Top 13 things you mustn’t miss when visiting Kuching city

What to do in Kuching City

There are a lot of things to see and do in Kuching, but where to start? We will help you out with 13 activities you must do when you are in Kuching city so you can make the most out of your trip. Let’s start with number one.

1. Take a relaxing walk along the scenic Kuching Waterfront

Visiting the sparkling waterfront is first on the list of the best things to do in Kuching city. Whether you do this during the day or in the evening – there is always something to see and experience. You can enjoy the view with the unique Petra Dun Jaya ministry building in the background. Walk over the Dural Hana Bridge and test with your own voice if the bridge’s canopies echo as much as people say. And see the largest flag of Sarawak that proudly stands above everything.

Bonus tip: If you visit the Kuching Waterfront in the evening, you can enjoy a fountain show near the bridge, every Monday to Thursday from 8:30pm to 8:45pm or 9:30pm to 9:45pm and Friday to Sunday from 8:30pm to 8:45pm, 9:30pm to 9:45pm or 10:30pm to 10:45pm. Moreover, you can enjoy the cozy little restaurants along with live music.

2. Explore the historic Brooke Gallery at Fort Margherita

What you can perfectly combine with activity 1 on the list of things you mustn’t miss in Kuching, is a visit to the historic Brooke Gallery at Fort Margherita, located across the Kuching Waterfront. To get there, cross the Dural Hana bridge and walk past Petra Dun Jaya (along the river). After just a 5-minute walk stands the fort: the pride of the Brooke dynasty, named after James Brooke’s wife, Margaret Alice Lili de Windt. 

You can learn more about the rich history of Kuching and Sarawak inside the museum. Particularly, how the Englishman James Brooke and his successors shaped Sarawak into what it is today. Much of the harmonious living among the various ethnic groups can be credited to him, as well as the Western influences he introduced. All of this is told in an engaging way.

If you want to know more about the Brooke dynasty, this is the place to be. Note: it can get quite warm during the day, so we recommend visiting the fort earlier in the day. It closes in the late afternoon, which means visiting in the evening is unfortunately not possible.

3. Embark on a serene Sarawak River cruise

Our third tip on the list of things you must not miss in Kuching is a relaxing Sarawak River cruise, which conveniently starts from Kuching Waterfront. Every afternoon, several cruise companies offer trips on the Sarawak River. During the journey, you travel westward, passing landmarks like the India Mosque and eastward to enjoy the city’s view from the water. On the way back, a traditional Sarawak dance is performed, which is especially enjoyable if you haven’t seen it before.

4. Dive into one of the big mega malls

Throughout Malaysia, there are hundreds if not thousands of megamalls. Large buildings with hundreds of stores inside: from fashion to gaming and from fast food to classic food courts. Naturally, Kuching also has several of these megamalls: Plaza Merdeka, AEON Mall, CityONE, Vivacity, The Spring Shopping Mall and so on.

So, it is only logical that if you are in Kuching, you should visit at least one of these megamalls. Our favorites are Plaza Merdeka if you are staying close to the waterfront and Vivacity if you want to go for the full experience. What do we do there? Shopping for new clothes and games. Visit the arcade or the cinema. Or score a tasty meal at one of the larger food chains whenever we feel like it!

5. Discover the cultural harmony at the Malaysia-China Friendship Park

From point 5 onwards, it is time to leave the more well-known things to do in Kuching behind us. We are heading to a lesser-known park among tourists, the Malaysia-China Friendship Park. This park symbolizes the strong relationship between Malaysia and China throughout history, as well as other ethnic groups like Bidayuh, Iban, Indian, Malay and more.

It is the perfect spot where you can enjoy chill vibes, learn more about history and appreciate the people themselves. It is actually our go-to place when Andrea and I want to relax and have a stress-free evening, ideally with a cup of Chagee tea. Except for the tea, the park has free entry which is a nice bonus.

If you visit the park, we challenge you to walk the ‘Path of Good Health’. This concept comes from Chinese medicine, where different pressure points on your foot correspond to various parts of the body. Walking on this pebble path is believed to improve your health. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say. So go for it.

6. Go for a gastronomic experience at Saradise

If you enjoy luxurious dining, then Saradise is the place to be. Number 6 in our places in Kuching that you should not miss, is home to several luxury restaurants. Even though we love the local food and never tire of it, everyone occasionally needs a bit of indulgence. For us, that place is Saradise.

There is a wide selection of different cuisines, but if we must recommend a restaurant, you cannot go wrong with Ken’s Kitchen Kuching. The last time we were here, we savored a refreshing pumpkin risotto and a delectable rib-eye. By the way, our winner Duduksuma Kopitiam from our top 7 best Sarawak Laksa in Kuching is located here too!

7. Learn more about Sarawak’s rich culture and history at the Borneo Cultures Museum

Are you already familiar with the rich history and culture of Sarawak and Borneo? What better way to learn about it, than by visiting the second-largest museum in Southeast Asia. Newly opened in March 2022 and in our opinion perfect for learning more about this fascinating island, its cultures and traditions.

