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Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu
Adventure capital of Malaysia, gateway to iconic Mt Kinabalu and the oldest rainforests in the world
Top Things to Do in Kota Kinabalu
Go beyond the tourist checklist - into the hidden spots & heartfelt stories
01
Climb Mt Kinabalu, Malaysia's Highest Peak
Mt Kinabalu is one of our fave SEA hikes! The varied views keep things exciting, and the summit feels you're walking on the moon. Beginners can do it with training. Highly recommended!
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02
Explore UNESCO Kinabalu Geopark
If you don't fancy climbing Mt Kinabalu, you can still see the gorgeous UNESCO Kinabalu geopark on a easy day trip. You'll also get to see local villages and get to know Dusun culture.
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03
Spot Probiscus Monkeys + Fireflies at Klias River
This is a surprisingly fun one! Spot cheeky probiscus monkeys (with the long nose), crocodiles and fireflies on a cruise down Klias river. It's chill and adventurous at the same time.
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04
Historic Colonial Train Ride
For train lovers! Ride a historic colonial-era train through Sabah’s scenic countryside for great views. For more adventure, combine it with Padas white-water rafting on the same trip!
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05
Catch sunset from the water!
Kota Kinabalu has some of the best sunsets we’ve ever seen (and it’s even been voted one of the world’s best!). Catch sunset from the water—it’s fiery and stunning!
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06
White water rafting - easy to intermediate!
One of the most fun ways to explore the lush countryside around Kota Kinabalu is by river rafting! The rapids range from beginner friendly to intermediate - so anyone can enjoy them!
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07
Snokelling & Diving at TARP Marine Park
Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park is popular spot for snorkelling & diving. However it's not well maintained (not much coral + trash), so if you go, try to avoid the more touristed islands
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08
Jungle survival in Ancient Rainforest
For off-grid lovers! Head into the ancient Borneo rainforest with a jungle expert, learn survival techniques, camp and enjoy dinner under the stars. You won't forget this!
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09
Deramakot: Clouded Leopard & Pygmy Elephants
Borneo’s best kept wildlife secret, Deramakot, is a few hours from Kota Kinabalu. Spend 3D2N here and spot clouded leopards, pygmy elephants, flying squirrels, and civet cats!
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10
Maliau Basin: World's Most Untouched Rainforest
Maliau Basin is the world's most untouched rainforest, 130M years old (much older than the Amazon!) and a day's drive from Kota Kinabalu. Spend 3D2N here for hiking & wildlife spotting.
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Start Planning
We handpick every guide and adventure, so you know it's worth your time.
top rated
4.9 (88)
|2D1N
|Up to 30 guests
“Recommend choosing the extra night at poring hot springs”
top rated
4.9 (57)
|11 hrs
|Up to 8 guests
“Amazing Borneo hike with knowledgeable friendly guide delicious local lunch ”
4.9 (88)
|2D1N
|Up to 33 guests
“Lina made our seamless Asia trip a dream come true ”
4.9 (88)
|2D1N
|Up to 30 guests
“genuinely cares and personally invested in making sure everything is smooth”
4.9 (57)
|2D1N
|Up to 20 guests
“My guide Effrey was a legend”
4.9 (23)
|9 hrs
|Up to 4 guests
“Jean was a fantastic tour guide ”
Private trip
see more
top rated
4.9 (88)
|2D1N
|Up to 30 guests
“Recommend choosing the extra night at poring hot springs”
top rated
4.9 (57)
|11 hrs
|Up to 8 guests
“Amazing Borneo hike with knowledgeable friendly guide delicious local lunch ”
4.9 (88)
|2D1N
|Up to 33 guests
“Lina made our seamless Asia trip a dream come true ”
4.9 (88)
|2D1N
|Up to 30 guests
“genuinely cares and personally invested in making sure everything is smooth”
4.9 (88)
|2D1N
|Up to 33 guests
“Unforgettable climb topnotch support breathtaking views ”
4.9 (57)
|2D1N
|Up to 20 guests
“My guide Effrey was a legend”
4.9 (23)
|9 hrs
|Up to 4 guests
“Jean was a fantastic tour guide ”
Private trip
4.9 (57)
|2D1N
|Up to 20 guests
“Everything was a 1010 from booking to transport”
see more
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All Kota Kinabalu Adventures
What other guests say
4.9
|
184 reviews
This was such an incredible experience. Our guide Andrey was amazing. My brother and I are quite confident swimmers, so he was more than happy to let us explore the reef and do our own thing, while keeping an eye on us and ensuring we were safe. He also took lots of photos for us to look back on which was so lovely. Watching the sunset from out on the water is a truly breathtaking experience. It is less so a guided tour and more just a chilled evening swimming and floating out in the water, but if you are a less confident swimmer there were plenty of guided around to help out and even connect you to their own paddle boards etc. What a great experience made even better by our brilliant guide Andrey!
Zoe
Great experience with friendly driver, and well organised programs. We got a chance to see a lot of proboscis monkeys, hornbills, fireflies, and a lot of wild creatures.
RI
The tour with River Junkie was a great way to experience the sights along the road from Kota Kinabalu to Sepilok and the communication and arrangements were excellent! Thank you :-)
Carmen
The location was fantastic, and the drive and train rides to get there were part of the great day.
The guides were very skilful and made the trip very very memorable. The rafting was absolutely memorable. The journey back on the railway line on a bogey pushed along by a motorbike just needs to be experienced. Great value.
Colin Winterbottom
Olivia was extremely kind and helpful from the start to end of our trip. We loved having transportation waiting for us, saving us the hassle of having to coordinate between locations so we could just enjoy the journey. Our mountain guide, Arno, was also fantastic and able to adapt to our physical condition so we could reach the summit and back in good time. Would definitely use their services again! 😍
Co & Juls
We really enjoyed seeing the nature in the foothills of Mt. Kinabalu and then eating some of the plants we saw along the way. Our hosts were gracious and knowledgeable! This was an excellent activity for me and my middle-aged parents, who had the fitness level to do and enjoy this hike. It was a bit foggy, so our wider view was obstructed, but we enjoyed our hike nonetheless.
Elizabeth
Our tour guide was Lester, he was hilarious!!! He is from a local hunting tribe and he taught us about a poisonous tree, how to break rocks, how to skip rocks, and he even had us feed fish with our hands (ah!). The river itself wasn’t wild, so it was a nice flow! He even gave people a chance to “body raft” in a couple of areas that were safer.
I’m vegan and I told them beforehand and they accommodated my dietary restrictions.
Sandy
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![Your Cheat Sheet to Planning a Mount Kinabalu Climb [2025]](https://d18sx48tl6nre5.cloudfront.net/webp_md_27b2d18c840570c1e30f8882b8bd1437.webp)
