If you want to know exactly how to go to Langkawi from Kuala Lumpur then you’re in the right place!
Made up of 99 islands off the Andaman Sea, Langkawi is a small archipelago that has a lot to offer. It’s rich in natural resources from its pristine beaches, magical waterfalls and lush rainforests to its abundance of flora and fauna.
But before you get to enjoy Langkawi Island from Kuala Lumpur, you need to get there!
Below, I describe exactly how to travel from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi whether you are looking for a quick and easy KL to Langkawi flight or you want to travel overland and go from KL to Langkawi by bus or KL to Langkawi by train.
In this guide, I share everything you need to know about how to get to Langkawi from Kuala Lumpur including the different options, details on Kuala Lumpur – Langkawi schedules, tickets prices and where best to buy your tickets from.
I also cover the return journey from Langkawi Island to Kuala Lumpur.
Let’s start!
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Contents
Map: Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi Distance
This map shows you the distance between Langkawi and Kuala Lumpur.
The distance from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi is about 414 kilometres and the Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi travel time depends on how you travel. A flight is just an hour and 15 minutes. Travelling overland entails at least a five hour drive and then a 1.75 hour ferry.
Langkawi is not attached to peninsular Malaysia so you do need to get a ferry if you travel overland no matter which method you choose to get you there.
Ferries leave from both Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis. Kuala Kedah is an hour’s drive south of Kuala Perlis so it is closer to Kuala Lumpur and getting here can be quicker. However, ferries take a little longer from Kuala Kedah than from Kuala Perlis as Kuala Perlis is closer to Langkawi.
The other thing to consider if you are travelling overland is that there are direct buses to Kuala Perlis which can make this more attractive than travelling to Alor Setar and then taking a taxi to the jetty in Kuala Kedah.
All your options are described below in detail.
BEST OPTION: How To Go to Langkawi from Kuala Lumpur
Here’s a summary of your options:
| Mode of transport | Duration | Best For? | Book |
| Flight | 4 hours | People who like the quickest option | Book here |
| Bus + Ferry via Kuala Kedah | 10 hours+ | People who want the fastest bus option | Book here |
| Bus + Ferry via Kuala Perlis | 10.5 hours+ | People who want the cheapest option | Book here |
| Train + Ferry via Kuala Kedah | 8.75 hours+ | People who want the quickest overland option and like trains | Book here |
| Taxi + Ferry via Kuala Kedah | 7 hours | Anyone who wants the easiest and most straightforward way to get between Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi overland | Book here |
Option 1: Kuala Lumpur To Langkawi Flight
As mentioned above, when it comes to how to reach Langkawi from Kuala Lumpur, the quickest way is to take a flight to Langkawi from KL.
The Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi flight time is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
A flight from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi starts at around RM100, although in sales, you can get cheaper than this. You can often get cheap flights from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi especially if you book in advance. The price of a flight ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi will depend on the promos and season, and it can also cost a lot more at peak times or last minute.
Click here to see the prices for your dates.
A few different airlines cover this route including Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Batik Air and MYAirline.
Of course, there is more to this journey than just taking the flight. For KL to Langkawi flights, you do need to travel to Kuala Lumpur International Airport which is about 50 minutes from the centre of KL. It can take a lot longer than this in traffic.
You can also go to KL Sentral and take the KLIA Ekspres train to KLIA which removes the issue of traffic. The train leaves every 15-30 minutes and prices start at RM49 if you buy your ticket here. You can read more about this train here.
The train takes around 43 minutes depending on which terminal you are going to.
Once you arrive in Langkawi Airport, Pantai Cenang, Langkawi’s main beach area, is just a quick ten minute ride by taxi. Using the Grab app to book your ride on arrival is the cheapest way to go.
I highly recommend taking a flight as overland options will take you the best part of a day.
Option 2: Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi by Bus (via Kuala Perlis or Kuala Kedah)
Another alternative is to take the Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur bus. Several bus companies travel to Langkawi from KL.
Since Langkawi is an island that isn’t attached to mainland Malaysia, you do need to take a bus and then a ferry. You have two options. Either travelling via Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis. I detail both below.
1. Bus From Kuala Lumpur To Alor Setar Then Ferry From Kuala Kedah
This option is faster but does involve an extra journey as you need to take a Grab taxi from Alor Setar to Kuala Kedah Jetty.
First of all, you need to take a bus from Kuala Lumpur to Alor Setar. This is easy to do as buses leave very regularly from Kuala Lumpur.
You can pick which terminal in Kuala Lumpur you want to leave from with buses departing from TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan), Hentian Duta and Kajang Bus Terminal. I recommend you put your hotel into Google maps and these terminals and then pick the one which is closest.
Click here to see the latest timetables and prices to Alor Setar.
This bus takes about 6.25 hours and prices start at RM40.
Once you arrive in Alor Setar, take a 20 minute Grab taxi ride to the jetty in Kuala Kedah. You need the Grab app to do this.
