Malaysia is an amazing, unique country that is a melting pot of different scenery and cultures. All travelers headed to Southeast Asia should consider adding this two weeks in Malaysia itinerary to their trip!
Every step on this two weeks in Malaysia itinerary is well connected along the west coast of the country. Because Kuala Lumpur is the hub where most people will fly into, I will start the itinerary here. When I visited Malaysia in November/December 2017, I did this exact two weeks in Malaysia itinerary but backwards. I started in Georgetown, Penang, went up to Langkawi, then came back down to KL.
Admittedly, I took my sweet time when crossing the country, which this two weeks in Malaysia itinerary reflects. The time I’ve allotted for each location may be more than what you need, especially on a tight schedule. However, it will give you enough time to get to know each Malaysian destination well!
What to Expect during Two Weeks in Malaysia
Malaysia has influences from the majority Muslim Malays, as well as Indian Hindus, and Chinese Buddhists. Everyone is living in harmony, and the people here are really some of the friendliest that I’ve encountered on my travels.
Malaysia is considered to be one of the most developed countries in Southeast Asia, which you’ll feel especially in glitzy Kuala Lumpur (KL). Malaysia also has consistently amazing food – from a little lady’s one-woman street food stall in Langkawi to the Indian samosas in KL, I was always looking forward to my next meal during my two weeks in Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur - 3 Days
What a city. Kuala Lumpur, or KL as its called by the locals, embodies everything I love about Southeast Asia.
The high-rises are beautiful and modern and the shopping malls are outrageously huge. I was in KL right before Christmas and the outrageousness was next level, especially for a Muslim country! The public transit I found to be more efficient than the London Underground, and of course the food was amazing.
Things To Do in Kuala Lumpur:
- Visit the the Batu Caves, accessible from KL by public transit. There are also many cheap half-day tours available to the Batu Caves from KL city center. The Batu Caves have been re-modeled since I visited, and the steps are now painted like a rainbow! Don’t forget to cover your legs and shoulders before entry. If you’re showing skin, you can pay to rent a sarong at the entrance.
- Visit the Petronas Towers, which were once the tallest buildings in the world. Purchase tickets online to skip the line, or just admire them from the park below.
- Watch the Petronas Towers fountain dynamic light show in the evening. Visit the myriad of malls surrounding the area where you can stock up on new goods too.
Where To Eat in Kuala Lumpur:
There are two great local street food streets, Jalan Alor and Petaling Street. Take a tour to navigate the street food, or discover it on your own!
- Jalan Alor is incredibly lively with rows of vendors grilling, blending, boiling different foods right in front of your eyes. There are also full-service restaurants with plastic tables and chairs spilling out into the streets.
- Petaling Street has many clothing, shoes, and jewelry vendors as well as large Chinese-influence food courts where you can pick buffet-style what you want to eat.
Petaling Street goodies! After you fill your plate, you pay whatever the old lady tells you to pay
Where To Stay in Kuala Lumpur:
I recommend staying at least one night in the Regalia Suites buildings, which has an infinity pool on the 37th floor with amazing KL views. There are several room rentals and hostels that run their business from individual apartments.
I stayed at SkyBed Over The Sky Hostel which has dorm beds for $12 USD per night. Another cheap option is the KL Skyline Hostel, with similar prices.
The views over KL during the day as well as at at night (pool stays open until 10 pm!) are incredible.
There’s also a laundry facility and gym on-site. Down the street is a mall with a big grocery store and food court, connected to the KL subway line. Five minutes away is a station for the overland train that takes you directly to the Batu Caves.
Closer to town I recommend the Travel Hub Highstreet hostel, which is close to Pasar Seni Metro station station and Petaling Street.
Cameron Highlands - 3 Days
A stark difference from busy KL is the quiet tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands, the next stop on this two-week Malaysia itinerary. Situated up in the hills a little away from the coast, this is a great place to be in nature for a couple of days and get your body moving on some hikes!
Cameron Highlands is the name of the region, Tanah Rata is the town that everyone stays in.
