# Things to see in Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia): 16 places and when to go > Kota Kinabalu is a city in Malaysia with around 528,000 inhabitants, and this site lists 16 places in and around it, mainly Nature (5), Temples (3), Wildlife (2). The best known are Kota Kinabalu City Mosque, Sabah State Mosque and Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park. The best time to come is February to April and June to August; also possible: January, May and September to October. There are about 12 h 21 of daylight all year round: this close to the equator the days barely change. Here is what there is, when to go, how to get there and what else is nearby. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/kota-kinabalu/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-08 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **Where:** Malaysia · 5.98, 116.11 - **Population:** About 528,000 - **Places:** 16 places on this site, in the town and around it. - **What people come for:** [Nature](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/naturaleza/) (5) · [Temples](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/espiritual/) (3) · [Wildlife](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/fauna/) (2) · [History](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/historia/) (2) · [Beaches](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/playa/) (2) · [With kids](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/familia/) (2) - **Best time:** February to April and June to August. - **Also possible:** January, May and September to October. - **Nearest airport:** BKI Kota Kinabalu, 8.5 km as the crow flies ## What to see in Kota Kinabalu The places in and around Kota Kinabalu, best known first, each with its own page: what it is, when to go and what is next to it. Distances are from the centre, as the crow flies. - [Kota Kinabalu City Mosque](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/kota-kinabalu-city-mosque/): Mosque in Malaysia · 1.8 km - [Sabah State Mosque](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/sabah-state-mosque/): Mosque in Malaysia · 5.2 km - [Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/tunku-abdul-rahman-national-park/): National park in Malaysia · 9.9 km - [Atkinson Clock Tower](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/atkinson-clock-tower/): Clock tower in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah · 3.6 km - [Pu Tuo Si Temple](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/pu-tuo-si-temple/): Malaysian Buddhist temple · 1.7 km - [Malaysia Monument](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/malaysia-monument/): Monument to the federation of Malaysia in Deasoka square · 3.8 km - [Telukan Lagau](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/lagau-bay/): Bight in Malaysia · 15 km - [Likas Bay](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/likas-bay/): Bay · 2.4 km - [Likas Beach](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/likas-beach/): Beach · 1.8 km - [Telukan Mengkabong](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/mengkabong-bay/): Bight in Malaysia · 20 km - [Telukan Salut](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/salut-bay/): Bight in Malaysia · 15 km - [Tanjung Aru Beach](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/tanjung-aru-beach/): Beach in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia · 8.3 km - [Aquascape Center](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/aquascape-center/): With kids · 2.4 km - [Kipandi Park](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/kipandi-park/): Museum · 20 km - [Mari Mari Cultural Village](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/mari-mari-cultural-village/): Museum · 10 km - [UMS Aquarium & Marine Museum](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/ums-aquarium-marine-museum/): With kids · Wildlife · 6.7 km ## When to go to Kota Kinabalu The best time to visit Kota Kinabalu is **February to April and June to August**; also possible: January, May and September to October. This comes from its own places: a month counts as the town's best time when it is the best time for half of what there is to see. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Possible | 11 h 41 | | February | Best time | 11 h 49 | | March | Best time | 11 h 58 | | April | Best time | 12 h 08 | | May | Possible | 12 h 16 | | June | Best time | 12 h 21 | | July | Best time | 12 h 19 | | August | Best time | 12 h 12 | | September | Possible | 12 h 02 | | October | Possible | 11 h 52 | | November | Better not | 11 h 43 | | December | Better not | 11 h 39 | There are about 12 h 21 of daylight all year round: this close to the equator the days barely change. In February, 16 of the 16 places are at their best. When to go to Malaysia in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/#cuando-ir). ## Getting to Kota Kinabalu The nearest main airport is Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI, Kota Kinabalu), 8.5 km as the crow flies. How to get around Malaysia (train, car, bus) is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/#moverse), and what to sort out before you leave is in [its checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/#antes-de-salir). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=5.98%2C116.11) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=5.98%2C116.11) ## Other towns nearby - [Sandakan](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/sandakan/): 12 places · 222 km - [Tawau](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/tawau/): 13 places · 275 km - [Kuching](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/kuching/): 26 places · 811 km - [Kuantan](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/kuantan/): 6 places · 1,439 km - [Kuala Terengganu](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/kuala-terengganu/): 25 places · 1,441 km - [Johor Bahru](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/johor-bahru/): 43 places · 1,464 km And all of Malaysia, in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is there to see in Kota Kinabalu? The best known: [Kota Kinabalu City Mosque](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/kota-kinabalu-city-mosque/), [Sabah State Mosque](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/sabah-state-mosque/), [Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/tunku-abdul-rahman-national-park/), [Atkinson Clock Tower](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/atkinson-clock-tower/), [Pu Tuo Si Temple](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/pu-tuo-si-temple/). In all, 16 places in the town and around it, all on your trip map from day one. ### When is the best time to visit Kota Kinabalu? February to April and June to August; also possible: January, May and September to October. There are about 12 h 21 of daylight all year round: this close to the equator the days barely change. ### How do you get to Kota Kinabalu? The nearest main airport is Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI), 8.5 km away. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=5.98%2C116.11) opens the route on the map. ### How do I add it to my trip? Create a trip with Kota Kinabalu as the destination and these 16 places are on your map, each with its category. The ones you like go into a day's plan with one tap, and Kokai reminds you when you pass nearby. Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright), licensed under the ODbL, from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/), CC0, cities from [Natural Earth](https://www.naturalearthdata.com/) and airports from [OurAirports](https://ourairports.com/data/). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).