From trying thrilling rides in Genting KL Skyworlds to dining with a reptile — everything slapped.
Kuala Lumpur may be best known for its many skyscrapers but trust us — there are plenty of things to do in KL that don’t involve them.
Our short trip involved everything from eating in a cafe with a 5″ long lizard chilling on our shoulders to walking on the edge of the seventh-largest Telco Tower in the world! Plus, with so many undiscovered new concept spots and heritage corners popping up, this article is a much-needed update on what KL has to offer.
So here are 15 things we recommend to see, eat and do in KL for those visiting for the first time! And for the icing on the cake — Grab costs in Kuala Lumpur are reasonable (around RM15 – RM80 each ride for a 4-seater), making it easy to explore all these trendy corners 😉
Things to Do in KL
1) Scream your heart out at Genting Sky Worlds
Opened in 2022, Genting Skyworlds is the newest addition to Genting Resorts World in Malaysia! And after having spent a day there, I now understand the hype around it.
For one, it has nine themed worlds with rides and attractions based on various popular movies. Independence Day: Defiance’s 4D Ride introduced us to a level of immersion we never knew was possible. As if its already impressive wide-screen with 4D motions wasn’t enough, the cinema would shift to a verticle position once the show started.
As for the other rides, we lost our voice from all the screaming — a testament to the fun we had at the theme park.
*Pro-tip: Beat the queues by downloading the Genting SkyWorlds App! They have a ‘virtual queue‘ function, which essentially acts as express tickets — select the rides you wish to hop on and reserve time slots before or during your visit.
Shai and I had such a great time skipping the long queues using this trick without having to pay any extra fees! Just take note to abide by the timeslots as the app can be quite strict with that.
And for a hassle-free trip, we recommend booking the Genting Skyworlds package on Klook! Besides including entrance and cable car tickets, you can also choose between a shared or private chartered car to the theme park (with hotel pick-up). Plus, you’ll be able to visit the famous Batu Caves too.
Cost: ~S$83.20/pax for shared transfer or ~S$97.60/pax for private transfer
Opening hours: 10AM – 6PM
How to get there: 1hr drive from KL Sentral (Google Maps)
2) Conquer your fear of heights at KL Tower Walk 100
Not for the faint-hearted, the KL Tower Walk 100 offers unparalleled city views while you’re on a glass platform suspended 100ft (~30m) above ground. And to make the experience even more adrenaline-pumping, the glass beneath your feet will also simulate cracking — but don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe! We know, we survived.
Cost: ~S$4.20/pax
Opening hours: 9AM – 10PM
How to get there: 6min taxi ride from Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur (Google Maps)
3) Mario Kart IRL at Luge
You might be thinking, “Luge? Isn’t that everywhere?” But trust me, Skyline Luge Kuala Lumpur is something else. Located away from the city centre, you’ll catch a glimpse of KL’s natural landscape on the way down. And with no skyscrapers to obstruct the view, it was truly a sight to behold.
Zoom down ‘Legend’ and ‘Ultra’ for longer and more scenic rides, or ‘Gravity’ and ‘Express’ for a faster route with more twists and turns. There’s also the option to luge at night, where each path will light up in different colours — serving that night Tokyo Drift realness.
Cost: ~S$23/pax for 5 Luge Rides + Skyride package
Opening hours: 10AM – 6PM (Mon – Thurs), 10AM – 10PM (Fri – Sun), closed on Tue
How to get there: 34min taxi ride from Batu Caves (Google Maps)
4) Thrift away at KL’s up-and-rising thrift stores
FIFTH
FIFTH is a curated vintage shop known for its quality pieces from homegrown brands such as GHOSTBOY. There’s even a (mini) second storey where you can thrift clothes based on the colour! If you’re looking to shop for unique outfits in a beautiful store layout, then this is defo worth visiting.
Cost: ~RM30 – RM1,000
Opening hours: 1PM – 9PM, closed on Mon
How to get there: 8min walk from Taman Paramount MRT Station (Google Maps)
UDOU
Located a few doors down from FIFTH, UDOU is where you’ll find curated pieces featuring everything from industrial aesthetics to preppy Y2K fits. The retail staff might be dressed ten times cooler than you but they are super friendly and helpful, which made our experience that much more pleasant.
