Ipoh Itinerary: The Simple Guide On Ipoh Food Trip, Ipoh Day Trip, 2D1N & 3D2N (New Guide 2020)

As one of the most populated cities in Malaysia, Ipoh has much to offer too! There are many ways to fill an Ipoh itinerary!

It’s a shame that many choose to skip a trip to Ipoh in favor of Penang or Malacca! Or just use Ipoh as a rest point before going up to Cameron Highlands!

Have a look at our ready-made itineraries below! So you don’t miss out on anything!

Table of contents:

1. Ipoh Itinerary Highlights
2. How Long Should You Stay In Ipoh?
3. Ipoh Itinerary
4. Getting Around In Ipoh
5. How To Get To Ipoh
6. Accommodation In Ipoh
7. Day Trips From Ipoh

Any good Ipoh itinerary usually has the following, and for good reason:

1. Ipoh Itinerary Highlights

These are the best of Ipoh attractions and most accessible too!

You best believe that there are actually tourists that come to Ipoh just for the food!

1.1. Ipoh Food Trip

Steep competition guarantees an impressively high standard when it comes to the taste of Ipoh food.

Everything from:

• Laksa,
• Curry mee,
• Hakka mee,
• Kai se hor fun,
• Chee cheong fun,
• Wantan mee

And others!

See a list of must-try food in Ipoh.

The first edition of this Ipoh Food Guide details multiple recommendations (from a local’s perspective) of where to find 15 of the best Ipoh food!

Grab this ebook written by locals for FREE!

Click here to check out more!

Keep your eyes peeled:

1.2. Ipoh Street Art/ Mural Lane

You’ll definitely bump into a couple of these colorful wall murals in a stray alley or at the back of a building.

There are many 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:

• Old Town Relieves Nostalgia With Trishaw (Pictured below)
• Hanging Kopi O Ikat Tepi
• A Yellow Hummingbird
• Kids Riding a Paper Plane
• An Old Uncle Drinking Coffee
• Evolution (Tin mining Dredge)

Grab a map from the Ipoh Tourist Information Center.

And while you’re at the Ipoh Tourist Information Center:

1.3. Ipoh Heritage Walk/ Historical Buildings

Don’t forget to grab a map of the Ipoh heritage walk!

Or download an Ipoh heritage map from the Ipoh World website.

This walk will take you around all the buildings of historical significance in Ipoh.

Including British-colonial building, Ipoh Railway Station and other landmarks like the Birch Memorial Clock Tower.

Allow at least 1-2 hours.

A unique feature of Ipoh:

1.4. Ipoh Cave Temples

Ipoh is home to at least 6 of these wonderful temples!

The most notable ones are:

1. Perak Cave Temple
2. Kek Lok Tong
3. Sam Poh Tong

2. 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.

However, if your passion is food, staying for 2 days will really allow you to savor the best of Ipoh food. And give your tummy time to digest!

And if you want to see something most tourists don’t see, stay an extra day and go beyond Ipoh Old Town!

3. Ipoh Itinerary

Ipoh is a laidback city and your Ipoh 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”

If you can only afford a day to see Ipoh:

3.1. Ipoh Day Trip Itinerary

A 1 day trip in Ipoh is common as many see Ipoh as a passing stop rather than the end destination.

The one we have planned here assumes you plan to walk for most of the day.

With the highlight being Ipoh Old Town.

Ipoh One Day Trip Schedule

The earlier you arrive, the better 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.
• Miniature Wonders Art Gallery 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.

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  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
• Or cool down at an Ipoh café (Pâtisserie BoutiQue or Aud’s by JJ Café)
• Or cross over to Ipoh New Town and have lunch (Lou Wong’s chicken rice)
• 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 one last meal in Ipoh – Lou Wong’s chicken rice or Restoran Tuck Kee

• From 7 pm onwards, you can see the Gerbang Malam (night market)

Want to see something less touristy with a local Ipoh-born guide to show you the way?

You can book a Ipoh private tour with RayTheTour through us on WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger!

