ElizabethAfter our time in Borneo, we had one quick day to soak up as much of Kuala Lumpur as we could before heading home. We decided to treat it like a mini city blitz—packing in the highlights and a few surprises along the way.
Where We Stayed
We booked a night at the Hilton Garden Inn. The layout’s a bit quirky (it has two sides and you have to walk outside between them to get to the pool), but it worked for us. The real perk? Ajoining rooms that fit five—not easy to find in the city! Breakfast was great with made-to-order items and a lovely spread. It’s always a perk when we can all eat well before heading out for the day.
We also lucked out with an amazing view of the Petronas Towers right from our window—what a great way to end the trip.
The HIlton Garden Inn has a pool, but its a bit goofy. Its located almost in the restaurant and has weird hours. Don’t book here for a great pool, there are much better options fo that. THe location and price were good for us though and we were glad to have the pool to cool off
How We Got Around
We hired a driver through Skyline Holidays Travel and Tours (email: skylineholidaystravel@gmail.com), and he was the perfect guide—super flexible and full of great suggestions. In Asia, we’ve found it’s often easier to coordinate directly with local guides, and this was no exception. (If you prefer, you can organize this same tour through Klook, and I’m an affiliate for them, but we usually try to book directly.)
Our Stops for the Day
Pewter Factory & Workshop
We kicked things off at the Royal Selangor Pewter Factory. The kids (and, let’s be honest, the grown-ups too) loved the School of Hard Knocks workshop, where you can make your own pewter bowl. They also have a guided tour and even a tasting drink from a pewter cup halfway through! You should make arrangements for the workshop before you arrive. This can be done on their website. Hands on craft activities are always a huge hit with our kids.
Batik Workshop
Next, we stopped at a batik shop to watch the craftsmen at work. We even tried our hands at painting a batik design ourselves. The kids got really into mixing the dyes and seeing how the colors turned out. This did not require advanced reservations. The Batik has to dry, so if you plan to make your own ask to do that first and then compete the tour while your art is drying. They package it all up for easy transport home.
Batu Caves
Then it was off to the Batu Caves, a series of colorful Hindu temples built into a limestone hill. Women need to cover their knees and shoulders here—my sleeveless dress was okay, but it’s worth checking your outfit before you go. We didn’t do the optional cave tours (there’s one with glow-in-the-dark bugs and another with more in-depth cave exploration), but the main cave itself was fascinating. There are monkeys everywhere, and they can be aggressive. People feed them, and it’s all a bit gross. Even with the monkeys, though, Batu Caves are a must-see.
The Palace & National Monument
A quick photo stop at the National Palace (where we learned the Sultan rotates every five years!) and the National Monument, which was a nice pause between busy stops.
National Mosque
We popped by the National Mosque, which has some of the best views of the second-tallest building in the world—the Merdeka 118 tower. We opted not to go into the Mosque, but if you want to go in there is a visitors’ entrance. They give you robes and you can walk an established tour route.
Independence Square & River of Life
We wandered around Independence Square, which was closed to traffic that weekend—perfect for a stroll. The old palace building there was interesting to see. The River of Life was another highlight, especially learning how the city’s name means “confluence of two muddy rivers.” At night, the river is all lit up and worth a visit if you’re around.,
Central Market
Our last shopping stop was the Central Market, where I grabbed some fancy postcards (I love sending these to friends!). I could have done much more shopping and tasting here, but we had a schedule to keep!
Petronas Towers Viewing Deck
We ended the day at the Petronas Towers viewing deck. If you’re thinking of going, book ahead—they fill up fast, especially at sunset. The view from both the bridge and the towers was spectacular.
Food Street
After all that walking, we wrapped up at Jalan Alor (the food street) for dinner. Despite our familiarity with open markets like this, we were very overwhelmed by all the smells and sounds. We ended up finding a cozy Indian place on a side street to sit down for a real meal—perfect end to a packed day.
We managed to fit in a lot, but it didn’t feel like too much—just enough to get a taste of Kuala Lumpur before heading home. We can’t wait to come back!
Need to Know
- Book your Petronas Towers tickets ahead—no joke, they sell out!
- Having a driver for the day made a huge difference in our ability to see everything.
- Don’t skip the workshops if you have kids—they loved it, and it gave us a chance to connect with the artists who work there.
- KL is a big, busy city, but you can see a lot in just one day with a bit of planning.
What We Packed to Keep the Kids Busy
We always bring a few travel-friendly activities to keep the kids occupied during long drives or flight delays. For this trip, our go-tos were:
- Foldology – a fun origami puzzle game that’s surprisingly challenging
- Colored Pencil Roll – always a winner for sketching or journaling
- Easy Origami – packs up small, and once you learn a few, you don’t need the book.
- Kindle Kids – we all use the kid version because they are small. This is the best way we’ve found to carry books on a trip.
- Mini- Magnatiles – perfect for our kiddo who loves to build
- Travel Chess
Heads up: Some of these links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. I only share what we use and love!
Want the Full Malaysia Itinerary?
If you’re curious about how we planned our trip, check out the full Malaysia family itinerary. It’s got all the details—what we booked, how we moved around, and what worked for our family.
And for even more info, take a look at my Instagram stories highlight for this trip. I keep it updated with all the little tips that don’t make it onto the blog.
