Planning a trip to Sarawak, Malaysia, can be overwhelming. With so much to see and do, not to mention complicated transport options, it’s no surprise that you’ve landed here. But don’t stress it, I’m here to help!
Using my own experience of travelling in Sarawak and the knowledge of thousands of backpackers in the South East Asia Backpacker Community, I’ve curated three unbeatable Sarawak itineraries. So, whether you’re visiting for a week or two, or opting for a longer adventure, I’ve got your back!
Let’s plan your trip of a lifetime!
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3 Unbeatable Sarawak Itineraries – 1 Week, 2 Weeks & 1 Month! 🚎
How Long Should I Spend in Sarawak? 🗓️
Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysian Borneo and while you can tick off some of the sights in a week, we recommend at least two weeks to get the most out of your stay. If you’ve got longer, that’s great news! It means you can really get to experience what Sarawak has to offer. Two to four weeks is enough to give you time to get off the beaten track and explore this amazing part of Borneo! It’s worth checking the best time to visit Borneo too. A visit during wet season will be very different to a visit in the dry season!
3 Amazing Sarawak Itineraries
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🌆 1-Week Sarawak Itinerary
If you’ve only got a week in Sarawak, I recommend flying into Kuching and spending your week in and around the city.
Sarawak is massive and travelling any distance can take a really long time. There are very few good roads, especially towards the interior. Public transport also leaves a lot to be desired!
You’ll get the most out of your time focussing on one smaller area. Not only is Kuching an amazing city but it’s also well-situated for those wanting to get out into the jungle, making it an ideal base.
Day 1 – Arrive in Kuching 🛬
Recommended Accommodation in Kuching: Marco Polo Guesthouse
To get to Borneo, you’ll need to fly from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. Flights to Kuching take a couple of hours. When you arrive, you’ll have plenty of time to check into your accommodation and head down to the waterfront.
Kuching’s waterfront area houses a bunch of food and drink options, as well as some fascinating architecture. The Dun Petra Jaya state government office is the most striking example. If you’re there in the evening, you’ll get to see the fantastic Darul Hana Musical Fountain display which takes place on the river in front of this impressive structure.
Next to Dun Petra Jaya, you’ll find a weird sight – a spotlessly white British-esque castle. This is Fort Margherita. Built by the White Rajahs of Sarawak to protect the city against raiding pirates, the castle tells the story of the Brooke dynasty and three generations of British rule.
“Kuching in Sarawak is amazing! [Visit] Bako National Park to see proboscis monkeys. And Semenggoh is where you can see orangutans.”
Kaitlyn, South East Asia Backpacker Community Member
Days 2-3 – Bako National Park 🐒
A short journey from Kuching, Bako National Park gives you the chance to explore some of Borneo’s most fascinating ecosystems at your own pace. To get to Bako, you’ll need to take the bus from Kuching to Kampung Bako and get a boat from there to the park.
When you arrive, you could be greeted by wild pigs, macaques, silver langurs and of course, Borneo’s famous proboscis monkeys. Keep your eyes peeled for the wild array of insects and reptiles that also call the park home!
To get the most from your time in Bako National Park, I recommend staying overnight. This gives you a chance to explore most if not all, the hiking trails and allows you to go out on the guided night walk. Accommodation in the park is surprisingly cheap at around 50MYR (approx. $10USD) for a private ensuite room and just 15MYR (approx. $3USD) per night for a dorm bed. These can only be booked through the Sarawak Forestry official website. A word of warning – the website is slow and confirmation emails are unreliable. But it works. Screenshot your booking confirmation on the actual webpage (when it loads) rather than relying on receiving an email.
Day 4 – Museum Day 🏛️
After a couple of days of hiking around Bako, a slower-paced day is in order! Spend some time learning about Borneo, Sarawak and Kuching in the city’s excellent array of museums. My favourites include:
- Borneo Cultures Museum
- Kuching Cat Museum
- Sarawak Museum
- Sarawak Cultural Museum
- Fort Margherita (only relevant if you didn’t visit on day one)
If this many museums don’t appeal to you, consider combining your visit with some local markets or sample some Sarawakian cuisine – the local laksa and umai are both fantastic dishes that shouldn’t be missed!
Day 5 – Semmengogh Wildlife Centre 🦧
You’ve had a day of staying in the city, now it’s time to head over to Semmengogh Wildlife Centre – one of the best places to see orangutans in Malaysia!
Located around 25 kilometres from the city, Semmengogh is home to more than just orangutans but the ‘man of the forest’ is the centre’s biggest draw. Oure red-headed cousins live semi-wild here, allowed to roam free in the protected area. However, they usually return at set feeding times: 09:00-10:00 & 15:00-15:30. Visit at these times for the best chance of seeing Borneo’s most famous inhabitants!
