As one of the most populated cities in Malaysia, Ipoh has much to offer. And thus, there are many ways to fill your itinerary for Ipoh!
But if you only have a day or a few hours, have a look at our ready-made itinerary below!
This way, you won’t miss out on anything that you should see while you are here. We also have suggestions on what to do if you’re staying longer.
Table of contents:
- Itinerary Highlights
- Suggested Itinerary
- How Long Should You Stay In Ipoh?
- Transport
- Day Trips From Ipoh
1. Itinerary Highlights
These are the must-see attractions and the ones that are the most accessible too. You don’t necessarily need a car either. Although a car would be much more convenient (and comfortable).
And you better believe that there are tourists that come to Ipoh just for the food! In fact, locals from neighboring states often make a weekend excursion to Ipoh for this reason.
1.1. Local Food
Steep competition guarantees an impressively high standard when it comes to local eateries.
Many hawker stalls are run by the owners themselves who have had years (sometimes, passed on from parents to children) to perfect their sole dish.
There is everything from:
- Laksa & Yong tau foo
- Curry mee,
- Hakka mee,
- Kai se hor fun,
- Chee cheong fun,
- Wantan mee
And others!
Don’t know where to start? See our recommended list of must-try food in Ipoh.
1.2. Street Art
You’ll bump into a couple of these colorful wall murals in a stray alley or at the back of a building when you’re exploring Ipoh Old Town and Ipoh New Town.
There are particularly many instances of street art in Mural Art’s Lane: Jalan Masjid, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh,Perak
And if you want to see the ones painted by Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic, read our detailed guide on street art in Ipoh.
1.3. Ipoh Heritage Walk (Historical Buildings)
Don’t forget to grab a map of the Ipoh heritage walk from the Tourist Information Centre in Ipoh! Or download the Ipoh heritage walk map from the Ipoh World website.
This walk will take you around all the buildings of historical significance in Ipoh.
Including a British-colonial building, Ipoh Railway Station, and other landmarks like the Birch Memorial Clock Tower.
Allow at least 1-2 hours to do this trail at a leisurely pace (not including time for a coffee break). For more details and photos, see our post on the Ipoh heritage walk.
Tips:
- Start early in the morning (8am) or in the evening (6:30pm) to avoid the suffocating heat
- Bring drinking water and wear comfortable shoes and a hat
1.4. Cave Temples
Ipoh is home to at least 20 of these wonderful temples that take advantage of the geographical features around them!
Some of these temples were built in the 1950s too.
The most notable temples to visit are:
- Perak Cave Temple
- Kek Lok Tong
- Sam Poh Tong
Check out our list of recommended cave temples to see in Ipoh.
2. Suggested Itinerary For Ipoh
Ipoh is a laidback city, and your itinerary should reflect this pace!
- Start the day with breakfast in a local kopitiam – Try Ipoh white coffee!
- Go on the Ipoh heritage walk
- Visit a historical museum or antique gallery
- Stay cool in one of Ipoh’s many cave temples
- Try silky-smooth tau fu fah!
- See how Tambun pomelos are grown
- End the day with a roadside “snow beer”
2.1. Ipoh Day Trip Itinerary
A day trip to Ipoh is common – many see Ipoh as a passing stop rather than the end destination.
What we have planned here assumes that you plan to walk for most of the day. And thus, the main highlight of this itinerary is Ipoh Old Town.
Note: Parking in Ipoh Old Town is incredibly difficult and frustrating on a weekend!
The earlier you arrive, the better it is to avoid the afternoon heat!
Morning:
- Arrive for breakfast or brunch at Nam Heong White Coffee (or Kedai Kopi Sin Yoon Loong) – try egg tarts and Ipoh White Coffee.
- Explore Concubine Lane and Kong Heng Square.
- Time Tunnel Musuem is worth a peep. So is the Yasmin Ahmad Museum (in Book Xcess Kong Heng).
- Spot some Ipoh street art by Ernest Zacharevic at Old Town too.
Note: Tours for Han Chin Pet Soo Museum must be booked in advanced!
Afternoon:
- Have lunch at Thean Chun but prepare for a long wait for the kai se hor fun.
- Visit Han Chin Pet Soo museum (requires booking) for an eye-opener into Ipoh’s tin mining history. And while you’re here, check out Ho Yan Hor Museum next door.
- Attempt the Ipoh Heritage Walk (e.g. Birch memorial clock tower, Ipoh railway station, Ipoh high court, St. Michael Old Building)
- Go for some local desserts – tau fu fah at Big Mom Beancurd or cendol at Deen CT Corner Cendol
- See some murals at Mural Art’s Lane
Evening:
- Pick up salted chicken at Ayam Garam Aun Kheng Lim (Main Branch) first
- Shop for souvenirs (Sin Weng Fai Peanut Candy Shop, Guan Heong Biscuit Shop, Ching Han Guan 鍾漢元, Kedai Biskut Sin Eng Heong)
- Have dinner in Ipoh – Lou Wong’s chicken rice or Restoran Tuck Kee
- From 7 pm onwards, you can see the Gerbang Malam (night market)
2.2. Two Days One Night Itinerary
2 days is the sweet spot for exploring Ipoh!
The itinerary here is a continuation of the 1-day itinerary above.
On the first day (night):
- Get supper or dessert (or both) at Tong Sui Kai
- Check out the local nightlife hangouts (e.g., Bricks & Barrels, Euro House, or Fei Bo Snow beer) There’s many other places to check out at night in Ipoh beyond these.
