Kota Bharu has its own airport, Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, with domestic flights from Kuala Lumpur and other Malaysian cities. Budget carriers like Firefly and AirAsia serve the route.
By train, the nearest station is Wakaf Bharu, about 5 km from the city centre. The jungle railway connects Kota Bharu to the interior and eventually to the west coast, though it is slow. Long-distance buses run from Kuala Lumpur and other major cities to the Kota Bharu bus station. If you are coming from Thailand, Kota Bharu is the first major city across the border from the east coast route.