The building itself represents a stunning piece of craftsmanship and architecture and is a must-see in the city of Kuching. The museum consists of five floors, each offering insights into different aspects of Sarawak and Borneo, including nature, various tribes and the island’s history.

Where the Brooke Gallery in Fort Margherita has its focus on the Brooke era, the Borneo Cultures Museum focuses more on Sarawak and Borneo as a whole. Good to know if you can only visit one of the museums!

8. Encounter semi-wild Orangutans at Semmengoh Wildlife Centre

If you want to get out of the city and see some wildlife, Semmengoh Wildlife Centre is the perfect place. That’s why we put it on the 8th spot in our best things to do in Kuching. Here you can see the feeding of the semi wild orangutans and take your first steps into the beautiful nature of Borneo.

Since you can only visit the orangutans at the Semmengoh Wildlife Centre during specific feeding hours, you have two options. The first shift is in the morning from 09.00am to 10.00am and the second shift is in the afternoon from 03.00pm to 04.00pm. Be aware that it’s not guaranteed you get to see the orangutans. They only come out when they feel like it.

Semmengoh is located just outside of Kuching and you can reach it by taking the (free) 103 bus or take a grab. The bus conveniently stops at the entrance of the wildlife centre. If you want to know more about the Semmengoh Wildlife Centre, go ahead and read our guide about Semmengoh for more tips & tricks.

9. Experience local flavors at Premier 101 food court

The perfect way to introduce yourself to the local kitchen of Kuching is by going to a Malaysian food court. Our personal favorite is 101 food court because it offers a lot of variety and it’s the biggest of its kind in Kuching. So, it only makes sense for us to put it in the top things to do in Kuching list.

A food court is a typical Malaysian principle. It is a gathering of food stalls which means you have a lot of choices. Most common is to go to a food court with a group of people and order a lot of different dishes to share. This way you can get to try a lot of different kinds of food instead of just one dish.

Going to a food court can be very overwhelming. There will be a lot going on and it will look like chaos but it is actually very organized. We wrote a blog on how to become a food court expert to help prepare you for your food court experience.

10. Enjoy a delicious Sarawak Laksa breakfast at the famous Chong Choon Café

No better way to start your day with a good Sarawak Laksa breakfast. The world famous chef Anthony Bourdain called Sarawak Laksa breakfast of the Gods. If a world famous chef said that, it should be good, right? We definitely agree with him.

Chong Choon is a small but cozy food court and perfectly located near the Kuching Waterfront. It is also one that is very popular among locals and tourists. They are mostly known for their Sarawak Laksa. If you enter Chong Choon you have to walk all the way to the back where you find the Sarawak Laksa stall.

The Laksa of the Chong Choon Café secured fourth place in our top 7 Sarawak Laksa in Kuching so it is definitely worth a visit and a top spot in Kuching.

11. Go on a hunt for local street art and Kuching’s own cat statues

Did you know that Kuching is also known as the cat city? As expected with such a name, they love their cats. All through the city you can search for cat statues as well as some nice street art. Number 11 on things you should not miss in Kuching city is to go on a hunt for both these cat statues and the hidden street art.

The best place to start your hunt is Plaza Merdeka. You can make your way clockwise through town and make sure you do not miss the small and hidden alleys. In those alleys are where you can find the real hidden gems. It is a fun way of getting to know the city and don’t forget to take a picture with every cat statue you can find.

We already went on a hunt and made a map to help you find the street art. In this blog you can find this map and can read more about our experience.

12. See the vibrant lights of the Satok Suspension Bridge in full glory

Another nice place to spend your evening is at the Satok Suspension Bridge. This is the first and oldest suspension bridge in Sarawak. Originally built in 1923 to 1926, but collapsed in 2004 during a storm, they renovated it to full glory. It is about 130 meters long and looks a bit like the smaller version of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

The bridge lights up beautifully when the sun goes down which attracts a lot of locals as well as tourists to take some nice pictures. A nice plus is that the bridge is located next to a food court and on the weekend there is a small market. It is a nice place to spend your evening with a nice view of the bridge while eating at a local food court. A well deserved spot in the list of things you mustn’t miss, if you ask us.

13. Make Instagram worthy pictures at The Borneo House Museum on a rainy day

Kuching is surrounded by rainforest, needless to say that you will have rainy days. Those rainy days do not mean you have to stay in your hotel all day. A good way to spend your day is by visiting the Borneo House with some friends and/or family to have some fun.

At the Borneo House you can make a lot of funny pictures in the form of 3D art pieces. If you pose correctly and take the picture from the right angle, it looks like you are really part of the art. For example you can look like you are firing the canon from inside Fort Margherita or fighting a real rooster. It is a good place to spend about one to one and a half hours of making fun pictures.

Go out there and explore with all 13 tips

This blog comes to an end with number 13 on the list of things you mustn’t miss when visiting Kuching city. We hope to have given you numerous tips that you can do in the city center of the capital town of Sarawak. As you have read, Kuching is a vibrant city with lots of things to do so there is no time to be wasted. Go out there and explore. Do you happen to have done all the things on our list already? Feel free to reach out to us, so we can give you even more tips on what (free) things to do in Kuching.