Planning a Langkawi vacation? Fantastic! This is a great part of the world.
Langkawi is made up of 99 islands nestled in the Andaman Sea. This small archipelago is well-known for its rich natural resources, such as pristine beaches, lush mangrove forests, stunning waterfalls, jungle-clad hills, and diverse wildlife.
However, before you can enjoy this island, you need to know how to get to Langkawi. Thankfully, it is not hard at all to work out how to go to Langkawi, although you have a variety of choices.
Below, I describe the exact answer to how do you get to Langkawi. I start with a summary and then give you detailed instructions based on whether you want a flight to Langkawi, a bus to Langkawi, want to know how to get to Langkawi by car or are trying to sort out the ferries to Langkawi.
Finally, I also give you instructions for some of the more popular journeys to Langkawi.
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Contents
How To Get To Langkawi Malaysia
The best way to get to Langkawi is to fly. Flights are generally inexpensive and available from many places in Malaysia and further abroad. Otherwise, take a ferry from Penang or peninsular Malaysia with buses from many points in Malaysia.
Since Langkawi is an island that is not connected to peninsular Malaysia by a bridge, you will need to fly or take a boat at some point of the journey.
In the rest of this article, I break down how to do this.
Flight to Langkawi
One of the easiest ways to get to Langkawi is to fly. Airline carriers like AirAsia and Malaysian Airlines offer daily flights from Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Depending on the time of year, you should be able to get a cheap flight to Langkawi, with dares costing around RM120.
If you’re coming from overseas cities like Osaka, Phuket, Taipei, Seoul, London, you can take connecting flights on Malaysian Airlines directly from those countries (depending on the availability in a specific region.)
Also, if you’re coming from Singapore, SilkAir offers direct flights as well.
Click here for all the latest flight prices.
Bus To Langkawi
If you’re wondering how to get to Langkawi by bus, several bus companies go to Kuala Perlis and Kuala Kedah, which act as jumping points to Langkawi. It’s best to book your bus ticket to Langkawi in advance to avoid long queues and the influx of travellers, especially during the weekends and peak season.
You can catch a bus to:
- The ferry terminal at Kuala Kedah is found at Malaysia’s northwestern coast. Total travel time is approximately 6 hours if you’re coming from Kuala Lumpur.
- The ferry terminal at Kuala Perlis is a little bit further, taking up to an hour more.
Then, you need to ride a ferry from Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis to Langkawi’s Kuah Jetty. The ferry dock is within walking distance from the bus stand in Kuala Perlis.
If you’re coming from Kuala Kedah, the express ferry will take 1 hour 30 minutes. Meanwhile, from Kuala Perlis, travel time is 1 hour 15 minutes.
If you’re coming from Kuala Lumpur, you can take the high-speed ETS Electric Train Services. These trains leave from the Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and KL Sentral Railway Station for Alor Setar. Once arriving at the station, take a taxi to Kuala Kedah Jetty. Alternatively, you can walk to the main city centre and take the local bus.
Click here for the latest bus timetables and ticket prices.
How To Get To Langkawi Island By Ferry
If you’re looking for the cheapest way to get to Langkawi, you can opt to travel via ferry. Ferries sail to Langkawi from Kuala Kedah, Penang, Kuala Perlis, and from Thailand.
The main ferry point in Langkawi is Kuah Jetty, which is where the ferries leave and arrive.
Ferry from Penang
The nearest point linked to Langkawi is from Kuala Perlis (31 kilometres to its east and on the west coast of mainland Malaysia.) The ferry service operator Super Fast Ferry Ventures is the only company that operates ferries from Penang and Langkawi.
Approximate travel time is 2 hours and 45 minutes. Two ferry services run daily. The first ferry at 8:30 am, while the last one at 2 pm.
Click here for the latest ferry timetables and ticket prices.
Ferry from Kuala Perlis
Another ferry point is from Kuala Perlis, and it is run by service ferry operators like Langkawi Ferry Line Ventures, and Langkawi Ferry Services (LFS). These operators provide regular ferry services from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi and vice versa.
The approximate travel time is 1 hour and 15 minutes. Ferries sail daily from 7 am to 7 pm. The fare costs RM18 for a one way ticket.
Click here for the latest ferry timetables and ticket prices.
