Central Market

Top 10 must visit place in Kuala Lumpur, The Central Market established 1888. The building is beautifully restored & maintained. Local arts & crafts are there. Some vendors have been there for a long time that you will find antiques & locally made products. Not far from here is the famous Chinatown area Petaling Street. You will find plenty of street market types of merchandise & fun to shop for “non genuine branded” products. Plenty of tastiest local KL cuisines established in this area decades ago. As long as there is a queue, join in to line up to order & enjoy tasty snacks & meals.

Absolutely loved my visit to Central Market! This place is a vibrant cultural hub in the heart of KL with so much to explore — from beautifully crafted local souvenirs and traditional batik textiles to unique handmade art and trinkets. Shopping here felt special because most items reflect true Malaysian heritage and craftsmanship, not just generic tourist stuff. TheSmartLocal Malaysia +1 The atmosphere was lively yet relaxed, with lots of nooks to browse and local artists showing their work. I also really enjoyed the food options — the food court and surrounding stalls offer delicious Malaysian classics and refreshments, perfect for taking a break between shopping. TheSmartLocal Malaysia +1 It’s super easy to get to via public transport, and the nearby Kasturi Walk adds even more charm with its covered outdoor market feel. Highly recommend a stop here if you’re in KL ; great for gifts, photos, and soaking up local culture!

Central Market is really worth visiting. I’d rate it 10/10. The place is full of local art, handicrafts, and unique souvenirs. The atmosphere feels cultural and lively, and it’s a good spot if you enjoy exploring Malaysian heritage. Also great for photos, food, and just walking around. Definitely a must-visit in KL.

Central Market (Pasar Seni) is a fantastic cultural hub that perfectly balances heritage shopping with a great local food point. If you're looking for an authentic bite, head to the food court on the second floor, where you can find small stalls serving freshly made Malaysian staples like Nasi Lemak, Laksa, and Satay at very affordable prices. For a quick snack, the outdoor Kasturi Walk is lined with kiosks selling hot-served treats like putu bambu and local fruit juices. Beyond the food, the market is a treasure trove of local items and handcrafted goods. The interior is neatly organized into "streets" (like Malay, Chinese, and Indian Street), making it easy to browse for high-quality batik textiles, hand-painted fans, and traditional wood carvings. Because it is housed in a beautifully restored, air-conditioned Art Deco building, it offers a much more comfortable shopping experience than the outdoor street markets. Whether you are looking for unique souvenirs like hand-woven rattan bags or just want to try some traditional kueh (sweets), this place is a must-visit for its vibrant atmosphere and manageable size.

Central Market Pasar Seni is a famous cultural and shopping destination in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. It showcases Malaysia’s diverse heritage through its wide range of traditional crafts, artworks, and souvenirs. The market’s interior is clean, organized, and filled with vibrant stalls offering batik clothing, handmade jewelry, wood carvings, and local art pieces. The atmosphere is lively, attracting both tourists and locals who enjoy exploring cultural treasures. Food options are also available, featuring local snacks and drinks that complement the shopping experience. Overall, it’s a must-visit place for experiencing authentic Malaysian culture, craftsmanship, and creativity in one location.

Overall experience is fair. This is a Tourist spot with Tourists’ price tag. Most items are also labeled as ‘Fixed Price’. Was raining when we arrived in the evening at 5pm ish .. hence there were a lots of parking at the supposing packed parking 🅿️ next to the market. There are 2-storey of vendors selling artworks, local knickknacks, fancy custom jewelry, T-shirts, Batiks, traditional titbits, handicraft … and an old comic shop that caught my attention. There is huge food court at the 2nd deck with some 20-stalls. Reckon one visit suffice.

I love it here! So many unique shops in one place with lots of vendors for authentic Malaysian food outside. I think it’s a great spot to visit to see the essence of Malaysia. If you’re a traveler or visiting, it’s great. It does get pretty crowded and the inside restaurants are a hit or miss. It’s good to try to negotiate prices because they do increase there, partially because expats and partially because I’m sure they are charged extra for access to so many foreigners. But overall nice spot for a general feel of what Malaysia has to offer. I would say it’s similar to Times Square or Hollywood Blvd for reference to the vibe. I still like going there for the fashion options and curated items I have trouble finding elsewhere.

We went to the central market to look for souvenirs, etc., but in general, the prices were expensive compared to the outside and there was no option, it cannot be said that I liked it very much. However, there are nice places to drink in it, you can go and see it. There is a place like a walking street next to it, I suggest you go there, that street is beautiful and there are buildings with beautiful views at the end of the street.

