Full Day Elephant Sanctuary Tour with a Free Batu Caves Visit
4.8
36 Ratings
Batu Caves
Embark on a full-day elephant sanctuary tour and explore the Aborigine Settlement. Visit the Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Center, dedicated to relocating problem elephants and preserving their population. Don't miss the chance to see these majestic creatures up close!
Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Batu Caves - The Batu Caves in Malaysia are one of the most important Hindu religious sites outside of India and are a must-see once you tire of shopping and wandering Kuala Lumpur.

Just eight short miles north of the city, the Batu Caves are just one of the many interesting things to do around Kuala Lumpur. The caves attract around 5,000 visitors a day who come to climb the grueling 272 steps up to the caverns.

The Batu Caves are a focal point for Hindu Malaysians, particularly during Thaipusam: they house a 113-year-old temple, along with an interesting array of Hindu artwork and shrines.

Every year during the Hindu festival of Thaipusam, the Batu Caves attract more than a million devotees and spectators. The eight-hour procession of music and ceremony leaves offerings before a giant statue of Lord Murugan, the Hindu God of War.

What to Expect at the Batu Caves

Approaching the caves, the first thing you notice is a towering golden statue of Lord Murugan. Erected in 2006, this statue is the largest in the world dedicated to the deity and stands guard to the 272 leg-burning steps that lead up to the cave entrances.

What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Toll, Petrol and Parking Charges
  • Bottled water
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Lunch
What's Not Included
  • Other than mentioned on Inclusion
  • Tips for driver (not compulsory)
Additional Information

The journey takes approximately 1 hour 45 minutes. Our first stop is the Aborigine Settlement.
Kuala Gandah Elephant conservation was established in 1989 by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. The center is a base for the Elephant Relocation Team, which began the elephant translocation programme in 1974. The only one of its kind in Malaysia, the team is dedicated to locating, subduing and then translocating problem elephants from areas where their habitats are constantly being encroached by plantations and to other suitable habitats throughout the Peninsular such as Taman Negara. Over the past 25 yrs the centre has helped prevent the further declined of the elephant population by relocating more than 300 wild elephants.

