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Kinabalu Park

Climb Mount Kinabalu, 4,095 Metres

Plan this trip
2 daysIdeal stay₹3,020From / night₹1,050Food / day₹1,160Entry

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.

Highlights

  • Sunrise on Low's Peak (two-day climb)
  • Night at Laban Rata
  • Botanical garden and trails at park HQ
  • Poring canopy walkway and hot springs
  • Desa Dairy Farm with the peak behind
  • Rafflesia viewing near Poring (when in bloom)

Things to do

  • Mount Kinabalu climb, day 1: park HQ to Laban RataMorning · 7h
  • Mount Kinabalu climb, day 2: summit sunrise and descentMorning · 9h
  • Park HQ botanical garden & forest trailsMorning · 3h
  • Poring hot springs & canopy walkwayAfternoon · 3h
  • Desa Dairy Farm & Kundasang War MemorialAfternoon · 2h 30m

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Kinabalu Parkvia GetYourGuideTours & tickets in Kinabalu Parkvia Klook

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When to go

Best time: March – September

Heads up

Mount Kinabalu: Permits, Guide and a Bed at Laban Rata

Climbing Mount Kinabalu needs a climbing permit, a licensed mountain guide and a night at Laban Rata, sold together by licensed operators under a daily cap on climbers. They sell out months ahead for March to September. Book the climb before your flights; without it you can still walk the park HQ trails.

Heads up

Wet Season on the Mountain

November to February brings more rain and cloud: the summit push can be called off in storms, and sunrise views are often lost. Climbs still run; pack waterproofs and warm layers (near freezing at the top).

  • Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri — During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk: Malay restaurants are quiet by day and the evening Ramadan bazaars, with food stalls at every mosque and market, are the best street food of the year. Don't eat or drink in the street in Kelantan and Terengganu. At its end, Hari Raya Aidilfitri brings the "balik kampung" exodus: buses, trains and flights sell out weeks ahead and KL empties for a week. Dates move about 11 days earlier each year; they are set by the new moon.
  • Kaamatan (Sabah harvest festival) — Sabah's Kadazan-Dusun harvest festival runs through May and peaks on 30-31 May at the KDCA cultural centre at Penampang near Kota Kinabalu: rice wine, dances in traditional dress and the Unduk Ngadau pageant. KK hotels fill that week.

Part of a longer route

Kinabalu Park is a stop on a curated circuit through Malaysia.

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Sabah: Kinabalu & the Orangutans

Stop 2 of 3 · 7 days · moderate