Top 10 Places to Visit in Kuala Lumpur

The colonial core around Merdeka Square, with the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and Central Market, lies a short walk from Chinatown, while the Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower rise a few kilometres north and east. Bukit Bintang holds the shopping and street-food district, and the Lake Gardens to the west hold the National Mosque, the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia and the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park.

Rail is the practical way to move between districts: the LRT, MRT, monorail and KTM Komuter lines meet at KL Sentral, which also receives the KLIA Ekspres from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, about 55 kilometres south, in roughly 33 minutes. A Touch 'n Go card works across the Rapid KL network, and e-hailing cars fill the gaps at low fares. Batu Caves is reached by KTM Komuter from KL Sentral, and Thean Hou Temple, on Robson Heights, is easiest by e-hailing car.

The city has daily highs of 32-35 degrees Celsius, high humidity and around 2,600 millimetres of rain a year, so outdoor sightseeing is best done early, with afternoons kept for museums and malls. Rain is heaviest between October and March, and January-February and June-July are relatively drier. Ramadan shortens opening hours, and Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year and Deepavali close many attractions.