Mount Kinabalu | Malaysia’s & Borneo’s Highest
With its peak soaring up to 4095.2 meters above sea level, Mount Kinabalu is the most iconic representation of Sabah, and definitely the renowned mountain across the country. While it is considered as challenging, the ever popular Mount Kinabalu is one of the very conquerable peaks in the world.
Climbing Mount Kinabalu
How To Avoid Paying Overpriced Mount Kinabalu Packages
A quick search on the internet will show you various Mount Kinabalu packages, provided by many different tour companies. The prices for a basic 2D1N package you’ll find usually range from around RM1350-RM2000, some even goes up to RM3000+!
Of course, if you want to save the hassle and don’t mind the markup cost, a tour package is a convenient option. But to be honest, booking your trip directly is not as difficult as you might think! By booking directly, the cost (as of 2023) is as low as RM190 for the climb and RM254 for the accommodation and meals! That’s 4x cheaper than the average tour package!
What Are The Required Fees To Climb Mount Kinabalu
Accomodation
If you go for the low cost method and book directly, the very first thing is to book an accommodation on Mount Kinabalu, at the area called Laban Rata / Panalaban, which is 2.7km away from and 800m below the peak. Laban Rata Resthouse was the most well-known accommodation there as everyone will have their meal there, regardless of which accommodation you stay at. The price, however, is on the higher end, RM1015 for Malaysian and RM1455 for International for a dorm. You can book directly with Sutera Santuary Lodges.
For cheaper accommodations, Sabah Parks offers Lemaing Hostel (RM364 including permit and insurance, for Malaysian only) and the new earthquake-proof Panalaban Hostels (Kinotoki & Mokodou Hostel, RM578 (Malaysian) – RM899 (International) including permit and insurance). Direct bookings with Sabah Parks can be made here.
Another good option is the Pendant Hut if you are going for the via ferrata activity on Mount Kinabalu. The price was around RM1570-1860 depending on the via ferrata route, but it includes both the via ferrata activity and the stay in the very cozy Pendant Hut (excluding park fees). Check out the worthy activity here!
Note: Due to the allowed quota of 165 climbers per day for conservation reasons, plus the high popularity of the activity, you may need to book your accommodation many months (or even a year) in advance. There may also be last-minute deals where you can book a month or a few weeks before the climb. Also, all accommodation packages are inclusive of meals, all or at least one (which is the dinner buffet on the first day) will be at Laban Rata Resthouse, no matter which place you stay.
Sabah Parks Fees
After your accommodation is booked, your slot to climb Mount Kinabalu is secured. The next fees will be the park and climbing fees, but the payment is only to be made on the day of the climb. Do check with Sabah Parks Visitor Center (+6088 889 095) to confirm your slot. Below are the required and optional fees (updated and increased as of year 2023):
Required Fees
Kinabalu National Park Conservation: | RM10 (Malaysian) / RM50 (International) |
Climbing Permit: | RM100 (Malaysian) / RM400 (International) |
Insurance: | RM10 |
Mountain Guide: | RM350 per guide, each guide is allowed to take a maximum of 5 climbers aged 16 years and above. Children aged below 16 years are required to get another mountain guide, who are allowed to take only 2 children per guide. |
Optional Fees
Certificate: | RM10 (Low’s Peak) / RM1 (below the summit) |
Porter: | RM14 per kg |
Return transport between Kinabalu Park and Timpohon Gate: | RM34 per person / RM9 per person for a minimum group of five |
So by looking at the above, if you really want to squeeze your budget to the lowest possible, the total park fees would be RM106. To achieve this minimal cost, however, you need to gather a group of five, in order to share the cost for a mountain guide. In addition, you might also want to get the return transport between Kinabalu Park HQ and the starting point – Timpohon Gate (5.5km one way), to save time and energy for your climb on the mountain.
Furthermore, booking without a tour agent means that you have to settle your own transportation to Kinabalu Park. You can easily rent a car, or you can even rent a motorbike and ride to Kinabalu like me. On the other hand, public transportation such as minibus or taxi are possible, but difficult when trying to get back to town. If you’re still keen on taking public transportation, you can check out my Kinabalu Park post.
What To Bring To Climb Mount Kinabalu
Contradicting to some believes, you don’t actually have to bring that many things with you to climb Mount Kinabalu. Below is a list of what you need to bring.
That bag was all I brought.
At the peak: Combining my jacket and raincoat for extra warmth and windproofing. Tube scarves for covering my head and face from the bone-chilling wind.
- Warm clothes such as a lightweight fleece jacket and hiking pants, plus a set for sleeping / chilling at the resthouse.
