How to get from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu

Why visit Kota Kinabalu?

Kota Kinabalu (KK) is a vibrant coastal city on Malaysia’s Borneo island. Although fast-growing, it also boasts a colourful history, making it a beautiful mix of progress and heritage. We recommend a sweep of the Atkinson Clock Tower, Sabah State Museum, Double Six Monument, and the waterfront City Mosque to truly appreciate the city. In the evening, explore the night market for some great finds.

But don’t stop there! The real adventure lies on the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu. Here you’ll find pristine beaches, lush jungles, and Southeast Asia’s highest peak (Mount Kinabalu). If you’re planning on a hike, make sure to reserve a slot early because only 185 people are allowed to start their climb daily. The hike itself takes at least two days.

What you can’t bring into Malaysia

Malaysia is nowhere near as strict as Singapore when it comes to customs check, but there are still a few items that you shouldn’t bring when travelling from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu – unless you want to pay hefty fines or receive heavy punishment.

Below are some of those:

• More than 1-litre of liquor
• Even a few grams over the 225g-limit of tobacco per person (that’s around 200 cigarettes)
• Over 3 new wearable items and 1 new pair of shoes
• More than 1 electric or battery-operated personal hygiene equipment
• Pornographic materials
• Unlicensed weapons, counterfeit bills or coins and illegal drugs. These can lead not just to huge fines but even the death penalty!

Visit Malaysia’s Customs Department website for more details.

The flight is the only suitable way for travellers to cross the distance of 430 kilometres (267 miles) from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu. The journey takes around 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes, and ticket prices start from 89 SGD ($69).

The flight from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu takes only 2.5 hours. But both airports are located outside the city centre, so you’ll need extra transfers.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

Singapore Changi Airport can be found 20 km east of downtown Singapore. To travel this distance, you have 3 options: a taxi for 44 SGD ($34); the train for 2.70 SGD ($2.10); or a public bus for 2 SGD ($1.60).

The train is a comfortable option but requires at least one transfer. This might be a hassle if you’re carrying bulky luggage. The public bus, on the other hand, makes too many stops so it takes around 1.5 hours to reach the airport.

If you’re looking for convenience, we recommend booking a taxi via Klook. You can expect to be picked up from your hotel at your desired date and time.

You can visit our page on Singapore Airport for more info.

There are only 2 flights available from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu daily. These flights are both operated by Air Asia and they have the following departure times: 11:45 and 17:35.

Airfares start from 80 SGD ($62) for the flight that is 2.5 hours long.

Kota Kinabalu International Airport is located 8 km south of the city centre. You can take either a bus or a taxi to complete your journey to your hotel.

The airport bus is the cheaper option with tickets from 5 MYR ($1.20). These buses depart every hour from 07:30 to 20:30 and park at Merdeka Square. From here, you can either walk to your accommodation or take a short taxi ride.

The taxi is more expensive but also more convenient. Airport taxis are prepaid and rates are fixed depending on your destination. A taxi from the airport to the city centre costs 30 MYR ($7.10) and up.

To skip the taxi queue, you can also pre-book your taxi online via Klook. Their starting rates are just a little bit more expensive at 36 MYR ($8.60) but they can save you a lot of time, especially during peak hours.

The journey from the airport to Kota Kinabalu city centre takes 30 minutes depending on traffic.