Get Holiday Package Offers
You can get a customised offer for your trip duration, dates, and group size
View PackagesBest Time To Visit Malaysia
Save upto 30%
by comparing quotes from 3 agents
What is the best time to visit Malaysia?
December to March is the best time to visit Malaysia, with a second window from June to August. Which one you want depends entirely on which coast you are going to, because they have opposite monsoons.
The west coast (Langkawi, Penang, Kuala Lumpur): December to March. Langkawi is fifteen times drier in January than in October.
The east coast (Perhentian, Redang, Tioman): March to September. The resorts and ferries close in the northeast monsoon, roughly November to February, so this is not a preference, it is a closure.
Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak): February to April, when Kota Kinabalu is at its driest.
Temperature is not a factor anywhere: Malaysia runs 23°C to 34°C in every month.
Malaysia Travel Packages
Compare quotes from upto 3 travel agents for free
Delights of Malaysia: An Affordable Holiday Package to Kuala Lumpur & Langkawi (6 Nights)
Kuala Lumpur(3N) → Langkawi(3N)
Glimpse of Malaysia: A Luxury Holiday Package to Kuala Lumpur (3 Nights)
Kuala Lumpur(3N)
Kuala Lumpur & Langkawi Escape – 5N/6D
Kuala Lumpur(2N) → Langkawi(3N)
Malaysia Tour Package
Kuala Lumpur(4N)
Sold By:
Unicorns Tour(4.9
)
Discover Malaysia
Langkawi(3N) → Kuala Lumpur(2N) → Genting Highland(1N)
4 Days Mini Holiday Package to Malaysia With Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur(3N)
More about Best Time to Travel to Malaysia
West Coast Malaysia: December to March
December to March is the dry stretch on the west coast, and it is where almost every Indian itinerary goes. Langkawi is close to rainless in January and February, the driest months of its year.
Its wettest months are September and October, which surprises people who assume the November monsoon hits the whole country. It does not: November to February is the west coast's best weather.
East Coast Malaysia: The Islands Actually Close
Perhentian, Redang and Tioman shut for the northeast monsoon. On Perhentian most resorts and the ferry services stop from November to February; on Redang resorts close and ferries are severely restricted from October to March.
November on Redang and December on Tioman bring the heaviest rain anywhere in Malaysia. Go between March and September, and check that your resort is open before you book anything.
Kuala Lumpur Has Two Rain Peaks
Kuala Lumpur is wettest twice a year, not once. The first peak is the inter-monsoon in April, the second and larger is November.
June to August is its driest stretch, which is the opposite of Langkawi three hours up the coast. Even so, no KL month is dry: plan the Petronas Towers and Batu Caves for the morning in any month.
Borneo: Sabah and Sarawak
February to April is the driest window in Sabah. Kota Kinabalu is five times drier in February than in October, so this is when Mount Kinabalu climbs and the Sipadan crossings are most reliable.
Sarawak is wetter year-round with a December to February peak. Gawai Dayak, the rice harvest festival with the longhouses open, falls in June.
Hari Raya, Thaipusam and the Festival Calendar
Hari Raya Aidilfitri moves about eleven days earlier every year, so it is not a fixed season. In 2026 it falls around 19 to 20 March. Domestic flights and long-distance buses sell out for the balik kampung homecoming, and much of KL closes for two days.
January or February: Thaipusam, the mass pilgrimage up Batu Caves, and Chinese New Year in KL and Penang
June: Gawai Dayak in Sarawak
October or November: Deepavali
May, odd years: the LIMA airshow at Langkawi, next in 2027
Haze Season in Malaysia
Haze can drift over the peninsula between July and October, blown from land-clearing fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. It does not happen every year and it usually clears within days.
When it does arrive it hits Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi hardest and can close schools. Check the air-quality index rather than the forecast if you are travelling in those months.
Best Time to Visit Malaysia by Interest
- Langkawi and Penang beaches: December to March
- Perhentian, Redang and Tioman: March to September, closed in the northeast monsoon
- Kuala Lumpur city break: any month, driest June to August
- Cameron Highlands and Genting: any month, cool all year
- Mount Kinabalu and Sabah diving: February to April
- Thaipusam at Batu Caves: January or February
- Lowest west-coast prices: September and October