- Raincoat / Waterproof Jacket (The temperature on the mountain ranges from 6 to -4 degree celsius, you wouldn’t want to get wet in the rain.) Hiking Raincoat that acts as both
- Hiking Shoes with good grips / Adidas Kampung (p.s. you are not allowed to wear Adidas Kampung for via ferrata activity)
- Change of socks
- Warm gloves (plus a pair with grip for via ferrata or general climbing activity)
- Headscarf / beanie / hoodie of your jacket (to prevent heat loss (also recommend a scarf to cover your face from the chilling wind on the peak.)
- Small / light weight towel: Quick dry microfiber towel
- Personal toiletries
- Slippers (if you are staying at Pendant Hut, they will provide one to you before entering the resthouse)
- Personal medicine / first aid kit (Read: How to prepare a hiking first aid kit)
- Small refillable water bottle (You can refill your water at all checkpoints so you don’t need to carry so much weight for drinking water.)
- Energy snacks
- A small backpack to carry your things for the climb to the peak (other stuff are left at the resthouse)
- Torchlight (while many recommend head torch, it is not necessary. I used a mini bicycle light attached to my finger and it was sufficient.) Recommended: Cheap & Powerful Rechargeable Headlight
- Some cash for extra snacks / drinks / souvenirs (no credit card facility or ATM on the mountain)
- Hiking poles (optional)
- Sun protections (optional)
Mount Kinabalu Climbing Tips
- If you do not usually do hiking activities, it is best to start now to train your body and get used to climbing. Go for a hike at least once per week, from short easy hikes to moderate-level day hikes. After that, you’ll be fine taking on Mount Kinabalu.
- Do enough warm-ups and stretchings before starting your climb. These make a huge difference by preventing cramps or getting tired at the very start of the climb.
- Do not rush to the top, heavy breathing is tiring and it is difficult to go back to steady breathing once it starts to get heavy.
- Each checkpoint is about 1km away. There is a toilet in all checkpoints. You can also refill your drinking bottle at the checkpoints (fresh water straight from the mountain).
- Focus on the path in front of you, instead of how far more to go.
- Fast small steps are much less tiring than the big slow ones.
- I had a bad habit of dragging another kilometer or two when ‘my tank is empty’. Don’t be like me. Eat some energy snacks when you feel hungry or run out of energy.
- During normal weather, the first day hike is not that cold, so don’t put on too many clothes. In fact, I took off my jacket the first minute I started my journey from Timpohon gate, and climbed all the way to Laban Rata wearing a singlet.
- It might be just me, but it felt easier and my knees hurt less when going down fast toward the mountain foot. Just don’t make yourself trip and fall.
- When you feel like giving up, think of something naughty and just keep walking.
Climbing Mount Kinabalu
Day 1
Registration at Kinabalu National Park Office
Before starting the climb, register yourself at Kinabalu Park office (opens at 8am). Here you will make the payment for the permit, guide and insurance fees, along with the optional fees.
If you opt for the transportation service, wait in front of the office for a minibus to transfer you to Timpohon Gate (around 10 minutes drive for 5.5km).
9.20am: Minibus drop off point.
Timpohon Gate
(+4)9.24am: Timpohon Gate – Guides giving briefings to their respective group.
(+7)9.31am: Start of the hike.
(+2)9.33am: A small waterfall by the side of the early trail.
(+12)9.45am: As many of you know, stairs are the dominant part of the trail in Mount Kinabalu. This is why people love to train at the Killer Stairs in Bukit Gasing before climbing Mount Kinabalu.
(+6)9.51am: Reached the first checkpoint – Pondok Kandis.
Expect to meet some squirrels here. Visitors tend to feed them but it is not recommended to do so.
(+18)10.09am: Second checkpoint – Pondok Ubah.
(+2)10.11am: Stairs and stairs.
A porter carrying essentials up to the mountain.
(+1)10.12am: Crossing a small narrow ridge. Here you can see large areas of the forest on both sides.
(+1)10.13am: 1.5km mark, 2164m above sea level.
(+11)10.24am: 2km mark, 2252m above sea level.
(+10)10.34am: Third checkpoint – Pondok Lowii
(+6)10.40am: 2.5km mark, 2350m above sea level.
(+12)10.52am: 3km mark, 2455m above sea level.
(+11)11.03am: Fourth checkpoint – Pondok Mempening.
(+14)11.17am: 3.5km mark, 2634 above sea level.
(+15)11.32am: Fifth checkpoint – Layang Layang. Most climbers like to stop here for a snack.
(+5)11.37am: 4km mark, 2745m above sea level.
(+6)11.43am: The path turns from ground stairs to rocky steps. Interestingly, you will also see the rapid changes of plantations from lower land rainforest to the higher mountain forest.
