Labuan destination guide
Labuan is an island off the coast of Sabah and a Federal Territory of Malaysia in its own right (Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan), separate from the state of Sabah. The Labuan Museum's history gallery traces the island's story up to its declaration as a Federal Territory in 1984. Perbadanan Labuan (the Labuan Corporation), whose tourism department promotes the island, names arts, culture, shopping and sea sports as its attractions.
A short visit can take in two free museums run by the Department of Museums Malaysia, one on the island's coal-mining past and one on its wider history, plus Labuan National Geopark and the public beaches the Corporation maintains. Two things to know before booking: as of September 2026 the ferry from Jesselton Point in Kota Kinabalu is suspended until further notice, and World War II bombs found near the runway disrupted flights twice in mid-2026.
Labuan's museums
Chimney Museum
The Chimney Museum, at Kampung Lubok Temiang on Jalan Tanjung Kubong, covers coal mining on Labuan from around 1847 to 1911. Its centrepiece, the Chimney Tower, is 32.5 metres tall and was built in the late 1890s. The museum's own account says the tower's original purpose remains unclear, with theories including a ventilation shaft or a lighthouse.
The building was completed as an information centre in 2000 and opened to the public as a museum on 26 October 2002.
Labuan Museum
The Labuan Museum, on Jalan Dewan, occupies a building put up in the 1950s as a British administration office, later used as the Labuan District Office and then the Labuan Municipal Council office. The Department of Museums Malaysia took it over, and it officially opened as a museum on 8 October 2004.
The ground-floor gallery follows Labuan's history in order, from prehistoric times through modern development. The upper floor covers the island's local communities: Brunei Malay, Kedayan, Chinese, Kadazandusun, Indian and Sikh. Among the exhibits is a replica Kedayan house.
Opening hours and holiday closures
As published by the Department of Museums Malaysia in September 2026, both museums open daily from 9:00am to 5:00pm, and admission to both is free. Both close on the first two days of Hari Raya Puasa (Eid al-Fitr) and the first day of Hari Raya Qurban (Eid al-Adha).
The federal holiday schedule for 2027 puts Hari Raya Puasa on 10 and 11 March and Hari Raya Qurban on 17 May, and marks both dates as subject to change. Check those dates before planning a museum day around them.
Labuan National Geopark and the public beaches
Labuan National Geopark covers 401.65 square kilometres including territorial waters, of which 94.52 square kilometres is land, with 81.7 km of coastline across the main island and its surrounding islands. Its own site credits it to the Federal Territories Department, Perbadanan Labuan, the Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia and Tourism Malaysia, together with a student volunteer foundation. It groups its heritage sites into geological sites, biosites and cultural sites.
Perbadanan Labuan lists the public beaches it cleans and maintains. Among them are Pantai Layang-Layangan, Pantai Pancur Hitam, Pantai Pohon Batu, Pantai Batu Manikar, Pantai Kampung Patau-Patau 1 and 2, Pantai Tanjung Batu and Pantai Tanjung Purun.
When to go to Labuan
No Labuan-specific weather figures are published, so the pattern here is Sabah's, off whose coast Labuan sits. The Malaysian Meteorological Department puts the northeast monsoon, the country's main rainy season, from November to March, and names Sabah among the areas it brings heavy rain to. The southwest monsoon, from late May to September, is relatively drier across most of the country, though the department notes that Sabah stays wetter through that period.
Pesta Kaamatan, the Kaamatan harvest festival, is a two-day public holiday in Labuan and Sabah, on 30 and 31 May in both 2026 and 2027 according to the Prime Minister's Department schedules. The same schedules list Christmas Eve (24 December) as a Sabah holiday, not a Labuan one.
The Malaysia travel guide covers the seasons and the federal public holidays across the country.
Getting to Labuan
Flying to Labuan
Flights land at Labuan Airport (LBU), run by Malaysia Airports, with air traffic control provided by the Royal Malaysian Air Force from Labuan Air Base. The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia puts it 2.1 km by road from the Masjid Jame' An-Nur in town. The terminal and its facilities are on the Labuan Airport page.
World War II-era bombs found near the runway closed it on 26 June 2026, until it reopened the next day, and disrupted flights again on 2 July 2026. Leave some slack if a same-day plan depends on a Labuan flight running on time.
Direct domestic flights recorded from Labuan go to these places, with the airlines recorded on each:
| Destination | Airlines recorded |
|---|---|
| Kuala Lumpur | AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines |
| Kota Kinabalu | AirBorneo |
| Miri | AirBorneo |
Guides to places at the other end: Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Miri.
The ferry from Kota Kinabalu
As of September 2026, Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal in Kota Kinabalu lists its Labuan ferry service, operated by Double Power Sdn Bhd, as temporarily suspended until further notice. The terminal points travellers to Menumbok Ferry Terminal in Kuala Penyu, about 1.5 hours' drive from Kota Kinabalu, which it says has daily connections to Labuan. Check the terminal's page before planning a sea crossing.
Questions about visiting Labuan
Is the ferry from Kota Kinabalu to Labuan running?
Not from Jesselton Point, as of September 2026: the terminal lists its Labuan service as temporarily suspended until further notice. It points travellers to Menumbok Ferry Terminal in Kuala Penyu, about 1.5 hours' drive from Kota Kinabalu, which has daily connections to Labuan.
When are the museums in Labuan open?
The Chimney Museum and the Labuan Museum both open daily from 9:00am to 5:00pm, and admission is free. Both close on the first two days of Hari Raya Puasa and the first day of Hari Raya Qurban.
Is Pesta Kaamatan a public holiday in Labuan?
Yes. The Prime Minister's Department schedules list Pesta Kaamatan as a holiday in Labuan and Sabah on 30 and 31 May, in both 2026 and 2027.