Genting Highlands Day Trip with Cable Car from Kuala Lumpur

Getting to Genting Highlands from Kuala Lumpur

How to get to Genting Highlands without a car? This shared day trip solves it: our driver picks you up at your hotel in the Golden Triangle of Kuala Lumpur and drives about an hour east on the Karak Highway into the Titiwangsa mountains. The road leaves the city towers behind and climbs through dense rainforest, with the air cooling as you go.

On the way, an English audio guide introduces the highlands, their climate and how the hill-top resort grew from a jungle-covered ridge into one of Malaysia's favourite getaways. The vehicle is shared with other travellers, which keeps the trip simple and affordable; bookings need at least two adults. Your final pickup time is sent the evening before.

The Awana SkyWay cable car

From the lower station at Gohtong Jaya, the Awana SkyWay carries you about 2.8 kilometres up the mountain in roughly ten minutes. The gondolas glide just above the treetops, so you look straight down onto the canopy of a rainforest that is millions of years old, with ridges fading into the haze. Mist often wraps around the cabins as you near the top, a lovely moment for photos.

Your return ticket in a standard gondola is included; a glass-floor gondola is available at extra cost if you want to see the forest beneath your feet. Queues are longest at weekends and on public holidays, and the system may pause briefly during thunderstorms for safety. The cable car is step-free and suitable for children and older travellers.

Chin Swee Caves Temple

The cable car's middle station serves the Chin Swee Caves Temple, a Taoist hillside temple at about 1,400 metres with a nine-storey pagoda, a large seated Buddha statue and terraces overlooking the valley. Colourful sculptures along the paths illustrate traditional stories about virtue, and the incense, bells and mountain views make it a peaceful contrast to the busy summit.

If you would like to visit, ask about hopping off at the temple station during your free time; allow about 45 minutes. Modest clothing covering shoulders and knees is expected, and visitors should keep their voices low near the prayer halls. Photography is generally fine in the outdoor courtyards, and the terraces are a quiet place to enjoy the mountain air away from the crowds.

Free time at the summit

At around 1,800 metres, the summit of Genting Highlands is usually between 15 and 25°C, a welcome break from the tropical heat below. The cable car station leads straight into large indoor malls with shops, cafés and food courts, and halal restaurants and prayer rooms are easy to find. On clear days the outdoor terraces offer wide views over the mountains.

Families can spend the afternoon at the indoor theme park, with rides for all ages under one roof, or at the outdoor theme park with its roller coasters; theme park tickets are not included and can be added when you book. Is Genting Highlands worth visiting? For cool air, a spectacular cable car and an easy day of fun, it is one of the most popular trips from Kuala Lumpur.