L'Heure du Voyage
🇲🇾 Itinerary · Malaysia · 14 days

2-week Malaysia itinerary 2026: the grand peninsula tour

14 days linking Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, the Cameron Highlands, Penang and Langkawi. Day-by-day itinerary, detailed budget and transport.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

14 days

Stops

5 places

Average budget

€1,500-2,400

Total distance

~900 km

Profile

Versatile

Season

Dec-Mar

Kuala Lumpur 3d · Malacca 1d · Cameron Highlands 2d · Penang 3d · Langkawi 5d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Malaysia 2-week itinerary map: Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Cameron Highlands, Penang, Langkawi

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

14 days, day by day

1

~€70/pers

Kuala Lumpur · Arrival and first skyscrapers

  • Morning Arrival at KLIA. KLIA Ekspres train to the center (28 min, €12).
  • Afternoon Rest, then Bukit Bintang district and first dinner at Jalan Alor (street food).
  • Evening Petronas Towers lit up from KLCC park.
🛌 🛌 Bukit Bintang · e.g. Sunway Velocity Hotel (3 nights)·🚆 KLIA Ekspres + monorail·Malaysia guide →
2

~€45

Kuala Lumpur · Temples and Batu Caves

  • 9am Batu Caves (KTM train, 30 min): 272 colored steps and giant Murugan statue.
  • 1pm Back to center, lunch in Chinatown (Petaling Street).
  • Afternoon Masjid Negara mosque and Islamic Arts Museum.
  • Evening Rooftop at Heli Lounge Bar (skyline view).
3

~€50

Kuala Lumpur · Modernity and markets

  • Morning KL Tower or the Bukit Nanas forest park canopy walk.
  • Afternoon Brickfields district (Little India), then Central Market for crafts.
  • Evening Bus or train to Malacca next day: book ahead.
4

~€55

Malacca · Historic strait

  • Morning Bus KL → Malacca (2 h, €7). Red Dutch Square and St Paul's Church.
  • Afternoon Jonker Street district, Peranakan houses, river cruise.
  • Evening Jonker night market (weekends), satay celup.
🛌 🛌 Malacca · e.g. The Stable by Calvin (1 night)·🚌 Bus from Kuala Lumpur
5

~€60

Malacca → Cameron Highlands · Heading uphill

  • Morning Bus back to KL then bus to Tanah Rata (4-5 h total).
  • Afternoon Check-in Tanah Rata (1,500 m, cool air, 18-22°C).
  • Evening Steamboat (Malaysian hotpot), perfect in cool weather.
🛌 🛌 Tanah Rata (2 nights)·🚌 Long-distance bus
6

~€45

Cameron Highlands · Tea and mossy forest

  • Morning BOH tea plantations (free), view over the soft-green hills.
  • Afternoon Mossy Forest, strawberry and butterfly farms.
  • Evening Prepare the trip to Penang.
7

~€65

Cameron Highlands → Penang · The island of Georgetown

  • Morning Bus to Butterworth then ferry or bridge to Penang (4-5 h).
  • Afternoon Check-in Georgetown, walk the UNESCO-listed lanes.
  • Evening Street food at Gurney Drive or New Lane.
🛌 🛌 Georgetown · e.g. Seven Terraces (3 nights)·🚌 Bus + ⛴️ ferry
8

~€40

Penang · Street art and temples

  • Morning Ernest Zacharevic street-art hunt, murals and iron sculptures.
  • Afternoon Kek Lok Si Temple and Penang Hill funicular.
  • Evening Clan jetties at sunset.
9

~€45

Penang · Food and beach

  • Morning Food tour: char kway teow, Penang laksa, cendol.
  • Afternoon Penang National Park or Batu Ferringhi beach.
  • Evening Last dinner in Georgetown.
10

~€70

Penang → Langkawi · Heading to the beaches

  • Morning Ferry Penang → Langkawi (2h45, €18) or short flight (45 min).
  • Afternoon Check-in Pantai Cenang, first swim.
  • Evening Sunset on the beach, evening market.
🛌 🛌 Pantai Cenang · e.g. Casa del Mar (5 nights)·⛴️ Ferry or ✈️ short flight
11

