Everything You Need To Know Before Visiting Taman Tugu

Taman Tugu was once the site of government homes and then an unofficial landfill. In 2018, the space was saved from commercial developers who probably wanted to put another crappy mall on the spot. Instead, it was converted to a 66-acre public park and conservation site with over 5 kilometres of trails.

Taman Tugu is the green space directly above the Perdana Botanical Gardens. By partnering with the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), over a thousand trees in Taman Tugu have been marked for preservation. More trees, including indigenous species, are being planted on-site within nurseries to eventually be moved into the main forest area.

This park is so clean that it’s hard to believe that not long ago it was a dumping ground. Over 150 truckloads of trash was cleared away from this site since its conversion. The bones of the old government lodgings remain, however, with leftover foundation blocks along the paths. With its well-marked trails and low difficulty that even children can enjoy, this is a favourite spot for many Malaysians to enjoy nature.

Table of Contents

How To Get Here & Parking
Admission Fee & Opening Hours
Trails at Taman Tugu
Rest Areas
Washrooms
What to Eat at Taman Tugu
When to Visit Taman Tugu
Saturday Worthy?

How To Get to Taman Tugu & Parking

Car

Parking is free at Taman Tugu parking lots from 7 am to 6:30 pm. Make sure to leave on time, because they threaten that there’s a RM50 fine for leaving after 6:30 pm. The Nursery parking lot at the main entrance is open daily. The Laman Taman Tugu parking lot (off Persiaran Sultan Salahuddin) is on the western edge of the park, but only open on weekends and public holidays.

Public Transport

The nearest metro stations are Bank Negara and Masjid Jamek stations, but these are seriously far away. You’ll be walking for at least 30 minutes next to busy highways before reaching the park. Masjid Jamek is closer to the main entrance. After leaving the LRT station, get on to Jalan Tun Razak toward OCBC and CIMB bank buildings. Walk past Merdeka Square until you get onto Jalan Parlimen, a road that goes under the highway. Then you simply follow this road until you see the Taman Botani Perdana clock tower. You will see the sign and road leading to Taman Tugu on your right hand side.

Admission Fee & Hours

Entrance to the Taman Tugu Conservation Site is completely free. The hours of operation are 7 am to 6:30 pm, with the last entry at 5:45 pm. At 6 pm, a whistle will sound across the park so you know to get moving to the exit.

Hiking Trails at Taman Tugu

There are now five trails in Taman Tugu. You can read my dedicated posts on the various trails below for extensive detail on directions and what to expect during the hikes.

1. Green & Yellow Trail
2. White Trail
3. Orange Trail
4. Nursery Trail (Blue Trail)

Rest Areas

Nursery Lot

There is a large rest area next to the nursery parking lot. It looks very simple with wooden benches, but it’s comfortable. This is the perfect spot to enjoy a snack after hiking. There’s a sink with soap to wash up and bins for all your rubbish. Guests can even control each of the overhead fans individually from the power box that’s off to the side.

Laman Taman Tugu

Laman Taman Tugu is roughly in the middle of the park. It is accessible from the yellow trail, up the stairs between CP-08 and CP-09.

The picnic area has all the amenities of the nursery rest stop mentioned above. It’s much less crowded here since it’s out of the way and a new addition to Taman Tugu.

The focal point is the huge lawn with bisecting pathways that is up the stairs. It’s empty for now, but I would guess that the park management will put food vendors, sporting nets, or other community items here one day. If you want to enjoy a quiet lunch or a car park all to yourself, plan your hike around this spot.

Washrooms

The toilets are directly next to the picnic tables at the nursery rest stop. At Laman Taman Tugu, they are past the lawn next to the guard desk and parking lot. They look like ugly buildings from the outside, but honestly, these are the best toilets I’ve seen in a Malaysian park system.

There were no squatters, all sitting style, in the women’s. Each toilet was in its own enclosed room with the walls and door extending to the floor and ceiling for maximum privacy. Inside the stall was clean, dry and with no mysterious smell. There was no toilet paper in the stalls, but there was a well-stocked dispenser in between the second and third stall that you can gather beforehand. The large communal sink has surprisingly good water pressure. The soap dispenser was full and the soap inside it was, for once, not watered down.

After a jungle hike on a sweltering day, what is the only thing anyone would want? A shower! There were also two roomy shower stalls in the women’s (I’ll assume the men’s has the same) at the nursery toilets. If you bring a towel and a change of clothes, you can end your visit to Taman Tugu with a refreshing rinse.

Food & Drinks at Taman Tugu

Weekend Food Stalls

There are pop-up food stalls near the CIMB rest area on the weekends. The selection changes regularly, but I spotted booths with nasi lemak, deep-fried snacks, and matcha lattes on my recent visit. The vendors pack up and leave shortly after lunch time, so only morning visitors will be able to grab a bite for their hike.

On-Site Drinks & Snacks

There are also souvenir desks at the rest areas that are open during park hours. These will have everything you might want on a long nature walk: sanitizing hand gel, mosquito repellent, dry snacks and a small selection of drinks like 100 Plus and iced tea.

Also occupying prime real estate were novelty Taman Tugu souvenirs. There were hats, eco bags and t-shirts for adults and children. The souvenirs actually didn’t look half bad and would make a decent keepsake. You must have the exact amount for anything you want to buy with cash, because the guard doesn’t carry change. However, the park accepts QR code payments. All of the money collected from sales goes right back into the park for maintenance and upkeep.

Taman Tugu Cafe

For proper makan, you’ll need to leave Taman Tugu. The Taman Tugu Cafe is less than a five-minute walk from the main entrance. You drove past this on the road into Taman Tugu. This is a very simple outdoor food court where you can get basics like ayam goreng, curries, and veggies from metal trays.

When To Visit Taman Tugu

The Taman Tugu trails are an easy walk for people of all fitness levels. It gets very busy on weekends when many Malaysians flock to this site to get their weekend exercise.

If you’re desperate to avoid other humans on the trail, the obvious recommendation is to come on a weekday. However, I’m going to assume that you’re not a shameless slacker and that you have an actual full-time job that only leaves you with weekends for your leisure time.

You can try what we did and plan your visit for a long weekend. A long weekend is when many KL denizens take a vacation out of the city or go back to the kampong to be with family.

On a regular weekend, an overcast day may scare off the crowds. It’s not such a good idea to go during heavy rain. Not only is it unpleasant, but you may be stuck waiting anyway as security may restrict entry until the storm has passed. However, if you manage to slip in before the rain hits, you can walk the trail as normal since no one is going to kick you out once you’re inside. You’ll be a little wet, but it is highly unlikely you’ll have to dodge other hikers in this situation. Savour the solitude and that jungle rain sound.

You can also try going early when the park opens at 7 am. I doubt any families or casual weekend warriors will wake up that early to hike through Taman Tugu.

Saturday Worthy?

Taman Tugu is the most organized and well-kept Malaysian park I’ve ever seen. Unlike a popular hiking spot like Bukit Kiara, all of the trails here are regularly maintained and cleared. You never have to guess if you’re on the right path, or if what you’re walking on is even the proper trail. The hiking trails are too easy for serious hikers, but Taman Tugu is perfect for casual walks. It’s a stress-free experience coming here. You don’t need to worry about getting lost, bringing refreshments or where to relieve your bladder – Taman Tugu has taken care of it all for you.

Official Website: http://tamantuguproject.com.my/en/