Langkawi is an amazing island to visit. There are loads of things to do in Langkawi that cover every age group and preference. You can choose to sit down in a spot and relax or head out to the more adventurous activities.
In fact, there are lots of things to do in Langkawi for kids too! That is a big bonus when you head here as a family. I mean, we always struggle to ensure that the kids are not bored. Langkawi did not pose this problem at all. Which is rather impressive considering it was our first time traveling with two toddlers internationally.
Anyways, in order to make the list more informative, I’ve divided the activities up so you can see what best suits you more easily. Trust me. It doesn’t matter if you have 3 days in Langkawi or a week. There is enough on the island to keep you engaged throughout.
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⏰ My top recommendation for a stay in Langkawi is the Langkawi Mangrove Tours which gives you a chance to explore the UNESCO heritage site. ⏰
Table of Contents
Most Popular Things To Do In Langkawi
Langkawi has gained its popularity all over the world. There are a couple of things that really draw people’s attention. You’ll probably see pictures of these sights all over the internet and even on social media. Let’s take a look at some of the iconic sights.
1. Langkawi Sky Bridge
The Langkawi sky bridge features on almost everyone’s to do list.
⭐️ Rating: 4/5 (88 Reviews) Price: $70 per person Duration: 4 hours 📍Meeting Point: Hotel pickup Details: Read more on Viator!
The Langkawi sky bridge is one of the most popular attractions on the whole island. This 125 meter long bridge is suspended between the hills of the island and gives a panoramic view of the island and the sea.
The bridge gets so popular that the lines to head up to it are excruciatingly long. The best way to skip the queues is to book your ticket online. Most of the tours combine this with the cable car which is pretty cool because you get to see both the iconic attractions in Langkawi at the same time.
Pro Tip: Note that every year the Langkawi Sky Bridge shuts down for maintenance. We unfortunately landed up on the island exactly during this time. If the Langkawi sky bridge is one of your top things to do in Langkawi, make sure that you check if it is open before you book your tickets to the island.
2. Langkawi Cable Car
The cable car is such a cool thing to do in Langkawi.
The cable car is another top attraction in Langkawi. It is also known as the Langkawi SkyCab. This cable car takes you from the Oriental village right up to the peak of Gunung Machinchang. Yes. You don’t have to hike for the view.
If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you can opt for a glass bottom gondola. This will make you feel like you are almost floating through the air as you head up.
Note: Like the sky bridge, the SkyCab also goes through a period of shutdown for yearly maintenance.
3. Dataran Lang
One of the iconic spots in Langkawi is Dataran Lang.
The Dataran Lang is the famous Eagle square in Langkawi. This spot is famous for the huge eagle statue that can be seen from a distance even when you are out at sea. The eagle is what gives Langkawi its name.
According to one of our guides, the word ‘Lang’ refers to the ‘eagle’ in Malay dialect spoken in the island. ‘Kawi’ on the other hand refers to a stone that has a color that resembles a Brahminy kite.
4. Kilim Geoforest Mangrove Tours
Kilim Geoforest is one of the fun things to do in Langkawi.
⭐️ Rating: 5/5 (239 Reviews) Price: $72 per person Duration: 4 hours 📍Meeting Point: Hotel pickup Details: Read more on Viator!
One of the top ways to explore the Kilim Geoforest park is via mangrove tours. The mangroves are a protected part of the UNESCO heritage site for a variety of reasons. They prevent the erosion of the land around and they also provide a breeding ground for numerous varieties of fish.
“Absolutely loved it. Everyone and everything was punctual, kayaking was explained well, the weather was great, and, above all, Fauzen was friendly, informative and helpful.”
Jo (read more reviews now!)
The Langkawi mangrove tours depart from different locations. The best spot is at the main entrance where everyone lines up for your turn. A private boat will take you around the area and you can spend anywhere between 1 – 4 hours on the water exploring all the iconic sights. One of the cool ones is to take the kayaking tour which means you have to exercise your muscles a bit but it is a great way to see the mangroves.
