Chow Kit, located north of the city centre just outside the popular Kampung Baru district, has a reputation for being a lively area full of local markets and until recently was also known as the main "red light district". However, this has recently moved more into the side streets of the very touristy Bukit Bintang area.

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Second-hand open-air

A very popular part of Chow Kit is the extensive second-hand clothing market, where you can buy trousers or T-shirts from 5 myr.

This market is available every day on Jalan Haji Taib right in the centre of Chow Kit.

The market building and street-food

The Chow Kit area is dominated by the market building, one of the largest in central Kuala Lumpur. The market mainly focuses on selling meat, fish, fruits and vegetables.

The market is open every day from 6:00-18:00 and is clearly busiest in the early morning hours.

Every Saturday, however, there is a night market until about 2:00 am.

There is a small outdoor market in front of the market every day until night time, but you will only find a few stalls selling fruit, vegetables and meat.

A little further down Jalan Raja Alang Street there are a few eateries and street eateries, but we think you'll experience a better atmosphere and food selection in the neighbouring Kampung Baru area.

Where to stay

Chow Kit is a good place to stay if you want to experience authentic old Kuala Lumpur with minimal tourists and great transport links.

Right in the middle of Chow Kit, we would recommend the Hilton Garden Inn Kuala Lumpur *** with reasonable rates from 60 usd per night.

How to get there

If you have a bit of time, we would recommend an early evening walk from the Petronas Twin Towers via Kampung Baru, which will take no more than 30 minutes.

Take a look at the map of the route we took.

The green Line 8 monorail runs right through the middle of Chow Kit, which will quickly take you to the modern centre of Kuala Lumpur and KL Sentral station, as well as perhaps the lively tourist district of Bukit Bintang.

What to see around

Discover all the places to see in Kuala Lumpur.