A continuation of the 1 day itinerary:

3.2. Ipoh 2 Days 1 Night Itinerary

2 days is the sweet spot for exploring Ipoh!

On the first day:

Night:

• Get supper or dessert (or both) at Tong Sui Kai
• Go shopping Ipoh Parade Shopping mall
• Check out Ipoh nightlife (Bricks & Barrels or Fei Bo Snow beer)

There’s a whole medley of places to check out at night in Ipoh actually.

On the second day:

Wake up as early as you can.

Morning:

• Try some Ipoh 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)
• Have a bowl of smooth Ipoh tau fu far at Funny Mountain Soya Beancurd

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 – 锦记大小脚茶室

• If you still want to look for souvenirs, then you can have lunch at Sun Yeong Wai Roasted Duck (Sri Ampang) 新揚威烤鴨（安邦總店）instead as it is a couple of shops away from Yee Hup.
• Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring cave temples (Kek Lok Tong, Ling Sen Tong, Nam Thean Tong and Sam Poh Tong)

Evening:

• Fancy Nyonya food? Have an early dinner at Yum Yum Restaurant Ipoh
• Or have dinner at this Chinese seafood restaurant, Pusing Public Seafood Restaurant

An extension of the previous itinerary:

3.3. Ipoh 3 Days 2 Night Itinerary

More opportunities to try more Ipoh food!

And this where you can get out of Ipoh to explore other interesting places!

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!

Morning:

• Breakfast at Chang Jiang White Coffee
• Journey to Kellie’s Castle
• After visiting Kellie’s, 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
• HOGA Gaharu Tea Valley in Gopeng

Evening:

• Dinner At Yum Yum Restaurant Ipoh or Durbar

For those who didn’t drive their way to Ipoh:

4. Getting Around In Ipoh

There are 3 main entry points then:

1. AmanJaya Bus Terminal
2. Ipoh Railway Station
3. Ipoh Airport (Sultan Azlan Shah Airport)

Possible to walk to Ipoh Old Town from Ipoh Railway Station if you don’t have much luggage weighing you down.

As for the other two arrival points, you will need to rely on public or private transport.

Public/ Private Transport In Ipoh

There are pros and cons of each:

The private tour service we’re recommending is RayTheTour.

You can book them through us on WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.

5. How To Get To Ipoh

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!

What about Singapore?

5.1. Singapore To Ipoh

Most options take at least 5 hours:

1. Train (multiple transits) from Singapore > Johor > Gemas – takes around 5 hours
2. Bus (direct) – close to 8 hours!
3. Self-drive – ~7 hours

Unless you choose to fly to Ipoh directly.

5.1.1. Singapore To Ipoh By Flight

This is by far, the quickest option!

1. First, get yourself to Changi Airport in Singapore:
2. Then, take the 1 hour and 15 minutes flight to Ipoh.

There are up to 6 flights a day from Singapore to Sultan Azlan Shah Airport, Ipoh.

Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes

Price range: $40-420 SGD or RM 120- 1,260

5.2. Kuala Lumpur To Ipoh

So many options to choose from!

1. ETS train to Ipoh Railway Station – 3 hours, tickets from RM36
2. Bus from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan from to Ipoh AmanJaya Bus Terminal – ~3 hours, from RM20
3. Taxi – 2 hours with no traffic, RM200 to RM300
4. Self-drive via Lebuhraya Utara – Selatan/E1 (North-South Highway) – 2 hours, ~RM60 for petrol and toll

5.3. Penang To Ipoh

If you have your own car, it’s only too easy to make a trip down to Ipoh!

5.3.1. Penang To Ipoh by Self-driving

Using Lebuhraya Utara – Selatan/AH2/E1:

Duration: 2 hours (~161km)

Price range: RM30 to refuel and toll fees around RM16.8.

5.3.2. Penang To Ipoh by Bus

There are a few departure points – either from the island or at the mainland.

