Langkawi Itinerary – 5 Days in Langkawi

I recently visited the island of Langkawi, Malaysia for five nights. We explored the island, relaxed on the beach and ate some great food. I came home, had a think about the good and bad parts of our trip, shuffled things around a little, and came up with the perfect five days in Langkawi itinerary.

Note: I’ve actually included six days in the itinerary below to allow for arrival and departure days, but these days are relatively relaxed and flexible so can be easily combined to create a 5d4n Langkawi itinerary.

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Planning Your Langkawi Itinerary

While this itinerary is very close to the one I used on my trip to Langkawi, it likely won’t exactly suit you. Use the information below to pull together your perfect island holiday.

If you only have four days in Langkawi, I suggest removing day two and spending the afternoon of day four doing an abbreviated tour of the island.

If you are wondering how many days to spend in Langkawi, I found this five day Langkawi itinerary to be busy enough to see a good mix of things, but still, there was enough time to relax by the pool or on the beach, which is always nice on a tropical holiday.

You certainly could spend 7 days in Langkawi and find plenty of things to do, especially if you like water sports or just relaxing on the beach.

A 10-day Langkawi stay is even plausible if you are looking to really slow down and you have the time to spare.

How many days in Langkawi – as many as you can manage, I say!

Day One – Arrive & Hit the Beach

On your arrival day, check into your accommodation and then get your first taste of a Langkawi beach Relax for the remainder of the day after your ferry or flight to Langkawi and enjoy the start of your island getaway.

While I do recommend the beach at Pantai Cenang – one of the top 10 places to visit in Langkawi – you may not be staying nearby. It is likely there will be a beach close to where you are staying, and today is a good time to check it out if you don’t want to travel further.

Pantai Cenang Beach

At Pantai Cenang, you will find long, white, sandy beaches lined with cafes and restaurants. There are lounges and umbrellas for hire on the beach, and all sorts of water sports on offer.

Use this time to recharge after your travel, get your bearings and decide what to do in Langkawi.

You can’t come to Langkawi without taking a boat tour, so now is also a good time to book your tours and boat rides through the operators on the main shopping street adjacent to the beach if you haven’t already done so.

We found the agents here to be all cash only, so make sure you have enough Malaysian ringgit if you would like to book through them.

If you haven’t planned out your “Langkawi things to do” list, (or even if you have) chat with some of the locals to see if there is anything special going on that might be good to include.

If you are all organised, you might prefer instead to enjoy one of the activities available on the beach. Perhaps you would like to hire a jet ski, a banana boat or go parasailing.

For dinner, I suggest you consider the Night Market if it is nearby. The location changes each day of the week as it moves around the island. For just a few dollars you will get to try all sorts of delicious local foods.

I recommend the satays, my family’s favourite whenever we are in Malaysia. Fried chicken seems to be a popular night market food that I have not seen elsewhere in Malaysia, with many stands dedicated to it. It does taste pretty good too.

Day Two – Drive around Langkawi Island

Essentially today you are going to do a lap around the island, visiting the Langkawi attractions, beaches and waterfalls that interest you along the way.

We started our lap from our accommodation near the airport, but of course, you can start it from wherever you are staying.

Here are some of the Langkawi attractions you can choose to visit during your lap (click through the links to check prices and purchase your tickets in advance)