5. Bat Cave
Bat cave is one of the most intriguing things to do in Langkawi.
The Bat cave in Langkawi is one of the top attractions in the Kilim Geoforest park. This cave is huge and it houses thousands of bats. Most of the mangrove tours will also include this cave under their tour so you don’t have to worry about getting there.
There is a boardwalk that takes you into the cave. The inside of the cave is dark as can be expected. If you haven’t carried a torch along, you can rent one at the entrance. The walk will take you through the cave, circle round some of the mangroves and bring you back to the docking point.
Pro Tip: Make sure to wear appropriate footwear. With the ebb and flow of the tide, the water in the cave rises and falls. This means that sometimes you will be walking in ankle deep water.
6. Eagle Watching
Eagle watching is one the fun things to do in Langkawi.
As we mentioned before, Langkawi derives its name from the Brahminy kite which is a brown bird with a white head. One of the places that you can see the Brahminy kite and other eagles feeding is in the Kilim mangroves. The guides sometimes feed them with chicken skins. They are very cautious when it comes to feeding the birds though since they don’t want them to become too dependent on them.
The way the eagles dive down and catch their prey is very impressive. It is one of the top things to do in Langkawi. You can also do a bit of eagle watching on the island hopping tours.
Top Things To Do In Langkawi : Visit The Islands
The islands are part of the archipelago of Langkawi and are one of the main reasons why people head to this place. Ever since Langkawi became a UNESCO heritage site, these islands have been protected. This means that they are pristine, beautiful and peaceful.
There are a couple of trips and tours that can help you take in the beauty of the islands while enjoying the activities in the area.
7. Island Hopping
Island hopping is one of the best ways to explore the UNESCO heritage site.
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Island hopping is one of the top things to do in Langkawi. There are loads of different tour operators that take you across to the islands. The best place to book your tours is either at the ferry point or online.
What are the experiences that island hopping in Langkawi provides?
“Boat ride was fast and enjoyable. The captain was fab and we felt safe throughout. We had six people on our boat which was such a nice number and would love to do it again. Enjoyed the beach, sea eagle feeding and pregnant lady views more than the fresh water lake activity.”
Ross (read more reviews now!)
Aside from a long scenic boat ride which we loved, we also got to visit a lovely sandy beach, climb a hill on an island, plunge into a lake at the top of the hill and indulge in some water sports.
The island hopping trip culminated with a stop to watch the eagles feed. It was an epic trip. I was initially worried about doing it with kids but even my one year old had a ball! Highly recommended.
8. Sunset Cruise
Another great way to explore the waters around Langkawi is via the sunset cruises. The idea of heading out one really intrigued me. Unfortunately we decided against it because the kids were very young and quite frankly exhausted every evening.
The sunset cruises leave every evening and they are conducted using a variety of yachts and catamarans. As you can imagine, the cost of the cruise depends a lot on the type of boat that you head out on.
Popular activities on the yacht involve lazing on a net which is towed behind the yacht (Fun right!), indulging in the buffet/unlimited alcohol and taking in the impressive views.
9. Diving And Snorkeling Tours
If you love water activities, then another must do includes snorkeling and diving in and around Langkawi. The island waters in the vicinity are gorgeous and certainly worth diving in. Plus, you can even catch sight of dolphins if you are lucky.
Top Things To Do In Langkawi: Waterfalls
Did you know that one of the most popular things to do in Langkawi is to chase waterfalls? With the gorgeous forests and huge hills, the terrain of the island is perfect and houses loads of waterfalls. Some are easy to get to! I kid you not. We managed to take our toddlers into the gorgeous clear waters.
10. Telaga Tujuh Waterfall
Telaga Tujuh waterfalls is one of the most popular spots for people who enjoy water cascading over heights. It is probably the easiest waterfall to reach and is very close to the Langkawi sky bridge so you don’t really have to head out of your way. Most people know Telaga Tujuh waterfall as the Seven Sisters waterfall.
The upper section of the Telaga Tujuh waterfall forms some clear water pools. People head here to enjoy a quiet swim with nature.