A must visit if you're in KL! This market is AIR CONDITIONED!!! There's so many cute shops with souvenirs that are decently priced. There's also a food court, a super market, and little stands with homemade items. Right next door is walking street where you can find more vendors. 10/10! This place is awesome and it's clean. So many tourists. Everyone is friendly. Make sure to bring a shopping bag!

I rarely shop but I couldn't help myself with the deals found here. I don't know if it's the norm, but there was a large concentration of book vendors. The shops were mostly for clothing. There is a small food court, but Chinatown is less than five minutes away if you want something else. Described as a source for local crafts, but I did not notice many artisans. Parking lot available.

We liked it so much we went there twice during our stay in KL. A comfortably air conditioned, commodious space, with numerous stores selling souvenirs, local crafts (lots of batik) and a large food market with tasty, giftable snacks. You can grab a quick meal or drink at the food market on the ground floor as well as the foodcourt upstairs. We didn't get a chance to check out the art vendors in the side alley though, so may need to make a third trip for that :)

This is the best souvenir shopping for things made in Malaysia such as batik inspired things. Luckily we came today and it happened to be an event put on by Zurich insurance: passport activity to visit various booths for prizes. I'm a sucker for these things since I got to learn about various causes, speak with locals, play trivia about Malaysia, and get a wellness check! Thank you for allowing me to participate since I was not sure if I could being a tourist. Everyone was super friendly there and also at the shops.

Not exactly what I had expected but still a good experience. I had admittedly hoped for more artisanal products and being able to see the artists at work but Central Market is more on the commercialized side of things these days. This food/goods hall dates back to the 1800s and features two stories of food stalls, wood furniture, clothing, scarves, souvenirs, a whole shop dedicated to Durian and more. I would estimate around forty shops in total I tend to get more excited about purchasing art pieces when I can see the maker of the trade first hand so in the end, we didn't end up making any purchases but there were some pretty cute pieces of clothing for sale. Had I not been so jet lagged, I probably would have had my bartering game face on. One important note about Central Market: it is air conditioned! When you find yourself hopping between steamy streets in KL, that's certainly worth noting.

Is the Historical Central Market of Kuala Lumpur. Nice area to spend couple of hours eye shopping or getting some souvenirs for family and friends back home. The market is filled with local handcrafts but also has many Indian and Chinese items. Haggle, haggle and haggle... Don't pay the price that they give you. There are many bargains but, not all of them. Silver for example, a same Sterling Silver neckles that cost US$ 75.00 back in Los Angeles cost US$ 125.00 here. Just because the area looks bargain place does not means the prices are. Be careful. For the eating, there is a big food court in the sexond floor with local, Indian and Chinese food. The food is pretty decent. For Uber users, make sure to be dropped and picked up at the main entrance and if you can plan ahead, tell the same driver to come to pick you up after certain hours.

REVIEWER # 27 I absolutely loved Central Market! Believe it or not, I was here every day, shopping! Central market is one of the oldest buildings in Kuala Lumpur and was built in 1888. It's a hub for Malaysian culture offering two levels of over 300 vendor's selling a variety of different items. You can find almost anything here; everything from jewelry, rice made necklaces, souvenirs, suitcases, food market (upstairs), electronics, and yummy chocolate-this place has something for everyone. My favorite vendors were mostly located downstairs; I truly enjoyed: *The Fish Spa- you get a 15 minute fish spa for 10 RM: a very good deal; definitely one of my favorite things to do here. *Angel Jewelry-sales walls and walls of jewelry and for a reasonably price! There is a lovely lady named JoJo that is a sweetheart! I recommend this to anyone that is into jewelry. *rice made necklaces- This vendor is incredible! Talk about talent, this lady has it! This vendor makes personal necklace with your name on it for less than 40 RM (including the necklaces and jewelry). You can certainly purchase souvenirs here; me personally, I purchased them at Chinatown area as I found it cheaper. Don't forget to check out the Central Market sign outside the building and take a picture in front of it; do it for the Gram (Instagram that is). Also, check out Kasturi Walk which is located on the outer strip of Central Market. It's known as a "wet market" that has food vendors and people selling similar items that are offered in the market. This place has now been known as a tourism attraction. On most days they are open from 10 AM-9:30 PM. One could easily spend 3-4 hours here. +Most of the venders only accept cash, but no worries, they have ATMs onside. Happy Shopping!

A great tourist destination with artisanal shops selling an assortment of souvenirs. You can definitely spend a bit of time here and makes for a great lunch spot with its many cafes and food stalls.

