Planning on how to get around the Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia? Read on for the 101 guide of getting around using different public transport options.
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Is it easy to get around Kuala Lumpur?
Although Kuala Lumpur is a car-centric city, getting around via public transport (as a traveler) to key destinations around the city is a perfectly viable option. The train, bus, and car options the city offers can bring you anywhere in the city at a reasonable price.
Types of public transport in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia
KL Monorail
The KL Monorail is the shortest train route in KL with 11 stations covering a small stretch of just over 8km. It covers the main central KL areas, such as KL Sentral, Bukit Bintang, and Chow Kit with multiple stations with interchange to other train systems. Personally, I wouldn’t opt for the Monorail if there are other train alternatives, which there often are, as the Monorail has a longer wait time of 12 minutes during the weekends and a smaller train size.
Light Rapid Transit (LRT)
With 2 lines (Kelana Jaya Line and Sri Petaling & Ampang Line), the LRT covers 73 stations across the non-CBD and CBD areas of Kuala Lumpur, including main areas KL Sentral, Pasar Seni, and KLCC.
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
The MRT is the new kid in town. New, modern, and squeaky clean – the 2 lines cover central areas and developing areas beyond Kuala Lumpur while still covering the main areas.
KLIA Ekspres and Transit
The airport transfer of KL, KLIA Ekspres brings you from KLIA T1/T2 straight to KL Sentral in less than 30 minutes (The other way round works too). KLIA Transit on the other hand has more frequent stops in other transport hubs in the city. You can also pre-book your tickets here!
KTM Komuter
The KTM Komuter connects the city center to the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. The trains are generally older and have a much longer wait time of up to 40 minutes between trains. Unless you want to travel into the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur, it’s likely you won’t be using the KTM Komuter.
KTM ETS
ETS trains travel outside of Kuala Lumpur and connects you to other Malaysian cities. This will be your choice of train transport to travel between cities.
Rapid KL Bus
The Rapid KL is the city bus that brings you around all of Kuala Lumpur, from the major attractions to the unknown streets. All Rapid KL buses are air-conditioned and have seating and standing options. Personally not my favourite too as buses in KL are rarely punctual, and the bus stop infrastructures are not the most complete, bar the key areas of central KL. But it always gets you where you need to be.
Go-KL City Bus
The monorail of buses, Go-KL City Bus only has 15 lines stopping at key destinations in KL including tourist spots, so it is a good option for travels within central KL. Non-Malaysians will have to pay RM1 per ride via cashless payments (Debit/credit cards are accepted).
KL Hop On Hop Off Bus
Running through the city centre, this is the perfect option if you’ve only got a day or two in KL. It covers all of the main attractions of the city while keeping your schedule flexible. Check out the most popular sightseeing tour during the day and the KL City of Lights Night Tour via the Hop On Hop Off buses!
Grab
Grab is the Uber of Southeast Asia. Although pricier than all of the options above, it is the most convenient option of all. However, traffic jams are a thing in KL, so sometimes taking the train may be a wiser option!
Plan your public transport journey in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia
For general public transport journey planning, I suggest to use a mix of Google Maps and PULSE.
Simply enter the start and end destination in Google Maps and select the public transport option. You should see the recommended journeys using different bus or train lines. PULSE can serve as a supplementary app to confirm the bus or train’s opening, closing, arrival times and fare calculations.
If you’re travelling to areas outside of the city centre, it’s always worth checking the price of a Grab ride. With off-peak prices and group travels, you may be paying just the same amount for public transport but with better comfort and convenience.
How to pay for public transport in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur has a largely cashless public transport system. All you’ll really need is your Touch n’ Go card (Malaysia’s transport card) and a contactless debit card. Read below for how to pay for public transport in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia.