Ferry from Kuala Kedah
Kuala Kedah is 51 kilometres from Langkawi and is on Malaysia’s northwestern coast.
Ferry service operators like Langkawi Ferry Line Ventures run ferries daily from Kuala Kedah to Langkawi (and vice versa) from 7 am to 7 pm, and leave every 90 minutes. Fare costs RM23 one way.
Click here for the latest ferry timetables and ticket prices.
Ferry from Thailand
There are also ferries bound to Langkawi from Koh Lipe, Thailand. Two ferries operate each way during peak season (October to May.) During off-peak season these ferry services are closed.
These ferries leave Koh Lipe at 10:30 am, and 4:30 pm (Thai time.) Travel time is 1 hour and 30 minutes. One way fare costs RM248.
The check-in counter closes 30 minutes before the time of departure, so you should secure your tickets beforehand.
Click here for the latest ferry timetables and ticket prices.
How To Go To Langkawi By Car
Since there is no direct road connection to Langkawi, you need to drive to Kuala Perlis and catch one of the roll-on-roll-off ferries to Langkawi. With these ferries, you just need to drive your vehicle on the ferry, travel by sea, and once you arrive in Langkawi, you just need to drive off your car.
The Langkawi RoRo Ferry Services and Langkawi Auto Express run one or two car ferries daily. The fare usually depends on the vehicle size and the number of passengers.
A return fare for a small car with a driver and an accompanying passenger is approximately RM348. Meanwhile, for motorcycles, it’s approximately RM140.
Click here to read more about driving in Malaysia.
You can also book a private taxi from anywhere in peninsular Malaysia to take you to the ferry terminal. Click here for prices and more detaiils.
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Langkawi How To Get There…
Finally in this guide on how to reach Langkawi, I cover some of the most popular journeys to reach here below.
Kuala Lumpur To Langkawi
The easiest way to travel between Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi is to take a flight (read our complete and detailed guide here). During a flight sale, this can be very affordable as well.
Flights only take about an hour and are quick and easy with many airlines and flights throughout the day.
Click here to see the latest timetables and prices.
If you insist on catching the bus, the best option is to take a bus from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Perlis. From here, you can take a ferry across to Langkawi.
Click here for the latest bus and ferry timetables.
You can also take a private taxi (prices and more information here) from Kuala Lumpur to one of the ferry terminals.
Penang To Langkawi
Between Penang and Langkawi, both taking a ferry or taking a flight can be a good option. If you are staying near the ferry departure point in George Town, this can be faster than flying when taking into account all the time spent at airports.
Click here to see the latest ferry timetables and prices.
You do get more departure options with flying and it’s such a quick flight that it can be quite scenic on a clear day.
Click here for flight options.
You can also read our full guide to travelling between Langkawi and Penang here.
Singapore To Langkawi
If you’re coming from Singapore, I recommend flying as this is the quickest and most convenient option.
Flight time takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, and fares will cost anywhere between RM 100 – RM 1900, depending on the promos, and season.
Click here for all the latest flight prices.
How To Get To Koh Lipe From Langkawi
If you’re wondering how to get from Langkawi to Koh Lipe, the fastest way to get here is to take a 90-minute direct ferry. This sails twice a day, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon during high season. Tickets are 1000 baht.
The ferry leaves at Kuah Jetty in Langkawi and will arrive at Pattaya Beach in Koh Lipe. But this is only during peak season(November- May.)
During the low season, (from June to November,) the direct route is closed. As an alternative, you can catch a connecting ferry at Langkawi’s Kuah Jetty to Pakbara Pier in Satun, Thailand. Ferries run twice a day and cost 350 baht.
You need to take another ferry at Pakbara Pier that will take you to Pattaya Beach, in Koh Lipe. Travel time is 90 minutes and costs 600 baht. This route runs all year long.
Click here for the latest ferry timetables and ticket prices.
Final Words
In this post, we’ve covered the different transportation options that you can take when travelling to Langkawi.
The fastest (and most convenient way) to get to your destination is to travel by plane. But as an alternative, you can also travel via bus, ferry, or private vehicle.
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I hope you found this guide to how to get to Langkawi useful. You can find our list of things to do in Langkawi for when you get there here, all the best hotels near Langkawi airport here and our full travel guide to Langkawi 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!