I love the Central Market! I visited it on my first day in KL and refrained from buying souvenirs there because I expected it to be a typical tourist trap with unoriginal items and high prices. After spending a week in KL I realized, to my surprise, that the best souvenirs were to be found in the Central Market! They sell pretty much anything you could imagine wanting as a souvenir. There are stalls that sell clothes, carpets, masks, wooden carved items, candy, etc. Its a bit overwhelming, so I suggest walking through the whole place at least once before you buy anything. The market is inside, so it's also a good refuse from the daily deluges as well as a decent place to grab some food. They have a food court upstairs where you can get a whole variety of different cuisines. I got the Coconut Ice Cream one day and was blown away! It was so good I could eat it all day. Definitely visit the Central Market while you're visiting!

Parking is a tad difficult so be careful in the area. Everything's kind of a tight squeeze. This is the place to go to find all of the local Malaysian goodies and souvenirs. The traditional dress shops there are all so beautiful and every store has different designs. There are toys there and other knick knacks to buy. There are also some food shops scattered around as well as a food court if you get hungry.

A good place to get your souvenirs to bring back home. Few shops here carry good quality items, the rest of the shops sell poorly manufactured cheap goods and imitations. A section of the market is in a two story building indoors and the other shops outside under the atrium. The adjacent atrium is surrounded by the old buildings from years passed and it is charming to see and photograph. But, it would serve the vendors and the market better if the old buildings would be restored with some quality craftsmanship to bring back its glory days. It conveniently located 5 minutes on foot from Pasar Seni train station. There are a couple of new builds under construction in the area since 2013 and are yet to be completed. It would be nice developers can uplift Central market and clean up the area. There is a canal/river by the train station and it is full of garbage and the walls of graffiti. There are a few eateries but, nothing that tickled my tastebuds.

Came here to get a present for my wife and a spot for lunch after having been in china town before and I found the stall to be just as good in terms of breadth and depth of options but less pushy and in your face. Also there was a great food court where you can get local food very reasonably and good - strongly suggest you offer half the label price and you should get close to it !!

This place is huge and if you have time to look around, you may be able to find some hidden gems. For souvenirs this place is a good all-in-one spot for things to bring home. I found the set of chopsticks I wanted here, coin purses, jewelry. and handmade ceramic bowls. I was disappointed with the hand painted small ceramic bowl as I had it in bubble wrap and it cracked easily. I did not have any luck haggling, but you should always try, you never know. I did, however, find the prices here cheaper than the other touristy places I visited. Second floor has clothing like t-shirts and the "vacation pants" from Thailand. I don't know if this place is a must-see, but if you have time, why not?!

Ok, Shoppers, this is your one stop shopping center, and whatever you need from K. L. can be found here. All of the shops haggle, and you can find some great deals. In fact, having traveled all over Asia, I often run into the same stuff, however, this market offered some treasures that I hadn't seen before. I picked up a few tops that were an instant hit. There is a nice food court on the top floor, and the dining options are many. However, more importantly, clean restrooms await your eager patronage on the first floor. Trust me, this is a feature that will rival the market's AC, one that will speak volumes in your time of need.

This is a tourist trap, but it does have some cool shops inside. We bought a lot of gifts from the coconut shop. All the jewelry is crafted from coconut shells/interior. You will also find your standard fare of knick knack shops, cloth shops, art craft stores, and cheap knock off watches/beats headphones/electronics. Some street vendors will allow bargaining but others will flat out lie (or they make up some convenient excuse as to why there is no discount). It's worth asking just to make sure.

In A Nutshell: -As an avid traveler and day/night market geek, I'd have to say that Central Market didn't really hit the jackpot in terms of making it memorable. -You can find all sort of knickknacks, tourist souvenirs (like you see in my pic below), street food and knock off BAPE t-shirts. Overall, I can't really comment too much on this market, but it's definitely cool to check out if you're in Kuala Lumpur.

Place is listed on one of the KL tourist maps as a must-visit. Description: - haggle prices (and you should) - there is indoor (A/C) and outdoor (brave the heat and humidity) shopping. - food court inside - there is a massage place on the 2nd level for your tired/weary feet. - there are foreign currency exchange places in the area. - within 5 minute walk to Pasar Seni train station (I think it was the Red line) - cheap place for souvenirs Overall, a charming and delightful experience.

Central Market is located about a 10 minute walk from Chinatown in KL. The food in the court is okay. There wasn't anything that really jumped out at me, but the pricing was very reasonable. We went to 3 different restaurants and got a variety of food to share. The best tasting dish that we got was the chicken and rice, but it was slightly cold. If it were a little warmer, I think it would have been pretty delicious. It was ridiculously hot when we went, so we didn't go outside for long. We mostly stayed inside and checked out the shops that were inside. There are a lot of little shops where you can get souvenirs and there's a variety of different shops so one can find something they like. Cool place to check out while in KL.