Things To Do in the Cameron Highlands:
Travelers with a time constraint usually spend two nights and one full day here, or even just take a day trip tour from Kuala Lumpur.
Those who stay overnight have a few more options:
- Half-day tour of the tea plantations – most tours are the same, with visitors taken to the tea plantations, then a bee farm, strawberry farm, and/or a butterfly farm. The cost of the half-day tour is a standard 50-Ringgit (~$12 USD). Book in Tanah Rata!
- Half-day trek through the forests close to town. When I was at the Cameron Highlands, I hiked Trail 1, then Trails 3 and 4, and Trails 6 and 8. Three days trekking in total!
- Rent a scooter and exploring the tea plantations yourself. One of Malaysia’s claims to fame is Boh Tea. You can visit their Cameron Highlands tea plantation and see the workers looking after the tea leaf bushes. Later, visit the Boh Tea cafe for a treat and try different flavored teas!
Where To Stay in the Cameron Highlands:
I stayed at Map Travelodge, which I loved. Most backpackers coming through town will stay here so it’s so easy to meet people in their common room. The workers let us bring our own beers in (keep an eye out for 13%, 15%, and 19% alcohol beer!) which led to some great nights and tough mornings.
Ipoh - 1 Day
Ipoh is not a typical tourist destination, but I loved its charm and authenticity. For a break from the typical tourist trail, check out Ipoh during your two weeks in Malaysia itinerary!
Located at the foot of the Cameron Highlands, Ipoh has some famous works of street art here by Ernest Zacharevic. He’s the same artist who painted the most famous murals in Georgetown, Penang. Ipoh seems to be a popular place among Chinese tourists, but has yet to be frequented by Western backpackers.
Things To Do in Ipoh:
During the day there are many alleyways that are filled with boutique shops, or that sell local snacks and handicrafts. Ipoh also has a big night market, but vendors mostly sell things like shoes, clothes, electronics, etc for locals instead of street food like I was hoping for.
Where To Eat in Ipoh:
My favorite stop was Big Bowl Ramen. You can see the picture of a two-person bowl above, but they make even larger ones too!
Where To Stay in Ipoh:
I stayed at Mari Hostel, which I recommend for a backpacker vibe. It was a bit far of a walk from the bus stations, but other attractions and a big shopping mall with grocery store is close by.
Georgetown, Penang - 4 Days
I fell in love with Georgetown, Penang the moment I arrived, and it’s one of my favorite places in Malaysia. I spent over a week here in total, and it’s a must-visit city during two weeks in Malaysia.
Penang can seem like a busy city on the surface, but the old town area is so beautiful and filled with Malaysia’s unique culture and history. Penang is famous for its Portuguese architectural influence, which visitors will see in the colorful townhouses that line the streets.
Georgetown is also famous for its “Clan Jetties”, where Chinese families have built their shops and homes on stilts over the water
Things To Do in Georgetown:
- Spend one day going to the Nine Emperor’s Temple in nearby Butterworth. When I think back on the most impressive temples I saw in Asia, the Nine Emperor’s Temple in Butterworth is definitely in the top three. It is insanely intricate, and no space on the building itself is left untouched by colorful paintings or carvings. There are several rooms within the temple that you can walk though, each one dedicated to different deity sculptures or murals.
- Visit Kek Lok Si Temple, which is built into the side of a mountain outside of Georgetown. Kek Lok Si temple and the complex has amazing views over Georgetown and Penang. It’s famous for a massive Goddess of Peace statue built under a pagoda. You can purchase colorful ribbons here, each one symbolizing a wish (for Strength, Courage, World Peace, etc). Tie it to a wish-tree in the main prayer room for it to come true.
- See Ernest Zacharevic’s murals, which are dotted around town. They’re fun to interact with and beautifully depict the life of the locals in Georgetown.
The rest of your time in Georgetown, wander around the streets of town and absorb all the different cultures, sounds, and smells that you encounter. There’s Little India and a Chinatown to explore, as well as temples and mosques everywhere!