~€55

Langkawi · Island-hopping and cable car

  • Morning Island-hopping: Pulau Dayang Bunting (Pregnant Maiden Lake), Pulau Beras Basah.
  • Afternoon SkyCab to the SkyBridge (view over the Andaman Sea and Thailand).
12

~€50

Langkawi · Mangroves and wildlife

  • Morning Boat tour in the Kilim Geoforest mangrove (eagles, monkeys, caves).
  • Afternoon Tanjung Rhu beach, one of the island's finest.
13

~€45

Langkawi · Relaxing

  • Morning Paddle or jet-ski at Pantai Cenang, or simply relax.
  • Afternoon Telaga Tujuh waterfalls (seven wells).
  • Evening Last sunset and seafood dinner.
14

Flight

Langkawi → Return

  • Morning Last swim, duty-free shopping (Langkawi is a free zone).
  • Afternoon Flight Langkawi → Kuala Lumpur, then return flight to Europe.
✈️ Domestic + international flight

How much

Itinerary budget (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€1,500

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight Europe: €700
  • 🏨 Guesthouse: €16/night
  • 🍜 Street food: €10/day
  • 🚌 Bus + ferries + domestic flight: €130
  • 🎫 Activities: €130
Recommended

Comfort

€1,900

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight Europe: €800
  • 🏨 3-4★ hotel: €55/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed restos: €22/day
  • ✈️ Domestic flights: €100
  • 🎫 Activities: €180

Premium

€3,600

per person

  • ✈️ Upper-class flight: €1,600
  • 🏨 4-5★: €180/night
  • 🍽️ Fine dining: €50/day
  • 🚖 Private transfers
  • 🎫 Private tours: €400

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi. The essential format.

You're here

2 weeks

2 weeks

The grand peninsula tour: city, mountain and islands.

1 month

1 month

The peninsula plus Malaysian Borneo (Sabah, Sarawak).

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

This itinerary stays on the peninsula: comfortable buses between cities, a ferry to Langkawi and a single domestic flight on the way back. No need to chain planes, the road network is efficient.

🚌

Bus Kuala Lumpur ↔ Malacca

€7 · 2 h · frequent departures from TBS

🚌

Bus to the Cameron Highlands

€10-12 · 4 h · winding mountain road

🚌

Bus Cameron → Penang

€12-15 · 4-5 h · via Butterworth

⛴️

Ferry Penang → Langkawi

€18 · 2h45 · otherwise short 45-min flight

✈️

Flight Langkawi → Kuala Lumpur

€40-60 · 1 h · for the return connection

Adapt by season

West coast or east coast, depending on the month

This itinerary follows the west coast (Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi), dry from December to March. The east coast and its islands (Perhentian, Tioman) run the opposite: monsoon November to February, fine weather April to October. If you travel in autumn or spring and dream of diving, swap Langkawi for the Perhentians. The Cameron Highlands stay cool and pleasant year-round.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In January 2025, the 8:15am Penang → Langkawi ferry was calm and on time; the afternoon one was delayed by swell. Take the morning departure for this crossing.
  • • Stay in a restored Peranakan house in Georgetown: the experience is worth as much as the murals.
  • • One night in the Cameron Highlands is enough for the sights, but two let you enjoy the cool after the city heat.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Skip Malacca if short on time: KL and Penang already cover colonial history and food.
  • • Cut Langkawi to 3 nights and add the Perhentians if you travel April to October.
  • • Take the Penang → Langkawi flight rather than the ferry in rough seas.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Is two weeks enough for Malaysia? +
Yes for the whole west coast of the peninsula: Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, the Cameron Highlands, Penang and Langkawi. To add Malaysian Borneo (Sabah, Sarawak), count three weeks.
Plane or bus between stops? +
The bus is enough on the peninsula: comfortable, cheap and frequent. Only one flight is needed, Langkawi → Kuala Lumpur on the way back. A ferry links Penang to Langkawi.
Is this itinerary family-friendly? +
Yes: few long transfers, calm beaches in Langkawi, caves and a cable car that please children. The Cameron Highlands give a break from the heat.
What's the best period? +
From December to March on the west coast: dry weather. Avoid the east coast (Perhentian, Tioman) then, mid-monsoon. Conversely, April-October favors the east coast.
How much does this 2-week trip cost? +
Count around €1,500 backpacker, €1,900 comfort and €3,600 premium, flight from Paris included, per person.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

Profile →