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Here is the perfect Kota Kinabalu itinerary if you are visiting for a few days in 2026. In this article we will recommend the best activities and things to do. We have designed this itinerary to make sure you don’t miss any of the best activities and also to save you time planning your trip.
In this step-by-step guide we will tell you everything you need to know to travel Kota Kinabalu independently and on a budget. This is a fun action packed and adventurous itinerary.
Kota Kinabalu is a beautiful city located in Sabah, East Malaysia. This beautiful city has a great variety of fascinating and fun attractions. Kota Kinabalu is packed with great food, culture, adventure, beautiful islands and beaches. In this itinerary we also include a few activities in the Kinabalu Valley (day 3 and day 4). The journey from Kota Kinabalu to the Kinabalu valley is likely to take around 4-6 hours by road.
ONLY HAVE ONE DAY FOR YOUR TRIP? Never Fear – Many of the highlights of our 4 day itinerary can be visited in one day if you book this Fantastic One Day Kinabalu Park & Poring Tour on KLOOK
Join the Backpacking Family in Sabah!
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Summary – Kota Kinabalu itinerary
- Day 1 Mari Mari Cultural Village, the Sabah State Museum and a seafood market
- Day 2 Take an island hopping trip (Tunku Abdul Rahman Park)
- Day 3 Visit an adventure park, the Kundasang Dairy farm and a market
- Day 4 Visit the Poring hot springs, butterfly gardens, canopy walkway and Rafflesia
SPENDING LONGER IN SABAH? Don’t miss this FULL 10 day itinerary for Sabah. We take you through all the best bits – step by step, independently and on a budget.
Kota Kinabalu itinerary map
How do you get around in Sabah?
The best way to get around on this Kota Kinabalu itinerary is to use a taxi on day 1 day 2 and then rent a car on Day 3 and Day 4. Due to the high cost of car rental it is not worth renting a car for the first 2 days of this itinerary. Day 1 and day 2 stay close to Kota Kinabalu. Day 3 and day 4 involve traveling a lot further.
Find a great car rental deal on KLOOK
Reserving your car on KLOOK gives you the security of booking through a safe online platform – and you can easily customise your booking. They also have competitive prices starting at around RM100 per day – no need to barter. Don’t miss our full guide on renting a car in Kota Kinabalu
If you choose to rent a car in Kota Kinabalu expect to pay between RM100 and RM300 (which is around £20 – £30 or $25 – $35 per day) plus petrol – which is very cheap in Malaysia at around RM3 per litre. There are two ways of renting a car in Kota Kinabalu. You can contact a car rental company directly and negotiate on the price. Alternatively book on a platform like KLOOK.
The best way to get a taxi in Kota Kinabalu is to use the grab taxi app. A short taxi journey (around 1-2km) is likely to cost around RM5. A longer taxi Journey may cost RM50 to RM100. Don’t miss the full guide – Everything you need to know about using the Grab taxi app in Malaysia.
You can find some buses in Sabah. It is not possible to use buses to get to small attractions in Sabah. Long-distance buses connect the main towns in Sabah including Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Semporna and Tawau. Find out more about traveling from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan.
Long distance buses are very cheap in Malaysia. Expect to pay RM30 – RM60 depending on the length of the journey. Alternatively cheap internal domestic flights connect some of the main cities in Sabah – Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau.
Day 1 Mari Mari Cultural Village, the Sabah State Museum and a seafood market
Visit the Mari Mari Cultural Village
This itinerary starts with a real highlight. Take a visit to the Mari Mari Cultural Village. Located around 18 km to the east of Kota Kinabalu, the Mari Mari cultural Village is like stepping into another world. If you are interested in the tribal culture and Heritage of Sabah the Mari Mari cultural Village is an absolute must do. The Mari Mari cultural Village you can see traditional clothing, art and jungle houses. They also do performances of traditional music, games and dance.
- The Mari Mari cultural village offer sessions at 10am and 2pm
- Adults RM170 (or RM100 on offer)
- Children RM 155 (or RM90 on offer)
The best way to get to the Mari Mari cultural Village from Kota Kinabalu is to take a taxi. You can arrange taxis using the Grab taxi app. A taxi is likely to cost you around RM30 each way. We recommend asking your driver to wait or return to pick you up later.
Visit the Sabah State Museum
When you have finished at the Mari Mari cultural Village, return to Kota Kinabalu and visit the Sabah State Museum. The Sabah State Museum is a great place to learn about the rich heritage, culture and history of Sabah and more. They have a very good range of exhibitions and this is a great activity for families too.
The Sabah State Museum is also pretty cheap as an attraction. It costs RM15 to visit (international) and RM2 (Malaysian).
Try some Sabah Seafood
In the evening visit the Sabah Seafood market along the seafront. This market sells fresh seafood dishes and is a great way to experience some of the Sabah seafood. Food is relatively cheap and good in Malaysia. Sabah has a reputation for great seafood. But it is a bit more expensive. Expect to pay around RM20 – RM50 for a seafood dish in Sabah.
Where can you stay in Kota Kinabalu?
If you’re on a budget book a bunk bed at Escape Backpackers – super cheap, simple and well located. You can book Escape Backpackers on Agoda. And you can also find Escape backpackers on booking.com.
Alternatively, if you have a little more freedom in your budget consider the Horizon Hotel. Watch out for deals at Horizon on Agoda and discounts at Horizon on booking.com.
If you’re looking to splash out for something really special check out Le Meridien. Le Meridien can be booked on Agoda. Alternatively watch out for deals and discounts for Le Meridien on booking.com.
