Overview Compare Flight via Kuala Kedah via Kuala Perlis Bus
A little intro to the beautiful island of Langkawi
Langkawi, located off the northwest coast of Malaysia, is a stunning archipelago consisting of 99 islands. Surrounded by turquoise waters, its biggest island (also called Langkawi) is made up of white-sand beaches that border the lush jungles in the middle.
Dotted in between are busy towns filled with locals, tourists, and of course, the duty free outlets Langkawi is well-known for. Far from a quiet retreat, Langkawi does still offer some natural wonders and vibrant diving spots.
Langkawi is an ideal place to go island-hopping, submerge yourself in waterfalls, and get lost in the rice fields. All of these can be seen from the Langkawi Sky Bridge. A little tip though, go early in the morning or you’ll be sharing this view with lots of other tourists!
How to get from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi
Is Langkawi your next destination after a tour of Malaysia’s capital?
There are 4 ways to travel the 415 km distance from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi: a 1-hour flight (plus transfers), a 7-hour train via Kuala Kedah, a 7-hour-15 minute train via Kuala Perlis, or an 8.5-hour bus also via Kuala Perlis. Fares range from 77 MYR ($16.00) to 170 MYR ($36.00).
4 ways to get from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi
The flight is the fastest way to get from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi. You’ll still have to travel to and from the airports, but they are luckily not too far from the destinations. Combined fares start from 170 MYR ($36.00).
If you prefer to travel by land, the train is a comfortable option to get from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi. You can take a train to either Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis. Travelling via Kuala Kedah is cheaper with fares from 108 MYR ($23.00), while combined costs for the train via Kuala Perlis start from 137 MYR ($29.00). Read on to find out which route is best for you.
Hoping to save both time and money? Day and night buses are available from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi via Kuala Perlis with combined fares from 77 MYR ($16.00). Buses may not be as comfortable as the train, but they’re good enough that you can sleep for the most part of the journey. Travel time is around 8.5 hours, excluding transfers.
Note that taking a train or a bus also includes a ferry ride from either Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis to Langkawi.
Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi by Flight
A flight from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi takes only a little over an hour. However, travel time to and from the 2 airports brings the total travel time closer to 2 hours.
There are 2 airports in Kuala Lumpur: Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) and Subang Airport (SZB). Since fares from Kuala Lumpur Airport are often at least 50% cheaper, we’ll focus on that route.
Step 1: Kuala Lumpur City Centre to Kuala Lumpur Airport
Kuala Lumpur Airport is located some 45 km south of the city centre. To get to the airport, you can take a 30-minute train from 50 MYR ($10.50), a 1-hour bus for 10 MYR ($2.10), or a 1-hour taxi from 95 MYR ($20.00).
Due to heavy traffic in the city, we highly recommend taking the train, especially if you’re heading to the airport during peak hours. For more info, check out our page on Kuala Lumpur Airport.
Step 2: Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi by Flight
AirAsia, a low-cost Malaysian airline, offers multiple daily flights from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi.
If you book early, you can get a ticket for as low as 100 MYR ($21.00) for the 1-hour flight.
There are also a few flights with Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air, but their airfares normally cost more expensive than Air Asia’s.
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Step 3: Langkawi Airport to City Centre by Taxi
Langkawi Airport is around 8 km away from the main tourist hub of Pantai Cenang.
Taxis are a common mode of transportation on the island and are available 24 hours every day outside the airport. You will be charged a fixed price based on your destination.
To get to Pantai Cenang, you can take a 15-minute taxi with fares from 20 MYR ($4.20).
If you’re staying in the district capital of Kuah, you can also take a taxi that will take around 25 minutes. Fares start from 25 MYR ($5.00).
Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi by Train via Kuala Kedah
One way to travel by train from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi is via Alor Setar in Kuala Kedah. From here, you’ll still need to take a bus and a ferry to Langkawi.
If you’re thinking of taking the train and are on a budget, we recommend this route. This option is cheaper than travelling via Kuala Perlis and also the next option to the flight with the shortest travel time at around 6.5 hours.
Step 1: Kuala Lumpur to Alor Setar by Train
There are several trains that operate from Kuala Lumpur Sentral to Alor Setar daily.
Ticket prices start from 72 MYR ($15.00) for ETS Gold and 95 MYR ($20.00) for ETS Platinum. Gold and Platinum trains are basically the same trains. The difference is that ETS Platinum stops only in major stations.
Both trains have the same travel time of about 5 hours. Below are our recommended train schedules:
Train schedules from Kuala Lumpur to Alor Setar
Note that the fares still vary depending on how early you book. We suggest booking your tickets in advance on the KTM website to score cheap tickets.
Step 2: Alor Setar to Kuala Kedah Ferry Terminal by Bus
From Alor Setar Station, you’ll have to walk 10-15 minutes to the nearest bus stop, where you can take the local bus to Kuala Kedah Ferry Terminal.
The bus ride takes around 25 minutes for 3 MYR ($0.60), but note that buses come only once every hour.
Alternatively, you can take a 20-minute taxi to the ferry terminal with rates from 20 MYR ($4.20).
Step 3: Kuala Kedah to Langkawi by Ferry
There are several ferries operating the Kuala Kedah Jetty to Langkawi route daily.
