BATU CAVES IN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: ABOUT & GUIDE 

Despite being located about 14 km from the Petronas Twin Tower in Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves has remained one of the most visited attractions in Malaysia. This is not your ordinary cave—there is a 100-year-old Hindu temple with a big gold statue. And the caves are made of limestone formations that date back to over 400 million years ago. 

Equally unique and exciting are the 272 steps that go all the way to the top of the hill—from where the caves can be accessed. Watch out for monkeys, on your way up, sitting on the staircase. 

The Art Gallery Cave and Museum Cave, located at the bottom of the steps, showcases paintings and statues. There are a few good things to do at Batu Caves, you need to plan at least a half-day visit. Actually, there is a Batu Caves Half-Day Tour from Kuala Lumpur that is popular with travelers and tourists.

Thaipusam: Every year, a Hindu festival called Thaipusam takes place. In the month of January, thousands of believers go to the Batu Caves for this event. 

Address: 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor

RELATED CONTENT: Kuala Lumpur Travel Guide

Batu Caves Opening Hours & Cost

Opening Hours: 6 am to 9 pm. The best time to visit the Batu Caves would be early in the morning. This is when there are not many people around and it is cool to climb the 272 steps to the top of the hill.

Entrance Fee/Cost: Free to enter the Caves and see the gold big statue. But to visit the museum, you pay. 

Getting to Batu Caves Using Public Transport

Take a Tour: See different Batu Caves Tours from Kuala Lumpur.

The quickest way to get to Batu Caves is by taking a Taxi or Grab (their Uber equivalent). If you are staying in the center of Kuala Lumpur, the drive to Batu Caves takes about 20 minutes. 

By train, it takes about an hour from central Kuala Lumpur to Batu Caves. You take the KJL to Putra Heights then take a train to Batu Caves at KL Sentral. 

Be advised that when going back to Kuala Lumpur central from Batu Caves Train Station, you might have to wait for a while because trains don’t run frequently. We took a Grab ride when going to the Caves but failed to book the Grab ride back because there was no WiFi at this location. We waited for a train back to Kuala Lumpur for almost an hour— a big lesson learned—always have some emergency data. 

Buses are out of the question for us because the stop is located about 6 km away. 

Dress Code for Batu Caves

Dress Code: As Batu Caves is a religious site, be respectful and dress appropriately. You may want to wear something that covers your knees. If you are wearing an off-shoulder top, make sure to pull the sleeves up to cover the shoulders, when entering inside the Batu Caves. Alternatively, just bring a scarf or sarong.