# Batu Caves Guide: The 272-Step Climb, Monkeys, Ramayana Cave & a 2.6 RM Train Back

By Prashant & Sunaina · 4 August 2025 · https://www.psvlogs.in/blog/batu-caves-guide

> Visiting Batu Caves with family: the Lord Murugan statue and 272 steps, monkey warnings, Ramayana Cave with its waterfall and natural Shivling, a 7 RM South Indian thali, and the cheap train to KL Sentral.

**Batu Caves** is a 400-million-year-old limestone hill just outside Kuala Lumpur. Rainwater slowly carved huge chambers into it, and in **1890** a temple to **Lord Murugan** was built inside. We went as a family, with the grandparents and a very energetic young footballer.

Watch the vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3RnjsXATyc

## Getting there
Three ways: **train** (KTM has a Batu Caves station right behind the temple), **bus** or **taxi**. We came by taxi (about **50 RM** for the group) and went back by **train for just 2.6 RM per person** to KL Sentral.

## The climb: 272 steps
The giant golden **Lord Murugan statue** (about 42.7 m, one of the tallest in the world) stands at the bottom. Take the **centre staircase**: 272 steps, steep and straight.

- **Take a short break every few flights.** That's our footballer's advice, and it works.
- The view of the KL skyline from the top is worth it.
- **Seniors or anyone with back pain should skip the climb.** Our nani waited below.

## Monkeys: don't carry food!
The monkeys are big and bold. One snatched a packet of peanuts from us. **Don't eat on the stairs or inside the cave**, and keep bags zipped.

## Temple Cave
A huge cave with an opening at the top that lets in a shaft of light. There's the main **Murugan temple** and more shrines further up. Water drips from the rock. Shops at the top are pricier (postcards were 1.5 RM each), so buy souvenirs below.

## Lunch: South Indian thali
The café at the base serves a proper **South Indian thali** (three vegetables, rice and papad) for about **7 RM**. It was delicious.

## Ramayana Cave
Don't skip this one. It has colourful Ramayana sculptures and paintings (Kumbhakarna is huge!), a **fresh mountain waterfall** inside, a **natural Shivling** with water dripping onto it, and coins left by devotees. Some sections are steep and slippery, so **kids shouldn't go alone**, and it's not ideal for seniors.

## Kailash Cave
A large Shiva statue and a **Ganesha said to have formed naturally**, all beautifully lit and maintained.

## The dark cave
There's a "Dark Cave" adventure section, but it was **closed** when we visited.

More KL: [3 days in Kuala Lumpur](https://www.psvlogs.in/blog/kuala-lumpur-3-day-guide).

## FAQs

**How many steps are there at Batu Caves?**
272 steps up to the Temple Cave. Take short breaks and it's manageable.

**How do I get to Batu Caves cheaply?**
By KTM train. Our return to KL Sentral cost 2.6 RM per person. A taxi there cost us about 50 RM for the group.

**Is Batu Caves suitable for seniors?**
The climb is hard on anyone with back or knee pain. Seniors can wait at the base, which has cafés and shrines.