Kota Bharu: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Kota Bharu is a city of 568,900 people in Malaysia (Kelantan), 10 m (33 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (KBR), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre. It has 2 railway stations on record, including Kota Bharu train station. Our booking partner lists 592 places to stay.
Key facts
Open Kota Bharu in Google Maps
Daylight in Kota Bharu runs from about 11 h 48 min a day in late December to 12 h 31 min in late June (computed for 6.12° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Kota Bharu is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (KBR), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 7,874 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Narathiwat Airport (NAW, 71 km).
Flights to Kota Bharu: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Kota Bharu train station, Pasir Puteh train station. Trains to Kota Bharu
Buses to Kota Bharu · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 592 places to stay in Kota Bharu. Of the 312 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (132), and 1 are five-star. Across 154 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.1 out of 10. Guests have left 46,889 reviews in total.
Hotels in Kota Bharu: the full picture, and book
Our booking partner lists 6 hostels in Kota Bharu, out of 592 places to stay of every kind — 1% of everywhere it lists in the city, a small share: this is a city where nearly everything on offer is a hotel or an apartment. Guests have left 5 reviews across them.
Hostels in Kota Bharu: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Kuala Lumpur, 337 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Kampung Baru Subang, 340 km
- Petaling Jaya, 343 km
- Ipoh, 214 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Shah Alam, 347 km
- Bukit Rahman Putra, 332 km
- Kuantan, 284 km — trains · tours
- Kota Kuala Muda, 216 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Sungai Petani, 201 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Selayang Baru Utara, 325 km — trains
Common questions
Which airport serves Kota Bharu?
Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (KBR), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Kota Bharu?
About 568,900 people live in Kota Bharu, across 116 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Kota Bharu in?
Asia/Kuala_Lumpur, currently UTC+8.
What currency is used in Kota Bharu?
The Ringgit (MYR). Traffic drives on the left.
Are there hostels in Kota Bharu?
6 of them, bookable on this site. Hostels in Kota Bharu.
How many hotels are there in Kota Bharu?
Our booking partner lists 592 places to stay in Kota Bharu, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Kota Bharu?
Kuala Lumpur (337 km), Kampung Baru Subang (340 km), Petaling Jaya (343 km), Ipoh (214 km), Shah Alam (347 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.