What to Do in Kinabalu Park – Complete Hiking Guide

What to Do in Kinabalu Park – Complete Hiking Guide

Kinabalu Park is a natural stop on the Malaysian Borneo itinerary. Understandably, you might then be wondering what to do in Kinabalu Park, especially if you're not willing to fork out the $300+ entrance fee for the summit.

To hike Kinabalu Park's various trails below the mountain and see most of what the area has to offer, you can take a day trip to Kinabalu National Park from Kota Kinabalu.

If you leave early enough, you'll still have plenty of time to get a good nature and hiking fix.

Kinabalu National Park

Kinabalu National Park is Malaysia's first World Heritage Site, famous for its plant and animal diversity and of course home to the highest mountain in Southeast Asia. Mount Kinabalu.

Kinabalu Park is Malaysia's first World Heritage Site. The park is also the center of plant diversity for Southeast Asia and features more than 5,000 vascular plant species. The park also has no shortage of fauna as it is home to around 90 species of lowland mammals and many others.

Sabah Tourism

Aside from the main peak, there are many winding and interconnecting trails that offer great hiking opportunities.

Where is Kinabalu National Park?

Kinabalu Park is located about 100 kilometers east of Sabah's capital; Kota Kinabalu (KK). The road from KK is a continuous steady climb that winds up the mountain foothills of the park.

You will immediately notice the altitude as temperatures drop quickly once you reach the entrance of Kinabalu Park, located at 1550 meters.
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Accommodation in Kinabalu National Park

If you would rather stay in the park than take a day trip to Kinabalu National Park from Kota Kinabalu, you have two options:

CHEAPEST HOSTEL OPTION: HAPPY GARDEN RESORTThis hostel is located just outside the main entrance to Kinabalu National Park. You can snag a room in an 8-bed dorm here for less than $7 per night.

STAY IN THE PARK: SUTERA SANCTUARY LODGESThis one is a little more expensive, but won't break the bank at about $28 for a twin room.

You also have the choice of staying in nearby Ranau or Kundasang, both of which have several lodges and hostels to choose from. You can compare the best accommodation deals around Mount Kinabalu Landmark by clicking these links to Booking.com or Agoda.

How to get to Kinabalu Park?

Kinabalu Park is quite easy to reach from Kota Kinabalu. You have the option to choose either a shared bus or a private taxi. Both options take approximately 2 hours.

Bus from KK to Kinabalu Park

The cheapest way to get to Kinabalu Park from KK is to take a shared bus. These depart regularly from the small inner-city bus station, which is located in front of the “Dreamtel” hotel. I have pinned the exact location of the bus station below.

The cost of a bus from KK to Kinabalu Park is 20 ringgit per person for a small minivan that will take you directly to the park entrance. My advice is to get here before 6:30am if you're planning a day trip as the first bus fills up quickly.

If you miss the first bus, you may have to wait a few hours for the second bus to fill up or get in a shared taxi.

Taxi from KK to Kinabalu Park

If you prefer to take a taxi, you will find 4 and 6 seater cars right next to the bus station. The cost per person for this option is 25 ringgit or 100 ringgit for a private car.

While the Grab app works in Kota Kinabalu, we found it cheaper to just go to the bus station and arrange taxi transport from there.

Back to Kota Kinabalu

Both of the above options to get to Kinabalu Park from KK are one-way only. This means that you have to organize your return transport yourself. After you finish hiking and all the activities in Kinabalu Park, you will find minibuses at the entrance of the national park heading back to KK.

Since we returned a little late, we didn't see any private minivans. Instead we waited to wave down a passing bus heading back from Ranau.

The bus fare back from Kinabalu Park to KK was 20 ringgit but dropped us off at the Northern Bus Terminal (Inanam). We then had to take a Grab car back to our hostel, which only cost an additional 10 ringgit.

Kinabalu Park Entrance Fee 2019

Before hitting the trails, you must pay the Kinabalu Park entrance fee. This fee is 15 ringgit per person, which is approximately $4. Children receive a discount of only 10 ringgit per person.

What to do in Kinabalu Park – Trail Guide

After you arrive and pay the entrance fee, you may be wondering what to do in Kinabalu Park. If you don't climb Mount Kinabalu, there are still several hiking trails that wind around the park.

Due to its altitude, Kinabalu Park has a unique diversity of vegetation, which is a habitat for hundreds of different birds, possums and monkeys. The area is fairly wet all year round, making the hikes a true Borneo rainforest experience.

