I found it soooo hard to find the answers I needed to figure out how to get to Bako National Park. There are tour operators that bundle transport with a guided walk through the park, but you can also get there yourself for a lot less money. Here’s everything I wish I knew before going to Bako National Park in Sarawak.
This post may contain affiliate links. Bookings or purchases through these links generate a small commission for me at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! The photo above of a proboscis monkey is courtesy of our guide, Ziyad.
Table of Contents
Getting to Bako National Park from Kuching
There are three main ways you can get to Bako National Park from Kuching: local bus, Grab taxi, or tour.
Getting the bus to Bako National Park in Sarawak
We took the local bus, and it all went very smoothly! But figuring out where and how to get on the bus was the tricky part. So I took detailed notes throughout so I could share everything with you. Here’s how to get the bus to Bako National Park from Kuching:
- Get on the bus at the Open Air Market. It’s down at the waterfront near the India Mosque, and in view of the Kuching City Mosque.
- Look for bus Q09 Muara Tebas. It sometimes says “Bako” on the sign, or both Bako and Muara Tebas. Either way, it’ll get you to where you’re going.
- Catch the 6:30 or 7:30 AM bus. It runs every hour, but this gets you to the jetty at a good time.
- Bring cash. The bus sign may say it takes Visa/Mastercard, but we had to pay cash both there and back. Pricing is a bit lawless. But when we went in May 2026, we paid 3.70 there and 3.80 back.
- Arrive at Bako National Park one hour later. The bus is like a regular city bus, comfortable with air conditioning.
Open Air Market
Muara Tebas bus Q09
I wouldn’t rely on Google alone. However, if you map to Bako National Carpark and Jetty, you can see the bus route. You can also check out the Bas.My Kuching app for journey planning, recommended by a stranger on Facebook.
When you’re ready to get back to Kuching, you’ll pretty much just do the reverse. It’s still bus Q09 Muara Tebas and everything.
Important note about the return bus
Sometimes the bus doesn’t go all the way into the jetty in the afternoon. You just have to turn right out of the jetty carpark and walk like 2 minutes down the street to the main junction to make sure the bus picks you up. We were ready and waiting at 3:30 PM and it came about 15 minutes later.
All info is accurate as of May 2026. At the time of writing, the transport info on Borneo Adventures was out of date.
What the bus stops look like
Not sure you’re in the right place? Here’s what to look for at both bus stations. The station in Kuching is easy to find, just look for the hornbill statue and this wall of street art. There’s also a mural on the other side with “Kuching” written in what looks like gold foil balloons.
Kuching gold balloons mural
Kuching bus station street art
The bus stop back to Kuching is a little less clear, but you’ll still know when you’ve reached it. It helps that other travellers will probably also be waiting for the bus.
Taking a Grab to Bako NP
If you can’t be bothered with the bus, you can take a Grab or taxi. I always opt for Grab (Asia’s version of Uber) because it’s more well-priced. And you don’t have to worry about negotiating the price like you would with a taxi driver.
A Grab costs about 40 MYR one-way, and it’s easy to order one from the jetty back to the city. However, you may see the price jump to 70 MYR due to high demand when everyone is leaving the park.
If you split the cost with 2 or 3 other people, this is still a budget-friendly way to get to Bako National Park.
Travel essentials for Borneo
📶 eSIM
Stay connected — I even had 3G reception in Bako National Park.
💸 TravelSpend
Track your budget easily (ft. a colourful doughnut chart with stats).
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💳 Wise or Revolut
Compare the best multicurrency cards for spending like a local in MYR.
Booking a tour to Bako National Park in Malaysia
If you book an official day tour, they’ll pick you up from your hotel or a central spot in Kuching. This is the most expensive but easiest way to get to Bako National Park.
Get Your Guide and Borneo Adventures use a sliding price scale. The more people in your group, the lower the price. Both tour operators start at 360 MYR per person for groups of 6+, but cost 560 MYR if you’re travelling solo. In this case, I suggest joining some Facebook groups or asking around at your hostel to see if anyone wants to join you to bring the price down.
Bako National Park website has a set per-person price of 380 MYR.
Booking a tour to Bako National Park in Sarawak with one of these companies also gives you peace of mind that you’re going with a licensed guide and it’s all above board.
Read more: The Perfect 18-Hour Layover in Singapore
Organizing your own guide
Part of the reason you’re looking up how to get to Bako National Park yourself is so you can save money, right? Finding a guide on your own rather than booking with one of the bigger tour operators is the best way to do that.
We got our own guide and he was great. I actually made a public post in this Borneo Travellers Facebook group looking for others to share a boat from the jetty to the national park entrance (also known as Bako National Park HQ).
Not many travellers responded, but several guides did. I contacted one who attached a digital business card with his prices on it — I appreciated the transparency! And then I sent him a WhatsApp message to schedule a date and time, and agree on a price.
It was a bit of a shot in the dark, but it worked out really well. I’ll go into more detail in another article about exactly what to do and how to get in touch with my guide to see if he’s available.
He was very committed to making sure we got to see a proboscis monkey, and we did!
The cost of going to the park with a tour vs traveling there on your own
The tours cost a minimum of 360 MYR and can reach upwards of 500 MYR per person. If you’re on a budget, travelling to Bako National Park independently can save you a lot of money.
By taking the bus and organizing our own guide and boat, we paid 178 MYR each.
- Bus: 7.50 each (return)
- Bako National Park entry fee: 20 each
- Boat to the national park: 50 each (200 shared with another couple)
- Guide fee: 100 each (200 shared between us)
- Total: 177.50 MYR
We brought our own food and that was completely fine. I don’t recommend opting for the buffet-style lunch they offer at the park for a whopping 50 MYR. Oh and we took a Grab to bus terminal in the morning so we didn’t have to leave earlier than necessary. That cost 3.60 each (7.20 total from our hotel).
PS. I use the TravelSpend app for alllll of our budgeting. Genuinely can’t recommend it enough.
Naomi Lai
Naomi is a Canadian travel editor and writer with 13 years of international travel across Southeast Asia, Europe, South America, New Zealand, and beyond. She covers everything from budget backpacking to luxury travel — always from personal experience.
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