Gunung Mulu National Park destination guide
Gunung Mulu National Park is a national park and World Heritage Site in Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) lists it for its high biodiversity and its karst features, and calls it the most studied tropical karst area in the world. People fly in for its show caves, the bat exodus from Deer Cave, the Canopy Skywalk and the climb to the limestone Pinnacles.
UNESCO records the Sarawak State Government's policy of not allowing road access to the park since it was established in 1974, and the park says the area can realistically only be reached by flight.
The tour, walk and trek details on this page come from the park's own tour pages, which still carried a May 2023 date when checked on 29 September 2026, so confirm them when you book.
What Gunung Mulu National Park is
The park was gazetted in 1974 and is protected under the National Parks and Nature Reserves Ordinance of 1998; UNESCO names the State of Sarawak as responsible for its management and protection. UNESCO describes the park as dominated by Gunung Mulu, a sandstone peak. The park's heritage page describes the limestone of Gunung Api, Gunung Benerat and Gunung Buda around it and says Mulu meets all four natural criteria for World Heritage listing.
Management is split in two. The Sarawak Forestry Corporation manages the Wilderness Zone, the larger part of the park, and Borsarmulu Park Management is managing agent for the smaller Tourism Zone.
The park describes what is at Mulu as an airport, a hotel and a very small village with a clinic and a primary school, and says the only modes of transport inside it are longboats and your own two feet.
The show caves
UNESCO's listing says over 90% of the park and 95% of its caves are closed to visitors, with access for research the exception. The park sells two show-cave tours: Deer Cave with Lang Cave, and Clearwater Cave with Cave of the Winds.
Deer Cave and Lang Cave
UNESCO describes Deer Cave, 120 to 150 m in diameter, as the largest cave passage in the world known at present. The park's tour page describes an afternoon tour from Park Headquarters (Park HQ) along raised plank walks to the bat observatory, into Deer Cave as far as the Garden of Eden and back through Lang Cave, timed to coincide with the bat exodus. Deer Cave and Lang Cave cannot be entered without paying beforehand and going with a guide.
Clearwater Cave and Cave of the Winds
The park's tour page describes a morning tour by longboat up the Melinau River, with a stop at a Penan longhouse and market at Batu Bungan that is not open on Sundays. Cave of the Winds is reached by a long ramp and a few stairs, and Clearwater Cave has 200 stairs up to its entrance. Swimming inside the cave is not permitted, though the tour allows a cool-down at the picnic deck.
Clearwater in the morning and Deer Cave in the afternoon of the same day is fully possible, but the park says separate days are better because of the high humidity. The Clearwater tour can also be included in the Pinnacles trip.
Adventure caving
The park's adventure caving list names Sarawak Chamber Overnight At Camp 1, Clearwater Connection, Clearwater Revival, Lagang Cave and Racer Cave. UNESCO calls the Sarawak Chamber the largest known cave chamber in the world. The park says adventure cavers have to be at least 12 years old.
The bat exodus at Deer Cave
The park lists the bat exodus as an unguided walk that needs no booking and carries no tour charge. The route follows raised plank walks from Park HQ to the bat observatory, about 45 minutes to an hour on foot.
The wrinkle-lipped bats leave the cave on most evenings, in the late afternoon or early evening, and on rare occasions do not leave at all. A small kiosk at the observatory sells drinks and snacks, and empty tins and packaging are to be carried back to Park HQ.
Canopy Skywalk and the walks from Park HQ
The Canopy Skywalk is a 420 m walkway suspended 25 m above the forest floor, which the park calls one of the longest tree-based canopy walks in the world. It is guided and open to children aged 6 and over. The park says booking is essential in the busy season because it sells out, and advises birdwatchers to take an early tour.
The park's list of unguided walks names the bat exodus walk, the Mulu Botanical Heritage Trail, the Paku Valley Loop or Kenyalang Loop, Paku Waterfall and the Tree Top Tower. The Mulu Botanical Heritage Trail is two loops of 1.5 km each, with information panels, branching off the path to Deer Cave about 450 m from Park HQ, and needs no booking.
The Tree Top Tower is a 30 m bird hide a 10-minute walk from Park HQ. It is kept locked for safety, so a deposit is taken at Park Security, and birdwatchers can pre-book a dawn or dusk slot.
The Pinnacles, the summit and Camp 5
The Pinnacles
Some of the limestone Pinnacles tower up to 50 m high, and the park describes the trip to them as an extreme climb, not a trek. It offers them only as a three-day, two-night trip, not suitable for children aged 16 and under, and you may not climb them unaccompanied: you must have a licensed guide. The last section is near vertical, with rope sections and ladders.
By the park's description, the route starts with a longboat ride of about 90 minutes on the Melinau River, then a 9 km walk on an easy, well-trodden path from Kuala Litut to Camp 5; Camp 5 cannot be reached on foot from Park HQ. From Camp 5 the climb is 2.4 km and rises 1,200 m. The trip is booked in advance and depends on the weather.
Camp 5 is a basic forest shelter, with bedrooms on raised timber platforms that have a roof and half walls but no windows, doors or insect screens. It has a self-catering kitchen and cold-water showers, mobile phones get no reception there (contact is by radio), and camping in tents is not permitted. Camp 5 also caters for visitors on the Headhunters Trail.
The Gunung Mulu summit trek
The park calls the summit trek to Gunung Mulu perhaps the most difficult challenge in Mulu: four days and three nights, 24 km from Park HQ, with huts at Camps 1, 3 and 4. Wood fires are not allowed on the trail except at Camp 1, and airlines do not allow gas cartridges, which are sold at the Mulu Gallery. On the summit trek and the Pinnacles, all rubbish must be brought back to Park HQ.