As well as orangutans, Semmengogh is home to gibbons, porcupines, crocodiles, lizards, birds and river terrapins. This is likely to be only a half-day trip, so spend the other part of your day visiting any museums you didn’t get to or head down to the waterfront for the fountain show if you missed it on day one!
Day 6 – Kuching Wetlands National Park 🐊
Less visited than Bako, Kuching Wetlands National Park offers the chance to see Irrawaddy river dolphins, crocodiles, proboscis monkeys as well as plenty of birds and marine life, from your boat. Day trips to the park can be arranged in Kuching, usually at short notice.
Day 7 – Fly Out of Kuching 🛫
Head to Kuching Airport to head onwards to your next destination.
Two-Week Sarawak Itinerary
For a two-week trip to Sarawak, you’ll get more time to explore this amazing state and spend less time in Kuching. I recommend flying into Kuching Airport and then flying out of Sarawak from Miri but you can easily flip this itinerary over, so you start in Miri and end in Kuching!
Day 1 – Arrive in Kuching 🛫
Recommended Accommodation in Kuching: Marco Polo Guesthouse
Fly into Kuching and spend some time exploring the city, with a focus on the waterfront area.
Days 2-3 – Bako National Park 🐒
Overnight in Bako National Park to experience some of Borneo’s best-preserved ecosystems.
Day 4 – Semmengogh & Borneo Cultures Museum 🦧
In the morning, head to Semmengogh Wildlife Centre to see the semi-wild orangutans. Time your visit for the first feeding of the day between 09:00-10:00. When you’re finished at Semmengogh, head to the Borneo Cultures Museum for one of the most fascinating exhibitions in Southeast Asia!
Day 5 – Kuching Wetlands National Park 🐊
Organise a tour to Kuching Wetlands National Park to see an array of aquatic as well as arboreal animals and birdlife from water level.
Day 6 – Wind and Fairy Caves 🦇
Just half an hour from Kuching, Wind and Fairy Caves are both sites of historical and natural importance in Sarawak. Archeological evidence suggests humans inhabited the caves until modern times and it’s easy to understand why when you visit – the safety and protection offered by these caverns is hard to overstate.
As well as evidence of human habitation, the caves are home to countless animal species – from the insects that have only been discovered in these caves to the millions of bats and swiftlets that cling to the walls and rooftops.
You’ll need to be relatively fit and able-bodied to traverse the caves. Each has a series of wooden walkways but you’ll be required to clamber up and down stairs as well as ladders to get the most out of your visit – don’t forget your head torch!
Day 7 – Head to Miri 🚌
Recommended Accommodation in Miri: Walk Inn Miri
After nearly a week exploring Kuching and its surroundings, it’s time to head north to Miri. Buses offer the most economical method of transport, costing around $20-30USD. The journey takes up to 15 hours. Prepare for the long haul and expect the bus to get down to those arctic temperatures only truly understood by travellers in Southeast Asia! Pack a jumper (or five)!
Alternatively, you can fly from Kuching to Miri. This route, taking just over an hour, will set you back $35-70USD.
If you fly to Miri, you’ll be able to spend a day exploring the city before jumping on another flight to the Kelabit Highlands or Gunung Mulu National Park the following day. If you get the bus, chances are you’ll need to head straight to the airport when you arrive in the city to catch your flight. Remember to allow for delays when planning onward connections!
Day 8 – Fly From Miri to the Kelabit Highlands OR Gunung Mulu National Park 🛩️
Choices, Choices! 🤔
On this two-week Sarawak itinerary, you’re going to need to choose between visiting the Kelabit Highlands or Gunung Mulu National Park. Which you choose will depend on what you’re looking for but each is a short flight (an hour or two) and costs $40-80USD.
Gunung Mulu National Park vs The Kelabit Highlands
Gunung Mulu National Park is often labelled as the corporate choice. The park is run by a private company and all tours are timetabled and organised in advance. While there are some trails and activities it’s possible to DIY, It can be difficult to explore much of the park without a guide – they’re required to book boats and transport in the park. It’s possible to hire your own registered guide, allowing you to build your own itinerary in the park, but they’ll need to be with you for much of your trip.
“Hiking in Mulu National Park was amazing! I did the Pinnacles hike and you can do Mt Mulu as well. Also, the caves in Mulu NP were amazing to explore, either by walking or scrambling with a guide. The guides are all local and some are descendants of the headhunters’ tribe who have many great stories to tell about their ancestors. Plus, the whole park is full of wildlife and is very beautiful along the river and in the forest. Everything is very well organised and easy, you can book by e-mail directly with the park office and plan your activities before you arrive.”
