When KL gets too hot and sticky — which, let’s be honest, is most of the year — Genting Highlands is where you go. Just 51km from KL city centre, Genting sits at 1,800 metres above sea level, where the temperature drops to a breezy 15–25°C even in the middle of summer. It’s a bizarre and brilliant place: a full casino resort complex perched on a mountain top, wrapped in cloud forest, accessible by cable car. I’ve been up more times than I can count.
What Is Genting Highlands?
Genting Highlands is a highland resort in Pahang state, about an hour’s drive from KL. The centrepiece is Resorts World Genting — a massive integrated resort complex that includes:
Malaysia’s only legal casino (Genting Casino), several theme parks (including the partly outdoor SkyAvenue and First World Indoor Theme Park), over 10,000 hotel rooms across multiple properties, dozens of restaurants and food courts, a luxury shopping mall, and regular concerts and events at the Arena of Stars.
The whole thing sits on a mountain plateau, often literally inside the clouds, surrounded by cool rainforest. It’s genuinely unlike anywhere else I’ve been.
Getting to Genting Highlands from KL
By Cable Car (Genting Skyway)
The most dramatic and popular way up. The Genting Skyway departs from Gohtong Jaya, where you take a gondola car up through the cloud forest to the top of the mountain. The cable car offers spectacular views — and a slightly stomach-dropping sense of how high you’re going — with the journey taking about 10 minutes. Cable cars run from 7am to midnight, with longer hours on weekends. Expect queues on weekends and public holidays; arrive early or go midweek.
By Bus from KL
Direct buses run from KL Sentral (bus terminal on the lower ground floor), Puduraya (Pudu Sentral), and Titiwangsa LRT station. The journey takes about 45–60 minutes. Buses typically drop you at the Awana Bus Terminal, from where you take a SkyCab gondola to the resort level. This is the cheapest and easiest option if you don’t have a car.
By Car or Grab
Drive up via the Genting Highlands highway — well-signposted from KL. The road spirals up through the jungle with dramatic views. Grab works for this journey but costs more than a bus — expect RM40–70 from central KL. Parking at the resort is available (charged).
What to Do at Genting Highlands
The Casino
Genting Casino is a genuine draw for many visitors — it’s the only legal casino in Malaysia. The main gaming floor covers an enormous area with slot machines, table games (baccarat, blackjack, roulette, poker), and private gaming rooms. You must be 21 or over to enter. Non-Muslims only — Malaysian Muslims are prohibited from entering by law. Bring your passport. Dress code applies (smart casual minimum, no shorts or flip-flops in some sections).
The casino runs 24 hours. The atmosphere in the early hours when the mist rolls in outside is genuinely atmospheric. I’d recommend setting a firm budget before you go in.
Theme Parks
Twentieth Century Fox World (partly open): The big new outdoor theme park had a troubled development but has partially opened with some rides operating. Check current status before visiting as it’s been through several changes of operator and name.
First World Indoor Theme Park: The original indoor park with rides, games, and attractions. Family-friendly and well-established. Good option for kids or if it’s raining outside (which it often is).
Snow World: An indoor snow experience. Novelty value is high for kids; adults may find 15 minutes is enough. Fun if you haven’t seen snow for a while.
SkyAvenue Mall
The newest addition to the resort is SkyAvenue — a modern shopping mall with a sky bridge, outdoor observation areas, and restaurants with views over the cloud forest. Marks & Spencer, H&M, and various F&B options. The outdoor deck on a clear day gives spectacular views over the jungle canopy.
Chin Swee Caves Temple
One of the most impressive temples in Malaysia, Chin Swee Caves Temple is perched on a cliff on the Genting hillside with dramatic views and a giant Buddha statue. Take the dedicated cable car from Resorts World (separate from the Skyway) or drive. Free entry. Best visited in the morning before the mist comes in.
Outlet Premium
Genting Premium Outlets is a large outdoor designer outlet shopping centre on the lower slopes of the Genting highlands — well-signposted en route from KL. Coach, Kate Spade, Polo Ralph Lauren, Adidas, and dozens more at 20–50% off RRP. Good stop on the way up or down.
Where to Eat at Genting
Genting has genuinely impressive F&B options for a theme park resort:
Food courts (Level 3 First World Hotel): The cheapest and most varied option. Hawker-style stalls with everything from nasi lemak to dim sum to Western fast food. RM8–15 per person.
SkyAvenue restaurants: More upmarket options including Malaysian, Japanese, and international cuisine. RM25–60 per person.
Hotel restaurants: The Genting Grand and Maxims hotel restaurants are proper fine dining options. Worth a splurge if you’re staying overnight.
Note: Genting has a good selection of halal food options throughout the complex. Many outlets are certified halal.
Where to Stay at Genting
Staying overnight at Genting gives you access to the casino until the early hours and a very different experience from the daytime crowds. The resort has multiple hotels at different price points.
First World Hotel: The most affordable option and one of the largest hotels in the world by room count. Basic but clean. Good for budget overnight stays. Book directly or via Agoda for the best rates — prices vary enormously by day of week and season.
Genting Grand: Mid-range upgrade, nicer rooms, closer to the casino floor.
Maxims Genting: The luxury option, sky-high at the very top of the resort. Superior service and spectacular views.
Weekday rates can be very reasonable — weekends and public holidays attract significant price premiums. Book well ahead for school holiday periods.
Practical Tips for Genting Highlands
Bring a light jacket or cardigan — the temperature difference between KL and Genting is significant. 15–18°C at night is genuinely cold if you’ve been living in 32°C KL. Locals bring a jacket; tourists invariably don’t and shiver.
Go on a weekday. Weekends at Genting are extremely crowded, especially school holiday periods. If you can go on a Tuesday or Wednesday, the experience is far more relaxed.
Expect the mist and cloud. Genting is literally in the clouds much of the time. This adds atmosphere but means the outdoor views can be obscured. Morning visits offer the best chance of clear skies before the afternoon mist rolls in.
The resort is huge. From the cable car arrival point to the hotel you’re staying in can be a 10-minute walk or shuttle ride. Plan navigation time between activities.
Plan Your Genting Trip
Book your Genting hotel on Agoda — they list all properties at the resort and weekend vs weekday price differences are significant. Book ahead for public holidays.
Compare Genting hotels on Booking.com alongside the wider Genting Highlands area — sometimes better rates than booking direct, especially for First World Hotel.
Pay for everything at Genting in ringgit at the real exchange rate with your Wise card. No foreign transaction fees on hotel, restaurants, or casino cashiers.
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