Malaysia · best-of list
9 Top Things to Do in Malaysia
All 9 things to do our route editors picked in Malaysia, across 2 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
9 things to do in Malaysia, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Malacca 5 picks
Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum
Malacca · On our Singapore, Malacca & Kuala Lumpur route
Guided tours of a richly furnished Peranakan townhouse on Heeren Street.
Tip: Tours fill up; arrive at opening.
Photo: Chongkian · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple
Malacca · On our Singapore, Malacca & Kuala Lumpur route
Malaysia's oldest working Chinese temple, built in the 1600s.
Photo: Marcin Konsek · CC BY-SA 4.0
Melaka River Cruise
Malacca · On our Singapore, Malacca & Kuala Lumpur route
Boat ride past murals, old warehouses and the Kampung Morten village.
Tip: Ride after dark when the riverbanks are lit.
Photo: fairaq Mohammad · Google
St. Paul's Hill and A Famosa
Malacca · On our Singapore, Malacca & Kuala Lumpur route
Hilltop church ruins and the surviving gate of the 1511 Portuguese fortress.
Photo: Serjio An · Google
Stadthuys and Dutch Square
Malacca · On our Singapore, Malacca & Kuala Lumpur route
Red Dutch colonial buildings and Christ Church around a central square.
Tip: Go early before the heat and the trishaw crowds.
Photo: Jeffrey Woo · Google
Kuala Lumpur 4 picks
Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur · On our Singapore, Malacca & Kuala Lumpur route
Fine collection of Islamic art, textiles and architecture models under tiled domes.
Photo: Chainwit. · CC BY-SA 4.0
Merdeka Square
Kuala Lumpur · On our Singapore, Malacca & Kuala Lumpur route
Square where independence was declared, faced by the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.
Tip: Best seen in the evening when buildings are lit.
Photo: Mohd Tamizi Bin Mohd Rusdin · Google
Petronas Twin Towers
Kuala Lumpur · On our Singapore, Malacca & Kuala Lumpur route
Twin 88-story towers with a skybridge and an observation deck.
Tip: Book tickets online; the KLCC Park fountain show runs nightly.
Photo: Jelle Pera · Google
Thean Hou Temple
Kuala Lumpur · On our Singapore, Malacca & Kuala Lumpur route
Six-tiered Chinese temple on a hill, strung with red lanterns.
Photo: Alexey Komarov · CC BY-SA 4.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Malaysia?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 9 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Malaysia has the most things to do on this list?
Malacca has the most (5 of 9), followed by Kuala Lumpur (4).
Are any of these free?
4 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Merdeka Square, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, St. Paul's Hill and A Famosa and Thean Hou Temple. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Malaysia
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Malacca 5 on this list
- Kuala Lumpur 4 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.