Not as exciting to me as before and the restaurants upstairs were very disappointing. I could make better Asam Laksa at home! What is still good is the shop in the middle of the restaurant area which mskes very good fresh fruit drinks especially the guava!

Central Market is a tourist attraction and known as a Malaysian culture, heritage and art and craft centre. A famous Malaysian architect, Chen Voon Fee, renovated the building around 1980's to preserve it as an historical building. Central Market is split into 3 sections, the building, Central Market Annexe and Kasturi Walk. The Central Market building colour is white and baby blue. The whole building has air conditioner installed which is a bliss because the weather is hot and humid. There are many various stalls and shops around Central Market ranging from souveniers, food, arts and craft, home décor, collectables shops and many more. There are also many independent shops and you can bargain with them too. Well, I tried bargaining and it was a success! I think it is a nice place for tourists to shop because it is not crowded, has good environment and the price are quite reasonable. Central Market Annexe is behind central market and it is a place where artsy stuff happens. There is a short open air street where artists have a small booth to themselves selling their artwork. There is also a gallery called Annexe Gallery. Kasturi Walk is a street in between Central market and a row of shop lots. To identify it, just find a huge wau above the street and it also acts as a rain shade. There are many food and handicraft stalls along the street.

If you are in Kuala Lumpur on a holiday this is a place you must not miss out, especially if you have a knack for art and culture. It's a place where you can find the best gifts and souvenirs for your love ones and most souvenirs are handmade, also reflecting the culture of Malaysia. There's also an amazing 3D gallery and rows of mini galleries for local artists to display their artwork as well as taking commissions for portraits and caricatures. There are also restaurants in there so you don't go hungry while visiting this gem.

This is a historical market site, with 2 floors of small shops selling souvenirs and miscellaneous stuff like leather sundries, scarves, key chains, chocolates, etc. Depending on how much you like to bargain, and whether you're specifically looking for something, or simply browsing for a deal, you can spend a half hour or more. The place gives you a good break on a hot day, as its interior is air-conditioned. However, the market was small, and I preferred shopping in Petaling. Note: a lot of the places claim to accept credit cards, but the shop owners either don't know how to use their machines, their connection is broken, or simply pretend it's not working. You may want to bring cash along :)

Not worth the hype. The market is a typical tourist place. Nothing really special here. If you don't mind the dirty and smelling, then you might enjoy it. But for me, it's a big no no. Don't waste your time here, go to Pavilion mall!!!!

Well... I know this is a tourist spot and almost everything is over priced here but I still love coming here after 27 years.. it brought back old memory. I wish they would manage this place better. Too much same old stuffs. A few shops will sell something interesting but mostly souvenirs made from China or somewhere else. I like the antique shops and a few boutiques. Food wise.. just ok mostly.

I always come here hunting for Malay snacks that are difficult to find elsewhere like agar agar kering. Yup, i'm such a city girl I don't really know where else to look for this favorite traditional snack of mine in KL. Another favourite I like to hunt for here is Kuih Siput (I hope I got the name right), which is a popular cracker. Since I'm no tourist I tend to shop for specific things like unique scarves or prop pieces for one of my projects. It can get pretty expensive .There is a food court on the upper floor but so far I've found it rather mediocre. Also parking is provided but expensive and to save a bit you might want to consider parking in Dayabumi next door.

Another landmark of Kuala Lumpur, built in 1888 and transformed completely from a wet market to a comfortable air-conditioned local arts and souvenir centre. Even a fully KL grown kid like me find the visit eye-opening. There are multiple outlets in the centre and many outlets are unique and authentic in their products (in contrast, at Petaling Street, you can easily find the same item sold in different stores). Take your time to stroll around and you will be surprised with some hidden gems. There are different sections like Chinese and Malay arts. The price might be priced above average. But, if you like arts, it might be worthwhile to you.

A tourist hot spot which located in the center of Kuala Lumpur. You can easily come here by train; Stop at 'Pasar Seni' station and just walk for 5 minutes. This place is a must go destination for tourist who come to Kuala Lumpur, also known as 'Pasar Seni'. I don't think so many locals come here, so far in my observation there is more foreign tourist than local visitor. As I knew, on the weekends, some organization will held culture events or any events that will attract local and foreigner. What you can do in Central Market? What else. Shopping . All about Malaysia are in here, souvenir, foods ,clothes and antique craft. You also can go to the food restaurant that available on second floor. From Chinesse food to Malay food, just find it. (Only food does matter to me, haha) After one day walking around Kuala Lumpur, you can try the fish spa in the market. I did a review about this cute fish spa, check it out. Also,get some tour around Kasturi Walk, a lot of talented artists showing their art- you can get yourself a portrait drawing. Personally, this place has nothing special, it's just a market that becomes a central for tourist to buy souvenirs or traditional foods ( which is not so many shop sells it in here) Yes, if you don't have much time to shop souvenirs, this is the perfect place for you. Enjoy your Kuala Lumpur visit!

