Kota Kinabalu
The capital of Sabah and the gateway to Malaysian Borneo, with the islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park three kilometres offshore.
Gateway to Sabah
Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah and the gateway to Malaysian Borneo. Five islands — Gaya, Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik and Sulug — lie three kilometres offshore in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, a marine park gazetted in 1974 and the usual island-hopping day from the city. Kinabalu Park, a World Heritage Site since 2000, is about 92 kilometres away; Mount Kinabalu within it rises to 4,095 metres. Carry your passport: it is checked and stamped when you arrive in Sabah.
Explore Kota Kinabalu on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
The unmissable Kota Kinabalu
What to do in Kota Kinabalu
The city is a base: the islands are a short boat ride out, and the town sights fill the hours around them.
On the islands
- Snorkel or dive on the reefs of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.
- Walk the marked trails: 20 kilometres on Gaya, including a mangrove boardwalk, and shorter ones on Manukan and Sapi.
- Use Manukan as the base island; it holds the park headquarters and is the most developed.
In the city
- Browse the Gaya Street Sunday Market for crafts, batik, fruit and local snacks.
- Visit the City Mosque at Likas Bay, set in a man-made lagoon.
- Watch the sunset from Tanjung Aru Beach, where small stalls sell snacks.
- Walk the 1.5-kilometre mangrove boardwalk at Kota Kinabalu Wetlands, where almost 80 bird species are recorded.
Three days from Kota Kinabalu
Island hopping
Take a boat from Jesselton Point to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park for the Kota Kinabalu island-hopping day: snorkelling, beach time and a trail on Manukan or Sapi.
The city
If it is a Sunday, start at the Gaya Street market. Visit the City Mosque at Likas Bay outside prayer closures, and end at Tanjung Aru Beach for sunset.
Kinabalu Park
Make the 92-kilometre road trip to Kinabalu Park headquarters for the World Heritage park at the foot of Mount Kinabalu.
Boats and getting around
Island boats leave from one terminal on the edge of the centre.
To the islands
- Jesselton Point Waterfront, north of downtown, is the main boat terminal for Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.
- The same terminal is the only ferry terminal for Labuan.
In the city
- Sabah Tourism lists taxis, buses and e-hailing services for getting around.
- Kinabalu Park headquarters is a road journey of about 92 kilometres.
Kota Kinabalu at a glance
Hours and distances from Sabah Parks and Sabah Tourism.
Gaya Street closes to traffic for the market every Sunday morning.
Daily hours listed by Sabah Parks for Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.
Marked trails on the largest island include a mangrove boardwalk.
Planning notes
Hours and rules that affect the plan.
Timing
- Tunku Abdul Rahman Park lists hours of 8am to 5pm, so island days start early.
- The Gaya Street market runs on Sunday mornings only, from 6am to 1pm; include a Sunday if it matters to you.
- For Sabah's north-west coast the meteorological department puts the wettest month at October and the driest at February.
Rules
- The City Mosque requires visitors to register and wear the coverall it provides, and is closed to visitors on Fridays.
- A Mount Kinabalu summit climb is a fixed two-day, one-night trip booked online through Sabah Parks, with a mandatory mountain guide.
Frequently asked
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