Park passes, guides and booking
According to the park's plan-your-trip page, all tourists entering the park must buy a five-day pass, which gives unlimited entry for that period and is non-transferable. A stay of more than five calendar days needs a second ticket.
The park's fee scheme changed on 1 February 2026 and includes a conservation fee for visitors with a freelance guide or tour operator, and extra charges for Camp 5, the summit and the Headhunters Trail. Park guides can be booked directly at Park HQ and wear a khaki or grey uniform with the Borsarmulu Park Management logo. The park recommends booking accommodation and guides in advance at all times, and its tour pages set out cancellation terms, so read them before you book.
Visitors with a physical disability are asked to email the park about activities before finalising plans. Filming or flying a drone needs a special permit from the Controller of National Park and Nature Reserve at the Sarawak Forestry Corporation, whether for commercial or private use, and the park says camping is not allowed anywhere inside it.
Where to stay at Mulu
The park's own accommodation at Park HQ includes Garden Bungalows, Longhouse rooms and family suites and a hostel, with a Rainforest Lodge listed separately. All private rooms and hostels are air-conditioned, and a stay at Park HQ includes a set breakfast. Outside the park, its pages name the Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa, about five minutes from the park, and homestays.
Park HQ has a Discovery Centre with information panels on the World Heritage Area, its geology and biodiversity, an open-air cafe, and the Mulu Gallery shop, whose handicrafts include Penan woven bags. The park's facilities page lists the cafe as open daily from 07:30 with last orders at 20:30, and the gallery and the park office as open from 08:00 to 17:00. In-house guests can leave bags in a store room near the office.
Cash, phone signal and what to pack
The park's own advice lists what Mulu lacks: banks, a chemist, shopping centres and cash machines, so bring enough cash for the whole stay. It also describes connectivity at Mulu as limited.
On 29 September 2026 the park's facilities page listed Wi-Fi as currently unavailable; when offered, it is sold as day access at the park office and depends on the satellite link and the weather. The page also lists mobile signal for Digi, Tone wow, Maxis, Celcom and Tune Talk, and advises sorting out a mobile line on one of them before you arrive.
The park's packing list is non-slip closed footwear, a raincoat, a torch, a water bottle and insect repellent. Rubber shoes with grip for the caves and the Pinnacles are sold at the Mulu Gallery.
When to go to Gunung Mulu National Park
The park says Mulu can be visited all year round, with frequent cooling rains, and that June, July, August, September and holiday periods are usually busier. Mornings are usually clear at around 23 degrees Celsius, rain tends to fall in the afternoon in showers of 30 to 60 minutes, and evenings are usually fine.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department puts the northeast monsoon from November to March and says it brings heavy rain especially to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, the west of Sarawak and the east of Sabah.
Sarawak has its own state public holidays; the Prime Minister's Department's 2026 and 2027 schedules give these dates still ahead on 29 September 2026:
- Good Friday, a holiday in Sarawak and Sabah: 26 March 2027
- Gawai Dayak, Sarawak only: 1 and 2 June 2027
- Sarawak Independence Day, Sarawak only: 22 July 2027
- The Sarawak Governor's Birthday, Sarawak only: 10 October 2026 and 9 October 2027
Because the weather has a major influence on flights into and out of Mulu, the park asks visitors to keep the itinerary flexible and to allow time for connecting flights and for any prepaid, non-refundable activities. AirBorneo's conditions of carriage count adverse weather among causes outside its control, and in those cases the airline has no immediate obligation to carry, re-route or refund, only to make reasonable efforts to assist.
Flying to Gunung Mulu National Park
Flights land at Mulu Airport (MZV), which the park describes as nearby. AirBorneo's check-in and baggage rules for Mulu flights are on the Mulu Airport page.
Direct domestic flights recorded from Mulu go to these places, with the airline recorded on each:
| Destination | Airline recorded |
|---|---|
| Kota Kinabalu | AirBorneo |
| Kuching | AirBorneo |
| Miri | AirBorneo |
AirBorneo took over all services previously operated by MASwings on 1 January 2026. Guides to the places at the other end: Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Miri.
Arriving from Peninsular Malaysia
Section 66 of the Immigration Act 1959/63 restricts Malaysian citizens' right of entry into East Malaysia and makes them subject to holding a pass or permit to enter and be in Sabah or Sarawak, which covers a trip to Mulu from Peninsular Malaysia.
The federal Immigration Department issues Malaysians from West Malaysia a Document in Lieu of Internal Travel Document, free, at the immigration counters in Sabah and Sarawak airport arrival halls, on an identity card (MyKad) or, for a child under 12, a birth or adoption certificate. It covers a single journey and gives a Social or Business Visit Pass of up to three months; a longer stay needs a Restricted Travel Document.
For a domestic flight out of Sarawak, the Immigration Department asks for an identity document such as a passport, MyKad or Restricted Travel Document, a valid pass and a boarding pass. For entry to Malaysia itself, see the Malaysia travel guide.
Questions about visiting Gunung Mulu National Park
Can you drive to Gunung Mulu National Park?
Not realistically. The park says Mulu can only be reached by flight in practice, and the flying section above lists the routes recorded.
Is there a cash machine at Gunung Mulu National Park?
No. The park says Mulu has no cash machines and no banks.
Which walks at Gunung Mulu National Park can you do without a guide?
The park's unguided list includes the bat exodus walk and the Mulu Botanical Heritage Trail, and the walks section above has the rest. Deer Cave and Lang Cave need a guide, and the Pinnacles a licensed guide.
Can you see Deer Cave and Clearwater Cave at Mulu in one day?
Yes, the park says it is fully possible, though separate days are better because of the high humidity.