Kuala Lumpur Airport, which most people call KLIA, is in Sepang, around 55 kilometres from the city centre. The airport has two terminals: Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, which many people still call klia2 and which is the terminal for the low-cost airlines. From both, the KLIA Ekspres train runs non-stop to KL Sentral, the city’s main transport hub, in 28 minutes from Terminal 1 and 33 minutes from Terminal 2.
The train is the fastest option, the bus is the cheapest, and a taxi or a Grab takes you to the door. Which one suits you best depends on where you’re staying, how many of you there are and when you land. Here are all the options with fares and journey times, where to get off, and how to get from KL Sentral to your neighbourhood. For the rough conversions I’ve used about £0.19 and $0.24 per ringgit.
Contents
At a glance
- KLIA Ekspres: 55 ringgit (about £10/$13.50), 28 minutes from Terminal 1 and 33 minutes from Terminal 2 to KL Sentral, runs every 20 minutes from around 05:00 until around midnight.
- KLIA Transit: 55 ringgit (about £10/$13.50) to KL Sentral, 35 minutes from Terminal 1 and 39 minutes from Terminal 2, with three stops on the way.
- Airport bus: 14 to 15 ringgit (about £2.60 to £2.80, or $3.40 to $3.70), around an hour to KL Sentral and longer when the traffic is heavy.
- Airport taxi: Fixed fare by destination, which you pay at a counter in the terminal, 45 minutes to an hour into the city.
- Grab: Typically 65 to 100 ringgit (about £12 to £18.50, or $16 to $24.50), around 50 minutes, and the app shows the price before you book.
Finding your transport at the airport
KLIA has two terminals, each with its own train ticket counters, its own bus terminal and its own taxi counter, so check your flight ticket to see which terminal you’ll be landing at. The two are three minutes apart by train.
Both the KLIA Ekspres and the KLIA Transit run between the terminals, and the ticket costs 2 ringgit (about £0.37/$0.49) for adults and 1 ringgit (about £0.19/$0.24) for children. The airport’s overview for Terminal 2 also mentions a free shuttle bus between the terminals.
Terminal 1
In Terminal 1, the train platform is on Level 1, and KLIA Ekspres sells tickets in three places: in the international baggage reclaim hall, at domestic arrivals and by the platform. The counters open between 06:00 and 07:00 and close at 23:00, and there are self-service ticket machines. If you land at the satellite building, the airport’s Aerotrain takes you to the main building first.
The airport taxi counters are on Level 3, both in the international baggage reclaim hall and at domestic arrivals. The buses leave from KLIA Bus Terminal on the ground floor of Block C in the short-term car park, around three minutes’ walk from the arrivals hall exit, and you follow the signs for KLIA Bus Station. Grab and other cars you’ve booked pick you up on Level 1 at Doors 1, 3 and 4, where there are waiting areas and staff to show you the way. The airport lists the options on its page about transport from Terminal 1.
Terminal 2
Terminal 2 is connected to the Gateway@klia2 shopping centre, where the terminal’s Transport Hub is on Level 1. The arrivals hall is on Level 2, so you follow the Bus Station signs and take the escalator down one floor. This is where you’ll find the buses, the taxi counter and Grab’s pick-up point at Door 5.
KLIA Ekspres sells tickets in Gateway@klia2, in the international baggage reclaim hall and at domestic arrivals. The bus companies are listed on the airport’s page about transport from Terminal 2.
1. KLIA Ekspres to KL Sentral
The KLIA Ekspres is the airport train and the fastest way into the city. It runs non-stop between the airport and KL Sentral, and the journey takes 28 minutes from Terminal 1 and 33 minutes from Terminal 2, because the train from Terminal 2 stops briefly at Terminal 1 on the way. The train runs every 20 minutes all day, every day of the week, including weekends and public holidays.
The first trains leave the airport at around 05:00, and the timetable shows the last departures right around midnight. From 23:00, all trains stop at every station on the line, so the journey takes a little longer late in the evening. If you land close to midnight, check the evening’s last departure with KLIA Ekspres before you head for the platform.
