All activities

Batu Caveswith Travelogue Guesthouse, Kuala Lumpur

Nine in the morning, twice a week, and back in time for lunch. 272 steps, a gold statue you can see from the road, and a great many monkeys.

Day: Wednesday and Saturday
Time: 9:00 AM
Meet: The common area
Cost: Free to join

Start to finish

How the day goes

Roughly. It is a group of travellers, not a coach tour, so the end of it moves.

9:00 AM: Meet in the common area at Travelogue Guesthouse.
Morning: Up the 272 steps, and the cave temples inside the hill.
Midday: Group lunch, everybody at one table.
Afternoon: Back in Bukit Bintang with the day still ahead of you.

On the day

What happens

Batu Caves is a limestone hill north of the city with Hindu shrines inside it, and it is the most photographed thing near Kuala Lumpur that is not the Petronas Twin Towers. The hostel goes twice a week because it works as a morning: up the steps before the heat arrives, and back at a table by lunch.

A morning tour around Batu Caves.
The temples and the caves inside the hill.
The view back down the steps, which is what everybody photographs.
Group lunch afterwards.

What it costs

Free to join. Transport is 15 to 25 RM a person and you pay for your own lunch.

What to wear

Shoulders and knees covered. It is religious ground, and comfortable shoes help with the 272 steps.

Getting there

About 30 minutes each way by car.

A Travelogue Guesthouse group below the Murugan statue at the bottom of the Batu Caves steps, Kuala Lumpur

The place itself

What you will actually see

Three things worth knowing before you get there.

The Murugan statue

Gold from foot to crown and the first thing you see from the road. It stands at the bottom of the steps, so everybody stops here before they start climbing.

Travelogue Guesthouse guests sitting on the painted steps at Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur

272 rainbow steps

Painted the whole way up. The climb is the point, and the view back down is the photograph everybody takes.

A macaque on the rainbow steps below the cave mouth at Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur

The macaques

They live on the steps and they are not shy. Keep food inside your bag and they will leave you alone.

Travelogue Guesthouse guests standing inside the main cave at Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur

The 272 painted steps at Batu Caves climbing past the Murugan statue, Kuala Lumpur

Travelogue Guesthouse guests in the cave temple inside the hill at Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur

A Travelogue Guesthouse guest beside a macaque sitting on the rail of the Batu Caves steps

Take with you

Before you go

Shoulders and knees coveredShoes you can climb inWaterCash for lunch and transport

FAQ

Questions about this one

Asked at reception often enough to be worth writing down.

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What time does the Batu Caves tour leave?

Every Wednesday and Saturday at 9:00 AM, from the common area at Travelogue Guesthouse in Bukit Bintang. A few minutes early is enough.

Do I need to book the Batu Caves tour?

No. Every activity at Travelogue Guesthouse is free to join and nothing needs booking. Turn up in the common area at the time on the board.

What should I wear at Batu Caves?

Shoulders and knees covered. Batu Caves is religious ground and you can be turned away without it. Wear shoes you can climb 272 steps in.

What does the Batu Caves tour cost?

Joining is free. Transport is 15 to 25 RM a person at your own expense, and you pay for your own lunch afterwards.

Can I go to Batu Caves on my own instead?

Yes. It is a public temple complex and anyone can walk in, free. What the hostel adds is the company, somebody who has done the journey before, and a table booked for lunch afterwards.

While you are here