Fee, South East Asia Backpacker Community Member
By contrast, The Kelabit Highlands offer a more relaxed experience. There are three towns serviced by flights in the highlands and for the adventurous, you can trek between them, staying in local longhouses overnight. You’ll likely require a guide for these epic journeys but it’s also possible to explore much of the area alone. Day hikes from the major towns are common and can be done with or without a guide. Barrio is the largest settlement in the Kelabit Highlands and offers a range of accommodation options.
“Life [in the Kelabit Highlands] is effortless, and the Kelabit people are all so warm. Their hospitality is a far cry from the fearsome reputation they yielded less than a century ago.”
Karen, South East Asia Backpacker Contributor
Both Mulu and the Kelabit Highlands boast amazing natural features and breathtaking vistas. Arguably, Mulu’s highlights are more impressive than those in the Kelabit Highlands but they offer very different travel experiences. Much more regimented and structured, Mulu tends to appeal to travellers who crave smooth-sailing adventures, while travelling the Kelabit Highlands can throw up anything!
Days – 9-12 Explore the Kelabit Highlands OR Gunung Mulu National Park 🥾
You’ve made your decision and arrived at either the Kelabit Highlands or Gunung Mulu National Park. Now you’ve got a few days to explore your destination by embarking on hikes, caving experiences and boat trips.
Day 13 – Fly Back to Miri 🛩️
When your time in either Mulu or Kelabit comes to an end, fly back to Miri. Try to get a morning flight, so you have a chance to explore the city a bit.
Day 14 – Fly Out of Miri to Your Next Destination 🛫
Your two weeks in Sarawak are coming to a close. Miri’s airport offers connections to Sabah, mainland Malaysia and Singapore.
1 Month Sarawak Itinerary
Much like our two-week trip, this one-month Sarawak itinerary begins in Kuching and finishes in Miri. However, you can flip it on its head if you want to start your journey in Miri!
Flying in Sarawak 🛩️
This Sarawak travel route involves a few flights – most, like those heading into the state’s interior, are unavoidable.
Day 1 – Arrive in Kuching 🛬
Recommended Accommodation in Kuching: Marco Polo Guesthouse
Fly into ‘Cat City’ and explore a little of what Sarawak’s capital has to offer.
Days 2-3 – Bako National Park 🐒
Arrange your trip to Bako National Park. It’s easy to do without a tour but if you want a guide, you can organise this at Kampung Bako. This is where you’ll find the pier and where you can pay your entrance fee and boat passage into the park. In my experience, the guides can be a little unreliable and are not necessary for exploring the park. All guests are provided with a map of the trails which are all well-signed.
Stay overnight in Bako to get the most out of your trip!
Day 4 – Semmengogh & Borneo Cultures Museum 🦧
Head to Semmengogh for the morning feeding to see orangutans venture out of the jungle for their fruity banquet. After finishing at the wildlife centre, return to Kuching and head to the Borneo Cultures Museum, one of Southeast Asia’s best! Expect to spend most of the afternoon exploring the five floors of exhibitions!
Day 5 – Kuching Wetlands National Park 🐊
Take a day to cruise through the Wetlands National Park. Expect crocodiles, monkeys, countless bird species and if you’re lucky, Irrawaddy River Dolphins.
Day 6 – Wind and Fairy Caves 🦇
Offering both historical intrigue and an abundance of animal life, Wind and Fairy Caves make a wonderful day trip from Kuching!
Day 7 – Museum Day in Kuching 🏛️
Spend your last day in Kuching exploring other museums and attractions within the city. Take it easy and use the day to relax a little – you have some big plans coming up!
Day 8–10 – Visit Batang Ai National Park – Multi-Day Tour 🚤
Batang Ai offers the chance to see a Borneo of years gone by. Getting there is arduous but the reward of staying in a longhouse with Iban villagers is unbelievable. This is about as off the beaten track as you can get in Sarawak – embrace the challenge and see how people have lived, in harmony with the jungle for centuries.
While travelling to Batang Ai is possible to organise yourself, it’s a long, difficult process, involving multiple buses, boats and hitchhiking. There is no public ferry running to Batang Ai itself, so you may need to wait for someone to be heading that way or charter a boat yourself.
Organising a tour from Kuching is the easiest way to visit Batang Ai. Pricing starts at around $300USD per person and includes transport, accommodation, guides and trips. The tour will drop you off again in Kuching, where you can arrange onward transport to Miri for the following day.
Day 11 – Travel to Miri 🚌
Recommended Accommodation in Miri: Walk Inn Miri
Travel to Miri from Kuching by bus or flight. The bus can take up to 15 hours but it’s cheaper than flying. Flying takes just over an hour.
Day 12-15 – The Kelabit Highlands ⛰️
From Miri, catch a flight to the Kelabit Highlands to experience more Bornean wildlife and culture.
Day 16 – Fly Back to Miri and Catch Another Flight to Gunung Mulu National Park 🛩️
Fly back to Miri and pick up another flight to Gunung Mulu National Park.
