Seen the stunning, colourful pictures of Batu Caves and want to check it out on your Malaysian holiday? Great choice!
Batu Caves is a fabulous place to visit and it’s very easy to take a trip to Batu Caves while you are in Kuala Lumpur. It’s located on the edge of the city, and you can easily take public transport to Batu Caves or a cheap taxi ride.
However, when you are not familiar with KL, this can seem a little daunting and you won’t know what to do.
That’s where I can help!
Below, I break up exactly how to get to the Batu Caves so you know exactly what you need to do. I give you all the details whether you want to take a train to Batu Caves, a bus from KL Sentral to Batu Caves, taxi or private tour so you can make the right choice for your circumstances. This way, you won’t waste any time.
I also describe the reverse journey from Batu Caves to Kuala Lumpur.
You can also read our full guide to what you’ll find at Batu Caves here.
Contents
Map: How To Get To Batu Caves
The exact KL to Batu Caves distance depends on where you are coming from in KL. From KLCC, it’s only about 13 kilometres. From KL Sentral, it’s about 15 kilometres.
It’s not far, but this is a big city so traffic can play a big role in how long it takes to get there if you don’t take a train. A taxi is typically 20-55 minutes. Going early (7am) is a great way to make the journey more smooth and to enjoy the caves more. I left my hotel on my most recent visit about 6:45am, and it took about 25 minutes to get there.
BEST OPTION: How To Get From KL To Batu Caves
If you don’t want to take a tour, the easiest way to get from KL to Batu Caves is to take a Grab taxi. This is followed by taking the cheap and easy KTM train to Batu Caves from KL Sentral.
Option 1: KTM To Batu Caves (KL Sentral To Batu Caves)
The most straightforward and best best way to get to Batu Caves if you want to take public transport is to take the KTM Komuter to Batu Caves. This is a train that leaves from KL Sentral (and some other stations along the way) to Batu Caves.
You can buy tickets at the KL Sentral main hall. I don’t know if I am blind but I struggled to find the “tiket” machines. However, there were plenty of manned ticket counters so I could get a ticket.
Unfortunately, you can’t buy a single trip on KTM Komuter trains so you do have to buy their card and load money onto it. Visit one of the ticket counters and you’ll be done in no time.
The ticket card costs RM5 and they loaded an extra RM3 on it for the journey.
You can add more money to these cards using the tiket machines. There are plenty on the return journey at the Batu Caves stop. You can select the language. You’ll need small notes to pay for this.
The KL Sentral to Batu Caves KTM fare was RM2.60 when I took this journey.
Head to the KTM Komuter area and use your card to get through the turnstiles. Keep it as you’ll use it when you exit at Batu Caves station (and any other time you want to take one of these trains).
Batu Caves is the end of a KTM Komuter line so head to the train going there. It’s easy to find. The platform has digital screens that says when the next train will be.
The train from KL Sentral to Batu Caves KTM schedule is about every 30-60 minutes and takes about 40 minutes.
You can find the latest schedules here.
If you are a lady travelling alone or with a female friend or kids, you can enter the female-only carriages if you wish. They have a pink sign. I found this area more crowded so I sat elsewhere without any bother.
The train is air conditioned and comfortable.
On arrival at Batu Caves, you exit with your card then look for the big golden statue. You won’t be able to miss it!
Head that way and the station exits right by Lord Hanuman Statue. Very easy!
The KTM KL Sentral to Batu Caves is a super easy and affordable way to get here. However, if you are not staying round KL Sentral, you will need to get here first. This can make it a less attractive option.
Below, I describe how to get from KLCC to Batu Caves by train as well as Bukit Bintang and some other places so you may find those sections useful too.
Option 2: Bus From Kuala Lumpur To Batu Caves
You can also travel to Batu Caves by bus. This can take a lot longer to get there because they tend to stop a lot and there can be a lot of traffic.
There is no direct bus from KL Sentral to Batu Caves. However, there is one from the Chow Kit area.
I don’t really recommend taking a bus, but if you want to, I recommend you put your hotel name and Batu Caves into Google Maps and see if there is a convenient one from your location.
Option 3: Taxi To Batu Caves/Driving
The absolute easiest way to get there (if you don’t want to take a tour) is to take a Grab to Batu Caves. These are taxis you order via the Grab app. You’ll get the price upfront and they can pick you up from your hotel.
Prices vary greatly throughout the day. When I looked it up from my hotel in Bukit Bintang multiple times throughout the day, the Kuala Lumpur to Batu Caves taxi fare varied from RM17 to 25. I paid RM21 to travel there at 6:45am on a Tuesday.
Once you finish at the Batu Caves, you can also use Grab to get one back.
When I last visited, I actually took the KTM from KL Sentral to Batu Caves one way and a Grab taxi the other. Easy!
If you have your own car, there is plenty of parking at Batu Caves.
Option 4: Take A Batu Caves Tour
Finally, you can also take a Batu Caves tour right from your KL hotel which can make for the best experience.
