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How many days in Malaysia? 10 days: Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Penang and Borneo's orangutans
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Malaysia is two places: the peninsula, with Kuala Lumpur and the old trading ports of Melaka and Penang, and Malaysian Borneo, with rainforest, orangutans and coral islands. Ten days lets you see both, with one domestic flight across the South China Sea. Peninsular distances are short and buses and trains are cheap and comfortable; the food is the real reason to slow down.
Short answer
Seven days covers Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Penang on the peninsula. Ten days adds Sabah in Borneo for orangutans and river wildlife.
The 10-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Kuala Lumpur: the towers and Bukit Bintang
Morning. Go up the Petronas Twin Towers to the skybridge and 86th-floor deck (about RM 100, timed tickets; book online). Walk in KLCC Park below.
Afternoon. Escape the heat in the Islamic Arts Museum (about RM 20), one of the finest in Asia, near the National Mosque and the Perdana Botanical Garden.
Evening. Eat on Jalan Alor in Bukit Bintang, a street of hawker stalls: satay, grilled stingray and chilli crab for RM 10-40 a dish.
Use the Touch 'n Go card or tap a contactless bank card on the LRT, MRT and monorail; most rides are RM 1.50-4.
Day 2: Batu Caves and old Kuala Lumpur
Morning. Take the KTM Komuter train from KL Sentral to Batu Caves (about 30 minutes, RM 3), climb the 272 rainbow steps past the gold statue of Lord Murugan into the Hindu temple cave (free). Go before 9:00.
Afternoon. Visit Merdeka Square, where independence was declared in 1957, the Moorish Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Masjid Jamek and the Central Market, an Art Deco craft hall.
Evening. Walk Petaling Street in Chinatown for night stalls, then a rooftop drink with a view of the towers.
Dress modestly at Batu Caves and the mosques; sarongs are lent or rented for a few ringgit.
Day 3: Melaka
Morning. Take a bus from TBS terminal to Melaka (about 2 hours, RM 15). Start at the red Stadthuys (1650) and Christ Church, built by the Dutch.
Afternoon. Climb St Paul's Hill to the ruined Portuguese church and down to the Porta de Santiago, the gate of the 1511 A Famosa fortress, then take a Melaka River cruise (about RM 30).
Evening. The Jonker Street night market runs Friday to Sunday. Eat chicken rice balls and Nyonya laksa at about RM 10-15.
Stay one night in Melaka to see it after the day-trippers leave.
Day 4: Cameron Highlands
Morning. Travel from Melaka via KL to the Cameron Highlands (about 5-6 hours by bus). At 1,500 metres, it is 15-20°C cooler.
Afternoon. Visit the BOH Sungei Palas tea plantation (free entry), where green tea terraces roll over the hills, and drink tea with scones on the terrace above the fields.
Evening. Stay in Tanah Rata and try a steamboat (hotpot) dinner for RM 30-50 per person.
Most estates close on Mondays; and the hill road from the lowlands has many curves, so take something for motion sickness.
Day 5: To Penang: George Town's street art
Morning. Take a bus from Tanah Rata to George Town on Penang (about 4-5 hours, RM 40-60).
Afternoon. Walk the UNESCO-listed old town: the murals of Armenian Street by Ernest Zacharevic, the clan temple of Khoo Kongsi (about RM 15), and the Chew Jetty, a Chinese clan village on stilts.
Evening. Eat at the Lebuh Chulia street stalls or the New Lane hawkers: char kway teow, asam laksa and cendol for RM 6-12 each.
Penang's hawkers each have days off; look for queues of locals, not menus in English.
Day 6: Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si
Morning. Visit the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion (guided tours about RM 25), an indigo 19th-century mansion. Then ride the funicular up Penang Hill, 833 metres (about RM 30 return for foreigners).
Afternoon. Visit Kek Lok Si, the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, with a seven-tier pagoda and a 30-metre bronze statue of Guanyin.
Evening. Eat at Gurney Drive hawker centre on the seafront for oyster omelette and satay.
Penang Hill queues are shorter in the morning; the night view at sunset is popular but crowded.
Day 7: Fly to Sabah: Sepilok orangutans
Morning. Fly from Penang to Sandakan in Sabah, usually via Kuala Lumpur (about 5-6 hours in total).
Afternoon. Watch the 15:00 feeding at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (about RM 30 for foreigners), where orphaned orangutans swing in to the platform. Next door, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre cares for the world's smallest bear.
Evening. Stay in a jungle lodge at Sepilok and listen to the forest at night.
Feedings are at about 10:00 and 15:00; the morning one is busier. Bags go in lockers because of thieving macaques.
Day 8: Kinabatangan River
Morning. Transfer about 2-3 hours to Sukau or Bilit on the Kinabatangan River, Malaysia's longest at 560 km.
Afternoon. Take a late-afternoon river cruise to see proboscis monkeys, macaques, hornbills and, with luck, Bornean pygmy elephants and wild orangutans.
Evening. After dinner, take a night walk or night cruise for owls, frogs and sleeping kingfishers.
Book a 2-night lodge package (about RM 800-1,500 per person with meals and cruises); they include transfers.