Cost: ~RM10 – RM800
Opening hours: 1PM – 7PM (Tues – Thurs), 11AM – 8PM (Fri – Sun)
How to get there: 1min walk from FIFTH (Google Maps)
Shimokita Space
From its name, you can already tell that Shimokita Space centres around a Japanese theme. Its classroom-like interior, cool cafe and curated clothes remind us of Shimokitazawa, Tokyo’s hipster neighbourhood! There were also some unique finds here like oversized overalls and denim caps. Food-wise, it’s Muslim-friendly with halal butter beers (non-alcoholic) and an assortment of burgers.
Cost: RM8 – RM15 (for food), RM20 – RM500 (for thrift item)
Opening hours: 3PM – 11PM, closed on Mon
How to get there: 8min walk from SS15 MRT Station (Google Maps)
5) Climb real rocks at Gua Damai
Spot Shai! Hint: Follow the yellow rope
Natural rock climbing at Gua Damai was thrilling (a first for me!), even for Shai who had previously done it. It was super cool to grip and scale real rock outside of the man-made rock-climbing gyms — which makes the experience so unique! We managed to scale every route under our guide’s careful eye and guidance, with the highest route being 25m tall.
Cost: ~S$72/pax
Opening hours: 8:30AM – 11AM
How to get there: 11min taxi ride from Batu Cave (Google Maps)
6) Rejuvenate at the award-winning Thai Odyssey Spa
The Thai Odyssey Spa is a slice of spa heaven right at the heart of KL. Their traditional Thai massages are the real deal — they’ll work out knots you didn’t even know you had. Perfect for when your feet are crying after all that shopping and sightseeing! After relaxing under their expert hands, it doesn’t surprise me that they’ve won various awards each year.
*Pro-tip: Get discounted vouchers for your massage via Klook — up to S$40 off! But remember to secure your slots by booking online on the official website too. Note that the voucher can only be used from Monday to Thursday.
Cost: ~S$42.80/pax for a 60min traditional thai massage
Opening hours: 10AM – 10PM
How to get there: 13min walk from Kloe Hotel KL to get to the Farenheit88 outlet (Google Maps)
Things to See in KL
7) Enter Bibliophile Haven at BookXcess
Did you know there’s a bookstore in KL with more than 80,000 books of various genres, arranged in a labyrinth of shelves? BookXcess is located at REXKL — once an iconic downtown cinema but now repurposed into a creative community hub! We spent hours there either looking through the different genres on every shelf or posing for our next Instagram photo.
Cost: ~RM40/book
Opening hours: 10AM – 10PM (Tues – Thurs, Sun), 10AM – 12AM (Fri – Sat), closed on Mon
How to get there: 3min walk from Petaling Street Market (Google Maps)
8) Step into a dream-like experience at Piying Dream
Piying Dream is an immersive digital art experience at REXKL, which draws inspiration from the art of Chinese shadow play — transporting you into another world.
The storyline is entirely up to your interpretation, much like any artistic display, but with a lot more details making for an engaging piece. For instance, the animation and sound effects will appear from the front, sides, and even the floor!
Cost: ~S$23/pax
Opening hours: 10AM – 10PM
How to get there: 6min walk from Plaza Rakyat MRT Station (Google Maps)
9) Check out the cutest concept store at MewMovement
Mewmovement isn’t just a store — it’s a playground of everything cute and hand-made with love. There’s a live photobooth where you pose for hand-drawn pictures on the spot, a letter-writing station to send your future self/loved ones letters, “blind dates” with prints covered in wrapping paper so you won’t know its contents, and more!
Cost: ~RM1 – RM50
Opening hours: 1PM – 9PM, closed on Tues
How to get there: 4min walk from SS2 Night Market (Google Maps)
10) Tour an artsy mall at Kedai KL
I love it when shops break out of that cookie-cutter shopping mall design to congregate in other artisanal marketplaces — and Kedai KL is one of them.
It has everything from cafes to handmade pottery shops, tattoo parlours, film camera stores, thrift stores, and so much more. We entered a shop called Film Gazing and found hand-held digital video recorders! The best part was that the store included camera wires and batteries for each vintage camera bought.
Entrance fee: Free
Opening hours: 10AM – 6PM
How to get there: 10min walk from Museum of Asian Art (Google Maps)
Things to Eat in KL
11) Taste the best nasi lemak at Village Park Restaurant
If you’re after the real deal of delicious Malay cuisine, this is the spot. Village Park Nasi Lemak’s coconut rice is fragrant, and the sambal packs just the right punch (not overly spicy which I prefer). The chicken’s crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Plus, it has a steady stream of locals — enough said.