The trains have air conditioning, Wi-Fi and plenty of room for suitcases. The train suits you if you’re travelling alone or as a couple and staying near KL Sentral or somewhere you can reach from there by LRT or monorail. The catch is the price when there are several of you, because a car can then work out cheaper. Also remember that the ticket is valid for 90 minutes from when you go in through the ticket gates until you come out again.
Fares and tickets
A single ticket between the airport and KL Sentral costs 55 ringgit (about £10/$13.50) for adults, and the fare is the same from both terminals. A return ticket costs 100 ringgit (about £18.50/$24.50), and both journeys have to be made within a month. Children aged 6 to 15 pay 25 ringgit (about £4.60/$6.10) for a single and 45 ringgit (about £8.30/$11) for a return, and children under 6 travel free. You collect the free ticket at the counter before each journey, you need to be able to show the child’s age with a passport, and there’s a limit of three child tickets per adult.
If you buy your ticket in the KLIA Ekspres app or on the website, you get a 10 per cent discount, which brings the single down to 49.50 ringgit (about £9.20/$12). The Family Package costs from 120 ringgit (about £22/$29.50) for a single journey for two adults and two children, and with Group Saver you pay 40 ringgit (about £7.40/$9.80) per person for a single journey when at least three of you travel together. Tickets are non-refundable. You’ll find the fares at KLIA Ekspres.
If you’ll be using the city’s trains in your first few days, look at the KL TravelPass. It’s a Touch ‘n Go card with a KLIA Ekspres ticket and unlimited travel on the LRT, MRT and monorail for two calendar days, and the card comes with 5 ringgit (about £0.93/$1.20) on it for other journeys. It costs 80 ringgit (about £15/$19.50) with a single journey on the airport train and 125 ringgit (about £23/$30.50) with a return, and it’s sold at the KLIA Ekspres counters. See the terms of the KL TravelPass.
Buy your KLIA Ekspres ticket here, and you’ll have it before you land.
Payment: KLIA Ekspres doesn’t take cash
KLIA Ekspres doesn’t take cash. You pay by credit or debit card, with Apple Pay or Samsung Pay, or with an e-wallet such as Alipay, WeChat Pay or GrabPay. You buy your ticket at the counter, from the self-service machines or in the app, and a ticket bought online can be saved in Google Wallet.
Child tickets bought online have to be activated at the counter before they’ll work at the ticket gates. Read more about payment at KLIA Ekspres.
Where to get off
KL Sentral: The KLIA Ekspres has only one stop in the city, and that’s KL Sentral. The LRT Kelana Jaya Line, the KL Monorail and KTM Komuter all run from here, and the hotels by the station and in Brickfields, with its Little India, are within walking distance.
Getting from KL Sentral to your neighbourhood
Most people continue on the city’s trains, which are run by Rapid KL. The stations open at 06:00, and the last trains run at around midnight, although the last monorail leaves KL Sentral as early as 23:30. Rapid KL lists the times for both the LRT and the monorail.
To KLCC: Take the LRT Kelana Jaya Line towards Gombak and get off at KLCC station by the Petronas Twin Towers. The train runs direct, and on weekdays there are 3 to 7 minutes between departures during the day and 12 minutes in the evening.
To Bukit Bintang: Take the KL Monorail from KL Sentral and get off at Bukit Bintang five stops later. According to Tourism Malaysia, the monorail station is around 100 metres from KL Sentral, and on weekdays the trains run every 7 to 10 minutes.
To Chinatown: Take the LRT Kelana Jaya Line one stop towards Gombak to Pasar Seni, which is the station for Chinatown.
To Chow Kit: Take the KL Monorail from KL Sentral. It’s eight stops to Medan Tuanku and nine to Chow Kit.
