute of a Hindu god, brightly coloured steps and a huge cathedral-like cave to explore.
After exploring the cave, you’ll head to Genting Highlands. There’s so much to explore here that you really could spend a night. However, this day trip to Genting from KL offers enough time to enjoy the shopping, temple, theme parks and other interesting attractions.
This one day trip from KL to Genting also includes tickets on the Awana Skyway which means no lining up and all the planning done for you. This tour is the perfect way to spend a day outside of the city centre enjoying the fresh mountain air. It’s a fair bit cooler here so take a jacket.
The tour concludes around 5pm. Your guide will return you to your hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Read more about the Genting Highlands here and about Batu Caves here.
Genting Highlands Day Trip – Best Day Trip To Genting Highlands From Kuala Lumpur
As previously stated, Genting Highlands has so much to offer that you could easily spend more time here. Genting Highlands also benefits from a cool and consistent hilltop climate and is shrouded in an ancient rainforest.
This one day trip Kuala Lumpur heads straight to Genting Highlands, making this a great option to maximise your time enjoying the attractions here.
This one day trip KL departs around 9:30am and returns at 5:30pm allowing for a full day of enjoyment. There’s a whole host of things to do at Genting Highlands such as shopping at the Genting Premium Outlets, visiting the Chin Swee Caves temple, gambling at Malaysia’s only casino, visiting the indoor/outdoor theme parks and seeing the weird and interesting attractions at Ripley’s Adventureland.
One of the benefits of this one day tour from Kuala Lumpur is that your Awana Skyway tickets are sorted. This KL day tour saves you from lining up and helps you navigate crowds with a guide.
This is the perfect Kuala Lumpur 1 day trip for enjoying the climate and attractions of Genting Highlands.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Read more about the Genting Highlands here.
Historical Melaka Tour With Lunch From Kuala Lumpur – Best Kuala Lumpur To Malacca Day Trip
If you want a one day trip in Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur that visits a completely different city, this is the best choice. Melaka (also called Malacca) is only a 2 hour drive away from Kuala Lumpur, and a day trip from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka is definitely doable. It is also a culturally important UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there’s plenty to see here.
This KL one day trip departs Kuala Lumpur at 8am, arriving in Melaka at 10am. It includes guided tours of some of the most significant sites like the Dutch built St. Peter’s Church, the Portuguese built A’Famosa fortress as well as an optional and highly recommended river cruise. You’ll also visit temples and other buildings, as well as the super popular Jonker Street.
Melaka is a wonderful place to walk around, snap photos and enjoy the atmosphere. This day trip to Melaka from KL also includes time to explore on your own and lunch at a local restaurant.
This Kuala Lumpur one day tour departs Melaka at 4pm for the 2 hour drive back to Kuala Lumpur.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Read more about Melaka here.
Malacca Historical Tour With Personal Chauffeur
This one day trip to Melaka from KL is perfect for people looking for a private tour and who are short on time. This is because this KL 1 day trip visits several attractions in Kuala Lumpur on the way to Melaka.
This 1 day trip from KL starts at 9am with hotel pickup by your private chauffeur/tour guide. You’ll first be taken to Kuala Lumpur’s best photo spots including Istana Negara, National Mosque and the Petronas Towers, before starting the two hour drive to Melaka.
In Melaka, you’ll visit the most significant cultural sites of this UNESCO listed city including its sites of worship like Cheng Hoon Teng, Kampung Kling Mosque and Christ Church. You’ll also see Dutch Square, St. Paul’s Hill, A’Famosa Fort and Stadthuys as well as take a walk along the famous Jonker Street. Your guide is there to offer greater insight into the history of these various sites.
This Melaka day tour from Kuala Lumpur lasts 8 hours and is the best private 1 day trip from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka tour. As this is a private tour, it may be possible to do this Kuala Lumpur day trip from airport. If this is what you’re looking for, I recommend inquiring about this before booking.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Read more about Melaka here.
Cameron Highlands Day Tour – Best Cameron Highlands Day Tour From Kuala Lumpur
If you truly want to leave the city behind then a day trip to Cameron Highlands from Kuala Lumpur is among the best choice of tours. This KL to Cameron Highlands day trip departs at 7am and includes hotel transfers and admission to several attractions.
Of course, Cameron Highlands is known for its tea plantations, and you’ll visit them as part of this tour. However, this Cameron Highlands day trip from KL also visits both a Butterfly Farm and Bee Farm (with entrance included to both), a visit to a nearby waterfall, a strawberry farm where you can pick your own strawberries as well as a visit to a local fruit/vegetable market. Lunch is also included. This tour’s highlights are its fresh food and the enjoyably cool climate of Cameron Highlands.
You will depart Cameron Highlands around 5:30pm to reach KL at 8-9pm. This is a relaxed tour with a lot of time spent driving, but your guide will share information with you along the way making for an interesting and enjoyable day trip from KL to Cameron Highlands.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Read more about Cameron Highlands here.
Taman Negara National Park Day Tour – Best Taman Negara Day Trip From Kuala Lumpur
Taman Negara is Malaysia’s oldest and largest national park, and a Taman Negara tour from Kuala Lumpur is a top choice. Located in the heart of peninsular Malaysia, this is the way to really get into the jungle!
A Taman Negara day trip from KL is actually the best choice for visiting this national park as it can be quite tricky to get to otherwise.
