Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur and Penang
Eight days of food, colonial streets and shophouses between two cities
Malaysia is where Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan cooking meet, and the two cities in this trip show it best. Kuala Lumpur is the modern capital, with its towers, its Little India and Chinatown, and the Batu Caves just outside. Penang's George Town is a UNESCO-listed port of clan houses, temples, shophouses and street food, and is better explored slowly. A one-hour flight links them. The pace is relaxed, with a private guide on three days and the rest of the time free.
This is a starting-point itinerary — we adapt every detail to your travel dates, interests, pace, and group. Speak to our concierge to begin.
Indicative price
from €200 per person per day
For 2 travellers sharing a room, from published entry-level hotel rates and ground costs read on 10 October 2026. How we calculate it
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Marco Setti
East Asia Specialist
Your specialist
“Culture trips in Asia work best when the pace allows you to actually absorb a place. I design them with breathing room built in.”
Speak with MarcoIncluded
- 7 nights' accommodation in one of the hotels named
- A private guide and car on three days
- The flight from Kuala Lumpur to Penang
- A named Excurze concierge before and during the trip
Each stage has two or three hotels we know well. We propose the one that fits your dates and budget, and swap it if you prefer another.
Kuala Lumpur3 nights
Luxury
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur
Next to the Petronas Towers
A hotel in the KLCC district, beside the park below the towers.
Luxury
Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur
KLCC
A hotel in the same district, on the upper floors of a tower.
Penang4 nights
Heritage
Eastern & Oriental Hotel
George Town, on the seafront
A colonial-era hotel on the waterfront of George Town.
Heritage
The Edison George Town
George Town
A hotel in a restored mansion in the heritage area.
Kuala Lumpur
Arrive in Kuala Lumpur
Private transfer to the hotel
The park beneath the Petronas Towers in the evening
Sleep: Kuala Lumpur (3 nights)
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur with a guide
Batu Caves in the morning, before the heat
The Islamic Arts Museum and the National Mosque
Chinatown's Petaling Street and the Central Market
Sky bridge at the Petronas Towers, if you book ahead
Sleep: Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Little India and a free afternoon
Brickfields, the Little India district, for a banana-leaf lunch
A free afternoon, or a cooking class
Sleep: Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur, Penang
Fly to Penang
One-hour flight to Penang
Orientation walk in George Town, among the murals and shophouses
Sleep: Penang (4 nights)
Penang
George Town's heritage
A private guide through the clan jetties, temples and the Peranakan mansion
A street-food tasting in the evening
Sleep: Penang
Penang
Around the island
Full-day private tour by car: Penang Hill, the Kek Lok Si temple and the fishing villages on the coast
Dinner of seafood
Sleep: Penang
Penang
A free day
Options: a cooking class, a beach day on the north coast, or cycling in the old town
Sleep: Penang
Penang
Departure
Transfer to Penang airport
Add Langkawi
Three nights on the island, which is reached by a short flight or a ferry from Penang.
Cameron Highlands
Tea plantations and cool air, a few hours by road from Kuala Lumpur.
Add Borneo
Orangutans and rainforest in Sabah, reached by a flight from Kuala Lumpur.
Cooking class in Penang
A half-day in a family kitchen, starting at the market.
Best time to go
December to February in Penang, and May to August in Kuala Lumpur
The two cities have slightly different rainy seasons. Penang is driest from December to February; Kuala Lumpur sees the least rain from May to August. Rain falls in short, heavy bursts and rarely spoils a day. It is warm and humid all year.
Less suited: Heavy monsoon downpours are most frequent from September to November on the west coast
from €200 per person per day
This is an indication, not a quote. It adds up the lowest published entry-level rates we found for the hotel we priced at each stage, plus the cost of a private guide and car, divides by 2 travellers and 8 days, and rounds up to the next €50. Peak-season rates, larger rooms and the other hotels named above will change it. Your quote will be built on your dates.
| Item | Rate | In euros |
|---|---|---|
Kuala Lumpur, 3 nights at Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur (estimate) HotelsCombined, Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur | 280 USD × 3 | €750 |
Penang, 4 nights at Eastern & Oriental Hotel (standard room) HotelsCombined, Eastern & Oriental Hotel | 207 USD × 4 | €739 |
Private guide and car, full day in Kuala Lumpur (1 to 3 travellers) ToursByLocals, private Malaysia tours | 351 USD × 1 | €313 |
Private guide and SUV, full day in Penang (1 to 6 travellers), 2 days ToursByLocals, private Penang tours | 407 USD × 2 | €726 |
AirAsia flight, Kuala Lumpur to Penang, from, per person AirAsia, Kuala Lumpur to Penang | 112 MYR × 2 | €49 |
| Total for 2 travellers | €2,577 | |
| Per person per day (€2,577 ÷ 2 ÷ 8), rounded up to €50 | €200 | |
The figure covers
- 3 nights at Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur and 4 nights at Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Penang; we have no published rate for the Four Seasons or the Edison
- Private guide and car on three days
- The flight between the two cities
Not included
- International flights and the airport transfers
- Entrance fees, meals not included in the hotel rate and the optional modules
- Tips
Converted at the European Central Bank reference rates of 9 October 2026. Hotel rates come from third-party booking and guide sites and change with dates and availability; each line links to the page we read.
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