Day 2 Take an island hopping trip (Tunku Abdul Rahman Park)
Take an island hopping day trip from Kota Kinabalu. The island hopping trip is fun and visits some very beautiful islands.
The best way to book an island hopping trip in Kota Kinabalu is to go to the jetty (Kota Kinabalu Jesselton Point Jetty) between 8:00a.m. and 10:00 a.m. There are ticket counters where you can buy island hopping tickets and rent masks, snorkels and fins. You can choose how many islands to visit in the day.
MORE CONVENIENT OPTION? – Book Your Kota Kinabalu Island Hopping on KLOOK
We recommend the three Island trip as it allows you to see plenty of beautiful islands at a reasonable pace. Island hopping trips range in price from RM35 (roughly £7 or $10) to RM65 (roughly £13 or $15) depending on the number of islands.
- 1 island trip costs RM35 AND Child RM30
- 2 island trip costs Adult RM45 AND Child RM40
- 3 islands trip costs Adult RM55 AND Child RM50
- 4 islands trip costs Adult RM65 AND Child RM60
You can rent snorkel and fins for RM10. You also need to pay an island conservation fee (ONE fee per adult of RM20) which is paid when you arrive at the first island. Keep the ticket as this can be presented at each island.
Bring water and sun protection on the island hopping trip. On some of the islands it is possible to buy some simple food. However, there is not a lot of choice so we recommend bringing your own food. Throughout the day you will be directed where to go and told what time to return for your boat.
Day 3 Ziplining and the Kundasang Dairy farm and market
Visit Zip Borneo
On day 3 of your Kota Kinabalu itinerary, travel to Kundasang. On the way, consider a visit to the Zip Borneo Adventure Center. Zip Borneo is an outdoor activity center with an obstacle course, climbing wall, high rope course and an epic zipline.
Check into a Kundasang homestay
Travel to Kundasang. This is a beautiful mountain town located near Mount Kinabalu. We recommend checking into a Homestay in the area. The Pogimpaan Homestay is our top pick with breathtaking views of Kinabalu and the surrounding hills. You can get competitive prices for Pogimpaan on Agoda. Check the price of Pogimpaan on booking.com (it’s always worth shopping around).
It is also great value for money. Alternatively check out Zen Garden on Agoda or Zen Garden on booking.com
Visit the Desa Dairy Farm
The journey from Kota Kinabalu to Kundasang takes around 2 or 3 hours. Take a visit to the Desa Dairy farm, situated in the hills around 5km north of Kundasang. The Desa Dairy farm boasts amazing views of the mountains AND don’t miss the amazing Desa Dairy ice cream. For a very reasonable price you can buy a pot of soft serve Desa Dairy ice cream. Here are some things to do at the Desa dairy farm:
- Check out the milking bay
- Visit the food kiosk and cafe
- See the cattle barns
- Learn about milk processing and packaging
- Check out the agro feeding pen activity
The Desa Dairy farm is a very reasonable price. Tickets only cost RM5 for adults, RM4 for children (7-12 years old). It is FREE for children 6 years old and below. The Desa dairy farm is open daily 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tickets are only available in advance and must be booked through their official ticket website.
After visiting the Desa dairy farm we recommend paying a visit to the local fruit and veg market located in Kundasang. They sell a range of fresh fruits and vegetables, a great way to experience the beautiful rural mountain culture.
Also, check out the BW Bus Restaurant (located between Kundasang and Ranau). The BW Bus Restaurant offers scenic dining in converted buses. They serve a range of decadent drinks and food. Food and drinks are a little more expensive than the average restaurant, however you are paying for the location and novelty.
Day 4 Hot Springs, canopy walkway and Rafflesia
Visit a Rafflesia Garden
Travel to Poring (around 20 minutes from Kundasang). On the road that leads to the hot springs there are a couple of Rafflesia gardens. It is worth stopping at one of the Rafflesia Gardens to see if they have any Rafflesia flowers in bloom. If they do have a flower in bloom you can normally see it for around RM20. Rafflesia are genuinely very unique and beautiful and only bloom for around 5 days before dying. They also lay claim to being the largest flowers in the world.
Visit the Poring Hotsprings
After stopping at a Rafflesia Garden, go to the Poring hot spring. This is a very beautiful and natural area and a great place for relaxing. There is a very good range of pools for bathing, swimming and relaxing. The Poring hot springs are open daily from 8am – 3pm. Once you have paid for entry you can stay for the whole day.
Entrance tickets to the hot springs can be purchased at the ticket office when you arrive
- RM15 for adults
- RM10 for children (7 – 17 years old)
- Children 6 years and below are FREE
Just above the hot springs is a small butterfly garden. If you have time this is a lovely place for a walk. The butterfly garden is on the path that leads to the Canopy Walkway entrance.
Visit the Canopy walkway
AND last but not least don’t miss the impressive Poring canopy walkway. This is a terrifying series of rope bridges suspended in the jungle canopy. This walkway affords breathtaking views of the jungle and the surrounding hills. To get to the canopy walkway just walk to the top of the hotsprings and look out for signs. It is only around 1 minute walk from the hot spring. Purchase your ticket. Then trek around 10 minutes up a steep jungle trail.
Adult entry tickets RM5 and Children RM2.50 (under 18 years old). Opening hours: 9am – 4pm (closed on mondays).
Kota Kinabalu itinerary – Where next?
After visiting Poring you could travel back to Kota Kinabalu. Alternatively from Poring you can travel on to Sandakan to visit the orangutans, sun bears and proboscis monkeys. If you have time, consider taking a Kinabatangan river cruise. If you’re looking for snorkeling, diving and crystal clear waters why not travel on to Semporna and Mabul island? There really are so many epic things to do in Sabah