Cost: ~RM6/pax
Opening hours: 6:30AM – 5:30PM
How to get there: 4min walk from The Starling Mall (Google Maps)
12) Dine with a 360° view of the city at ARAS Revolving Restaurant
The ARAS Revolving Restaurant adds another dimension to the term ‘dinner with a view’. Firstly, the panoramic view of the city skyline here is phenomenal. You can see famous landmarks from the KL Twin Towers to the Warisan Merdeka Tower.
Secondly, they did not come to play with the quantity and quality of their spread — think everything from local delicacies to fresh seafood. Did we also mention that they had a noodle cooking station and a yong-tau-foo self-service station?
Cost: S$25.60/pax
Opening hours: 11:30AM – 2:30PM (lunch buffet), 3PM – 5:30PM (high tea buffet), 6:30PM – 10PM (dinner buffet)
How to get there: 20min walk from Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur (Google Maps)
13) Explore the Secrets of KL through a food tour
The Secrets of KL – Nightlife, Street Art & Cocktails tour opened our eyes to a side of KL we never knew existed! From hidden speakeasies to vibrant murals, it was fun exploring KL’s hidden gems in the nooks and crannies of the city. Our guide Pauline also does an amazing job of bringing a lot more flavour — both literally and metaphorically — to our appreciation of the city.
We stopped by so many unassuming places, which turned out to be some of the best food joints. Take Happy Meal Restaurant for example — its exterior didn’t look fancy but one bite into its durian crumble tart and you’ll taste a Michelin-grade snack.
Aside from neighbourhood bakery delights, Pauline also brought us to speakeasies where they served rendang chicken, and even more atas (luxurious) places like Sheraton Hotel KL’s Jann Bar to have Hawthorne Cocktail! There were so many other stops along the artsy streets too, which made for good photo opportunities.
Cost: ~S$90.80/pax
Opening hours: 4PM – 8PM
Meeting point: Pasar Seni MRT Station (Google Maps)
14) Feast with reptiles at Fangs by DEKORI Premium Cafe
Warning: This is NOT for people who are scared of reptiles… Although, I still recommend giving it a try as I belonged to that category and went anyway but came out with no regrets.
Fangs by DEKORI Premium Cafe is home to a variety of the cutest creepy crawlies and lizards. They were super chill and even sat by Shai’s shoulder while she was eating. I mustered up the courage to carry one of them onto my hands eventually — and felt more worried I would hurt these gentle creatures.
The cafe also offers an assortment of bites to dine with your new-found friends — we ordered the fish fingers and a cheesy croissant.
Opening hours: 12PM – 12AM
How to get there: 11min walk from SunU-Monash Tram Station (Google Maps)
15) Indulge in local delicacies at Petaling Street Market
Try their famous Claypot Chicken Rice Stores.
The Petaling Street Market is where locals gather to eat and shop for dupes of their favourite luxury brand items. Just walking around to take in everything is an activity in itself! While here, try the famous Hong Kee Claypot Chicken Rice or local specialities like assam laksa and moonlight hor fun.
Opening hours: 10AM – 10PM
How to get there: 5min walk from Pasar Seni MRT Station (Google Maps)
Tips to make the most out of your KL Trip
From iconic landmarks to thrilling adventures, you can’t miss out on these unique experiences on your first trip to KL! To make your journey much more convenient, check out these tips:
Transport: Get the KLIA Ekspres Airport Train Tickets via Klook before your trip to KL and save yourself the costs of booking a taxi or the stress of figuring out how to buy a train ticket there. FYI, you can directly use the online QR codes — there’s no need to exchange them for a physical ticket.
Connectivity: We bought an unlimited data eSIM for South East Asia and saw consistent connection throughout our week-long stay in KL.
Activities: Pre-book your activities via Klook to secure your slots beforehand and skip the physical ticket queues.
Want to explore more of Malaysia? Be sure to read these guides and itineraries too:
– JB Day Trip Itinerary — What to Do, Eat, and Shop Under S$65
– New Flight to Sibu, Malaysia — A Lesser-Known Weekend Getaway Near Singapore
– 15 Unique Things To Do In Kuala Lumpur Besides Eating and Shopping — KL Long Weekend Guide
Any other interesting things to do in KL? Let us know in the comments below and we might include it in this listicle!
This post was brought to you by Klook.