To Bangsar and Mid Valley: From KL Sentral, the LRT Kelana Jaya Line also runs the other way, towards Putra Heights, and in that direction Abdullah Hukum is the station for Mid Valley. If you’re heading for the cafés in Bangsar, a taxi or a Grab from KL Sentral is the easiest option, because it’s only one to two kilometres.
2. KLIA Transit to Putrajaya, TBS and KL Sentral
The KLIA Transit runs on the same line as the KLIA Ekspres but stops three times on the way: at Salak Tinggi, Putrajaya & Cyberjaya and Bandar Tasik Selatan. The journey to KL Sentral takes 35 minutes from Terminal 1 and 39 minutes from Terminal 2. The train runs every 15 minutes at peak times on weekdays and every half hour the rest of the time, including at weekends.
The first trains leave the airport shortly after 05:00, and the timetable shows the last departure about half an hour after midnight, so the KLIA Transit is the last train of the night into the city. It suits you if you’re going to Putrajaya or Cyberjaya, or continuing by bus from the TBS bus terminal. To KL Sentral, it costs the same as the KLIA Ekspres and takes a little longer.
Fares and tickets
From both terminals, a single ticket costs 4.90 ringgit (about £0.91/$1.20) to Salak Tinggi, 9.40 ringgit (about £1.75/$2.30) to Putrajaya & Cyberjaya, 38.40 ringgit (about £7.10/$9.40) to Bandar Tasik Selatan and 55 ringgit (about £10/$13.50) to KL Sentral. Children aged 6 to 15 pay a little under half, for example 17.30 ringgit (about £3.20/$4.20) to Bandar Tasik Selatan, and children under 6 travel free. A return ticket costs twice as much as a single, except to KL Sentral, where it costs 100 ringgit (about £18.50/$24.50).
Tickets are sold at the same counters and machines as for the KLIA Ekspres and online, and payment is cashless. Choose KLIA Transit when you buy, because tickets for the two trains aren’t interchangeable. You’ll find the fares and timetable at KLIA Transit.
Where to get off the KLIA Transit
Salak Tinggi: The first stop after the airport, and rarely one you’ll need when you’re on holiday.
Putrajaya & Cyberjaya: The station for the cities of Putrajaya and Cyberjaya. Get off here if you’re staying or working in either of them.
Bandar Tasik Selatan: The station at Terminal Bersepadu Selatan, which everyone calls TBS. Buses heading south leave from here, and according to Tourism Malaysia, the terminal is connected to KTM Komuter and the LRT. Get off here if you’re continuing straight on by bus.
3. Airport bus to KL Sentral and TBS
The bus is the cheapest way into the city. Express buses run to KL Sentral from both terminals, and the airport puts the journey from Terminal 1 at around an hour. Tourism Malaysia says an hour and a half, depending on the traffic.
At Terminal 1, the buses leave from KLIA Bus Terminal in Block C. The airport’s overview mentions an express bus to KL Sentral every half hour, and tickets to TBS at Bandar Tasik Selatan are sold in the same place. You buy your tickets at counters 1 to 4, which the bus terminal says are open around the clock, and you can buy a ticket right up to five minutes before departure.
At Terminal 2, the buses leave from the Transport Hub on Level 1. The airport mentions Aerobus and SkyBus to KL Sentral and Eltabina Express to TBS. At KL Sentral, SkyBus says its buses stop on the LG floor of the station’s main building.
The bus suits you if you have plenty of time, and the catch is the traffic. The departure times change, so check them at the counter or with SkyBus, and don’t count on a bus in the middle of the night without checking first.
Fares and tickets
Expect to pay 14 to 15 ringgit (about £2.60 to £2.80, or $3.40 to $3.70) for a single ticket to KL Sentral. The airport quotes 15 ringgit (about £2.80/$3.70) for adults and 10 ringgit (about £1.85/$2.40) for children on the express bus from Terminal 1, SkyBus quotes the same adult fare, and the bus terminal itself sells tickets from 14 ringgit (about £2.60/$3.40). To TBS, tickets cost from 13 ringgit (about £2.40/$3.20).
