Gua Tempurung in Gopeng is the largest known cave system of numerous limestone hills surrounding Ipoh!
If you are reasonably fit and physically able, this is a great opportunity to combine nature with a workout! And for those who have never been caving before, it is a perfect base to start!
History Of The Cave
Millions of years ago, the whole of Kinta Valley was under the sea.
The shells of a vast amount (talking billions) of tiny marine life were formed into limestone by the pressure of the sea water.
Underwater earthquakes pushed the ocean floor up, forming hills and Kinta Valley. Millions of years of constant rain and water movement shaped the limestone further.
Stalactites and stalagmites are built up over time by dripping water that contains calcium carbonate particles. Did you know that a stalactite takes 200 years just to grow an inch?!
Because the limestone caves contained more than just limestone, tin mining activities were carried out here too back around the 1920s.
And sometime before Malaysia’s independence, communists used the cave as a hideout. Today, you can see marks of their stay on the walls in the form of graffiti.
The groundwork to make the cave tourist-friendly only began in 1995 where steel and concrete walkways and staircases were installed along with all the spotlights.
Background Information
Gua Tempurung is 400 million years old and at 4.5km long, it is one of the longest caves on this side of Malaysia.
Tourists can access about 2km of the tunnel that goes underneath Gunung Tempurung and Gunung Gajah. An underground river inside stretches for 1.6km of the cave.
There are 5 chambers that you can see in total depending on which tour you take. Each of the chambers look very different from one another. Some of the ceilings resembling coconut shells. Hence the name, tempurung which means coconut shell in Malay.
Bats are present in this cave. Their droppings form some interesting patterns on the ceilings. You’ll also see plenty of large stalactites, stalagmites and other curious rock formations.
The 5 Caverns Of Gua Tempurung
1. Golden Flowstone Cavern
This is the cavern you get to explore on Tour 1.
Highlight: Smooth stone with a golden sheen from the river
2. Gergasi (Giant) Cavern
Highlight: The centrepiece is a 15m high column within the cavern.
3. Tin Mine Cavern
Highlight: See the remains of previous tin mining excavations
4. Alam (Universe) Cavern
Highlight: Impressive ceiling height of 72 meters
5. Battlefield Cavern
Highlight: Curious formations of fallen stalactites and other rock piles.
Tours (Entrance Fees)
There are 4 tours of varying length and difficulty by APT Consortium that you can choose from:
| Tour | Entrance Fee (MYR) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Code | Type | Duration | Foreigner | Malaysian | ||
| Adult | Child/Senior | Adult | Child/Senior | ||||
| 1 | GF | Dry Tour | 40 minutes | RM 20 | RM 10 | RM 8 | RM 4 |
| 2 | TOW | Dry Tour | ~ 2 hours | RM 30 | RM 15 | RM 12 | RM 6 |
| 3 | TWR | Wet Tour | > 3 hours | RM 40 | RM 20 | RM 15 | RM 7.5 |
| 4 | GT | Wet Tour | 3.5 to 4 hours | RM 50 | RM 25 | RM 30 | RM 15 |
Wet tours are ranger-guided.
Note: You can also rent torch lights and safety helmets here.
Mind that the wet tours (Tour 3 and Tour 4) are not always available as it depends on the weather and river situation! If you want to go for the wet tours, make sure you get to the ticket counter well before 10am.
Tour 1 – Golden Flowstone (GF)
Of the 4 tours, this is the shortest and the most family-friendly one. There’s no guide on this tour and you can explore the cave at your own pace.
You can avoid getting wet if you take this tour because it makes use of the man-made stairways up to the Golden Flowstone cavern (platform 3).
There are multiple viewing platforms from which to admire the rock formations around. If you have elders with you, this is the trail that they can do most easily. Beware that there are still many stairs to climb.
Tour 2 – Top Of The World (TOW)
As with the first tour, you can stay dry on this one and there is no guide. But be prepared for a lot of stairs (~650 steps) because this tour takes you through all 5 caverns (i.e. up to Platform 5)!
Platform 5 is the highest spot in the cave (and the final stop in this trail). Before that, you will encounter a wind tunnel too!