On the second day:
Wake up as early as you can.
Morning:
- Try some dim sum (Restoran Chooi Yue Dim Sum or Ming Court Hong Kong Dim Sum)!
- Alternatively, have a typical Malaysian breakfast at Moon De Moon (curry mee and kai se hor fun)
- Go see Perak Cave Temple (or Perak Tong) or Qing Xin Ling Leisure And Cultural Village (recreational park)
Afternoon:
- For lunch, try Restoran Nasi Ayam Pak Kong, fish head noodles at 辉记石斑鱼头米粉 or Dai Shu Geok Big Tree Foot Yong Tau Foo
- Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring other cave temples (Kek Lok Tong, Ling Sen Tong, Nam Thean Tong, and Sam Poh Tong)
Evening:
- Dinner at a local food court. Aneka Selera Kam Wan has a lot of food in one place (e.g., popiah, nasi lemak, etc)
- Or you can have dinner at this Chinese seafood restaurant, Pusing Public Seafood Restaurant
2.3. Three Days Two Night Itinerary
Staying longer in Ipoh means even more opportunities to try the food! And this is when you can start to get out of Ipoh to explore other places of interest.
On the second day (Night):
- Soak at the hot springs at Sunway’s Lost World of Tambun
- Or go for a massage at Thai Oasis (ICC Club)
On the third day:
You can easily spend the whole of this day at Sunway Lost World of Tambun! They have quite a substantial zoo that the kids will particularly enjoy!
Or you can do the following:
Morning:
- Breakfast at Chang Jiang White Coffee
- Journey to Kellie’s Castle
- After visiting Kellie’s Castle, go for a tour at Tin Dredge No. 5 at Batu Gajah (call first)
Other morning activities:
- Hiking up Bukit Kledang
- Caving at Gua Tempurung
- White water rafting at Gopeng
Afternoon:
- Have a seafood lunch at Tanjung Tualang village (Thong Lok Seafood Restaurant, Yew Kei Seafood Restaurant or Luen Fong Restaurant)
- Stop by the Kinta Tin Mining (Gravel Pump) Museum at Kampar
- Visit HOGA Gaharu Tea Valley in Gopeng (Closed on Tuesdays, closes at 6pm on other days)
Evening:
- Dinner At Yum Yum Restaurant Ipoh (Nyonya food) or Durbar
How Long Should You Stay In Ipoh?
Should you stay in Ipoh for a few hours? Or 2 days or 3 days?
1 day seems like you are just scratching the surface unless you’ll be in Malaysia for a while. Then, you can always make a trip to Ipoh when you have a day to spare.
However, if your passion is food, staying for 2 days will really allow you to try more of the local cuisine. And give your tummy time to digest!
But if you want to see something most first-time tourists don’t see, stay an extra day, and go beyond Ipoh Old Town!
Note: 3 days gives you enough time to explore more than just central Ipoh!
Transport
Ipoh is on the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia flanked by Penang, Pahang, and Selangor. The 3 neighboring states are linked by main highways making Ipoh highly accessible.
Especially if you have your own car!
But if you’re not driving to Ipoh, there are 3 main entry points into Ipoh:
- AmanJaya Bus Terminal
- Ipoh Railway Station
- Ipoh Airport (Sultan Azlan Shah Airport)
It is possible to walk to Ipoh Old Town from Ipoh Railway Station if you don’t have much luggage weighing you down. And if you don’t mind the heat of the day.
As for the other two arrival points, you will need to rely on public or private transport.
But public transport involves waiting and it is not as flexible. So, we advise taking a private tour service to get around Ipoh. And the one we recommend is RayTheTour.
You can book RayTheTour on WhatsApp.
Day Trips From Ipoh
Cameron Highlands is usually the next destination for many Ipoh visitors.
Ipoh To Cameron Highlands
The journey from Ipoh to Cameron Highlands is doable at 2 hours (self-driving) if you don’t mind windy roads!
Duration: 2 hours’ drive or more under heavy traffic
Attractions to take note of:
- Hobbitoon Village – this one is new, and on the way to Cameron Highlands from Simpang Pulai
- Green View Garden – free entry
- Kea Farm Market
- Agro Market
- Sheep Sanctuary
- Lavender Farm
- Strawberry farms (there are more than 1)
- Cactus farms
- Steamboat
- Golf
- Hiking
- BOH Tea Plantation
- Mossy Forest (Gunung Brinchang)
We have a separate post on how you can plan your Cameron Highlands Itinerary.
You might also want to check out Taiping instead. It is a shorter drive from Ipoh and has a very different character.
Ipoh To Taiping
It’s even quieter in Taiping than in Ipoh and many of the attractions will delight nature lovers!
Duration: 1 hour drive
What are the top attractions:
- Taiping Lake Gardens
- Taiping Zoo
- Perak Museum
- Bukit Larut (Maxwell Hill)
See more Taiping attractions. We think Taiping has some underrated museums that are worth taking a look at! They are perfect for rainy days since it usually rains in the afternoon and evening over in Taiping.
Conclusion
If you’re Malaysian, you should come over to Ipoh at least once! For foreigners, you can consider Ipoh a less commercial version of Penang but without the beaches and night clubs.
Instead, there are limestone hills, tin mining history, and cave temples. So, feel free to follow or alter our suggested itinerary plans for an Ipoh trip of your own!
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List Of Things To Do In Ipoh
Check this post out for more options on what to do in Ipoh. There are other recreational parks, galleries (including a gallery dedicated to local comic artist, Lat), and the famous mirror lake too.
