Best time to visit Malaysia: a month-by-month guide

Malaysia is warm all year, so there’s no bad time to visit. What changes is where it rains. Two monsoon seasons hit different coasts at different times, which means that whatever month you travel, some part of the country is in its best season. Here’s how to pick.

How the weather works

• It’s always hot and humid. Lowland temperatures barely change through the year. Highlands like the Cameron Highlands are cooler.
• The northeast monsoon (roughly November to February) brings heavy rain and rough seas to the east coast of the peninsula: Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang’s coast. Most east coast island resorts close. Sabah and Sarawak also tend to be wettest around this time.
• The southwest monsoon (roughly May to September) is milder. The west coast stays fairly dry, with short afternoon storms.
• Between the monsoons (around April and October) you get hot mornings and big afternoon thunderstorms almost everywhere.
• Haze: in some years, smoke from forest fires in the region causes hazy skies, usually in the second half of the year. Check air quality reports if you’re sensitive to it.

Month by month

The short version

• West coast and Langkawi: best from about November to April, when it’s driest.
• East coast islands: go between March and October. Don’t plan them for November to February.
• Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak): visitable all year, but drier in the middle of the year, which is best for climbing and diving.
• Kuala Lumpur and the cities: any time. Malls and food courts are your rain plan.

Festivals and holidays

Festivals are a great reason to visit, but they also fill trains, buses and hotels. Many follow the lunar or Islamic calendars, so their dates move every year. The biggest are Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Aidilfitri, when many people travel home and some shops close for a few days. See our Malaysian festivals guide for what to expect.

Malaysian school holidays are also busy times, especially for beaches and highlands. The school calendar changes, so check the current dates before you book.

Planning a route? See our Malaysia itinerary and packing list.