• Telaga Tujuh (Seven Wells) Waterfalls – Lovely waterfalls located near the Langkawi Cable Car. Either visit today or leave until tomorrow when you visit the cable car.
• Langkawi Crocodile Adventureland – this wildlife park has over 400 crocodiles. Check the show times before you go to see the crocodiles being fed. You can also get your photo taken with a juvenile croc.
• Temurun Waterfall – only a short walk from the car park, this waterfall has a pool at the bottom you can cool off in.
• Black Sand Beach – don’t expect a full beach of black sand here, instead, there are black specks scattered around. I think this is one of the best beaches in Langkawi, with very few people so a great choice if you prefer that. Look out for the swing in the trees
• Tanjung Rhu Beach – Another pristine beach on the coastline of Langkawi. It can be found on the northern side of the island, largely away from the crowds.
• Ayer Hangat Village – this spa complex is based around Malaysia’s only saltwater hot spring. Sit back and soak your feet in the medicinal waters, or go all out with a massage and full spa treatment
• Kraf Klompleks Langkawi – call in here to see some of the traditional crafts from Langkawi, including batik prints, jewellery, glass blowing, and even beekeeping. There are also some small museums to learn about the Malay culture.
• Gunung Raya Lookout – this requires a bit of a detour, but enjoy views from the highest point on the island. This is a great area for hiking if it’s not too hot
• Durian Perangin Waterfall – Another good hike to a waterfall, this one with a swimming pool at the bottom
• Galeria Perdana – a museum showing many of the official gifts and awards received by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
• Langkawi Wildlife Park & Bird Paradise – mostly filled with birds, but there are also many small animals Particularly good for children
• Taman Lagenda – located in Kuah town, this park is filled with statues and information about the folklore of Langkawi.
• Makam Mahsuri – this tomb and museum pays homage to the legend of Mahsuri, who was sentenced to death because she was too beautiful. Her death cursed the island of Langkawi for seven generations. Learn about this legend and others at this museum.
• MARDI Agro Technology Park – Spend some time at this government research farm to see how all of the local tropical fruits are grown
• Langkawi Underwater World – With over 4000 different species of sea life divided into many different sections there is something here for everyone. Check the feeding times before visiting Underwater World Langkawi if you want to see them.
• Laman Padi Rice Garden – learn about the production of rice, and perhaps participate in planting some

Note: before visiting the waterfalls, I suggest checking with local sources if the time is right. During our visit in late February, the waterfalls were quite underwhelming since it was the end of the dry season and there had been little rain to make them spectacular.

Dataran Lang (Eagle Square)

You cannot miss Dataran Lang, the symbol of Langkawi – which literally means “brown eagle” – a huge eagle statue about to fly over the water from Eagle Square in Kuah

MAHA Tower

Just along the foreshore from Dataran Lang you will see the recently opened 138-metre tall MAHA Tower.

Head up to the level 33 Sky Deck for stunning views over the surrounding area, then relax in the Sky Lounge as the sun goes down.

Click to book your MAHA Tower tickets in advance

Dream Forest Langkawi

Since my visit, a new attraction has opened up that you may like to incorporate at the end of your day. Dream Forest Langkawi is a multi-sensory and immersive adventure set in the lush tropical landscape of Langkawi’s rainforest.

It’s essentially a beautiful sound and light show, and while I haven’t been to this iteration, I have been to similar ones here in Australia and I love them. They are always so much fun.

This will definitely be on my list when I get back to Langkawi.

Book Your Dream Forest Langkawi tickets here to ensure it doesn’t sell out

Day Three – Visit Langkawi Sky Bridge, Cable Car & some Water Sports

Langkawi Cable Car, Sky Bridge & Oriental Village

Today is the day to do one of the more popular things to do in Langkawi, and that is the Langkawi Cable Car and Sky Bridge. You will spend the whole morning in this area.

First, take the SkyCab to the top! When you enter, you will have to leave any water bottles you may have with you to the side for collection when you come down.

Funnily, my husband had to hand over his bottle bought from the shop, but I was allowed to keep my refillable bottle.

Pay at the top for the Sky Bridge, and spend some time there too. Make sure you get a photo while on one of the glass sections of the bridge.

When you come down, visit the extra attractions included on your ticket – SkyDome, SkyRex and the 3D Art. If you are short on time, skip the first two and just visit the 3D Art.

Get your cameras out and get some great photos with these great artworks that make you look like you are right in the scene.

Spend some time browsing through the Oriental Village. Perhaps pick up some souvenirs of your trip so far.

Eat lunch at one of the food outlets. There are plenty to choose from, ranging from western-style restaurants to traditional Malay food in the food court.

Tip: I suggest arriving as the Cable Car opens to beat the crowds. It will also mean you are finished in this area before the heat of the day really hits.

Pick up your tickets to the Cable Car here in advance to avoid the queues

A Selection of Afternoon Activities

In the afternoon you can choose one of the nearby adventure activities if you want more action.

Take to the treetops at SKYTREX Adventure Langkawi and enjoy ziplines, plank walks, a flying fox and more.