Taman Negara is quite far from Kuala Lumpur. This tour starts at 5:30am and takes 3.5 hours to reach the national park. You’ll visit the most famous attractions as part of this Taman Negara day tour Kuala Lumpur including the impressive Canopy Walkway.
You’ll take a hike to Teresek Hill, have lunch at a local floating restaurant, and go rapid shooting – a thrilling river cruise – where you’ll meet with a local Orang Asli tribe for a hunting demonstration.
This is quite a full on day and there’s a lot of variety and things to see on this Taman Negara day tour from Kuala Lumpur such as animals and local flora. The tour leaves Taman Negara for the drive back to Kuala Lumpur at 4:30pm. Note that shops are limited, so I recommend bringing snacks and breakfast with you for this day trip to Taman Negara from Kuala Lumpur.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Read more about Taman Negara here.
Ipoh Private Day Trip
Ipoh is quite a long distance from Kuala Lumpur at 200 kilometres away, but it is possible to visit as part of a day trip out of KL. Ipoh is an interesting place to visit with pretty British colonial buildings as well as natural landmarks.
This private tour takes you on a one day trip away from KL to Ipoh where you can explore its colonial architecture, its famous food scene and many of its most significant sites dotted around the city – all in one day.
This Malaysia day trip from Kuala Lumpur visits local markets where your guide introduces you to the best known street foods like kaya puffs and hor hee fish cakes. You’ll visit the Perak Tong cave temple, Birch Memorial Clock Tower, Ipoh’s famous Railway Station, its Town Hall and more. You’ll also have a chance to sample Ipoh’s coffee which is respected around Malaysia for its high quality.
Your tour includes a private guide, all admission costs, transfers and breakfast, lunch and famous snacks. Considering this, and the 400 kilometre round trip, it’s a very good value one day road trip from KL.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Read more about Ipoh here.
Sunway Lagoon
Sunway Lagoon is Kuala Lumpur’s huge and awesome combined theme park and water park. It is one of the top places to visit in Kuala Lumpur in one day. With seven differently themed parks and tons of attractions, it is among the best places to cool off and enjoy a one day tour in Kuala Lumpur! There’s also an artificial beach here if you’re looking for a beach day trip from Kuala Lumpur.
Of course, the main attraction at Sunway Lagoon are the water slides. There’s a lot of variety including double and family options, both easy going and thrilling. Other activities include surfing, archery, go karting, bungee jumping, seeing animals and much more!
This tour is great value for a day trip in KL as it includes both transfers and entry tickets into the park. The tickets are discounted which means you end paying less money by booking in advanced. It also saves you the hassle of getting to and from the park as this Kuala Lumpur one day trip includes hotel transfers.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Read more about Sunway Lagoon here.
Kuala Selangor Fireflies Night Tour With Seafood Dinner – Best KL Selangor Day Trip
A popular choice of a one day trip in KL is a firefly tour. This one day trip near KL takes you to Kuala Selangor, just a one hour drive northwest of Kuala Lumpur where you can take a unique firefly night tour.
You can enjoy the morning in Kuala Lumpur as this 1 day trip in KL starts at 3:30pm. It first heads to Bukit Melawati. This is a historical fort built by the Melaka Sultanate where you can enjoy views from the hilltop, see the old fort, cannons and monkeys (and even possibly spot the rare silvered leaf monkey). On weekends, there is a tram service to the top of the hill. At other times, a 20 minute walking tour is included.
After this, you’ll head to Kuala Selangor at 6pm for dinner at a local seafood restaurant before departing on a night firefly tour on the Kuala Selangor River. These tours are both scenic and relaxing, and you’ll see one of the largest colonies of fireflies in the world. This 6.5 hour day trip at KL has you back at your hotel around 10pm.
There is quite a bit of variety on this KL one day tour and it could be a great family day trip from Kuala Lumpur.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Crab Island Sightseeing Boat Ride And Seafood Lunch
If you’re looking for places to visit in Kuala Lumpur in 1 day and have already seen the city centre, consider a Crab Island Tour. Crab Island is a fishing community with no paved roads on the island which makes this one of the more unique places to visit in KL in one day.
As part of this KL day trip itinerary, you’ll enjoy private transfers from your hotel, a boat ride from Port Klang to Crab Island and a fresh seafood lunch. This is one of the day tours from Kuala Lumpur where your guide is more of a driver, so it’s the perfect one day trip near Kuala Lumpur to explore alone.
There is plenty of time to do so, and it’s possible to hire a bike to get around on this 1 day trip in Kuala Lumpur. You can explore the island’s markets, mangrove forests and temples.
After catching the ferry back to Port Klang, your driver will stop at a few sites on the way to Kuala Lumpur including Istana Alam Shah Palace, Blue Mosque and Thean Hou Temple.
Click here to see the latest prices.
Final Words
We hope this guide has helped you choose your Kuala Lumpur 1 day tour! By far the hardest part is picking which of the day trips around Kuala Lumpur you want to do.
If you’re still thinking about which KL 1 day tour you want to do, then we have more detailed articles on most of the destinations above. Simply read about each destination until you find the right tour for you!
Prefer to listen? I also talk about all the best KL day trips in this podcast episode.
Want to find some KL city tour options? Click here for our full guide to KL city tours. You can also find our guide to where to stay in KL here and our full KL travel guide here.
Planning a trip to Malaysia? Have any questions? Join our Malaysia Travel Planning Facebook group here now! It’s the perfect place to ask any questions and to be inspired!