Departure times vary, but there are trips as early as 07:00 on some days. There are about 4-6 ferry departures until the afternoon or early evening.
Ticket prices cost 35 MYR ($7.00) for non-Malaysian residents. Travel time is about 1.5 hours.
Tickets can sell out fast, so it’s best to book them online through the Langkawi Ferry Line website. You can also view the full schedule on this website.
Ferry port in Langkawi
Ferries dock at Kuah Jetty, the island’s main ferry terminal that is located around 20 km east of Pantai Cenang. To get to your hotel, you can take a 40-minute taxi with rates from 40 MYR ($8.50). Shared taxis are also available around the port if you’re looking for cheaper fares.
Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi by Train via Kuala Perlis
You can also take a train from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi via Arau Station in Kuala Perlis. This town is next to Kuala Kedah in the north and is around 480 km away from Kuala Lumpur.
Compared to the train route via Kuala Kedah, this option is a bit more expensive, as the land travel is longer. But since Kuala Perlis is closer to Langkawi, the ferry ride is shorter for this route.
Step 1: Kuala Lumpur to Arau by Train
From KL Sentral, you can also take a train to Arau Train Station. Gold and Platinum trains are also available for this route.
Ticket prices start from 75 MYR ($16.00) for the Gold train and 100 MYR ($21.00) for the Platinum train. Travel time takes 5.5 hours for both trains.
Below are the train schedules that will get you to Langkawi within the same day.
Train schedules from Kuala Lumpur to Arau
It’s best to always check the latest schedules on the KTMB website. To secure a seat, you can also book your tickets beforehand through the website.
Step 2: Arau Station to Kuala Perlis Ferry Terminal by Taxi
The most convenient way to travel the 20 km distance from Arau Station to Kuala Perlis Ferry Terminal is by taxi. The journey takes around 30 minutes with rates starting from 35 MYR ($7.00).
It is also possible to take the bus, but there are no direct buses to the ferry terminal. You need to first take a bus to the capital city of Kangar and then transfer to another bus to the ferry terminal. With that, travel time can easily take around 1 hour.
Step 3: Kuala Perlis to Langkawi by Ferry
Kuala Perlis is closer to the island of Langkawi than Kuala Kedah, so the ferry ride would take only 1 hour 15 minutes. The ferry ticket is also cheaper at 27 MYR ($5.50) for non-Malaysian residents.
For this route, departure times also vary from day to day. Usually, there are at least 3-5 ferry departures daily from 06:30 to 17:30. You can check the latest schedules at the Langkawi Ferry Line website.
The ferry also docks at Kuah Jetty, which is still 40 minutes away from the main tourist area of Pantai Cenang. You can complete your journey by taking a private taxi with fares from 40 MYR ($8.50). Alternatively, you can take a shared taxi for cheaper rates.
Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi by Bus via Kuala Perlis
It is also possible to travel from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Perlis by bus. This option is more convenient than the train options, as the bus station is just walking distance from the ferry terminal.
There are also more bus departures to Kuala Perlis, but this route has the longest travel time at 8.5 hours.
Step 1: Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Perlis by Bus
Buses to Kuala Perlis are available at TBS Kuala Lumpur, around 15 km away from the city centre.
Several bus companies offer both day and night trips from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Perlis. We recommend taking an overnight bus so that you can save time and a night’s accommodation. This way, you can also take a morning ferry ride to Langkawi.
Bus fares start from 50 MYR ($10.50) and travel time is a little over 7 hours.
Below are our recommended bus schedules. The day trips would bring you to Kuala Perlis before the last ferry departure. For the night trips, you would still have to wait a few hours for the first ferry departure of the day.
Bus schedules from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Perlis
The buses park at Kuala Perlis Bus Terminal. From here, it’s just a 10-minute walk to the port.
For guaranteed seats, it’s best to book your ticket online via 12GoAsia beforehand.
Step 2: Kuala Perlis to Langkawi by Ferry
From Kuala Perlis Ferry Terminal, a ferry ride to Langkawi takes around 1 hour 15 minutes. Ferries usually operate from 06:30 to 17:30.
Departure times vary, but you can easily check the latest schedules at the Langkawi Ferry Line website. You can also book your tickets in advance through this website.
A ferry ticket costs 27 MYR ($5.50).
Ferry arrival port in Langkawi
The ferries dock at the island’s main ferry terminal, Kuah Jetty, which is still 20 km away from Pantai Cenang. You’ll have to take a taxi to get to your hotel. Fares start from 40 MYR ($8.50) for the 40-minute taxi ride.
If you’re travelling solo, you can get cheaper rates by taking one of the shared taxis that you can find just outside the port.
Ela is a storyteller, content producer, solo traveller and a mermaid-in-training. When she’s not in front of her laptop, you will find her barefoot and living her best tan on some island in the Philippines… Or exploring the depths of its seas as a budding freediver. An island girl at heart, she’ll be happy anywhere there is sea, sand, sun and coffee.
Kate is a writer, (ex)Management Consultant and avid traveller. She recently returned from a 2-year career break exploring the world and decided corporate life wasn’t for her. She’ll soon be testing life as a digital nomad. She’s visited over 40 countries and fell in love with Latin America in particular. Her travelling has inspired a passion for yoga, salsa, hiking and Spanish.