Day 9: Dawn cruise and Kota Kinabalu
Morning. Take the 6:00 river cruise, when wildlife is most active. After breakfast, transfer back to Sandakan (about 2-3 hours).
Afternoon. Fly to Kota Kinabalu (about 45 minutes), Sabah's capital, with Mount Kinabalu visible on clear days.
Evening. Eat grilled fish and squid at the Filipino Market night stalls on the waterfront, for RM 15-40, and watch sunset over the islands.
If you are in KK on a Sunday morning, the Gaya Street Sunday Market sells local crafts and food.
Day 10: Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park
Morning. Take a boat from Jesselton Point (15-20 minutes; about RM 30-50 return plus a park fee of about RM 25) to Manukan or Sapi island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park for snorkelling.
Afternoon. Island-hop to a second island, such as Mamutik, then return to KK by mid-afternoon.
Evening. Fly home from Kota Kinabalu International Airport, 20 minutes from the centre, or connect via Kuala Lumpur.
Climbers can add 2 days for Mount Kinabalu (4,095 metres); permits and huts must be booked months ahead.
Only have 7 days?
With 7 days, stay on the peninsula: 2 days in KL, 1 in Melaka, 1 in the Cameron Highlands and 2-3 in Penang. You lose Borneo.
Got extra days?
Extra days fit Langkawi (a 3-hour ferry or short flight from Penang) for beaches and the cable car, the Perhentian Islands for diving, Taman Negara rainforest, or Kuching in Sarawak.
Where to stay in Malaysia
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | KL Chinatown / George Town heritage hostels | Cheap, central and next to the street food. | RM 60-120 |
| Mid-range | KL Bukit Bintang | On the monorail and MRT, surrounded by food and malls. | RM 180-350 |
| Mid-range | George Town heritage hotels | Restored shophouses in the UNESCO zone. | RM 200-400 |
| Comfort | KLCC towers / Borneo river lodges | Five-star views of the towers, or full-board lodges on the Kinabatangan. | RM 500-1,500 |
Getting around
On the peninsula, long-distance buses are cheap and comfortable; book on the CatchThatBus or Easybook websites. The ETS electric train links KL Sentral and Butterworth (for Penang) in about 4 hours. AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines and Batik Air fly between the peninsula and Borneo; book early. Grab works in all cities and is cheap: a ride across KL costs RM 10-25. From KLIA airport, the KLIA Ekspres reaches KL Sentral in 28 minutes (about RM 55).
What to eat in Malaysia
Malaysian food mixes Malay, Chinese, Indian and Nyonya cooking. Eat nasi lemak (coconut rice with sambal, peanuts, anchovies and egg) for breakfast for RM 4-10, roti canai with dhal at a 24-hour mamak stall, char kway teow and asam laksa in Penang, and satay at night. Hawker centres serve dishes at RM 6-15. Drink teh tarik (pulled milk tea), fresh coconut and Milo with ice. In Sabah, try hinava (raw fish marinated in lime). Alcohol is available but taxed and expensive.
Best time to visit
Malaysia is hot all year (30-33°C). The west coast (KL, Melaka, Penang) is best from December to February and June to August, with the heaviest rain around April and October-November. Sabah is driest from March to October. The east coast islands close from November to February for the monsoon. Chinese New Year and Hari Raya fill transport and hotels.
Month-by-month weather for Malaysia →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | RM 50 | RM 140 | RM 400 |
| Food & drink | RM 40 | RM 90 | RM 200 |
| Sights & tickets | RM 25 | RM 70 | RM 180 |
| Local transport | RM 15 | RM 40 | RM 100 |
| Total per person, per day | about RM 130 | about RM 340 | about RM 880 |
Approximate 2026 prices in Malaysian ringgit (about RM 4.3 = US$1), not including the domestic flight; foreign visitors pay a **tourism tax of RM 10 per room per night**, added at checkout.
Before you go
Common questions
Is it worth going to Borneo on a first trip?
If you like wildlife, yes. Sepilok and the Kinabatangan are among the best places in the world to see orangutans, proboscis monkeys and hornbills, and they are easy to reach with a flight and a lodge package. If you have less than a week, stay on the peninsula and save Borneo for another trip with more time.
Penang or Langkawi?
Penang for food, history and street art in George Town; it has only average beaches. Langkawi for beaches, mangrove boat tours and the SkyCab cable car, with duty-free shopping but far less character. They are linked by a 3-hour ferry or a short flight, so with two or three extra days you can do both.
What should I wear in Malaysia?
Light, breathable clothes for the heat, and something covering shoulders and knees for mosques and temples. Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country but relaxed in cities; swimwear is fine at beaches and pools. Bring a light jacket for the Cameron Highlands and for strongly air-conditioned buses, trains and malls.
Is Malaysia expensive?
No. It is good value: hawker meals cost RM 6-15, buses between cities RM 15-60 and city taxis by Grab a few ringgit. Hotels in KL are cheap for their quality compared with Singapore. Borneo lodges and tours are the biggest expense, and alcohol is taxed heavily, so beer costs more than in Thailand.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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