How to get fromCalifornia to Sabahby plane, car or bus

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There are 7 ways to get from California to Sabah by plane, car, or bus

Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.

Fly San Francisco International Airport to Kota Kinabalu Airport
best
1. Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI)plane SFO - BKI
22h 21m
RM 1,041–3,950
Fly Los Angeles International Airport to Kota Kinabalu Airport
cheapest
1. Fly from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI)plane LAX - BKI
22h 20m
RM 1,030–3,750
Fly San Francisco International Airport to Sandakan Airport
1. Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Sandakan Airport (SDK)plane SFO - SDK
25h 19m
RM 1,165–4,180
Fly San Francisco International Airport to Brunei International Airport, drive, bus
1. Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Brunei International Airport (BWN)plane SFO - BWN
2. Drive from Brunei International Airport (BWN) to Limbangcar
3. Take the bus from Limbang to Kota Kinabalubus
30h 5m
RM 2,088–7,148
Fly San Francisco International Airport to Tawau Airport
1. Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Tawau Airport (TWU)plane SFO - TWU
25h 3m
RM 1,191–6,615
Fly Los Angeles International Airport to Brunei International Airport, drive, bus
1. Fly from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Brunei International Airport (BWN)plane LAX - BWN
2. Drive from Brunei International Airport (BWN) to Limbangcar
3. Take the bus from Limbang to Kota Kinabalubus
28h 24m
RM 2,277–7,648
Fly Fresno Yosemite International Airport to Kota Kinabalu Airport
1. Fly from Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) to Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI)plane FAT - BKI
26h 13m
RM 1,904–7,004

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI) flights

39Weekly Planes

21hAverage Duration

RM 881Cheapest Price

Questions & Answers

Map of how to get from California to Sabah.

Launch map view

Distance: 12,319.8 km
Duration: 22h 21m

What companies run services between California, USA and Sabah, Malaysia?

China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, and 10 other airlines fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI) every 4 hours.

Airlines

Bus operators

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Kota Kinabalu(opens in a new window), Malaysia(opens in a new window)

Kota Kinabalu, colloquially referred to as KK, is the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is also the capital of the Kota Kinabalu District as well as the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies to its west and Mount Kinabalu, which gave the city its name, is located to its east. Kota Kinabalu has a population of 452,058 according to the 2010 census; when the adjacent Penampang and Tuaran districts are included, the metro area has a combined population of 628,725. The 2020 Census revealed an increase in the municipal population to 500,421, while the wider area including the Penampang and Putatan districts had a population of 731,406.

Things to do in Kota Kinabalu

Sabah Museum(Opens in a new window)

The Sabah Museum (Malay: Muzium Sabah) is the state museum of Sabah, Malaysia. It is sited on 17 ha of land at Bukit Istana Lama in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital. The complex contains not only the museum proper, but also an ethnobotanic garden, a zoo and a heritage village. The main building also houses the Sabah art gallery. Other galleries cover Islamic civilisation, archaeology and history, natural History, and ceramics and Brassware. The mission of the museum is to collect, preserve, conserve and document ethnographic, archaeological, historical, numismatic, art-historical, botanical, zoological and mineralogical collections from throughout the state, and to conduct research on important and interesting aspects of Sabah's history, culture, and social and natural history.

Manukan Island(Opens in a new window)

Manukan Island (Malay: Pulau Manukan) is the second largest island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Malaysia's first marine national park. It is located in the East Malaysian state of Sabah, just off the coast of Kota Kinabalu and is easily accessible by boat.

The Green Connection(Opens in a new window)

The Green Connection is an aquarium and science discovery centre in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. The Green Connection opened in May 2010 and is located just outside down-town Kota Kinabalu in the North west corner of the island of Borneo.

Atkinson Clock Tower(Opens in a new window)

The Atkinson Clock Tower is the oldest standing structure in Kota Kinabalu. It was originally known as the Atkinson Memorial Clock Tower and sits in solitary on the bluff along Signal Hill Road overlooking this seaside city and capital of Sabah, Malaysia.

Places to stay in Kota Kinabalu

Marina Court Luxury Penthouse(Opens in a new window)

10.0Exceptional

Kota Kinabalu Marriott Hotel(Opens in a new window)

8.3Very Good

Hilton Kota Kinabalu(Opens in a new window)

8.9Fabulous

The Magellan Sutera Resort(Opens in a new window)

8.3Very Good

Rome2Rio makes travelling from California to Sabah easy.

Rome2Rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. Find all the transport options for your trip from California to Sabah right here. Rome2Rio displays up to date schedules, route maps, journey times and estimated fares from relevant transport operators, ensuring you can make an informed decision about which option will suit you best. Rome2Rio also offers online bookings for selected operators, making reservations easy and straightforward.