3 Departure points from Penang Island to Ipoh:

1. Penang Komtar
2. George Town
3. Sungai Nibong

2 Departure points from Penang Mainland (Butterworth or Perai):

1. Penang Sentral (Butterworth)
2. Chai Leng Park – Caltex

You can book your bus ticket online via easybook.com.

Most bus operators will drop you off at Ipoh AmanJaya Bus Terminal.

Price range: RM15-35

Read more: How To Go To Ipoh From Penang

6. Accommodation In Ipoh

As with the food industry, the hotel sector in Ipoh is equally competitive:

Which is good news for visitors!

6.1. Ipoh Hotel

You’ll immediately see that there are a lot of hotels in Ipoh!

Both of these have something unique about them:

6.1.1. Weil Hotel Ipoh

A modern hotel with contemporary rooms:

• Infinity pool overlooking Ipoh skyline
• Rooftop bar and restaurant (and other dining options)
• Connected to a shopping mall (Ipoh Parade)
• Close to Tong Sui Kai (Dessert street)
• Covered and secure parking

Designed after a Bali-esque resort:

6.1.2. Ipoh Bali Hotel

Ipoh Bali Hotel is a little pricier than your average Ipoh boutique hotel:

But they have an almost perfect record for their reviews!

• In-house spa
• Delicious breakfast menu (local cuisine)
• Beautiful décor
• Quiet neighborhood
• Close to Secret Garden restaurant

6.2. Ipoh Homestay

Homestays are great if you have a bigger group with you:

6.2.1. Grayhaus Soho

Budget-friendly and very comfortable if you don’t mind small spaces too much!

Walking distance to Ipoh Old Town.

6.2.2. H2H – At Mind 9 Vacation LANDED House Ipoh Center

This renovated house-turned-homestay is extremely family-friendly!

Conveniently close to the airport too!

More choices: 11 Exceptional Homestay In Ipoh

7. Day Trips From Ipoh

Make an Ipoh road trip since you are already in Ipoh!

Cameron Highlands is usually the next destination for many Ipoh visitors:

7.1. Ipoh To Cameron Highlands

The journey from Ipoh to Cameron Highlands is doable at 2 hours if you don’t mind windy roads!

Duration: 2 hours’ drive or more under heavy traffic

Distance from Ipoh: 89.8km

What’re the top attractions:

• Lavender Farm
• Strawberry Farms
• Cactus Farms
• Steamboat
• Golf
• Hiking
• BOH Tea Plantation
• Mossy Forest (Gunung Brinchang)

Read also: Cameron Highlands Itinerary: Cameron Highlands One Day Trip, 2D1N & 3D2N Itinerary

Taiping is a short drive from Ipoh with a very different character:

7.2. Ipoh To Taiping

It’s even quieter here than in Ipoh and many of the attractions will delight nature lovers!

Duration: 1 hour drive

Distance from Ipoh: 68.6km

What’s the top attractions:

• Taiping Lake Gardens
• Taiping Zoo
• Perak Museum
• Bukit Larut (Maxwell Hill)

Read also: Orangutan Island: A Hidden Orangutan Sanctuary In West Malaysia

Just under 30 minutes from Taiping:

7.3. Ipoh To Kuala Sepetang

Kuala Sepetang is a rural fishing district at the Sangga river (Sungai Sangga).

There’s a special kind of mangrove tree here that attracts fireflies!

Duration: 1 hour drive from Ipoh

Distance from Ipoh: 73.9km

What’s the top attractions:

• Fireflies (evening onwards)
• Eagles
• Matang Mangrove Reserve (Mangrove boardwalk)
• Charcoal Factory
• Kuala Sangga Fishing Village
• mee udang (Saleh Stall Mee Udang Port Weld)

Conclusion

If you’re Malaysian, you should definitely come over to Ipoh at least once!

For foreigners, you can consider Ipoh a less commercial version of Penang:

Without the beaches. Instead, there are limestone hills, tin mining history and cave temples!

Follow or alter these Ipoh itinerary plans for a Ipoh trip of your own! Or get more ideas with this travel itinerary planner tool!