If you’re staying in Penang for longer, check out these 60 unmissable things in Penang.
Tip: Eat all the street food you can in Georgetown!
At night, go for dinner and a drink in Love Lane where all the bars blast music way too loud onto the streets. The Tipsy Tiger Party Hostel does a different drinking event each night, followed by a pub crawl that anyone can join in on as well.
Where To Stay in Georgetown:
I stayed at Just Inn, which I recommend although it was hit or miss on whether it was social or not. It’s located near a big mall and has a wonderful fruit stand nearby where you can buy bags of pre-cut fruit for 1 Ringgit (25 cents) each!
If you’re looking for more of a party-hostel vibe, stay at the Tipsy Tiger. They have discounted drinks for their guests, and a party every night!
Langkawi Island - 3 Days
I have a confession: I stayed for two weeks on Langkawi alone during my Malaysia itinerary!
If spending a total of two weeks in Malaysia, Langkawi is a great place to finish your journey.
Langkawi is covered in amazing waterfalls and beaches. The most popular is Cenang Beach (pronounced Che-nang), which is long, wide, and clean with many options for renting a lawn chair and an umbrella for 4 Ringgit ($1) for the whole day. The cherry on top: the whole island is duty-free, meaning no taxes on alcohol unlike the heavy taxes in the rest of the country. What more could you want from paradise?
Langkawi is a good place to end your time in Malaysia. It has a pretty big airport where you can fly on the cheap to other Southeast Asian destinations. It’s also a quick ferry ride back to Penang and Georgetown, where there’s an even larger airport.
You can also take a ferry north to Thailand’s Koh Lipe, which is a tiny paradise of its own!
Things To Do In Langkawi:
- Visit the Langkawi Cable Car. The 55 Ringgit ($13.40) entrance fee will get you to the viewpoint, a entrance to a 3D art museum and a “6D” dinosaur themed ride. There are two viewpoints on the cable car ride that both have amazing views over the island on a clear day. You can even see nearby Koh Lipe and mainland Thailand!
- Pay 5 Ringgit ($1.20) more to walk to the Sky Bridge. The theme-park that you walk through to get to the cable car is a nice area for shopping and having a quick bite. The food court is small but the prices are very reasonable.
Read about more things to do in Langkawi here!
Things to do in Langkawi, continued
- Swim in the Seven Wells waterfalls. It’s near the Cable Car, and a great place to relax in the water after a short trek uphill. The water falls over smooth rocks that you can slide down. It overlooks a forested valley all the way to the ocean, but beware: monkeys come looking for food in your bags!
- Spend time just relaxing on the beach in Langkawi. Many restaurants and cafes line the shore that offer meals, drinks, and shisha. If you stay until the evening after sunset, things start to get lively with loud music and fire shows.
- Go on a mangrove boat tour to see a different side of Langkawi. You cruise around the backwaters to check out some marshes and wildlife there. A stark difference from the beachy coastline on the other side of the island!
Where To Stay in Langkawi:
The main tourist stretch of the island where most of the hostels are is called Pantai Cenang. During my two weeks here I hopped around a bit from hostel to hostel.
- At first I was at Vila Thai, which had the cheapest dorm accommodation I could find that was still walking distance to the beach. For the price it was alright, but it was a bit far from the beach.
- I recommend Soluna Guesthouse, which is a quaint building with an open-air common area on a large property. Also – kittens!!
- My friends stayed at Two Peace House, which has a backpacker’s ambiance and is close to the main road. Sometimes they show movies at their outdoor common area.
My Favorite Langkawi Accommodation:
I stayed the longest at Gecko Guesthouse, where I made so many new friends and to explore the rest of the island with! They have many resident cats that come up to you for cuddles, and every night they have happy hour beers in the common area.
Where To Eat in Langkawi:
This concludes two weeks in Malaysia! Any of the towns I included in the itinerary (except maybe Ipoh) you can stay at for much longer than I have listed. There’s so much to enjoy about Malaysia, it’s nice to take it slow from place to place.
