How to go → KUALA LUMPUR to KOTA BHARU? ☀️

1. Bus – KL to Kota Bharu
2. Train – KL to Kota Bharu
3. Flight – KL to Kota Bharu
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From Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu you can travel by bus, train, plane.

• • The travel distance from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu spans approximately 450 kilometers. Travelers have three options to reach Kota Bharu from Kuala Lumpur, including traveling by tourist bus, train, or plane (direct flight). For budget-conscious tourists, traveling by bus proves to be the most economical option, with tickets priced at approximately $7-14 per person and a travel time of around 9.5-10.5 hours. Alternatively, travelers can opt for train travel, albeit with a stopover in Gemas. They can board a KTM Berhad train to Gemas and transfer to a KTM Ekspress train to Wakaf Bharu, the nearest railway station to Kota Bharu, located approximately 5 kilometers from the city center.
  • The entire train journey to Kota Bharu typically takes about 15-17 hours, with ticket prices ranging from $16-25 per person. Occasional very affordable flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu are also available, with prices ranging from $30-70 per person. Direct flights offer the fastest mode of transportation, completing the journey in just about 1 hour. Secure your bus/train tickets or flights conveniently online.

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• • Kota Bharu serves as the capital of Kelantan, situated on the far north-east coast of peninsular Malaysia. While not as frequented by tourists as other destinations in Malaysia such as Penang, this characteristic can be advantageous for some travelers. Often regarded as a transit point for travelers heading to the Perhentian Islands, Kota Bharu offers a rich tapestry of historical monuments, museums, vibrant markets, and Buddhist temples scattered across the north-western part of Kelantan.
  • Travelers have three options to journey from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu – by tourist bus, train, or plane (direct flight). Kota Bharu is also home to Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, located approximately 7 kilometers north of the city, facilitating convenient air travel from Kuala Lumpur. From Kota Bharu, travelers can further explore by bus or plan

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How do I get from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu?

1. BUS from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu

The most used land variant of transport from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu, and at the same time the cheapest one, is traveling by bus. You can use different buses and companies on this route, some that offer transfer to Kota Bharu are Mara Liner, Queen Express, Express Mutiara, Express Perdana, Sani Express, Ekspress Mutiara, Lienadia Express, Zaim Express, My Express, Destinasi Express, Ekspres Musafir .

These private transport companies will offer you modern buses with seats. Expect a slightly longer journey, bus transport from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu takes about 9.5-10.5 hours. These buses can depart from various locations and stops in Kuala Lumpur, they usually depart from TBS Kuala Lumpur or Greenwood Bus Terminal and in Kota Bharu they usually arrive at Bus Terminal Kota Bharu or Terminal Lembah Sireh.

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You will see all this information about bus departures and arrivals when searching and booking tickets, so read everything carefully. The bus transfer is one of the cheapest transport options to Kota Bharu and tickets from Kuala Lumpur cost between $7-13/pp. There are plenty of buses throughout the day and the schedule is relatively long, everyone will surely choose their suitable connection at the desired time.

You can search and buy bus tickets from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu online even in advance, always read all conditions and transfer instructions when booking and follow the instructions of the transport companies. Bus transfer to Kota Bharu is mainly sought after by solo low-cost travelers who have a more limited budget for their travel.

2. TRAIN from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu (via Gemas)

If you would like to travel by train from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu, it is possible, but with a transfer at Gemas. So this option has 2 steps, first is a KTM Berhad train ride from Kuala Lumpur to Gemas and then another KTM Berhad train ride from Gemas to Wakaf Bharu or Tumpat. It is better to get off at Wakaf Bharu, it is approximately 5 km from Kota Bharu city center. In total, a train transfer from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu via Gemas can take about 15-17 hours and cost about $16-35/pp. The transfer station in Gemas is about 170 km from Kuala Lumpur.

In the first step from Kuala Lumpur to Gemas, you can use modern KTM Berhad trains with seats. Transfer to Gemas from Kuala Lumpur by KTM train takes approx. 2.5 hours, usually this time is kept. The train departs from Kuala Lumpur Sentral and arrives at Gemas Railway Station, see Malaysia Railway Map. KL Sentral is one of the biggest train transfer stations and is in the city center.

Train tickets to Gemas from Kuala Lumpur cost between $6-8/pp per seat and can be easily searched and purchased online in advance as well as e-tickets. Please also read the terms and conditions and instructions for the transfer carefully when booking and follow all instructions given. The trains are modern, comfortable and will provide you with a hassle-free and fast transport to Gemas, where you have to change to another train bound for Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

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The second step is to travel again by KTM Berhad train from Gemas to Wakaf Bharu or to the final station in Tumpat. On this train route, you can use the KTM Berhad train, which has seats in 2 classes and even sleeper berths. Trains do not go directly to Kota Bharu city, there is no railway route to the town, but stop at Wakaf Bharu which is a km from the city. As it is a longer train route, it is better to use a sleeping berth.

The train transfer from Gemas to Wakaf Bharu takes about 11.5 hours. You can also take this train all the way to Tumpat, which is the terminus in the north of Malaysia. But better access to Kota Bharu is from Wakaf Bharu station, Tumpat is a little more remote place.

Train transfer from Gemas to Wakaf Bharu costs between $8-30/pp, seats are always the cheapest option than sleeper. Train tickets to Wakaf Bharu can again be easily searched and purchased online in advance.

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3. FLIGHT from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu

If you are looking for the fastest and most convenient way to transfer to Kota Bharu from Kuala Lumpur, you can use a direct air connection. The advantage is the relatively low prices of these flights, the disadvantage is the very limited flight schedule between these cities. You can save several hours with this transport option compared to a ground transfer by tourist bus or KTM trains via Gemas.

A direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu takes only about 1 hour, including the waiting time and transfer to the airport, so it can be 4.5 hours in total. Flights are operated from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Pengkalan Chepa Airport (Sultan Ismail Petra Airport).

This airport is located approximately 10 km northeast of Kota Bharu city center and is served by buses or you can use a private transfer from the airport to the city. Firefly and AirAsia offer direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu. Air transfer to Kota Bharu from Kuala Lumpur costs between $30-70/pp.

You can easily search and buy flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu online in advance. When booking a flight, always read the flight instructions and conditions and follow all airline instructions as they are written.

Since these direct flights to Kota Bharu in Kelantan can sometimes be relatively very cheap, they can also be used by ordinary solo low-cost travelers who have a more limited budget.

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