In March, with the planner's pick for each leg; you can switch any leg in the plan.
Delhi → Kota KinabaluFlight via Kuala Lumpur · 16h · Malaysia Airlines / AirAsia X to Kuala Lumpur, then flight
Kota Kinabalu → Kinabalu ParkBus · 2h · Minivan or Ranau bus from Inanam / Padang Merdeka
Kinabalu Park → Sandakan & SepilokBus · 4h 30m · Express bus from the park gate (KK–Sandakan buses)
Sandakan & Sepilok → DelhiFlight via Kuala Lumpur · 16h 30m · Flight to Kuala Lumpur, then Malaysia Airlines / AirAsia X
About this circuit
Malaysian Borneo in a week: Kota Kinabalu for the islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and the waterfront night market, two days at Kinabalu Park under the 4,095 m peak, for the climb or the trails at park HQ, then across to Sepilok outside Sandakan for the orangutan feedings and the sun bears, with river safaris on the Kinabatangan two to three hours on.
Why it matters
Kinabalu Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site round the highest peak between the Himalaya and New Guinea. At Sepilok orphaned orangutans are raised for the wild, and the Kinabatangan lodges look for proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, hornbills and, with luck, wild orangutans.
Stop by stop
How the 7 days split across the 3 stops, and what each one costs on the ground for two.
Sabah's capital on the South China Sea, about 2 h 45 by air from Kuala Lumpur: the five islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park a 15-minute boat ride away, the waterfront night market and seafood, the Sunday Gaya Street market, the City Mosque on its lagoon, and sunset at Tanjung Aru. The base for Mount Kinabalu (2 h by road) and the arrival airport for most of Sabah. Flying in from the Peninsula you pass Sabah's own immigration check.
Don't miss: Island-hopping in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park · Sunset at Tanjung Aru.
How long: 3 days, a day more than the usual 2, which leaves room for the journey in.
Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI), 8 km
3 days for two from ₹20,337 · ₹42,520 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
A UNESCO World Heritage park round Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m), the highest peak between the Himalaya and New Guinea, two hours from Kota Kinabalu. The climb takes two days: about 6 km up to the Laban Rata rest house, then a 2 a.m. start for sunrise on Low's Peak. Climbers need a permit, a licensed mountain guide and a bed at Laban Rata, all booked months ahead through the licensed operators because the daily number of climbers is capped. Without the climb: the botanical garden and trails at park HQ, the Poring canopy walk and hot springs, and the Kundasang dairy farm and war memorial with views of the peak.
Don't miss: Sunrise on Low's Peak (two-day climb) · Night at Laban Rata.
How long: 2 days, which is the recommended stay.
Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI), 90 km
2 days for two from ₹12,666 · ₹26,706 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
Sepilok, 25 km outside Sandakan on Sabah's east coast, is where orphaned orangutans are raised for the wild: watch the morning and afternoon feedings at the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, then the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre next door and the Rainforest Discovery Centre's canopy towers. Two to three hours away, lodges on the Kinabatangan river run boat safaris for proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, hornbills and, with luck, wild orangutans. Sandakan airport has direct flights to KL and KK.
Don't miss: Orangutan feeding at Sepilok (10:00 and 15:00) · Sun bears at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.
How long: 2 days, which is the recommended stay.
Sandakan Airport (SDK), 15 km
2 days for two from ₹11,250 · ₹24,782 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
What it costs
from ₹68,815 a person
The whole 7-day trip as the planner prices it in March, for two sharing at budget stays: flights from India and back, travel between the stops, stays, food, getting around, entry fees and the planner's buffer.
March to September is the season; from November to February more rain and cloud can call off the summit push
Entry rules
No visa needed for up to 30 days
In the 3 days before you land, fill in the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) at imigresen-online.imi.gov.my. It is free (sites that charge are not official); keep the confirmation email. One card per traveller, children included.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Make it yours
Opens in the planner with all 3 stops, suggested days and your home city pre-filled, in March. Swap anything.
·The Mount Kinabalu climb needs a permit, a licensed mountain guide and a bed at Laban Rata, sold together under a daily cap: they sell out months ahead for March to September, so book the climb before your flights
·Sabah runs its own immigration: your passport is checked again when you land from the Peninsula, so keep it in your hand luggage
·Kota Kinabalu to the park is a minivan or bus of about 2 hours, and the park to Sandakan an express bus of about 4.5
·Time Sepilok for a feeding (about 10:00 and 15:00), and stay in Sepilok rather than Sandakan town
·Visa-free entry for Indians runs until 31 December 2026, and no extension had been announced by late October 2026: for a trip in 2027, check before you book