Location
Batu Caves
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(36 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Lesley_n
May 20, 2024
Elephant Santuary - A big thank you to our Elephant Santuary Tour Guide was amazing, his knowledge of the Elephants and their behaviours was awesome.
Review provided by Viator
Veronica_a
Apr 25, 2024
A Grand Day Out! - Faizal was an awesome tour guide and driver! He was very knowledgeable, about both the Batu Caves, and especially the elephants. I was picked up at my hotel, and driven to both places. I had a private tour for the whole day! I had a grand day out!
Review provided by Viator
Charlotte_d
Apr 24, 2024
April Tour - A great experience. We were picked up on time by our driver Faisal and driven to our first stop Batu caves. We had about 45 mins to explore, walk up the stairs, meet the monkeys and admire the beautiful location. We then drove to the sanctuary for really a once in a lifetime experience, to learn about and interact with the elephants. We paid the additional 120 ringgit for the local guide at the sanctuary, which is well worth doing. Our guide was excellent with great knowledge and this experience allowed us to get even closer to the animals and guide us through the sanctuary. Faisal and the guide even took some pictures of us interacting with the elephants for us to keep as keepsakes of this memorable day. Faisal was a great host offering to stop along the way for food/drinks stops if necessary as well as answering questions on the journey to and from the attractions. A great experience and a must do if you have a spare day when in Kuala Lumpur.
Review provided by Viator
Nichole_p
Apr 7, 2024
Visiting the elephants was a trip highlight - I was very skeptical about this tour to the elephant sanctuary. I am very cautious about animal tourism and saw some comments that this sanctuary was animal exploitation. I enjoyed our visit and learned that the sanctuary is still new (30 years old) and learning from other elephant sanctuaries in India and Thailand. And that they have stopped doing things like elephant rides recently because of what they have learned. The sanctuary relies on tourist to fund the care of these elephants in need. We took the private tour and I felt horrible for the sanctuary because they have struggled since Covid. If you love elephants I recommend a visit. It was a great day and I would do it again
Review provided by Viator
Go628771
Feb 16, 2024
A very special day - This was such a special day. We were collected from our hotel by our driver and guide for the day, Faisal. If possible request Faisal, he was so helpful and informative. The Batu caves are wonderful. If you’re fit you can climb the steps, there’s a lot of them! But just wandering around, taking in the sights and watching the monkeys interact with the other visitors is equally fun. Then it was onto the elephant sanctuary. We paid the extra for the guided tour. We were accompanied by Tajuddin Nasharuddin who has followed in his fathers footsteps to work at this sanctuary. He has an intimate knowledge of these magnificent animals and talks with honesty about the challenges of their work with them. We had a simple tasty lunch and then joined the crowds for the finale show where you see the elephants frolicking in the river. Each elephant is allocated a keeper and they have a special bond which is obvious in the river. It’s wonderful to be able to support and encourage the work they do here, very humbling. Please do go! We’d like to say a special thank you to Faisal for making the day so special.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
19robert76
Jan 5, 2024
This place is a must for anyone traveling to Malaysia, it will take your breath away..!! - Oh my god, it was amazing!!!! We had two drivers. My car had Ramzam driving I’m so sorry I can’t remember the other drivers name (who was lovely by the way). What a lovely pair of guys. We got stuck in a jam on the highway, I think the time of day and time of year. 23/12/2023. Ramzam was lovely chatting too. Hugely informative and an absolute pleasure to be in the company of..! So the Batu caves were as always very nice. It’s a bit steep if you’re not so good on your legs. This time there was no monkeys but I think it was a special day as there was loads of people there for possibly a celebration or pilgrimage. I saw a few people carrying (milk I think) on their heads in special vessels. It’s an actual temple at the top here, so please be courteous. You have to be covered up to be able to go up the steps to the top. It was amazing to be able to whiteness this. I’m so so very proud to of been able to. Once we had been to the caves we headed on to the elephant sanctuary. We had a chicken rice meal on our arrival then met with our elephant vet/ guide ‘Dee’ who was hugely informative and ever so passionate about her role at the sanctuary. We found out that this place is a hospital for sick or injured elephants where they rescue them from injuries or trouble. Some of the elephants had lost limbs or tails or were injured and scared from tiger attacks or accidents. The keepers who work with the elephants really do their best for them all. They know the personalities of each of them. The trust between the keepers and each elephant was amazing to see. We watched them take the elephants to the river and wash them down. Both keeper and elephant ended up totally soaked but looked very very happy in the environment. We got to feed some of the younger ones who loved taking the sugar cane from you while in their pens. This place literally took my breath away filled with joy and love. It’s been 2 weeks and I’m still buzzing over how awesome this place actually is. Huge thank you to the government for paying for this place, huge thank you to all the staff at the sanctuary who clearly do an amazing job that is clear to see they all love. Plus a massive thank you to the your operators who we booked this. Our drivers took us after to an unofficial stop for my 11 year old son to try durian the fruit. In the end we all tried it, my son and daughters, myself and my wife. I have to say it’s not to my liking but it was another amazing experience doing in this beautiful country. I’ve been to Malaysia probably 15 times now, my favorite place to be in the world! Thank you to everyone who sorted the trip out. 🙏❤️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Valentin_r
Jan 5, 2024
Beautiful Experience in the Elephant Sanctuary - Great trip with a Great Guide. Thx Ramzan. Chose the full guided tour in the elephant sanctuary to get the best out of it. Such a great experience
Review provided by Viator
Lauren_b
Dec 19, 2023
We had such a fun day and... - We had such a fun day and the best tour guide, Faizal! He made this tour memorable and was so kind all day. I really enjoyed this tour and would recommend it to anyone visiting Kuala Lumpur!
Review provided by Viator
266juliec266
Nov 13, 2023
Great cultural experience! - The experience of meeting, feeding and petting the elephants was magical. Learning about how they are looked after etc was very interesting. Batu Caves was very interesting too. The driver was excellent.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joby_p
Jan 5, 2024
It is not a trip for... - It is not a trip for worth. 1.5 hour one way trip and there are only a few elephants. Guides and driver are good.
Review provided by Viator
Select Date and Tickets
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today