At the counters in KLIA Bus Terminal, you can pay in cash, by card or with an e-wallet. Online, you can only buy adult tickets, no more than four at a time and no later than three hours before departure, so you buy child tickets at the counter. Children aged two and over need their own ticket, and you need to have your passport with you when you buy. You’ll find the rules at KLIA Bus Terminal.
4. Taxis and Grab
The airport taxis work on a coupon system. You go to the taxi counter in the terminal, say where you’re going, pay a fixed fare and get a coupon, which you give to the driver. In Terminal 1, the counters are on Level 3 in the international baggage reclaim hall and at domestic arrivals, and in Terminal 2 the counter is in the Transport Hub on Level 1. The fare is fixed by destination and, according to the airport, starts at 32.20 ringgit (about £6/$7.90), and in Terminal 2 you can choose between a budget, premier and family car.
The airport doesn’t publish the fares to the individual neighbourhoods, but you’re told the price at the counter before you pay. Tourism Malaysia puts the journey into the city at 45 minutes to an hour and says there’s a surcharge between midnight and 06:00.
Metered taxis also run from the airport. In Terminal 2, you buy a coupon for 2 ringgit (about £0.37/$0.49) at the counter and then pay the metered fare, which according to the airport starts at 3 to 6 ringgit (about £0.56 to £1.10, or $0.73 to $1.45) for the first kilometre or the first three minutes, depending on the type of car.
Grab runs to and from both terminals around the clock. In Terminal 1, the cars pick up on Level 1 at Doors 1, 3 and 4, and in Terminal 2 on Level 1 at Door 5. The app shows the price before you book, but tolls and surcharges are added on top. Grab’s own estimate is 65 to 100 ringgit (about £12 to £18.50, or $16 to $24.50) and around 50 minutes for the journey between the airport and the city centre, so expect a price in that range.
A standard car has room for four people with two checked suitcases, and a GrabCar 6-seater takes six people, or four with extra luggage. In Terminal 1, cars are only allowed to wait ten minutes in the pick-up area, so don’t book until you’re standing there with your luggage, and follow the app’s directions to the right door. The airport charges a fee for every car that enters the area, and that can end up in your fare. Grab lists the pick-up points for Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
Private transfer
If you’re landing late with children, or there are several of you with lots of luggage, you can book a private transfer from Kuala Lumpur Airport here. The driver takes you to the door, and the price is agreed in advance.
Onward travel around Malaysia straight from the airport
If you’re not going into Kuala Lumpur, you can often travel straight on from the airport. KLIA Bus Terminal at Terminal 1 sells tickets to places including Melaka Sentral from 35 ringgit (about £6.50/$8.60), Genting from 35 ringgit (about £6.50/$8.60), Ipoh Amanjaya from 52 ringgit (about £9.60/$12.50), Butterworth from 60 ringgit (about £11/$14.50) and Larkin Sentral in Johor Bahru from 62 ringgit (about £11.50/$15). You can search for departures and buy tickets at KLIA Bus Terminal.
From the Transport Hub at Terminal 2, the operators include Transnasional to Melaka Sentral, Aerobus and Resorts World to Genting Highlands, Perak Transit and Sri Maju to Ipoh, and StarMart Express to Johor Bahru and Singapore.
The KLIA Transit gets you to Putrajaya for 9.40 ringgit (about £1.75/$2.30). If you’re heading on to Singapore, you can read my guide to where to stay in Singapore.
Getting back to the airport
From KL Sentral, the KLIA Ekspres runs every 20 minutes from 05:00 until midnight. The train reaches Terminal 1 after 28 minutes and then continues to Terminal 2, where it arrives after 33 minutes, so stay on the train if you’re flying from Terminal 2. The ticket counter in the concourse at KL Sentral is open from 06:00 to 23:00.