Days 16-20 Gunung Mulu National Park 🥾
Enjoy the well-run tours and excursions around the national park. If you like your travel to be well organised, you’ll be pleased to hear everything can be arranged in advance, so you’re able to plan your entire stay in Mulu before arriving!
Day 21 – Return to Miri ✈️
Fly back to Miri.
Days 21-24 – Explore Miri 🌇
Spend a few days getting to know Miri’s myriad of parks and recreational spaces – you’ve earned a few relaxed days after all that time in the jungle! If you’re visiting from September-December, don’t miss the epic Blue Tears phenomenon at Tusan Beach, about 40 minutes from Miri. The sea comes alive with bioluminescent plankton that causes the sea to shimmer!
Day 25 – Travel to Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei 🇧🇳
Recommended Accommodation in Bandar Seri Begawan: Kunyit7 Lodge
Okay, I know this is a Sarawak itinerary but we’ve got a few days to play with, so let’s pop across the border to the second-smallest country in Southeast Asia – Brunei! The sultanate is an absolute gem and an under-visited part of Borneo!
Getting across the border isn’t as easy as it used to be. There are no public buses, so you’ll need to either hitchhike or arrange a private car to take you. Pauline over at Find Me Logistics can arrange trips across the border. During the drive, Pauline will fill you in on Brunei’s history and stop off at important tourist sites along the way. She even helped me buy a SIM card for Brunei when I visited!
Day 26-27 – Explore Bandar Seri Begawan 🕌
While in Brunei, you’re going to base yourself in Bandar Seri Begawan, or BSB for short. The capital city is like a small, relaxed version of Singapore. Don’t miss a trip to the mangroves and around Kampong Ayer – you’ll get the best price by waiting near the waterfront for one of the many boats to approach! You can also follow the BSB walking tour. Set up by the Brunei Tourism Department, this self-guided walking tour takes in many of the city’s best sights!
For a cheap meal in BSB, don’t miss the Gadong Night Market – it offers some of the best budget-friendly meals in the country.
Day 28 – Return to Miri 🚌
After a couple of days in Brunei, return to Miri and relax for the evening.
Day 29 – Visit Niah Caves 🚗
The Niah Caves complex is epic, to say the least. Housing the oldest human remains in Malaysia, Niah Caves has a 40,000-year history of human habitation and exploration. Bring a torch and plenty of water – it gets hot when hiking between the unlit caverns!
The easiest way to get to Niah Caves is to hire a car and drive. It takes around 2 hours to get there from Miri. If driving isn’t for you, you can get a bus heading towards Bintulu. Let the driver know you want to get off at Niah Caves. They’ll drop you off at a rest stop, a 15-minute drive from the caves. You can usually use Grab to get to the caves from here but rides aren’t guaranteed. Sometimes, locals offer rides from the rest stop to the caves for less than $5USD but it depends on who you find!
“[I recommend] Niah National Park. Nice day hikes to caves and Neolithic burial sites. No need for organised tours.”
Bill, South East Asia Backpacker Community Member
Day 30 – Relax in Miri
Spend your last day in Sarawak relaxing in Miri. It’s been a busy month, so give yourself a day to chill out, enjoy some good food and unwind before catching onward transport the following day!
Where to Go Next 🛫
🦧 Sabah – Sarawak’s northern sibling, Sabah is more frequented by tourists thanks to better infrastructure and shorter distances between sights. No visit to Sabah is complete without seeing or climbing the epic Mt Kinabalu in Kinabalu National Park, or cruising along the Kinabatangan River!
🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia’s capital city is about as metropolitan as Southeast Asian cities get. Huge skyscrapers, high-flying bars and restaurants that are more suited to businessmen than travellers make KL, at least on paper, seem like an unappealing travel destination. But don’t be mistaken. A few days spent exploring the city and its surroundings won’t be wasted!
🇸🇬 Singapore – Okay, I overdid it on the description of Kuala Lumpur – Singapore is a true metropolis but one that clings onto its remaining rainforest – it’s one of the few cities in the world within a stone’s throw of some amazing, albeit small, patches of true jungle!
Contributors:
South East Asia Backpacker is a ‘travel diary for everyone’. This article has been written with the help of backpackers and local experts. We would like to thank…
🙏 Kaitlyn | South East Asia Backpacker Community Member
🙏 Fee | South East Asia Backpacker Community Member
🙏 Karen | South East Asia Backpacker Community Member
🙏 Bill | South East Asia Backpacker Community Member
Tim Ashdown | Gear Specialist
After a life-changing motorcycle accident, Tim decided life was too short to stay cooped up in his home county of Norfolk, UK. Since then, he has travelled Southeast Asia, walked the Camino de Santiago and backpacked South America. His first book, From Paralysis to Santiago, chronicles his struggle to recover from the motorcycle accident and will be released later this year.
