Getting from Kuala Lumpur Airport

Kuala Lumpur

The fastest way to get to the centre of Kuala Lumpur is to take the KLIA Express.

The cheapest ticket when bought online is 49,50 myr, so if you're travelling with 2 or more people, it's usually cheaper to drive to the centre via the Grab mobile app.

A good and cheap alternative is to take the KLIA Transit train to Putrajaya and there change to the yellow metro line to downtown Kuala Lumpur.

However, the journey by car is prone to long traffic jams.

Price Travel time
KLIA Express Train 49,50 myr 28 minutes
KLIA transit train 49,50 myr 36 minutes
KLIA Transit + Metro Yellow Line 12,80 myr 70 minutes
Grab 90 myr 55-115 minutes
Buses 13 myr 90-115 minutes

10 best hotels in Kuala Lumpur

Trains to KL Sentral

There are two types of trains that run between the airport and KL Sentral Central Station - the KLIA Express with no stops and the KLIA Transit with 3 stops.

At KL Sentral station, you can transfer to two metro lines (for example, the monorail in the direction of Bukit Bintang or the red line 5 in the direction of Chinatown).

For timetables, prices and online ticketing, visit: kliaekspres.com.

Online tickets are sold at a 10% discount and are valid for 30 days from purchase.

If you buy a more expensive ticket on the spot, you can pay with your own contactless card by attaching it to the turnstile, or you can buy a traditional paper ticket in cash or by card at a machine or at the ticket office.

KLIA Express

Express trains do not stop at any intermediate stations en route.

  • Fares - 55 myr / 100 myr return; if you buy an online ticket: 49,50 myr / 90 myr return
  • Travel time - 28 minutes on T1 / 33 minutes on T2
  • Frequency - 20 minutes
  • Last train from airport - 0:00 from T2 / 0:03 from T3
  • First train from KL Sentral - 5:00
  • Tip for hotel near KL Sentral station - Hilton Kuala Lumpur *****

KLIA Transit

Slower trains also stop at Bandar Tasik Selatan, Putrajaya & Cyberjaya and Salak Tinggi stations along the way.

You can therefore use the KLIA Transit train when visiting Malaysia's administrative capital, Putrajaya.

  • Fares - 55 myr / 100 myr return; if you buy an online ticket: 49,50 myr / 90 myr return
    • price to Bandar Tasik Selatan bus station - 38,40 myr
    • price to Putrajaya station - 9,40 myr on the spot / 8,50 myr online
  • Travel time - 36 minutes on T1 / 39 minutes on T2
  • Frequency - 30 minutes
  • Last train from airport - 0:30 from T2 / 0:34 from T3
  • First train from KL Sentral - 5:03
  • Top 10 hotels in Kuala Lumpur

Train + Metro to KLCC

If you're heading to the modern KLCC in the vicinity of the Petronas Twin Towers, it's worth opting for a combination of KLIA Transit (not KLIA express) and the Yellow Line metro, with a change at Putrajaya Sentral station.

  • Fares
    • KLIA Transit train <-> Putrajaya Airport - 9,40 myr on site / 8,50 myr online
    • Putrajaya Metro <-> Persiaran KLCC - 4,30 myr (with Touch 'n Go card for 3,80 myr - where to buy and how much does it cost?)
  • Travel time
    • 17 minutes to airport <-> Putrajaya
    • approx. 5-8 minutes transfer
    • 45 minutes Putrajaya <-> Persiaran KLCC
    • Total approx. 70 minutes
  • Frequency - 30 minutes (KLIA Transit train), 7-10 minutes (Putrajaya Metro Line)
  • Recommended - discover our review of the Imperial Lexis hotel near Conlay station in the centre

Buses to Kuala Lumpur

The cheapest option is the numerous buses that leave several times an hour to many destinations in the centre. The first buses leave the city centre as early as 3:00am and the last buses from the airport leave at 1:30am. Bus stops are in front of both terminals.

Bus travel is considerably cheaper than by train: one journey costs between 12 myr a 13 myr.

Buses run most frequently to KL Sentral, Pudu Sentral, Terminal Bersepadu Selatan or Batu Tiga.

You can buy a ticket at the station directly at the airport or online, for example through the website 12go.asia, which compares most of the carriers that run to the airport. You can also use your mobile phone to buy a ticket, no need to print it.

Buses operate on the following routes:

  • KL Sentral (Frequency 5-30 minutes, 90 minute journey) - companies SkyBus, AeroBus, Suasana Express
  • Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (Frequency 15-30 minutes, 90 minutes) - companies Jetbus, StarMart Express
  • AEON Bukit Tinggi (Frequency 60-120 minutes, 90 minutes) - company AeroBus
  • Terminal Seksyen / Shah Alam (Frequency 120 minutes, 150 minutes drive) - company Jetbus

The bus stations at both terminals are always 2 floors below the arrivals hall.

Public transport map

We have created an up-to-date map of train and bus routes from KLIA to downtown Kuala Lumpur or Putrajaya.

Taxi, Grab

Taxis are a popular and surprisingly cheap mode of transport. Extremely popular are mobile apps, with Grab being the standout app in Malaysia.

The price on the Grab app is based on current demand, and off-peak times from the airport to the city centre can be reached for around 85 myr to 90 myr. This means that when travelling with 2 or more people, it's more cost-effective to take a taxi than a train.

The prices of regular taxis are calculated according to the taximeter and depending on the type of car you choose, you pay 3 myr to 6 myr per 1 km ride. So usually a regular taxi is significantly more expensive than a Grab.

The conventional taxi stand is always right on the arrivals level, while Grab has stands at both terminals 2 floors down by the bus stops.

For directions to the Grab cars, follow the signs "e-hailing".

Car rental

If you want to explore the Malaysian countryside, renting a car is the ideal option. We do not recommend a car for traveling only to the major cities.

Many international and local car rental companies have branches in both terminals.

Prices for a week start at around 260 usd.

Car rental counters are always near the bus stops at both terminals.

Long-distance buses

Direct bus services also leave from both airport terminals to other Malaysian cities.

To find connections throughout Malaysia, simply use the 12go.asia website to compare all the carriers on a given route. Links to specific companies are also provided below.

The most common non-stop connections are to the following destinations.

  • Malacca - price 25 myr, 1x per hour
  • Genting Highlands - price 35 myr, 4-5 times a day
  • Johor Bahru - price from 55 myr, 1-2x per hour
  • and many more

The bus stations at both terminals are always 2 floors below the arrivals hall.

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