If you’re flying with Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air or Cathay Pacific, KLIA Ekspres says you can check in and drop off your bags at KL Sentral, as long as you have a valid ticket for the KLIA Ekspres or the KLIA Transit. Check the deadline with your airline before you count on it. Read more about check-in at KL Sentral.
The first train doesn’t reach Terminal 1 until shortly before 05:30, so if you have a very early flight, you’ll need to go by car. Grab runs around the clock, and you can book your ride in advance in the app with Advance Booking. Grab estimates around 50 minutes from the city centre, and I’d add plenty of extra time at rush hour. If you’re taking the bus, SkyBus leaves from the LG floor of KL Sentral’s main building.
Which option should you choose?
Here’s what I’d recommend, depending on where you’re staying:
KL Sentral and Brickfields: Take the KLIA Ekspres. You’ll be there in 28 or 33 minutes and can walk to your hotel.
KLCC: Take the KLIA Ekspres to KL Sentral and then the LRT Kelana Jaya Line towards Gombak direct to KLCC. If you have lots of luggage, a Grab to the door is easier.
Bukit Bintang: Take the KLIA Ekspres to KL Sentral and then the KL Monorail five stops to Bukit Bintang. If you land late, remember that the last monorail leaves KL Sentral at 23:30.
Chinatown: Take the KLIA Ekspres to KL Sentral and then the LRT Kelana Jaya Line one stop to Pasar Seni.
Chow Kit: Take the KLIA Ekspres to KL Sentral and then the KL Monorail to Medan Tuanku or Chow Kit, or take a Grab all the way.
Bangsar and Mid Valley: Take the KLIA Ekspres to KL Sentral and a short taxi ride from there, or the LRT to Abdullah Hukum if you’re staying near Mid Valley.
If you land at night: The last trains leave the airport at around midnight, but by then the city’s trains from KL Sentral have stopped running. Take a Grab or an airport taxi straight to your hotel, and remember the taxi surcharge between midnight and 06:00.
If there are three or four of you: With Group Saver, the train costs 120 ringgit (about £22/$29.50) for three and 160 ringgit (about £29.50/$39) for four. A Grab typically costs 65 to 100 ringgit (about £12 to £18.50, or $16 to $24.50) for the whole car and takes you to the door, so I’d choose the car.
If you want to travel as cheaply as possible: Take the bus to KL Sentral for 14 to 15 ringgit (about £2.60 to £2.80, or $3.40 to $3.70), and allow an hour or more.
Practical tips for getting from Kuala Lumpur Airport to the city centre
Buy your train ticket online. You get a 10 per cent discount in the KLIA Ekspres app and on the website, and you can buy up to six months in advance. The ticket is valid for a month from the travel date you choose.
Buy a Touch ‘n Go card for the city’s trains. On the LRT, MRT and monorail, you pay with a token from the machine or with a Touch ‘n Go card, which Rapid KL says is sold at the customer service offices in all LRT, MRT and monorail stations. The card itself costs 10 ringgit (about £1.85/$2.40) according to Touch ‘n Go, and on the MRT it needs to have at least 5 ringgit (about £0.93/$1.20) on it. When the station counter is closed, it’s cashless payment only.
Keep an eye on the time in the evening. The last monorail leaves KL Sentral at 23:30, and the LRT and MRT stop running at around midnight, or a little earlier on Sundays and public holidays. If you land late, a car is the safe choice.
Choose your hotel with the connection in mind. If you stay near KL Sentral, the airport train runs right to your door, and you can see hotels near KL Sentral here. From Chinatown, it’s only one stop on the LRT to the airport train, and you can see hotels in Chinatown here. If you want to stay near the Petronas Twin Towers, the LRT runs direct between KL Sentral and KLCC, and you can see hotels in KLCC here. In Bukit Bintang, you have the monorail direct to KL Sentral, and you can see hotels in Bukit Bintang here.
If you’re not sure which neighbourhood suits you, read my guide to where to stay in Kuala Lumpur. If you’re heading on to Thailand, I’ve also written a guide to getting from Bangkok Airport to the city.
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