Or enjoy the Langkawi Marine Park where you can get up close and personal with some of the local sealife.

If you prefer, you can make your way back to the beach.

I suggest spending the afternoon at Pantai Cenang because you want to fill it with water activities such as parasailing, jet skiing or banana boats.

Other itinerary options you could do include snorkelling, either just off the beach or with a tour, or a fishing tour.

You could take a stroll along the main street here, browsing the souvenir shops for a memorable item to take home.

This could also be a great time to organise a scuba dive if you like to do that. Most of the scuba tours go out to the Pulau Payar Marine Park, but it is possible to find some that stay closer. 

Recommended operators are Seeman Watersports and Mega Water Sports, and for scuba diving just off Pantai Cenang, look for Langkawi Scuba.

If you are travelling with kids, another option for the afternoon might be to go to Kuah and hit up the waterslides of the Splash Out Langkawi Water Theme Park.

Get dinner at one of the many restaurants along the beach or Jalan Pantai Cenang. Perhaps try the The Cliff Restaurant for a seafood dinner, then head to the nearby Kalut Cafe N Bar on the beach for views of the sunset and a drink before calling it a day.

Day Four – Go Island Hopping & do a Sunset Dinner Cruise

For day four of your Langkawi tour itinerary it’s time to do two of the cruises you booked online or earlier in your stay.

Langkawi Island Hopping Tour

While there are dozens of different tours available, my suggestion is to do an island hopping tour. There are many different operators of the boat tour, but essentially they all offer the same thing.

During the island hopping tour you will visit

• Pulau Dayang Bunting – the attraction on this island is the Pregnant Maiden Lake. So-called because looking at the hill surrounding the lake it looks just like there is a pregnant lady laying on her back.
  This freshwater lake has been set up with a floating pontoon and offers swimming, kayaking and paddle boats. To get to the lake there is a 6MYR charge and about a five-minute walk over a slightly steep path.
• Pulau Singa Besar – here you will watch dozens, maybe hundreds, of eagles dipping and diving to grab food from the water as the eagle feeding occurs
• Beras Basah Island – this is your typical tropical island with white sand and turquoise water. This is the perfect place for a swim, or you can participate in some water activities such as kayaking or riding on a banana boat. Better yet, just sit back, relax and people watch.

The tour lasts until around noon when you will be delivered back to where you were picked up from.

Click here to book your island hopping tour in advance

If you do not want to do an island hopping tour, here are a few alternatives

• Langkawi Half Day City Tour
• Half Day Langkawi Jungle Trek
• Morning Nature Cycling Tour in Langkawi

Spend the afternoon relaxing at your hotel or on the beach, then get ready for your pickup for your dinner and sunset cruise.

Langkawi Sunset Cruise

We were picked up at 4:15 pm, with the cruise leaving at 5 pm, so expect that sort of time frame. When you book and notify them of your accommodation you will be given the pickup time.

Once on the boat, you will spend three hours sailing around the beautiful islands, enjoying a drink or two as you relax. Dinner will be served, and then it will be time to sit back and watch as the sun sinks into the ocean.

After enjoying your glorious sunset, you will be returned back to shore and transferred back to your hotel.

Click here to book your Langkawi Sunset Cruise in advance

Day Five – Langkawi Mangrove Cruise & Tanjung Rhu Beach

Mangrove Cruise through the Kilim Geoforest Park

For your last day in Langkawi, enjoy a mangrove cruise through the Kilim Geoforest Park.

Given UNESCO Heritage Listing in 2007, this area contains some unique flora and fauna, along with some ancient rock formations and fossils. There is a cave full of bats, and another that looks like a crocodile.

You will spend much of the day gliding up and down the waterways while taking part in fish feeding, eagle watching, visiting the bat cave and spotting some of the unique walking fish and colourful crabs.

You will laugh at the endless antics of monkeys, even watching them swim and perhaps climb up onto the boat for a treat.

You will stop at a floating fish farm, and then enjoy lunch on the other half of the floating platform. The whole time you will be able to admire the beautiful water and scenery of the Kilim area.

End the cruise with a visit to the white sands of Tanjung Rhu Beach for a swim before your car ride back.