We recommend this trail if you can handle stairs. It’s more worth seeing than the first tour. It took us an hour to complete the trail at a leisurely pace. Note that the exit is through the same pathway into the cave.
It’s cool and damp in the cave and you won’t really need a flashlight since the walkways are adequately lit. There are railings covered in thick rubber casing that are easy to hold on to if you need more support.
PS: There’s no toilet in the cave so use the one outside before you start your tour!
Tour 3 – Top Of The World & Short River Adventure (TWR)
You can’t proceed on this tour until they’ve filled the quota of 8 people per session. The first part of the tour is like Tour 2, but instead of going back the way you came, you get to wade in the underground river! The water is surprisingly cold.
Crawling on all fours and sliding on your bum is necessary at a couple of spots! So be sure to wear long pants to avoid scraping your skin.
It’s super fun and challenging with a short detour to the river outside before going back in again! Moreover, there is a guide with you the whole way!
In total, this is going to be an approximately 2.4km-journey.
Tour 4 – Grand Tour (GT)
Again, there needs to be a minimum of 8 people before they start the tour. And you should not take young children (less than 10 years old) along on this one!
This tour is adequately called the Grand Tour because it is the longest (3.8km total) and most challenging tour of the 4! On this tour, you will go through all 5 caverns as well as the east side of the cave!
There will be water involved (up to the chest level) especially when you go back via the underground river. At one point, the guide will ask everyone to switch off their lights and experience complete pitch-black darkness!
You will need to crawl, climb and squeeze yourself through small openings and tunnels too. The total journey is 3.8km.
We remember doing this tour years back and it was awesome! You might end up ripping your pants (like we did) mid-way through the tour, but it is worth it!
What To Bring
For the first 2 tours, you won’t need much since they avoid the river:
- T-shirt and long pants (no jeans!)
- Comfy shoes suitable for hiking (e.g. hiking boots or sandals with straps)
- Drinking water
- Camera (or just your phone) that can take photos in low light situations
- Torchlight is optional
But if you plan to take on any of the last two tours (Tour 3 and 4), you will get wet so in addition to the above items, you will need:
- Long sleeve shirt (instead of T-shirt)
- Change of clothes
- Towel
- Gloves and kneepads are advisable but not necessary
- Small waterproof bag for your phone and valuables
- Small torchlight or headlamp (you may want to keep your hands free)
- Band-aids
- Small snacks
Facilities
There are simple food and drink stalls outside the cave. As well as spacious toilet blocks.
Besides this, there are prayer rooms and a small gift shop.
The car parks are at either side of the cave. The one behind further back from the entrance is bigger.
Other Nearby Attractions
Many opt to go white water rafting on Kampar River afterwards. There are packages you can book with local adventure tour companies.
It is also possible to visit Kellie’s Castle (another must-visit Perak attraction) on the same day, although it is roughly 25 minutes’ drive. Note that Kellie’s Castle closes at 5pm.
Closer to Gua Tempurung (~20 minutes’ drive) and less well known is HOGA Gaharu Tea Valley which we recommend visiting in the early morning before it gets hot.
Getting Here
You can visit Gua Tempurung as part of an Ipoh itinerary for a private tour!
- Safe and reliable transport (MPV or van)
- Local English-speaking or Chinese-speaking guides
- Customize-able itinerary
- Combine other places into your tour package like Cameron Highlands, Taiping or Kuala Sepetang!
- Direct transfer from anywhere in Ipoh and back!
Book your Ipoh tour with RayTheTour by sending them a message on WhatsApp.
Conclusion
If you want an unforgettable experience in Ipoh, a visit to Gua Tempurung is it! Explore and appreciate this amazing limestone cave up close and personal!
There are 4 tours to cater to different group sizes, fitness levels and available time! 2 of these tours will require you to get soaked as you wade through the underground river! If you can, we really recommend going for the wet tours instead of the dry tours – they are so much fun!
Other Things To Do In Ipoh
Gua Tempurung is out of the way and so, you might want more options that are closer to Ipoh Old Town or Ipoh New Town. See our suggestions for other things to do in Ipoh!
Mirror Lake (Tasik Cermin)
This is another natural beauty that we think that you should see. Mirror Lake is surrounded by many limestone hills. And you can take boat tours to know more about the surrounding flora and geography.
