Getting to Kuala Lumpur and Around by KLIA Ekspres, MRT and LRT

Kuala Lumpur has one of Southeast Asia's most extensive urban rail networks, all converging on the multi-level transport hub of KL Sentral. Once you understand the transfer at KL Sentral and pick up a contactless card, moving between the airport, the Golden Triangle and Batu Caves is straightforward.

From Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA Terminal 1 & Terminal 2) to the city

KLIA sits in Sepang roughly 55 kilometres south of downtown Kuala Lumpur and consists of two terminals connected by rail: Terminal 1 (main KLIA) for full-service carriers and Terminal 2 (KLIA2) for AirAsia and low-cost flights:

• KLIA Ekspres (fastest option): non-stop high-speed trains depart both Terminal 2 and Terminal 1 every 20 minutes and reach KL Sentral in 28 minutes (from Terminal 1) or 33 minutes (from Terminal 2); you can tap in and out directly at the gate with a contactless Visa, Mastercard or Amex card. Its sister service, KLIA Transit, uses the same tracks but stops at four intermediate stations including Putrajaya & Cyberjaya.
• Grab and airport taxis (best for groups of three or four): because the KLIA Ekspres charges per person, families or groups of three or more often find an official airport coupon taxi or a Grab car (45 to 60 minutes via the expressway directly to your KLCC or Bukit Bintang hotel) costs less overall and avoids changing trains at KL Sentral with luggage.
• Airport coaches: budget express buses run from the lower ground floor of both terminals to KL Sentral in about an hour.

Getting around: MRT, LRT, Monorail and the Touch 'n Go card

RapidKL operates three driverless metro lines and an elevated monorail: the LRT Kelana Jaya Line (Line 5) links KL Sentral directly to Pasar Seni (Chinatown and Merdeka Square), Masjid Jamek, KLCC (Petronas Twin Towers) and Kampung Baru; the MRT Kajang Line (Line 9) and MRT Putrajaya Line (Line 12) connect Muzium Negara (connected to KL Sentral), Pasar Seni, Bukit Bintang and Persiaran KLCC. Buy a reloadable Touch 'n Go (TnG) card or a MyCity pass at KL Sentral so you can tap seamlessly across all LRT, MRT and Monorail gates, and use the free purple/green/blue GOKL City Buses around the centre.

Taking the KTM Komuter train to Batu Caves

To reach Batu Caves without traffic, board the KTM Komuter (Batu Caves - Pulau Sebang Line) directly from KL Sentral or historic Kuala Lumpur Station; the 30-minute train terminates right beside the cave entrance, and KTM gates accept contactless Visa/Mastercard as well as Touch 'n Go cards.