(+19)12.02pm: 4.5km mark, 2898m above sea level.
(+12)12.14pm: A short steep section.
(+1)12.15pm: Open and misty views of the mountain.
(+3)12.18pm: Sixth checkpoint – Pondok Villosa.
(+7)12.25pm: When the clouds cleared up, I got a brief view of the majestic rockface of Mount Kinabalu.
Some obvious marks from the devastating 2015 Sabah Earthquake can be seen at the farside of the slope.
(+2)12.27pm: 800m to Panalaban.
The beautiful full view of the mountain peak.
(+4)12.31pm: 700m to Panalaban. At this point I was feeling very slow and ‘lazy’.
Pushing up with the nice scenery of the high altitude trees.
A porter carrying a gas cylinder down the mountain as if he’s carrying nothing at all.
(+10)12.41pm: The seventh (last) checkpoint – Pondok Paka, with a few squirrels.
(+11)12.52pm: 5.5km mark, 3137m above sea level. 500m to Panalaban.
(+7)12.59pm: 400m to Panalaban.
Panalaban / Laban Rata
(+28)1.27pm: After reporting in at the office on the mountain, I finally arrived at Panalaban / Laban Rata! Took me 4 hours of hiking from Timpohon Gate.
Now it’s time to check in myself at my resthouse. As I made my booking for the via ferrata activity, my accommodation was Pendant Hut. Check out my separate post for Mount Kinabalu Via Ferrata here!
By early evening, climbers from different rest houses and dorms are having an early buffet dinner at Laban Rata Resthouse, as you need to start the hike very early the next day.
You can get nice views from the outdoor seating area of the eating lounge, as long as you don’t mind the strong chilly wind.
Also, take a little stroll around before heading back to your room. Sleep early!
Day 2
Get Up From Bed Just After Midnight
2.00am: Morning supper.
2.42am: Leaving the rest house and starting the climb. Reminder: Do some warm ups and stretchings, or you’ll might end up exhausted as soon as you start climbing.
(+19)3.01am: 6.5km mark, 3426m above sea level.
(+1)3.02am: The light from Kundasang town.
Wooden stairs all the way up till Sayat Sayat Check Point.
Sayat Sayat Check Point
(+34)3.36am: I took almost an hour to reach Sayat Sayat Check Point (just following the line of climbers). It was still too early when I arrived, so I hung out and waited there with a group of climbers and guides.
4.10am: Start of the real climb. No more stairs here, only rockface. A white rope guides us toward the correct direction.
(+8)4.18am: 7.5km mark, 3800m above sea level.
(+25)4.43am: 8km mark, 3929m above sea level. Just slowly walking uphill in the freezing temperature. Saw someone’s having a bad cramp.
(+19)5.02am: 8.5km mark, 4008m above sea level. It was really cold and windy, luckily the wind was blowing from the back instead of towards my face, so my jacket managed to block most of it.
Mount Kinabalu Low’s Peak
(+18)5.20am: Finally, after 1 hour and 10 minutes of climbing at sub zero temperature. I managed to arrive at the highest peak before sunrise. You may wonder why the highest peak is named ‘Low’? Nope, it’s not an ironic name but it is named after Hugh Low, who did the first documented ascent in 1851.
5.35am: Crack of dawn. Notice the white river-like background behind the mountain? Those are not rivers but clouds!
5.49am: Marvelous!
5.50am: The peak started to get a little more crowded at daybreak.
Breathtaking view of the path we came up from.
Did you know? The famous tipped rock face, frequently photographed as the main portrayal of Mount Kinabalu, is often mistaken as the highest peak. It is actually a peak called South Peak that you’ll see when coming back down from Low’s Peak.
6.15am: Time to head back down for my via ferrata activity.
This is how the path heading up to the peak looks like in daylight.
St John Peak – Notice a face there?
This puddle of water is a popular spot for mirror photography.
Looking back at Low’s Peak
Does this picture remind you of money? Yes, that’s the background printed on the 100 Malaysian Ringgit and the old RM1 notes.
The views when walking down the mountain after sunrise are just magnificent!
Instead of walking back down like the others, we who joined the via ferrata activity get to walk to the side and gather at the starting point for the adventurous 4-5 hours ‘rock climb’.
Find out more about my adventure at the World’s highest Via Ferrata on a separate post by clicking here!
This is part of my Motorbike Journey Around Sabah
Have this guide helped you? Tag @meowtainpeople in your hiking stories & posts!
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*Captain Planet passing by* Remember, please take care of our environment, and please don’t destroy the Nature. Leave no trash behind and take back only photos and memories (and also some trash if you can). Walk on the designated path and stay in the middle as much as you can, so that the exposed soil doesn’t spread/corrode further. BE ONE WITH NATURE *flies away*
Hi Jenn, may I ask after you booked the room, how did you hire the guide ? On day 1 at the Kinabalu park office itself right before hiking ?
