Malaysia itinerary: one week or two

Malaysia is easy to travel around, but it’s bigger than it looks, and Borneo is a flight away from the peninsula. These two routes work well for a first trip. Use them as a starting point and swap places in or out to suit you.

One week: the west coast classic

A good mix of city, food, heritage and a cool hill station, connected mostly by train and bus.

Getting around: Take the ETS train from KL to Ipoh, then on to Butterworth for Penang. Penang airport has international flights, so you might not need to go back to KL.

Swap in: Add Melaka as a day trip or overnight from KL. Or swap Ipoh for the Cameron Highlands if you’d rather have cool air and tea plantations (allow at least two nights).

Two weeks: add islands or Borneo

Start with the one-week route, then pick one of these for the second week.

Option A: Langkawi (west coast beaches)

Get from Penang to Langkawi by ferry or a short flight.

Option B: East coast islands (roughly March to October)

Fly to Kota Bharu or Kuala Terengganu, then transfer to the jetty. The east coast islands mostly close from around November to February.

Option C: Borneo

Fly to Kuching from KL or Penang, then on to Kota Kinabalu, and home from there. Add a couple of days if you want to climb Mount Kinabalu.

Tips for planning

• Don’t try to see everything. Two or three nights in each place is better than rushing.
• Check the season. The east coast and its islands are best avoided during the year-end monsoon, while the west coast is fine year-round.
• Book ahead for festivals. Trains, buses and flights fill up around Chinese New Year and Hari Raya. See our festivals guide.
• Use open-jaw flights. Flying into KL and out of Penang or Kota Kinabalu saves backtracking.

For transport details, see getting around Malaysia.