Batu Caves is one of the most popular attractions for pilgrims, tourists, and Instagrammers near the vibrant Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. But it is a bit of a ways outside the city, and you might be wondering if it’s worth the time and effort to visit. Lori and I think the answer is a resounding ‘Yes!’.
In this first-hand guide, we’ll share with you why we think Batu Caves is worth a visit, the best ways to get there, and what you can expect from your day trip from Kuala Lumpur.
About Batu Caves
Batu Caves is a series of limestone caves located about 10 km north of Kuala Lumpur city center in Gombak, Selangor. The complex is well known for its 272 steps ascending to one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside of India.
In August 2018, Batu Caves made global headlines when the site’s managers painted the shrine’s famous staircase a series of bright and bold colors without authorization.
We made the decision to skip the caves on our first visit in April of that year, which means we get to see the blinding hues of this popular pilgrimage site!
The cave system is around 400 million years old, but only became a place of worship in the late 19th century. Today, it’s one of Malaysia’s most revered and visited landmarks.
KL Sentral to Batu Caves by Train
Despite its location 15 km north of central Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves is actually really easy to get to on your own.
We think the easiest (and best way) to get to Batu Caves is via a 40-minute train journey on KL’s incredibly quiet and comfortable KTM Komuter trains from KL Sentral station to Batu Caves Station (located only 100 meters from the shrine!). A one-way token costs between 2 RMB – 4 RMB (a couple of bucks USD).
Current timetables and information can be found at the official KTM Komuter website. But no need to book online, just buy your token at the KTM Komuter ticket window on the lower level of KL Sentral before you get on the train.
Incidentally, this is Riley’s first train ride. Like his brother, you can tell he’s loving it.
Not sure how I got stuck with both of these little goofballs. However, I can tell you how we got stuck with the broken window.
Our train arrived a bit early and sat at the platform for a while until the departure time. We initially opted to walk the little ones around instead getting on the train early, but I began to have second thoughts when I saw a number of passengers already boarding.
There’s no reserved seating on the Komuter line, so window seats fill up fast. When I got on the train about ten minutes before departure, all the window seats had been taken, except for the seats with broken windows.
It’s also worth noting that 1) there are no toilets onboard, 2) food and drink is not allowed (forcing us to scarf down our take-away breakfast before getting on the train), and 3) it is possible to walk between cars the entire length of the train, but the middle car is for women only.
We opted to do the trip on a Friday, knowing that Batu Caves gets particularly crazy on weekends. We found that on this particular Friday in early October, the crowds on the train and at the site were not bad at all.
A little Bahasa Malay lesson for y’alls. Ticket? Tiket. Lift? Lif. Telephone? Telefon. Easy enough, right? The key is saying it with the right accent or no one will understand what the heck you’re talking about. Ticket? OH! You want a TEE-kutt!
What to See & Do at Batu Caves
There are several cave shrines in and around the complex, and you could easily spend an entire day exploring them all.
We had precisely until nap time (our boys love their naps and turn into pumpkins if they don’t get them—we ask a lot of flexibility of our boys, but we always respect the nap).
So, we planned to explore just one cave this morning—Temple Cave (the grand daddy of the Batu Caves).
Macaque Monkeys
The site is indeed popular with Macaque monkeys. Seems there’s something about a big Hindu shrine that attracts these guys, even outside of India.
Fortunately, they did not seem to be the vicious and thieving variety that we’ve encountered elsewhere. But we still kept our distance, especially with the little ones in tow.
Golden Murugan Statue
Thar she blows—the world’s tallest statue of the Hindu god Murugan, smothered in 300 liters of gold paint.
And, of course, those 272 rainbow stairs calling our names.
I’m not sure what Noe makes of all of this. He had a lot to say about the monkeys, but not a lot to say about the crazy colors. I can tell you exactly what Riley thinks of all of this: Mmm. Me sleepy! Mmm. Now, me hungry! [Repeat.]
Ascending the Rainbow Stairs
Time to tackle those stairs. We’ll let this guy go first. Seems we may be a tad bit over-dressed for the occasion.
Or…under-dressed.
Now, our turn!
As is pretty par for the course, these days, Noe insisted on climbing the entire thing himself — half with mommy, and half with daddy.
At the top of the stairs I was horrified to learn that we then had to descend a dozen stairs to reach the main shrine. Touché, Cave. Touché.
Temple Cave
And, here we are, at the main shrine in Temple Cave, the stunning vaulted chamber that is the center piece of Batu Caves.
And, what do pilgrims and the faithful do in the shrine?
Make offerings, receive blessings. The usual, but more colorful!
I see there are a few more stairs to climb. Are you up for it, Noe? Of course, Noe’s always up for stairs.
After exploring the open-air upper chamber for a while, it’s time to start heading back.
Batu selfie. Um…Riley?
Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple
After making our way back down the 272 steps, we had one more stop to make. Noe really wanted to go in the colorful shrine at the bottom, so we had a look.
While inside, the Hindu priest asked us if we’d like a blessing, so we did. But Noe didn’t want to have anything to do with it. We pressed him a bit but quickly gave up.
After mommy, daddy, AND Riley received our blessings (and tilaks on our foreheads), he suddenly had regrets, of course.
If you know toddlers, you know toddler regrets are no fun for anyone.
It’s also a balancing act for us, choosing when to hold firm and when to try to rectify the situation. This is one of those times we opted for the latter, but by then, the priest had already gone on break, or whatever Hindu priests do when they disappear from view.
So, we did our best to explain this one away, but to no avail. Finally, I pulled him aside, ran a thumb across the mark on my forehead and wiped it on Noe’s. All better.
Time to catch our train back to KL!
Why We Think You Should Visit
In spite of it being a super popular attraction, Batu Caves is a one-of-a-kind experience you simply can’t have anywhere else.
There are a number of interesting things to see and do in addition to what we’ve covered here, and it’s a fun and easy day (or even half-day) trip from Kuala Lumpur that you can do on the cheap.
To maximize your enjoyment at Batu Caves, it’s best to avoid weekends and festival times (unless, of course, that’s the vibe you’re after), and watch out for those monkeys!
More Reading for Your Malaysia Trip
Around Kuala Lumpur
Penang Island
- Visiting Penang, Malaysia: Things to Do + Important Tips
- Penang Hill: Guide to George Town’s Great Escape
- Batu Ferringhi Beach: Why Visit + What to Expect
Borneo (Sabah)
Traveling to Kuala Lumpur soon and glad to have to stumbled upon this blog! Very detailed and idk but I was also entertained. <3
Thanks, Alyssa. Happy travels!
As soon as I saw this Batu Caves article it took me back to the time I slipped and fell on the stairs on the way down out of the caves, breaking my now wifes camera I was carrying. Moral of the story, be very careful on the stairs. Expensive mistakes can be made.
Jeremy, well noted! Sorry to hear that and glad to hear no broken bones. Safe travels!