We all know Kuala Lumpur as the bustling heart of Malaysia, but have you ever heard of the administrative capital, Putrajaya, less than an hour away? If you’re planning a trip to this incredible and affordable country, you could add this gem to your itinerary to go a bit off the beaten path.
It’s one of the Malaysia destinations I visited on my trip there a few years back, in addition to the even better Kuala Lumpur and Melaka (Malacca). I loved Malaysia so much that I’m actually back here right now!
Here’s everything you need to know about Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Overview of visiting Putrajaya, Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur (KL) remains Malaysia’s official national capital. However, Putrajaya is Malaysia’s administrative capital, the seat of the executive and judicial branches of the government, and where many other federal government institutions are located.
Malaysia started moving its government from KL to Putrajaya due to overcrowding and traffic at the end of the last century, in 1999 — and then the judiciary also shifted to Putrajaya in 2003.
Putrajaya is a planned city and was specifically developed just over 30 kilometers outside of KL to accommodate these administrative functions. It’s close enough that some travelers even base themselves there to take advantage of the quiet neighborhoods.
For your information, that move is not unlike what neighboring Indonesia is currently doing right now — its capital is supposed to move from Jakarta to Nusantara, on the island of Borneo, in the next years.
What to see in Putrajaya
Now, you might be wondering what Putrajaya has to offer a traveler like yourself, as it’s definitely not very touristy.
While it’s nowhere near as big and interesting as KL itself, the area has several attractions and I had a wonderful day exploring the administrative capital!
As a planned city, a whopping 38% of the area was kept for green spaces, so it’s very pretty.
If you have just 1 day, a good way to see this city is to go on a boat cruise on the man-made Lake Putrajaya.
Back in 2016, I embarked on a magical cruise with Cruise Tasik during my day trip to Putrajaya and saw so much in very little time!
From the water, you’ll have the opportunity to admire beautiful monuments such as the sublime Putra Mosque and the Seri Wawasan Bridge.
The cruises are among the most popular activities in Putrajaya, attracting many visitors, and the locals know it!
When I visited the city, the pier was crowded with vendors selling souvenir pictures. I even remember seeing some visitors being photographed while holding colorful parrots or a giant snake!
Besides cruises, you can also rent paddleboats and kayaks, or try flyboarding on the water for a real thrill!
Another great activity is a visit to the botanical gardens, featuring various themed gardens, including the Taman Wawasan and Taman Rimba Alam.
You can go shopping and eat at huge modern malls like IOI City Mall or Alamanda Shopping Centre.
Also, if you don’t like organizing things on your own, you can opt for a guided city tour to learn more about Putrajaya‘s history and landmarks with a local.
You can see all the Putrajaya attractions on Tripadvisor or book Putrajaya activities on Get Your Guide.
How to get to Putrajaya, Malaysia
If you are short on time, you can easily visit Putrajaya on a day trip from KL to cover the main attractions. That’s what I did.
The train from Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station to Putrajaya Sentral Station takes just 19 minutes and costs $8. The bus is another longer option, for $3.
You can use ride-sharing services like Grab (the Southeast Asian equivalent of Uber) or a taxi. If you aren’t traveling solo, it’s not so much more per person than the train.
If you prefer things to be more convenient rather than more lucrative, packages departing from KL are also available at a higher price.
Where to stay in Putrajaya, Malaysia
If you want to experience more of Putrajaya’s offerings, you can spend 1 or 2 nights there.
As mentioned in Flytrippers’ post with accommodation examples in 11 destinations in Malaysia, Putrajaya is very affordable… like the whole country.
Here are examples of lodging based on 4 ways to travel:
- Nice free hotels
- Well-rated hotels
- Hostels
- Well-rated private rentals
Nice free hotels
Here are 3 options for nice free hotels in Putrajaya:
- Moxy Putrajaya
- 3,920 points per night (19,600 points for 5 nights)
- 1,960 per night per person with a companion
- Putrajaya Marriott Hotel
- 5,200 points per night (26,000 points for 5 nights)
- 2,600 per night per person with a companion
- Palm Garden Hotel, Putrajaya, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
- 6,400 points per night (32,000 points for 5 nights)
- 3,200 per night per person with a companion
If you take advantage of the best deal for hotel rewards, you can get many free nights in nice hotels in Putrajaya. The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card’s welcome bonus gives you 53,000 points (or 106,000 if your travel companion gets it too).
With Marriott’s “Stay for 5 nights, pay for 4” benefit, you can get 5 nights in Putrajaya for just 19,600 points. That’s 3,920 points per night (1,960 per person per night). If you don’t want to spend 5 nights, it’s still as low as 4,400 points per night (2,200 per person per night).
The options are particularly good here: the flagship Marriott is a luxury full-service hotel, the Tribute Portfolio is a luxury boutique hotel, and the Moxy is a nice brand-new hotel at a ridiculously low price.
Malaysia (and neighboring Indonesia) are the best places to maximize your free nights with Marriott points. Flytrippers’ co-founder Andrew is actually headed here next week for the Marriott hotels.
Well-rated hotels
Here are 4 options for well-rated hotels in Putrajaya:
- OYO 502 Midah Inn Puchong
- $9 per night
- $5 per night per person with a companion
- Rated 8.8/10
- Just In
- $16 per night
- $8 per night per person with a companion
- Rated 8.0/10
- The LoftPlaza
- $22 per night
- $11 per night per person with a companion
- Rated 9.1/10
- OYO 337 Iris Hotel
- $26 per night
- $13 per night per person with a companion
- Rated 8.5/10
Always use Trivago to compare hotel prices.
Hostel
Here is 1 option for a hostel in Putrajaya (terribly rated):
- The Bedpackers Hostel
- $12 per night per person
- Rated 2.0/10
As a smaller and less touristy area, obviously, Putrajaya doesn’t have many hostels. This one is your only option, so it’s best to do a day trip from KL and take advantage of the amazing affordable hostels, there.
Always use Hostelworld to find hostels.
Well-rate private rentals
Here are 2 options for private rentals in Putrajaya:
- Bella Homestay By Ak Groub
- $17 per night
- $9 per night per person with a companion
- Rated 8.7/10
- Alanis Studio Suite
- $31 per night
- $16 per night per person with a companion
- Rated 8.1/10
By popular demand, we’ll also include private accommodation rentals in our examples for those who prefer this. The best platforms to search and book to have more private rental options than on Trivago are Airbnb and Vrbo.
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Summary
During your visit to Malaysia, why not take a trip to Putrajaya, the country’s administrative capital? You can enjoy a ton of activities at low prices in a slightly less touristy city.
What would you like to know about Putrajaya, Malaysia? Tell us in the comments below.
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Featured image: Putrajaya, Malaysia (photo credit: Fahrul Azmi)
