Mount Kinabalu & Kinabalu Park
Gunung Kinabalu
Malaysia's highest peak at 4,095 m, and Kinabalu Park, a World Heritage Site. You can climb over two days and one night to watch the sunrise, or enjoy a relaxed day trip covering the park trails, Poring Hot Springs and the Kundasang highlands.
Mount Kinabalu stands at 4,095 m, the highest peak in Malaysia and on Borneo, and the highest point between the Himalayas and New Guinea. Kinabalu Park, where it sits, became Malaysia's first World Natural Heritage Site in 2000. It is celebrated for its complete range of vegetation zones, from tropical rainforest to alpine scrub, and for more than 5,000 plant species, including the rafflesia, the world's largest flower, and pitcher plants. Climbing to the summit is Sabah's classic challenge. The standard itinerary is two days and one night. On day one, hike about 6 km from park headquarters (1,866 m) along the Timpohon trail, taking 4–6 hours, to reach the Laban Rata mountain hut at 3,272 m and spend the night. The next morning, set off around 2–3 a.m., climbing by headlamp over granite slopes and rope sections. Reach Low's Peak around 5:30–6:00 to watch the sunrise, then descend the same day. No technical skills are needed, but good fitness is required, and mild altitude sickness is common. Costs: the climbing permit for foreign visitors is MYR 400. A licensed guide is mandatory, at about MYR 350 per group. Insurance and hut accommodation with meals cost about MYR 400–800. In peak season you must book 3–6 months ahead through Sutera Sanctuary Lodges or an agent, as there are only about 130 places per day. The park entry fee for foreign adults is MYR 50. Visitors who don't climb can explore the botanical garden and rainforest trails at park headquarters (1–2 hours). Then drive 40 minutes to Poring Hot Springs, which has hot spring pools and a 41 m canopy walkway (entry is included in the park ticket), and to the Kundasang highland plateau, with its vegetable market, Sabah tea plantations and the Desa dairy farm. On a clear day you can see the whole mountain from Kundasang, and the view is clearest between 6 and 8 a.m. Getting there: from Kota Kinabalu the drive takes about 2 hours. A chartered car for the round trip costs about MYR 300–400, or you can take a bus to Ranau for about MYR 20. Tips: bring warm clothing for summit temperatures of 0–5 °C, a rain jacket, a headlamp and gloves. Some routes were rerouted after the 2015 earthquake, so follow your guide. Trails are often closed in the rainy season. If altitude sickness becomes severe, descend immediately.
Opening hours
Park 07:00–17:00; summit requires 2 days, 1 night (Timpohon trailhead departures 07:00–10:30)
Nearby sights
- Mount Kinabalu Via Ferrata (Mountain Torq)
- Mesilau Nature Resort
- Kinabalu Park Headquarters & Botanical Garden
- Desa Cattle Dairy Farm
- Sosodikon Hill
- Kundasang War Memorial
- Kundasang Vegetable Market
- Pekan Nabalu Viewpoint & Market