Getting to Genting Highlands from Kuala Lumpur: Bus, Car and Cable Car

Genting Highlands is 50 km northeast of Kuala Lumpur, and the journey splits into two parts: getting to the mountain, and getting up it. The second part is best done by cable car regardless of how you handle the first. Here is every option with prices as of 2026.

The Recommended Route: Bus + Awana SkyWay

Direct coaches leave KL Sentral (bus level) and TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan) for Genting roughly every 30–60 minutes from early morning until evening, run by Go Genting/Resorts World-affiliated services. Buy the combo ticket that pairs the bus with the Awana SkyWay gondola:

• Cost: approximately RM20–35 one way including the cable car, as of 2026
• Time: about 1 hour to Awana, then 10 minutes in the gondola — roughly 1.5 hours door to door
• Booking: counters at KL Sentral/TBS or online via 12Go Asia; weekend morning departures sell out, so book the day before for Saturday trips

The SkyWay leg is the highlight — 2.8 km over rainforest canopy into the clouds. Standard gondolas are included in combos; upgrading to the glass-floor Crystal Cabin costs approximately RM50+ and is only worth it in clear morning weather. The mid-station stop at Chin Swee Caves Temple is free to add — see our things to do in Genting for why you should.

Some services continue past Awana up to the ridge-top bus terminal directly — fine in fog, but you skip the best ten minutes of the trip.

Grab / Taxi

A Grab from central KL to the ridge top costs approximately RM85–130 and takes about an hour. Two warnings: drivers sometimes decline the mountain run (the empty return leg), and evening return rides from the top are scarce and surge heavily. The reliable pattern is Grab up, bus down — or Grab only as far as Awana station and ride the SkyWay. Pre-booked private transfers with a name board can be arranged via Kiwitaxi for groups and late-night plans.

Driving Yourself

The route: Karak Highway (E8) east from KL, exit at Genting Sempah, then the access road climbs 600 m of altitude through Gohtong Jaya to the ridge. About one hour total in normal traffic.

What the brochures skip:

• The final 10 km is steep hairpins; afternoon fog regularly cuts visibility to 50 m. Headlights on, low gear coming down
• Ridge-top parking (SkyAvenue and hotel car parks, approximately RM10–25 per entry as of 2026) fills by mid-morning on weekends, school holidays, and any concert date
• The fog-free alternative: park at Awana SkyWay’s car park (cheaper, almost always has space) and take the gondola up — best of both
• Karak Highway jams solid heading back into KL on Sunday evenings; leave the mountain before 4pm or after 8pm

Car hire makes sense only if Genting is one stop on a wider loop — say, continuing to the Cameron Highlands. Compare rates at GetRentacar.

From the Airport or Other Cities

• From KLIA/KLIA2: direct coaches run from both terminals to Genting (approximately RM40–50, around 2 hours) — check the bus counters at Terminal 2’s Gateway level. Going via the city adds an hour; skip it if Genting is your first stop. Our KLIA transfer guide covers the city option
• From Genting onward to Cameron Highlands: no direct public service worth relying on — return to KL and take the Tanah Rata bus, or arrange a private transfer (approximately RM350–450 per vehicle)

Day Trip or Overnight?

The bus + SkyWay combo makes a day trip genuinely easy: 8am departure from KL Sentral, SkyWorlds by 10am opening, evening gondola down with the city lights coming on. But mid-week hotel rates from approximately RM150 at First World make staying the night cheap insurance against the one thing you cannot plan around — afternoon fog closing the outdoor rides early. Our Genting Highlands guide lays out the one-night version in full.