A very busy marketplace filled almost exclusively with tourists. Great place to shop for souvenirs to bring back. Very clean and air conditioned, really great to escape the heat. You can definitely bargain, I usually offer 50% and settle around 70% of the original price. Most of the food and some clothing shops on the upper level.

Hard to bargain here, but a lot of cool things to browse. Definitely try the fish foot spa! :)

One thing about being in KL is finding a parking & traffic....oh well all places is like that.unless you are using a public transport. but once you are there, this place is happening ! I wish I coluld go here more often.

We visited on a Friday and it was our first walking venture out after being here since Tuesday night. (Yeah we took a couple of days to get acclimated after almost a full day of air travel). Along our long walk from Petronas Towers to Chinatown, we did manage to get to the Central Market. I am a seasoned traveller and had been here almost 50 years ago. The difference in the setting is stark with all these HUGE towering buildings EVERYWHERE except in Chinatown. But, I diverge, and my focus is the Central Market, which didn't seem to have anything that this jaded traveller would be interested in. Clothing, chotchkies, nothing except a photo postcard of Petronas Towers, and the 2nd Floor food court made me stop. It was nicely air conditioned, a great relief after a 2 hour walk, but the place is nothing more than a quick oasis to carry you on to your next destination. OK, they had a dead-skin eating fish tank that cost 10 RM for 15 minute which tourists seemed to love with tanks to hang your feet into that were well stocked with these 1-2 inch fish, There was also a Pearl tea shop to whet your whistle especially if 2 out of 3 of use were foolish enough to not carry bottled water (I had mine!). IT PAYS TO CARRY WATER IN THE TROPICS! The Food Court - we chose to take carryout from two locations: The adjacent Thai place and the Desi Lab. The Thai Place was decent and we got 3 plates for 27 RM. BUT THE DESI LAB WAS A DISASTER -- DON'T EAT THERE BECAUSE IT WAS BASICALLY INEDIBLE. The naan was hard as a rock!!!! A ROCK!!! The barker there for some reason wanted us to pay more by ordering the set meal and gave me a hard time when all we wanted were a few a la carte items. I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS GOD AWFUL DESI LAB FOOD AS IT WAS NOT TASTY OR EDIBLE. iTS BETTER TO EAT in a place that is not a tourist trap -- after all, they see you are coming, they know you are not going to come back -- so they serve you crap.

James T. had it right in saying this is "a tourist trap, but it does have some cool shops inside." The old, art deco building and all its shops are fun to wander through, whether you're in search of gifts/souvenirs or just enjoy 'window'-shopping. The helpful, mostly very friendly staff throughout will happily try to sell to you some of the wide, wide variety of goods from all over Malaysia (or at least representative of goods from all over Malaysia). Upstairs is mostly clothes (batik, batik, and more batik!), plus a few assorted souvenir and accessories shops -- including watches and traditional Malaysian kites -- and the food court. Downstairs is pretty much _everything else_ souvenir-wise, from the most straightforward and kitschy to unique, artistic, and generally high-quality goods. There are also a few food stands downstairs, as well as a "fish spa," where for 10 ringgit you can sit for 15 minutes with your feet in a tank of water with fish nibbling away dead skin. (People seem to really like the fish spa, but I remain unconvinced to try it.) Happy souvenir hunting!

If you're one that just loves the a unique blend of culture and art then the Central Market in Kuala Lumpur is one for you to try out. Driving there might be a bit complicated if you're a first-timer in KL as the hustling and bustling surrounding might leave you confused and somewhat terrified. So, I would recommend you take the LRT. Just get off at LRT station "Pasar Seni" and the Central Market is only a short walk away. The Central Market offers you an array of traditional clothing, art, food and there's even a collectable's shop selling old coins and other vintage things. You'll definitely get a sense of culture here. There's even a chance for you to experience 'Batik' painting and you can even bring it back home with you once you're done. After a whole day of walking and shopping around, you can rest and recharge yourself at the food court there. There are mostly Asian foods in the food court so if you're Malaysian, go on and try the foods that is new to you. Don't be scared, there's a first time for everything. As for foreigners, the Asian foods are definitely one to try. I would also recommend the Ice Floss there as one desert to try. It's very nice!