KL Surprisingly More Walkable Than Singapore, Ranking Shows

By Danial Martinus • 06 May 2026 in Features

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Walking tour platform GuruWalk has named Kuala Lumpur the 52nd most walkable city in the world on their Top 100 Walking Cities 2026 list, surprisingly putting the Malaysian capital 18 spots higher than Singapore, which sits at #70.

A surprise to both Malaysians and Singaporeans, probably

We Malaysians have many gripes with the infrastructure (or lack thereof sometimes) in our cities, and KL isn’t exempt from any of that valid criticism. So when a travel platform puts KL above Singapore in terms of walkability, it certainly raises some question marks, especially among locals.

And you don’t have to be an unpatriotic Singapore apologist to admit that Lion City has world-class infrastructure, with its small and dense geography making it incredibly walkable. It can be easy to argue that Singapore should objectively be higher on the list in this sense.

Although the ranking doesn’t specify why its entrants have their respective places, what we do know is that positions are based on multiple criteria, which might help us figure out why KL is above Singapore.

The list’s name refers to “walking cities”, so it makes sense that it takes into account feedback from people who’ve participated in GuruWalk’s walking tours. After all, you’re never truly going to experience the walkability of a city until you’ve… walked it?

But the ranking also looks at the density of major attractions, level of accessibility, as well as the overall experience of exploring the city on street level.

In this case, especially with density, it kind of makes sense that KL is higher, since there’s quite literally more physical space for people to spread out compared to Singapore. One can only imagine how crowded it gets in the latter during peak holiday periods.

(source: Muhammad Faiz Zulkeflee / Unsplash)

“Kuala Lumpur fuses the modernity of its Petronas Towers with historic markets brimming with life,” the list says.

“Walking through the centre takes you from the colonial quarter with British buildings to futuristic spaces, passing centuries-old Hindu temples and street food stalls where Malay cuisine unfolds all its aromatic complexity.”

You might think KL is undeserving of its place on the list, what with all the areas of much-needed improvement, like reliability of public transport and actual sidewalks that don’t suddenly disappear or get obstructed by pickup trucks and motorcycles.

But it’s also making a name for itself, and it’s been doing so for decades. Who knows? 10 years from now, KL might even break into the top 10.

The current top 10, unsurprisingly, are made up entirely of European cities: Rome, Madrid, Budapest, Prague, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Porto, Barcelona, London, and Berlin.

The highest ranked Southeast Asian cities on the list are Hanoi (37) and Ho Chi Minh City (38), both in Vietnam.

Click here to check out the list in its entirety.