Click here to book your Langkawi Mangrove Tour

You will return back to your Langkawi accommodation at around 4 pm. Take the time to squeeze in yet another visit to the beach, or just relax before dinner.

For dinner head out again to eat all the food at the Night Markets, or if you are in Kuah, try Charlie’s Bar and Grill at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club.

In Pantai Cenang, try another of the restaurants located right on the beach. Enjoy the great views and watch your last Langkawi sunset while you eat.

Day Six – Going Home

Unfortunately, your Langkawi holiday is all but over! Depending on the time of your flight, you might just have time to fit a few more things into your Langkawi trip itinerary during the morning.

You could just relax on the beach again, or if your hotel has a pool, take advantage of that. You could visit somewhere you did not get to go to from the list on Day Two.

If your flight is later in the day, you could perhaps fit in another tour – consider one from the alternative list on Day Four.

Or perhaps today is the day to do your duty-free shopping, as you head to the airport or ferry terminal!

Want a little luxury as you wait at Langkawi International Airport? Buy a lounge pass here.

About Langkawi

Langkawi is located off the northwest coast of Peninsula Malaysia. It sits in the waters of the Strait of Malacca, although it is right on the border with the Andaman Sea.

Langkawi is one of the most popular destinations in Malaysia for both locals and visitors.

It is so close to the Thai border that it is easy to see the Thai island of Ko Tarutao when you are in the northern parts of the Langkawi Island (Pulau Langkawi).

The Langkawi archipelago is made up of 99 individual islands. It is in the state of Kedah and is often called the Jewel of Kedah.

Mostly recognised for its stunning white tropical beaches, great weather and delicious Malaysian food, Langkawi has been a popular holiday destination for sun-seekers for some time.

There is more to the islands than beaches though. The importance of the nature reserves on the island has been recognised with the Kilim Geopark becoming UNESCO listed in 2007.

Langkawi is the site of the Tour of Langkawi, Malaysia’s version of the Tour de France bicycle race, usually held in March of each year.

The main town on Langkawi Island is Kuah, the business and government centre. The town of Pantai Cenang is the biggest tourist area, situated on the long, sandy, Pantai Cenang Beach.

Langkawi is designated as a duty-free island, so look out for the many duty-free shops during your visit to pick up some bargains.

The time to visit for the best Langkawi weather is between November and March which is the dry season. During this time you will likely have hot, sunny days with no rain, perfect for spending time on the beach or in the water.

The rainy season is from April to October. If you don’t mind a little rain, then this could be a great time to travel to Langkawi on a budget. The rain tends to be heavier later in the season, so April and May would be the best shoulder season weather.

Langkawi Map

Zoom in on this map of Langkawi to find the towns, areas and attractions I mention below to help when you are planning a trip to Langkawi.

 

Getting to Langkawi

There are two main ways to arrive in Langkawi

• By Plane – Your flights to Langkawi will arrive at Langkawi Airport. There are flights to here from many other countries around Asia, so you don’t have to fly into Kuala Lumpur first and then fly from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi on domestic flights. We flew from Singapore to Langkawi.
• By Ferry – commonly people will arrive on the Penang to Langkawi ferry. Alternatively there are ferries from Koh Lipe and Satun in Thailand, and Kuala Perlis and Kuala Kedah on the mainland. Most ferries stop at the Kuah Jetty.

You have a few ways to get from the airport/ferry terminal to your hotel.

• Taxi
• Grab car – Asia’s version of Uber is available on the island
• Private Transfer – click here to book a transfer before you arrive
• Hire a car

Getting Around Langkawi

If you are visiting Langkawi and really want the freedom to travel around the island at will, I strongly suggest you hire a car. The attractions are spread all over the island and there is not really a public transport system between them.

Without your own car, you will have to rely on taxis or private drivers. Another alternative is to hire a motorbike or scooter.

Hiring cars and motorbikes is easy with many places in Pantai Cenang offering day hire. If you want to hire in advance, I use and recommend RentalCars.com for car hire all over the world.

The website looks at cars available from most of the big companies and then lets you compare them on features and price. We used them again for this trip and were very happy.

Click here to look at cars available for your Langkawi car rental

Driving on Langkawi was easy, particularly for us as Australians as they drive on the left side of the road like we do. Even if driving is not usually on the left for you, this is a good location to be on the “wrong” side of the road.

