free Kuala Lumpur walking tour east west agirlnamedclara
Travel

Free Kuala Lumpur Walking Tour: East-West Connection

As an expat, I’ve been to many places in Kuala Lumpur but I don’t really know the history of it. If that’s also the case with you, why not join a free tip-based KL walking tour?

This week I will share with you my experience of joining a KL walking tour. I saw more than 30 attractions, visited historic areas, and got to know the story behind the city.

The Free Walk Kuala Lumpur Unscripted (FWKLU) holds two walks every weekend — the East-West Connection and the Chinatown Cultural Walk.

My tour guide, Jane Rai, is the founder who designs and operates the tour. All of the tour guides who lead the tours are licensed and very passionate about sharing the history of the city.

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The tour starts at 9:30 am, at Cosmo Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
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This was what the road looked like back then. The area was a tin mine

Although the name is ‘Free Walk Kuala Lumpur Unscripted’, actually it’s a tip-based walking tour. Personally, for a tour guide taking me around the city for about two hours non-stop, I feel it’s the right thing to tip the guide.

So wherever you travel to in the future, if you join a free walking tour, please tip your tour guide🙂

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Masjid Jamek / Jamek Mosque – it’s designed based on Mughal (Northern Indian Muslim) culture
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This is what the area looked like back then. It’s a Malay village
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The mosque is located in between of the Klang and Gombak Rivers, where merchants usually come with their boats and stopped by to pray. See the stairs?
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Jane showed us what the area looked like back then, before the mosque was built

The KL tour starts at 9:30 am. I suggest you have breakfast before joining the tour as you’ll walk for 2 hours under the sun. But if you’re in a rush, there’s a McDonald’s nearby.

Also, bring a water bottle and use sunblock.

Stand by at Cosmo Hotel, the meeting point, by 9:00 am-ish to enjoy free coffee/tea and biscuits (provided by the hotel who supports the activity), plus to join the introduction and briefing.

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The merchant’s lane, before. Many gold shops here. It was also a red light district!
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The merchant’s lane, present day
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historical building kuala lumpur tour agirlnamedclara
Look at the design! It’s been like that since the colonial era
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The 1st Maybank branch in Kuala Lumpur

See the photo above? That is Yap Ah Loy Street, the shortest street in Kuala Lumpur! Jane, our free KL walking tour guide, said that Yap Ah Loy, the man himself, did so much to make Kuala Lumpur the way it is now.

Therefore, on this street, you’ll find an alley dedicated to Yap Ah Loy. There’s a super long comic about how Yap Ah Loy, of Chinese descent, immigrated to Kuala Lumpur and contributed to building the city.

💖 15% OFF ALL TOURS! Click below and enter my discount code: 💖

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Click “Add Promo Code / Voucher” and enter CLARA10 when you checkout at onelifeadventures.com

yap ah loy illustration history kl agirlnamedclara
the story of yap ah loy kl history agirlnamedclara
yap ah loy comic history kl free tour agirlnamedclara

Interesting, isn’t it? I had never been to this area before, although I always stopped by at Pasar Seni LRT to switch trains!

That’s why, in my opinion, expats and locals should join this free (tip-based, ehm) KL walking tour. It’s really an eye-opener.

Now, let’s explore more artsy places! Get your camera or phone ready, there are many Instagrammable spots 😉

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Clara, now only I see your photo??

I know, I know! 😁

I like photography, so I prefer to take photos than being taken photos of. But of course, it also depends on my mood.

Maybe because I don’t feel like a tourist here so I don’t mind. But when I travel to other countries, I like to be in the photo, hehe!

Also, the purpose of this blog post is to share the charm of Kuala Lumpur and the benefits of joining the free walking tour. So I want you to enjoy the photos without me photo-bombing them.

masjid jamek mosque river mural wall kuala lumpur agirlnamedclara
The beautiful Masjid Jamek is surrounded by murals and restaurants
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The tour is coming to an end. Running out of drinking water? Don’t worry.

The last stop of the free Kuala Lumpur walking tour was Kuala Lumpur City Gallery. Inside the gallery, there’s a famous Arch Cafe, where you can finally sit down, cool down with AC, eat and drink! Whew!

50 th bandar raya kuala lumpur street sign agirlnamedclara
kl city gallery inside history board agirlnamedclara

Now, your Free Walk Kuala Lumpur Unscripted aka free KL walking tour is ended. Before you rush to the cafe, remember to tip your tour guide!

How much should you tip? Generally, those who joined the walking tour tipped between RM30-RM50 (around USD7-12) per person.

💖 15% OFF ALL TOURS! Click below and enter my discount code: 💖

CLARA15

Click “Add Promo Code / Voucher” and enter CLARA10 when you checkout at onelifeadventures.com

I personally haven’t tried the food and drink at the cafe, but it’s very crowded. So I guess the food is nice. You can also buy some souvenirs such as bookmarks, fridge magnets, postcards, etc.

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tourist sit arch cafe kl city gallery agirlnamedclara
wood handmade bookmark kl tour agirlnamedclara arch cafe

Alright, friends! I hope you enjoy reading this blog post. This is not a partnered or paid post, but if you’re interested to join the free tip-based Kuala Lumpur walking tour, check out their schedule and register here or via their Facebook page.

P.S. I decided not to work my a** off on the weekends anymore. I feel happier 😊

Also read: “5 Things People Got Wrong About Joining Tours”
Also read: “Cuti-cuti Malaysia: Kuala Selangor and Sekinchan”
Also read: “Transiting in Malaysia? Here’s Your 1 Day Kuala Lumpur Express Itinerary”

4 Comments

  • Mihka'el Caron

    Hi,

    I just wanted to reach out and let you know that your content has been quite helpful for me.

    My friends from Allthingsaustria recommended your site and I’ve not been disappointed at all 🙂

    Cheers,
    Mihkael Caron

    • theresiaclara

      Hi Mihkael, thank you for visitting my blog!

      I’m glad that you find this post helpful, I hope you have a great time in Kuala Lumpur 😊☀️

      Cheers,
      Clara

  • Vorberg

    Guten Morgen,

    mein name ist Erik Vorberg. Ich schreibe Sie gerade an über ihr Formular auf Ihrer Webseite.

    Snd Sie möglicherweise offen für neue Themen? Denn es gibt aktuell einige bislang ungenutzte Möglichkeiten. Mein Team und ich, wir sind spezialisiert auf Digitalisierung und K.I.

    Wenn Sie selbst schon einmal in letzter Zeit darüber nachgedacht haben oder vielleicht schon seit längerer Zeit, dann können Sie sich gerne bei mir melden und wir schauen wann ich mir für Sie Zeit nehmen darf.

    Mit freundlichem Gruß,
    Erik Vorberg

    • theresiaclara

      Guten Morgen, Erik,

      Danke, dass du auf meinem Blog vorbeigeschaut hast und für das Angebot. Eigentlich ist dieser Blog mein Reisetagebuch, ich schreibe, was mir gerade in den Sinn kommt. Da es ein Tagebuch ist, habe ich nicht vor, KI in das Schreiben einzubauen.

      Nochmals vielen Dank, schönes Wochenende 🙂

      Prost,
      Clara

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