From here, you can take the ferry to Langkawi. The ferry is run by Langkawi Ferry Lines and takes about 1.75 hours.
They currently depart about five times a day, usually at 7am, 10:30am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm. However, the schedule can vary day-to-day, so it’s best to check the latest times before your trip.
Tickets start at RM26.50 for a Malaysian adult one way and RM34.50 for a foreigner. There are discounts for 3-13 year olds and children under 3 travel for free.
Click here to see the latest schedules.
I recommend you buy your tickets online before you travel as they can sell out. You should aim to be at the Kuala Kedah Jetty at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure.
2. Bus From Kuala Lumpur To Kuala Perlis Then Ferry
From Kuala Lumpur, take a bus to Kuala Perlis. The buses also depart from TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan), Hentian Duta and Kajang Bus Terminal. There is also a daily bus from KL Sentral. I recommend you put your hotel into Google maps and these terminals and then pick the one which is closest.
The bus to Kuala Perlis takes about 7.25 hours. There are many operators with buses departing frequently. Prices start at RM45.
Click here to see the latest timetables and prices.
On arrival in Kuala Perlis, you are just five minutes walk from the Kuala Perlis Jetty.
Ferries depart here 3 – 5 times a day with the schedule varying day-to-day so it is important you check the latest times. There are usually ferries around 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm.
I recommend you book your ticket in advance as they do sell out. You can also buy one at the Jetty but the ticket window often only opens an hour before the ferry departs and closes if all tickets are sold.
The travel time is approximately an hour and 20 minutes, and the cost of a one-way ticket is RM21 for a Malaysian adult and RM27 for foreigners.
Click here to see the latest schedules.
On arrival at Langkawi on either ferry, you’ll be in the main city, Kuah. You will need to take a Grab taxi to get to your hotel.
Want the Easiest (and BEST) Way to travel overland from Kuala Lumpur to the ferry to Langkawi?
We can book a taxi for you from anywhere in Kuala Lumpur directly to the ferry in Kuala Kedah for a great price.
You can pick your own departure time, relax and know everything will go to plan.
Option 3: KL To Langkawi By Train (via Alor Setar)
From KL, you can also travel overland to Langkawi via train for part of the journey. These trains to Langkawi from KL leave from KL Sentral and take you to Alor Setar.
They currently depart five times a day throughout the day and take just under five hours.
You can find more information on the Malaysian railway website here.
From Alor Setar, you can take a taxi to Kuala Kedah and then a ferry as described above in the bus section.
A Grab taxi from the train station in Alor Setar to the jetty in Kuala Kedah takes about 20 minutes.
The onward ferry takes about 1.75 hours. Ferries depart about five times a day, usually at 7am, 10:30am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm. However, the schedule can vary day-to-day, so it’s best to check the latest times before your trip.
Tickets start at RM26.50 for a Malaysian adult one way and RM34.50 for a foreigner. There are discounts for 3-13 year olds and children under 3 travel for free.
Click here to see the latest schedules.
On arrival at Langkawi, you’ll be in the main city of Kuah. You will need to take a Grab taxi to get to your hotel.
Option 4: KL To Langkawi By Taxi
You can also book a private taxi to take your from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Kedah and take a ferry from there as per instructions above.
The drive to Kuala Kedah from Kuala Lumpur is only about 4.75 hours in a private car (traffic dependent) and you can pick what time you leave.
This is the easiest way to travel overland to Langkawi.
Click here to get the latest prices and to book your taxi.
Travel From Langkawi To Kuala Lumpur
In terms of how to get from Langkawi – Kuala Lumpur, all you need to do is to take the above transportation options in reverse.
To get to your destination, you can either take a Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur flight, travel from Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur by train via Alor Setar and the Kuala Kedah ferry, or take the bus and get from Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur via ferry from either Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis.
The fastest way to get to your destination is to fly Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur.
A Langkawi to KL flight has a travel time of approximately an hour and five minutes with costs starting at about RM100.
Find flight prices and times here.
Alternatively, you can also take the ferry to Kuala Perlis or Kuala Kedah.
You can see approximate durations and prices above. The timetables are also very similar but the first ferry tends to leave at 7:30am instead of 7am.
Once you are in Kuala Perlis or Kuala Kedah, you can take a bus, train or private taxi back to Kuala Lumpur as described above.
You can find buses from Kuala Perlis to KL here and from Alor Setar to KL here.
From either of these ferry terminals, we can arrange a private taxi back to Kuala Lumpur to speed things up.
Final Words
In this guide, we’ve covered all the different options for transportation from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi and back again.
The fastest (and most convenient way) to get to your destination is to take one of the flights from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi. But as an alternative, you can also travel via bus+ferry, taxi+ferry or train+ferry.
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I hope you found this guide to how to travel from KL to Langkawi useful. Click here to check out our guide to things to do in Langkawi or here for where to stay in Langkawi. If you’re travelling somewhere else after Langkawi you’ll find all our travel instruction guides 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!