There is little traffic, and not so many roads that you can get too lost. Do look out for wildlife though. At one stage we had to stop and let monkeys cross the road. Monitor lizards also tend to like sunning themselves on the warm road surface.

Make sure you check if you need an International Driver’s Permit before driving here (Australians do not need one).

Langkawi Accommodation – Where to Stay

If you are looking for where to stay in Langkawi, in my opinion, the best area is around Pantai Cenang/Pantai Tengah. It’s central to most of the attractions on the island and has all the requirements for a good stay.

There is accommodation for all budgets, from hostels and homestays to luxury resorts, although it must be said, that most of the big, luxury, Langkawi resorts are located in their remote locations around the island.

Pantai Kok is another area that is home to some of the bigger name-brand hotels, such as the Sheraton.

The Smith House

Now that I have said that, I am going to contradict myself and tell you about where we stayed – The Smith House in Padang Matsirat.

Located just minutes from Langkawi International Airport, I highly recommend this fantastic four-star hotel – if you have a rental car. It’s relatively new, with lovely rooms, a rooftop pool with views of the mountains, a library, a bar and a restaurant on site.

It was also exceptionally well priced with a delicious breakfast included. The only negative thing is the location, but if you do not need to be at a beach resort, then it will be fine. I would absolutely stay here again.

Click here for the latest prices and availability for The Smith House

If it is high end you are after, you can’t go past the Four Seasons Resort Langkawi. Sitting on its own private beach on the north of the island, the Four Seasons will not disappoint.

Another area of Langkawi you may want to consider is Pantai Kok. The area around the Telaga Harbour Marina has some nice hotels, including The Danna Langkawi, one of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

Coming back to earth a little, if you are a mere mortal looking for a decent hotel at a good price, have a look at the Aloft Langkawi Pantai Tengah. This was the second hotel I was looking at when I booked but chose The Smith House on price.

While I was not disappointed, when I saw the location of the Aloft, I did have a small pang of regret.

Although this hotel is also not right on the beachfront, it is within easy walking distance and is also surrounded by restaurants and other tourist services

For a budget hotel in a great location, especially if you have a family, choose Malibest Resort.

It is located right on the seafront in the middle of Jalan Pantai Chenang so if you want to be in the middle of everything, this is a great option.

It is also relatively easy on the wallet but still has good-sized, clean rooms and its pool nestled against the sand.

For hostels, have a look at the highly rated Bed Attitude Hostel Cenang.

Where to Eat in Langkawi

I’ve already mentioned a few places to eat throughout this Langkawi itinerary, but here are a few more places that looked good. We didn’t necessarily eat at all of these, but they were places I had on my list to try if we happened to be nearby at  mealtimes

• 3 Amigos – now to contradict myself again, because we did eat lunch at this one. I had read that it had good Mexican food, and I found it to be okay, but not amazing. Now a disclaimer here, I am from Australia, and we are not known for having great Mexican food, so perhaps this was good, it just wasn’t to my taste.
• Seashells Restaurant – here you eat on platforms in the rice fields. I had hoped to go here for dinner one night
• Coconut Shake – again in Pantai Cenang, this restaurant opens at breakfast time. We tried to go there on our last morning to discover they only took cash and we wanted to use our card. Looked like some great food options at good prices
• Restoran Siti Fatimah – a local restaurant that will serve you up a whole plate of food at lunchtime for only a few dollars. Great for if you are travelling further afield as it is located between Pantai Cenang and Kuah.
• MY French Factory – Highly rated French restaurant located at the Langgura Baron Resort.

Langkawi Night Markets

I highly recommend that you eat at the Night Markets (read my dedicated post on them here). We ate there nearly every night and the food was delicious.

We would walk through and pick up whatever we wanted to try and eat there and then. Each night we spent between 20 and 35 ringgit ($7-$12AUD/$5-$9USD) to feed both of us. This included a large drink to share too.

I think that’s just about all you need for a fantastic Langkawi holiday! After compiling your itinerary Langkawi awaits! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

You might also be interested in these posts
Travel Diaries – Langkawi
Langkawi Night Markets
Climbing Mount Kinabalu

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