--- title: "Kota Kinabalu Cruise Port" url: https://cruisello.com/destinations/southeast-asia/kota-kinabalu description: "Borneo's gateway to Mount Kinabalu" --- # Kota Kinabalu ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡พ ยท Malaysia ยท Southeast Asia > "Borneo's gateway to Mount Kinabalu" ## At a Glance - **Avg. Ships/Day:** 1 - **Avg. Time in Port:** 8.5h - **Visiting Sailings:** 11 - **Cruise Lines:** 2 ## Peak Season Busiest months: Feb (7 sailings), Jan (3 sailings), Dec (1 sailing) ## About Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah on Malaysian Borneo. Larger ships anchor offshore and tender passengers to the port, which is about 2km from the city centre. The waterfront has a busy fish market and rows of seafood restaurants. Mount Kinabalu, Southeast Asia's highest peak, is visible from the city on clear days but the national park is about two hours away by road. The islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, just 15-20 minutes by boat, have coral reefs and clear water for snorkelling. The Filipino Night Market on the waterfront has cheap grilled seafood and satay. For wildlife, the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park has Borneo's proboscis monkeys, sun bears, and orangutans. Sabah's mixed Kadazan-Dusun, Bajau, and Chinese communities give the city a distinctive cultural mix. The currency is Malaysian Ringgit, and English is widely spoken. ## Quick Facts - **Currency:** MYR (Malaysian Ringgit) - **Language:** Malay, English - **Timezone:** Asia/Kuching (UTC+8) - **Tipping:** Not expected; service charge often included ## Location Coordinates: 5.9894, 116.0809 - [Open in Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/cruise+terminal+Kota%20Kinabalu/@5.9894,116.08087,13z) - [Open in Apple Maps](https://maps.apple.com/?q=cruise%20terminal%20Kota%20Kinabalu&ll=5.9894,116.08087&z=13) ## Things to Do in Kota Kinabalu Top-rated shore excursions that fit a typical ~9h port call. Prices are starting prices per person. | Tour | Rating | Duration | Fits Port Day | From | Provider | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Private Tour Kampung Gipsi Sabah Cultural Village Kota Kinabalu](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/2a44fe4e-8df4-444a-901c-761e6543a4fd.md?via=markdown) | 4.8โ˜… (47) | 1h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ34 | Viator | | [Kota Kinabalu City Tour Cultural & Heritage Tour with Lunch](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/4d43552f-ef5b-4d5b-ae5c-dd15a84530c0.md?via=markdown) | 4.8โ˜… (12) | 4h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ56 | Viator | | [Sunset E-Foil Experience in Tanjung Aru Beach](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/6e384f76-bc5a-4f07-800c-33c4caf5a7a1.md?via=markdown) | 5โ˜… (10) | 2h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ56 | Viator | | [Mangrove Kayaking Experience in Borneo](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/9c014f9d-8404-4beb-98ac-b62886ba0c88.md?via=markdown) | 4.8โ˜… (9) | 4h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ43 | Viator | | [Top of the World - Sunrise Leisure Hike St. Veronica Hill](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/04e8e25f-fb22-4d2f-82c9-216a87a70ac3.md?via=markdown) | 5โ˜… (8) | 4h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ86 | Viator | | [Mari Mari Cultural Village Tour with Transport, Guide and Lunch](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/9bf656b9-1384-4f9d-9b9d-e7d49ad313df.md?via=markdown) | 5โ˜… (11) | 5h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ56 | Viator | | [Traditional Sabah Cooking Class and Taste Local Flavors](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/e5fdc144-e25e-4109-9792-b760136b6f1d.md?via=markdown) | 5โ˜… (7) | 3h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ67 | Viator | | [2 Hour Kota Kinabalu Local Street Food and History Walking Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/bfd8d9eb-d3c1-48b7-85ab-0eeb6b20db49.md?via=markdown) | 5โ˜… (5) | 2h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ42 | Viator | | [Half-Day Mari Mari Cultural Village from Kota Kinabalu](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/3e7b3f17-92d5-463b-a3b3-c9f989d88f13.md?via=markdown) | 5โ˜… (5) | 4h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ82 | Viator | | [RAID Try-Dive Experience in Kota Kinabalu](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/d0ddfd68-6847-4027-939e-def7541dd20c.md?via=markdown) | 4.9โ˜… (63) | 6h | โ€“ | โ‚ฌ110 | Viator | | [Join us for a RAID Try Dive in Kota Kinabalu](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/a912325b-0e30-4e20-9c06-8b0d248d3463.md?via=markdown) | 5โ˜… (34) | 6h | โ€“ | โ‚ฌ110 | Viator | | [Mari-Mari Cultural Village Half Day Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/0cb3072a-bee6-48a9-8372-81d96dd7b8fc.md?via=markdown) | 5โ˜… (4) | 4h 30m | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ74 | Viator | Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews. ## Nearby Ports - [Bandar Seri Begawan](https://cruisello.com/destinations/southeast-asia/bandar-seri-begawan.md): 95 nm - [Puerto Princesa](https://cruisello.com/destinations/southeast-asia/puerto-princesa.md): 275 nm - [Coron](https://cruisello.com/destinations/southeast-asia/coron.md): 436 nm ## Cruise Lines Serving This Port - [Holland America Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/holland-america-line.md) - [Norwegian Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line.md) ## Cheapest Available Sailing **[View this cruise โ†’](https://cruisello.com/cruises/exotic-southeast-asia-adventure-singapore-saigon~NCL-JADE-20280103-12.md)** - **Price:** โ‚ฌ1,760 per person (โ‚ฌ3,520 total for 2 guests) - **Cruise Line:** [Norwegian Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line.md) - **Ship:** [Norwegian Jade](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line/norwegian-jade.md) - **Duration:** 12 nights - **Departure:** 2028-01-03 - **Itinerary:** Exotic Southeast Asia Adventure โ€“ Singapore & Saigon ## Featured Cruises from Kota Kinabalu Prices are per person, two sharing, in the fare's own currency. | Cruise | Ship | Line | Departure | Nights | Price | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Exotic Southeast Asia Odyssey โ€“ Singapore & Saigon](https://cruisello.com/cruises/exotic-southeast-asia-odyssey-singapore-saigon~NCL-JADE-20270103-14.md) | Norwegian Jade | Norwegian Cruise Line | 2027-01-03 | 14 | โ‚ฌ2,864 | ## Browse Cruises - [All cruises visiting Kota Kinabalu](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md?stopoverPorts=kota_kinabalu) (11 sailings) ## Browse - [Southeast Asia cruises](https://cruisello.com/destinations/southeast-asia.md) - [All Destinations](https://cruisello.com/destinations.md) - [All Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md)