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Best temples in Malaysia

10 temples in Malaysia, ranked by why it makes the list from the catalogue data. Each page tells you what to see, which ticket or tour to book and when to go.

#TempleCountryWhy it makes the list
1 Batu Caves Malaysia A rainbow-painted stairway of 272 steps climbs past a giant golden Murugan into a vast limestone cave, the stage each year for the Thaipusam festival.
2 Kek Lok Si Temple Malaysia Penang's great hillside monastery climbs in terraces to a pagoda mixing Chinese, Thai and Burmese styles, with a towering bronze Guanyin above it.
3 Cheng Hoon Teng Temple Malaysia Founded around 1645, the oldest working Chinese temple in Malaysia, with carved and lacquered halls in the heart of Malacca's old Chinese quarter.
4 Putra Mosque (Masjid Putra) Malaysia Putrajaya's rose-granite mosque rises over its man-made lake, with Persian-inspired domes and robes lent free at the door so that non-Muslims can visit.
5 Thean Hou Temple Malaysia A multi-tiered Hainanese temple to the sea goddess Mazu on a hill in Kuala Lumpur, with red lanterns, city views and a calm prayer hall.
6 National Mosque of Malaysia (Masjid Negara) Malaysia The independence-era National Mosque of 1965, a tropical modernist landmark with a folded roof like a half-open umbrella, open to visitors in borrowed robes.
7 Malacca Straits Mosque (Masjid Selat Melaka) Malaysia Built on piles at the water's edge, the Straits Mosque seems to float on the Strait of Malacca at high tide and is loveliest at sunset.
8 Wat Chayamangkalaram Malaysia Penang's oldest Siamese temple, home to a long gilded Reclining Buddha, across the road from the Burmese temple in Pulau Tikus.
9 Dhammikarama Burmese Temple Malaysia Penang's only Burmese temple, founded in 1803 by the community of Pulau Tikus, with a gilded stupa and guardian figures in quiet gardens.
10 Sam Poh Tong Cave Temple Malaysia Ipoh's oldest cave temple, found by a wandering monk in 1890, with shrines set deep inside a limestone hill and a hidden garden behind.

Batu Caves

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The main sight at Batu Caves, the Temple Cave at the top of the great staircase, is free to enter, so you do not need a…

4 tickets & tours

Kek Lok Si Temple

George Town, Malaysia

Kek Lok Si is an active monastery, and walking into the grounds and the main shrine halls costs nothing.

4 tickets & tours

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

Malacca, Malaysia

Cheng Hoon Teng is free to enter, and no ticket or tour for this temple alone is sold online.

No online ticket

Thean Hou Temple

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Thean Hou Temple is free to enter and needs no ticket. It stands on Robson Heights, a hill just south of central Kuala…

1 ticket or tour

More rankings for Malaysia