We however chose to skip over the Telaga Tujuh waterfalls on our list of things to do in Langkawi. This was because we read a lot of reviews that spoke about how crowded it gets. Instead we decided to head to Temurum waterfall.
11. Temurun Waterfall
Temurum waterfall is gorgeous and is one of our highly recommended things to do in Langkawi.
If you want to spend some time at the waterfalls in Langkawi then I highly recommend Temurun waterfall. This waterfall is easy to get to if you have transport on the island. The Temurun waterfall is a quick walk from the main road.
Temurun waterfall is a three tiered waterfall that is absolutely beautiful to look at. The higher levels have a crystal clear pool where people swim in. You do have to take a short but easy hike up. I’m a little acrophobic so I chose to stay at the lower pools.
Pro Tip: Make sure to carry mosquito repellant with you. The shaded area has loads of them and they will attack any open spot of skin with a vengeance.
Top Things To Do In Langkawi: Beaches
If you love beaches then Langkawi is the place for you. The island has an impressive coast and there are loads of beaches to explore. There are some really popular beaches with night shows and fine dining. Other beaches are great to chill at and indulge in water activities.
12. Pantai Cenang Beach
Pantai Cenang beach is probably the most popular beach in Langkawi. This long stretch of whitesand beach is where all the activity is at. The main road that borders the beach is flanked with all kinds of shopping and duty free shops. There are loads of places to eat at and the rooftop restaurants are popular choices because you can watch the sunset.
The beach itself is really cool. It is very pretty, the sand is ultra soft and there are loads of places to crash and sit at. Plus there is even a food court if you want a meal on a budget.
There are loads of watersports that you can think of participating in too! Our kids just had fun sitting in the sand and making sand castles.
13. Pantai Tengah Beach
Pantai Tengah beach is another white sand beach that is very close to Pantai Cenang beach. One of the reasons why this featured on our list of things to do in Langkawi is because this beach is relatively less visited.
It does not mean that it is not beautiful. It just means that few people know about its existence.
14. Tanjung Rhu Beach
Of the beaches in north Langkawi, Tanjung Rhu beach is our favorite.
If you are looking for lesser visited beaches to add to your list of things to do in Langkawi then you definitely should consider Tanjung Rhu beach. This beach is situated on the north of the island. It is a lovely long stretch which is perfect in all senses of the way.
There are a number of mangrove tour operators here too. That way you can combine the tour with a day at the beach. The best part about this beach is that there are very few tourists here. The ones that are there are spread out across the stretch of sand.
The downside is that there isn’t a lot of shade. This means that if you visit on a particularly hot day, you may pack up and leave in the afternoon.
Top Things To Do In Langkawi: Shopping
Did you know that one of the top things to do in Langkawi is shopping. I’m not kidding, people come to the island from all parts of the country with this in mind. A large part is because of the duty free shopping that you can do.
15. Duty Free Shopping
As I just mentioned, duty free shopping is a big thing in Langkawi. The cost of a lot of the different items in the duty free shops is much much cheaper than in other places of Malaysia. The largest and the best Duty free shop that we found was attached to Langkawi Underwater world. In fact, this spot was so good that we actually went back just before we left.
There are loads of options at the Langkawi duty free stores. Chocolates of all shapes and sizes! Walls and walls of different types of chocolates. We went nuts! Then there is crockery, alcohol, souvenirs and much more.
16. Souvenir Shopping
If you are looking for souvenir shopping outside the duty free shops in Langkawi there are a lot of options. Most of them are in the Pantai Cenang shopping area. When it comes to souvenir shopping in Langkawi, we found a lot of handicraft stuff. There were a lot of places that sold toys. In fact we came back with some wooden yo-yos for the kids.
Top Things To Do In Langkawi With Kids
Many people think that Langkawi is a place that you head to with friends or with a partner. We traveled here with two toddlers and found that it was very very kid friendly. The one thing that made it easier was renting a car. Here are some of the top things to do in Langkawi if you travel with kids.
17. Langkawi Underwater World
Langkawi Underwater world is one of the fun things to do with kids.
