Wondering what to do with your time in Kuala Lumpur, the national capital of Malaysia? Here are a bunch of options—pick whichever ones look most fun!

Look Up — Then Get High

Let’s start with what has to be the most obvious must-do for tourists in KL: a visit to the Petronas Towers. This enormous landmark held the title of the world’s tallest building from 1998 until 2006. While “tallest” tends to change with every new skyscraper, many sources still list the Petronas Towers as the tallest twin towers in the world.

These towers still lay claim to being the tallest twin buildings in the world, their tips soaring up to a height of 451.9 m (1,483 ft).

Unless you suffer from acrophobia, you’ll want to explore those heights by taking the elevator up, up, up to the 86th level of Tower 2. KL doesn’t have a hugely interesting skyline, but it’s still amazing to look out across to Tower 1 and down over the rest of the city.

Be warned that the lines for tickets can be more daunting than the heights — you need to be strategic about your timing if you want this not to be an exercise in frustration.

Find KL’s Indie Side

There’s no better place to explore the city’s indie cultural heart than RexKL, a former Chinatown cinema that’s been repurposed as a community arts space, shopping mecca, and eating hub. Must-visits include the cavernous BookXcess RexKL …

… and a meal at Mee Biang Biang in the Food Fiction food hall (try the pickled mustard soup — trust me, it’s delicious). Say hi to this little lady while you’re there!

Enjoy a Museum

People don’t often talk about KL’s museums, but Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia should be on every visitor’s list. It’s a fantastic place to see pieces from all over the Islamic world (in fact, it’s so remarkable that I wrote an entire post about it).

This museum houses over 10,000 artifacts, making it (according to their website) “Southeast Asia’s largest museum of Islamic art.”

Another interesting museum, if perhaps not quite of the same caliber, is the National Textile Museum. Here, you can see dozens of examples of different kinds of Malay weaving, embroidery, fabric dyeing, and more.

The museum does a particularly good job of showing visitors how different textiles have traditionally been made (you just have to ignore the creepy mannequins).

On your way out, make sure to take a look at the museum building — completed in 1905 as offices for the Federated Malay States Railways; it’s an excellent example of the local Moorish architectural style.

Step Into Malaysian History

Kuala Lumpur isn’t a very old city — it started as a sleepy tin mining hamlet in the mid-1800s — so the history here is all pretty recent. You’ll find the most significant area at Independence Square, where the British Union Jack was lowered and the new Malaysian flag was hoisted for the very first time on August 31, 1957.

That’s the Sultan Abdul Samad Building; once the home of the British government offices, it now houses the office of the Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture. I love that no one’s entirely sure of the architectural style — it’s been called Indo-Saracenic, Neo-Mughal, and Moorish, so take your pick.

Make sure to take time to admire the dragons of Cop’s Fountain, known alternatively as Queen Victoria Fountain, built in 1897.

Visit a Mosque — or a Temple

Islam is the state religion of Malaysia, so you’ll find plenty of mosques throughout KL. The oldest surviving major mosque in the city, Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad (which dates back to 1909), now sits rather picturesquely beneath a row of banks.

While most Malaysian citizens are Muslim, KL itself has a non-Muslim majority, which means that it’s easy to seek out great temples.

The best concentration of temples may be in Chinatown — don’t miss Sri Maha Mariamman Temple (the oldest Hindu temple in the city), Sin Sze Si Ya Temple (the oldest Taoist temple), and Guan Di Temple.

Wander the Streets

It’s fun just to walk around KL — you’ll find traditional shophouse architecture, Art Deco buildings, temples, altars, and the unmissable Merdeka 118, which dominates the skyline as the second-tallest building in the world as of 2025.

As you wander, make sure to keep your eye out for the many different kinds of street art – it’s both varied and amazing!

Buy Stuff

If you ask anyone from Singapore what you should do in KL, the answer will almost always be, “shop.” Prices are reasonable in KL, and there are plenty of places to buy things. Beyond your standard malls, you can shop at tea boutiques …

… the touristy but still sometimes-charming Central Market …

… and Jalan Petaling, which sells every night market knockoff you could possibly hope for.

Enjoy Some R&R

Need a place to stay? Look no further than the Else Kuala Lumpur, a boutique hotel right in the heart of KL’s Chinatown.

The Else KL is housed in the old Lee Rubber Building — which, when it was built in 1932, was the tallest building in the city at a mere five stories. We loved everything about this place, from the pool (above) to the art to the overall vibe. Sunken couches? Local art? Float tanks? Yes, please!

For more Southeast Asian markets, temples, and travel fun, see my post on 2 days in Chiang Mai, Thailand.