If you would like to add Porong Hot Springs to your Kinabalu National Park day trip, you can also pre-book this tour, which includes all fees, lunch, and transportation to both destinations.

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FULL SABAH GUIDE: SABAH ROUTE 7 DAYS – THINGS TO DO IN SABAH BORNEO

Mount Kinabalu hiking map

Here is the official map to help you orientate yourself in Kinabalu Park. It describes all the main trails as well as the main trail to Mount Kinabalu.
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Do you want to drive here yourself? Rent a motorcycle in advance online in KK.

Hiking trails in Kinabalu Park

Here's a quick summary of the main short hiking trails that wind around the feet of the towering Kinabalu Peak.

Liwagu Trail

HIKING DISTANCE: 5620 M HIKING TIME: 2 hours

The Liwagu Trail is the longest trail in Kinabalu Park. Most of the trail follows the small river that flows down the mountain. Since it's the longest, you won't find many day-trippers here, which is perfect if you prefer to hike alone.

Along the way, you'll climb over several water pipes, make some steep climbs and descents, and finally reach the upper parking lot, which is the starting point for Mount Kinabalu. In my opinion, if you are wondering what to do in Kinabalu Park and you have to choose a trail, make it the Liwagu Trail.
alt=“POSSUM IN KINABALU PARK”>WILD POSSUM IN KINABALU PARK

Mountain View Trail

HIKING DISTANCE: 150 MH. WALKING TIME: 15 minutes

At the top of the Liwagu Trail, just before the entrance to the Mount Kinabalu Trailhead, you will see a small but steep path entering the thick brush on the opposite side of the road.

This trail is short but offers some of the best views of Mount Kinabalu and the Kandamaian Borneo Waterfall flowing down its sheer cliffs.
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Bukit Ular Trail – CLOSED

I was planning on including this trail in the loop but discovered it was closed (October 2019). Unfortunately I can't say much about it, but if you visit Kinabalu Park and find it's open, let me know what it's like.

Kiau View Trail

HIKING DISTANCE: 2344 MH HIKING TIME: 1 hour

An alternative to the longer Liwagu Trail is the Kiau View Trail, which also begins near the park entrance. This trail is also scenic, with many colorful bird species. There is no river to follow on the Kiaw View Trail, but the end offers excellent views over Kinabalu Park.

Pandanus Trail

HIKING DISTANCE: 598 MH. HIKING TIME: 30 minutes

The Pandanus Trail is a short trail that connects the Kiau View Trail to the road that runs through the center of the park. You wouldn't normally choose this trail as your main hiking trail, but it is better for accessing the Kiau View Trail.

Silau-Silau Trail

HIKING DISTANCE: 3057 MH HIKING TIME: 1-1.5 hours

The Silau Silau Trail is one of the most popular trails in the park as it connects several of the other branching trails in Kinabalu Park. It is also very light compared to the others as it is almost completely flat.

Mempening route:

HIKING DISTANCE: 3396 MH HIKING TIME: 2 hours

Mempening is another flat trail that is also a common choice for things to do in Kinabalu Park. I didn't complete the entire trail, but it's pretty flat all the way to the road where you can join the Kiau View trail to create another loop.

From the Mempening Trail you can also head up the steeper routes to Bukit Tupai and Bukit Burung to find some small shelters and viewpoints.

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Mount Kinabalu hike

The main attraction in Kinabalu Park is of course Mount Kinabalu itself. The mountain is the highest in Southeast Asia, and trekkers can reach the summit in a 2-day trip without any climbing experience.

This means the hike is very busy. The national park has responded by making the entrance fee and trekking fees ridiculously expensive. As a result, I decided not to climb, mostly because of my budget, but also because I don't particularly support the demand to pay hundreds of dollars for a hike.

However, if it's on your bucket list, you'll need to book in advance as slots seem to fill up very quickly.

For a complete package with all permits and transportation arranged for you, you can book this package which is the highest rated Mount Kinabalu package I could find online.

Alternatively, you can visit the official website, which also contains a wealth of information for the hike.

Over to you

As you can see, most of the time when it comes to what to do in Kinabalu Park it's all about hiking and trekking! If, like me, you decided not to hike to the summit, I would still recommend taking a day trip to Kinabalu National Park to explore the lower trails and spot some unique plants and animals!

Would you like to share your experiences? Let me know what you think of the park in the comments!
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