I’ve got a whole detailed article about the Langkawi Underwater world already up so I’m going to be brief. We visited it on our first day on the island. After a long journey, we wanted to be indoors and to do something relatively chill. This hit the mark on all points.
The Langkawi Underwater World is very informative. It allows children to learn about marine life and to examine them up close. Since our kids were very young, we took one of their sea life books with them and they identified some of the fish based on the pictures in their book.
We also used a stroller to wheel our youngest around. There were ramps in most of the places which made it easier to explore.
18. Langkawi Arts In Paradise 3D Museum
I was a bit skeptical about heading to the Langkawi Arts in Paradise 3D museum. This museum involves posing in certain spots such that it looks like you are part of the photograph. Very similar to the trickeye museums.
The kids quickly grasped what we were trying to do and even though they were really tired when we visited, they had a lot of fun. There however was a light and sound show which spooked them because the light made everything feel alive. It was easy to skip past it.
Top Things To Do In Langkawi At Night
Langkai has a pretty active nightlife. We usually landed up heading in early because the kids barely could stand at the end of the day BUT we did manage to catch a few of the things to do in Langkawi at night.
19. Night Markets
The Langkawi night markets are awesome. This frankly ranks as one of my top things to do in Langkawi at night. We caught the night market at Kuah and at Pantai Cenang. The night market locations change based on the day of the week. So make sure you take stock of the routine.
Locations And Timings Of The Night Markets In Langkawi
Mondays
Ulu Melaka Market
Timing: 5:30 pm to 10pm
Location: Jalan Makam Mahsuri Lama
Tuesdays
Kedawang Market
Timing: 5pm to 10pm
Location: South of Langkawi International airport near Pantai Cenang
Wednesdays
Kuah Night Market
Timing: 5:30pm to 10pm
Location: Kuah Jetty
Thursdays
Bohor Temoyong Night Market
Timing: 5pm to 10pm
Location: Kampung Temoyong, Pantai Cenang
Fridays
Air Hangat Night Market
Timing: 5:30pm to 10pm
Location: Padang Lalang near Air Hangat roundabout
Bayas Night Market
Timings: 5pm to 10:30pm
Location: Kampung Perana
Sundays
Padang Matsirat Night Market
Timings: 5:30pm to 10pm
Location: Beras Terbakar
20. Sunset Cruise
Another great thing to do in Langkawi is to take the sunset cruise. These cruises depart from the Langkawi ferry point and take you into the heritage site. You can enjoy the views while sailing on a luxury catamaran, indulging in food and alcohol and just relaxing at the end of the day.
It is by far one of the most popular things to do on the island. We skipped this largely because the kids were just too tired at the end of the day.
21. Dinner and Fire Show At Pantai Cenang
One of the top things to do in Langkawi is to take in a night show at Pantai Cenang.
I know that I have mentioned Pantai Cenang beach before but since we are talking about things to do in Langkawi at night, I thought I would talk about the shows that take place here. One of the most popular things to do is to reserve a bean bag and watch a fire show on the beach. You can’t bring eatables of course but you are free to order from the restaurant that you sit at!
22. Pantai Cenang Street Food
The street food vendors also start opening shops in the evenings. You will find that there are a variety of different street food items that you can try. From the traditional Malay cuisine to Thai, fast food, Japanese etc. This place has it all.
We strolled down the road and sampled different types of street food as we went. It was fun and the kids loved the variety.
23. Cenang Mall
If I’m being honest, Cenang mall isn’t my favorite location. It does give you a covered area to wander around in which is great if you want to head out of the heat. There are a couple of local shops worth exploring here. We landed up exploring the mall mostly because we were hunting for a birthday gift for my daughter.
⏰ My top recommendation for a stay in Langkawi is the Langkawi Mangrove Tours which gives you a chance to explore the UNESCO heritage site. ⏰
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Teja
Saturday 28th of January 2023
I need to get back to Langkawi. I haven't been back since they got listed as a Geopark, and certainly not since I got my dive license. There are quite a few new things since I was last there!