Where to go if you have more than two weeks in Malaysia
If you have more time to spend than two weeks in Malaysia, I recommend two other places to visit. I took a detour to Taman Negara National Park after the Cameron Highlands, which had some great hiking and viewpoints. The 2-hour riverboat ride to get to the small town next to the park was a highlight for me.
It’s possible to take a tour from Kuala Lumpur to Taman Negara. Otherwise, stay the night at Wild Lodge, the only backpacker’s hostel in Kuala Tahan town. Watch out for the leeches in the park though, which were EVERYWHERE on the trails.
I also recommend going to Malacca, which is also day-trip distance from KL. It’s another town with a European influence and a great night market that happens every night on Jonker Street. If you’re headed overland to Singapore after Malaysia, Malacca is a logical step between KL and Singapore.
Spending Two Weeks In Malaysia?
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0 thoughts on “Two Weeks Backpacking Malaysia Itinerary”
An in depth itinerary of traveling through Malaysia! Your photos of Georgetown are beautiful and have made me want to travel and discover this lovely place. The scenery is captivating and it seems like you had an amazing experience!
I went to Kuala Lumpur a few months ago and had an amazing time there. Loved the food and how easy it was to get around. Your two-week itinerary is helpful since I want to explore the other parts of Malaysia such as Ipoh and Penang. How did you travel between cities? Did you rent the scooter for the entire time?
I used public transit for the most part (busses) to get between cities. They’re really easy to book from just about any hotel or tourist office! I only rented a scooter on Langkawi and in the Cameron Highlands. Any larger city would have been a bit hectic to drive through on a scooter 🙂
What a great itinerary! Thank you so much for all the detail. The sights and restaurants all sound amazing.
Thank you for such an informative post. I’d only heard of Langkawi and KL in Malaysia so it was great to get a glimpse into all these other places as well. The Seven Wells Waterfall sounds really amazing, but yes will watch for the damn monkeys!
This is an amazing itinerary. It’s so interesting that guests were asked to bring bricks and buckets of sand in exchange for free entries. Such a brilliant idea. And Cameron Highlands looks like a beautiful region to stay in touch with nature and some hikes. Thank you for sharing such an interesting post!
This is excellent! Heading to Malaysia next year and super helpful. I think I’ll find myself eating at Jalan Alor or Petaling Street every night while in Kuala Lumpur.
Great itinerary for Malaysia! I have been hearing a lot about Kuala Lumpur lately and it sounds like a city I would really like to visit. Is your first photo from the hotel pool at the Regalia Suites buildings? I so want to stay there! I like that your itinerary includes both a bustling city and some countryside stops. I’m going to save this for a future trip 🙂
Yes, that’s the infinity pool at the Regalia Suites building. Definitely worth staying a night or two for that view! It’s amazing both during the day and at night 🙂
It seems you had a fabulous time there. A friend of mine has lived there for several years and was always complaining about humidity. Did you experience any difficulties with breathing or sweating while on the road?
It is pretty humid there but everyone is sweaty so it’s easy to get used to 🙂 I found the climate pretty nice in the Cameron Highlands compared to everywhere else too
I’ve been seeing the newly remodeled Batu Caves with rainbow-colored stairs all over Instagram and I’m just dying to visit! I never knew there was so much to do in Malaysia either since most people usually recommend 1-2 days given how small it is. Also, I’m actually planning a huge SE Asia trip for next year so thank you for the lovely recommendations!
Malaysia definitely deserves at least two weeks! You can definitely see a lot of Singapore in 1-2 days, is that what you’re thinking of? Here are my recommendations for Singapore 🙂 https://erikastravelventures.com/24-hours-in-singapore/
Malaysia has always been on my bucket list, and I hope to be able to get there in 2019. Your itinerary will be extremely useful when this happens. Can’t wait to witness those gorgeous sunsets!
I highly recommend Langkawi for chasing sunsets – some of the most beautiful I’ve seen in my life, and there’s a great BYOB rooftop restaurant to enjoy it at!