Hi Huan. Yes, you hire the guide on day 1 at the park office before your climb. Happy climbing!
Hi, may you suggest the best way to travel back to Kota Kinabalu from Sabah Park?
Hi Shiuh Jer, you may find the transport info in my Kinabalu Park here: https://meowtainpeople.com/kinabalu-national-park/#how
I’ve scaled Mount Kinabalu for the 3rd time last month, the last one about 20 years ago, I’m not a keen hiker but here in Sabah, it’s hard to resist the temptation about this well preserved nature. It’s obvious that I didn’t make it to Lows Peak, literally the deja vu from previous trip here, really worn me out. Sometimes I feel sad as I’m alone now, it’s not easy to convince my friends, to relive our feats at 60s, some even call this, suicidal stance. Probably ageing factor…idk. The thrill is gone for me there but I treasure the journey very much. Anyway the mute testimony from previous earthquake is imminent, I find it rather amusing that it’s doesn’t affected people enthusiasts, to test their limits here. The infrastructure to accommodate thrill seekers, is obvious but I find it rather congested. Then I find it runs on a control manner, in order to not disrupt the nature. Anyway I find that your article is alluring to comment here….stay safe, keep up your good work…😁🙏
Well done, Paksuman! It’s all about the journey and I applaud your accomplishment!
Hi! Very informative post. May I just clarify, that if I manage to book accommodation at Laban Rata guesthouse, does that mean I’m guaranteed a climbing permit for that day? Or is that still not guaranteed, and I have to make a call to confirm? And can I only make a call to confirm one month before the climb? It seems that they give out climbing permits prioritizing 3D2N packages and via ferrata, and 2D1N ones have to do so only one month before? Argh, it’s all so complicated!
Hi, as I know, your climbing slot is secured within the quota as long as you have booked any of the accommodations on Panalaban / Laban Rata, but just to be sure, it is best to double confirm with a call. You don’t need to wait until a month before the climb to call the office.
I don’t think they are prioritizing any packages. Everything is booked within the quota, as long as you’ve successfully made your booking, they will have to issue to you the permits when you pay it at the park office on the climbing day.
Very Helpful content!
Thanks Santosh, you have an amazing trek and expedition team!
Hi,
Firstly, thank you for sharing these helpful info. May I know if the guide hiring is compulsory? If I climb alone and hire a guide, will he be guiding me solo or he will include other unknown ppl too?
Thank you very much
Hi KC. Yes, it is compulsory to have a guide to climb Mount Kinabalu. If you hire a guide just for yourself, the guide will just be guiding you alone (unless if they change their policy).
Hi Jenn, thanks for the useful info! I have been looking for this piece of info but couldn’t seem to find a definitive answer, not sure if you have this info as well.
If I am interested for the via Ferrata activity, is it a must to book an accommodation at Pendant Hut? Or can I stay at other (cheaper) accommodation but still book/walk-in for via Ferrata activity? As I am aware that the check-out time will be delayed if I were to take via Ferrata activity, so not sure if other accommodation can cater to the timing.
Thanks in advance!
Hi YC, thanks for reading!
Sorry for the late reply. Yes you can stay at other accommodation and do the via Ferrata activity. Usually through the walk-in method depending on availability but do reach out to MountainTorq to see if you can book it. 😀
想询问如果一个人去爬，然后山导可以和其他人一起合用一个山导来摊分费用是否可以？
是可以的，不一定会找到人，但反正山导是爬山当天早上聘请的，可以早点到试试找伴再聘请山导。
Hi
Would like to ask about your climb to Mount Kinabalu.
Do you stay at KK or at the foot of the mountain the night before the climb? Would you know of any accommodations at the foot?
The closest accommodation would be the Sutera Sanctuary Lodges as they are located within Kinabalu Park itself. There are also many nearby accommodations you can find via https://www.agoda.com/?cid=1880089
Also, check out https://meowtainpeople.com/happy-garden-kundasang/ which was the place I stayed before and after my Mount Kinabalu climb.
Hi, Would like to ask if we drive by our own, shall we park our car at the regstration office and take the shuttle bus offered to the Timphon gate? Or shall we just drive directly to the gate? No sure about the price of bus and the parking accessibility. Thanks!
Hi, the road on the way to Timpohon Gate has very limited car park at the side of the road. There are ample of parking just outside the park. Bus shuttle round-trip price is RM35 per pax, or RM10 per pax for 4 pax and above. Distance to Timpohon Gate from Kinabalu Park office is around 4km+.