This way, you don’t just get there and back but get to learn a lot more about the caves than if you visited independently. Tours to Batu Caves are also very affordable.
Private Half Day Tour
In this half day tour, you’ll get return transfers and a private guide to ensure you get the most out of your experience. You can chose whether to go in the morning or afternoon.
Click here for the latest prices and times.
Batu Caves + Other Local Stops
In this half day tour, you’ll get return transfers, a guide and also two other stops in addition to Batu Caves.
You’ll visit the Royal Selangor Pewter Factory and a Batik Factory showroom as well as learning more about the local area. There are morning and afternoon departures.
Click here for the latest prices and times.
Batu Caves Genting Highlands Tours
You can also combine a visit to the Batu Caves with a visit to Genting Highlands for a fabulous day tour.
This tour consists of a driver-guide who will share the history of Malaysia while navigating through traffic to your first stop at Batu Caves. After this, he will drive you on to the Awana cable car to take you up to Genting Highlands (cable car included).
You’ll have free time to visit the theme parks and local attractions before taking the cable car back down, meeting with your driver and returning to KL.
Click here for the latest prices and times.
Want Help Having An Awesome Food Experience in KL?
Join a Simply Enak (aka delicious) Food Tour!
There are three different options depending on whether you want to concentrate on street food, nightlife or off the beaten track places.
No matter what you pick, you’ll taste a range of fabulous local food and drinks while learning the history and culture of Kuala Lumpur.
There’s no better way to discover this great city.
Make sure you use the coupon code DIVE30 for RM30 off your tour.
Batu Caves To KL
The return journey from Batu Caves to KL is just as easy as the way there. You just need to reverse the directions above.
You can also choose to go a different way if you wish.
The entry to the KTM Station is right by the Lord Hanuman Statue. There are ticket machines and a ticket counter. Being the first stop, the train can sit there awhile so you’ll also have somewhere comfortable to wait.
FAQs
Here’s the answer to some popular questions about going to Batu Caves.
What If I’m Not Travelling From Kuala Lumpur?
If your starting point is not Kuala Lumpur, you’re going to need to get to Kuala Lumpur first unless you are in a private car. Batu Caves is located on the edge of Kuala Lumpur.
Can I Take The KTM TBS to Batu Caves?
If you are starting your journey at TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan), you can take the KTM train all the way to Batu Caves.
Travelling TBS to Batu Caves by train takes about an hour but it is just the one train so it’s a very straightforward way to get between the two places.
How To Go Batu Caves By LRT?
The LRT (light rail transit) is not the most ideal way to get to Batu Caves as the nearest LRT to Batu Caves is a long way away. Batu Caves only has a KTM Komuter station.
You are best to take the LRT to KL Sentral and take the KTM route to Batu Caves as described above. You can also take the LRT to Pasar Seni and walk from there to the old Kuala Lumpur station which the Komuter train also passes through.
How To Get From KLCC To Batu Caves?
It’s a little more complicated to get from KLCC or Petronas to Batu Caves and I recommend you take a Grab if you can (see taxi option above) to save a lot of time.
If you want to take public transport, you can take the LRT from KLCC to KL Sentral and then the KL to Batu Caves train as described above.
The KLCC to Batu Caves taxi fare depends on the time of day and how busy the drivers on the Grab app are. Expect around RM20.
How To Get From Bukit Bintang To Batu Caves?
From Bukit Bintang, if you want to take public transport, you need to get to KL Sentral or Kuala Lumpur stations first on the KTM Komuter line. Then you can follow the train instructions above.
To do this, you can take the MRT from Bukit Kintang station to Pasar Seni and then walk to Kuala Lumpur Station or take the LRT from here to KL Sentral.
I walked between Pasar Seni and Kuala Lumpur stations. It’s very quick and easy with signs so this is a convenient option.
How To Get From Pudu Sentral To Batu Caves?
If you arrive at this station and want to go from Pudu to Batu Caves on public transport, you can walk to Plaza Rakyat in about 5 minutes. From here, take the LRT on either lines 3 or 4 two stops to Bandaraya station.
From Bandaraya station, it’s a short walk to Bank Negara KTM station on the Komuter line. You can then take the train to Batu Caves from here.
How To Get From Chinatown To Batu Caves?
Depending on where you are in Chinatown, you may be able to walk to the Kuala Lumpur station which is a KTM station on the Komuter line to Batu Caves. Once you are there, you can follow the train from KL to Batu Caves instructions above.
Otherwise, you can take the LRT one stop from Pasar Seni station to KL Sentral and take the train from there.
How To Get From KL Airport To Batu Caves?
If you need to go from KL Airport to Batu Caves, this is not complicated either.
From KL Airport, you can easily get to KL Sentral taking the train or bus. More details here.
Then you can follow the KTM instructions above.
Final Words
I hope you found this guide to getting to Batu Caves from KL useful. It’s quite straightforward and affordable no matter which option you chose.
Read our full guide to Batu Caves here. You can also find our complete travel guide to Kuala Lumpur here as well as a great itinerary of what to do in Kuala Lumpur here.
