15 Easy & Fun Ipoh Road Trips (To Include Into Your Ipoh Itinerary Now!)

We’ve compiled a list of Ipoh Road Trips according to area and duration.

For anyone who’s passing through Ipoh or fellow Ipoh-rians like us looking for a quick weekend getaway.

You can put some of the attractions below into your Ipoh itinerary.

Table of Contents:

• Half day to full day Ipoh road trips
• Weekend road trips from Ipoh
• 3-4 day road trips from Ipoh

By the way, have you tasted any of these must-try food in Ipoh already?

Or seen everything that Ipoh has to offer? Here is a list of Ipoh’s famous places to visit!

Half Day To Full Day Ipoh Road Trips

#1. Kellie’s Castle At Batu Gajah

Kellie’s Castle near Ipoh is an abandoned mansion at Batu Gajah and 30 minutes’s drive from Ipoh.

Tourists come to admire its castle-like appearance that was left incomplete due to the untimely death of the original owner, a Scotsman named William-Kellie-Smith.

Read also: Concubine Lane Ipoh: A Must Visit Street In Ipoh

#2. Kuala Kangsar

Kuala Kangsar is a 45 minutes’ drive from Ipoh. And it is home to many historical royal buildings of great architectural beauty.

2.1. Perak Royal Museum, Kuala Kangsar

Despite its name, it is not a museum per say:

But it is a historical building of superb and unique architecture.

Originally, it served as a temporary home for the royal family while the palace was being built. Locally known as Istana Kenangan.

Read more: HOGA Gaharu Tea Valley Gopeng: Another Place To Try Tea For Tea Lovers + What To Do

2.2. Ubudiah Royal Mosque

Lovely old mosque situated just beside the Perak river in Kuala Kangsar.

2.3. Istana Iskandariah

This is the palace for the Sultan of Perak.

A budget-friendly alternative to the hot springs in The Haven or Lost World of Tambun in Ipoh:

#3. Sungkai Klah hot springs

A local favorite, these are natural hot springs of varying temperatures. It’s affordable fun for the whole family!

Need a break from being out all day? Check out the best Ipoh cafes on this list!

#4. Tua Pek Kong Temple, Sitiawan

A temple by the sea. There are huge and beautiful white statues of the many Taoist deities.

Read more: Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village: Includes How To Buy Tickets & Things To Do

#5. Leaning Tower Of Teluk Intan

It may be a magnificent structure with history but at the end of the day:

It’s probably best if you stop by here on your way to Kuala Selangor (further town the list) from Ipoh.

Read also: 13 Things To Do When The Sun Sets In Ipoh

Have a weekend to spare?

Weekend Road Trips From Ipoh

#6. Taiping Road Trip

At Taiping, you can hop on over to the famous Taiping Lake Gardens, a charcoal factory, mangroves, bird-watching, fireflies, waterfalls and Bukit Larut (a.k.a Maxwell hill).

With all those attractions, it might be worth your while to stay in Taiping for at least a night.

Driving time: This nearby town is an hour’s drive from Ipoh.

Recommended duration: Day trip to a weekend, depending on what you’re doing

6.1. Bukit Larut (or Maxwell Hill)

The jeep fare to get up here is not expensive. You can stay overnight if you wish too.

For more information, you can check out our post, Bukit Larut and Burmese Pool – Taiping.

6.2. Kuala Sepetang Charcoal Factory

Kuala Sepetang is real close to Taiping. Come see the largest traditional charcoal factory in Malaysia here as well as the mangrove reserve close by!

Charcoal Factory of Kuala Sepetang close to Taiping.

6.3. Taiping Lake Gardens

It’s free to stroll around these rather large gardens and admire all the trees and landscaping.

There’s tonnes more to explore in Taiping, you can check out our post (link shared above under Kuala Sepetang Charcoal Factory) for more ideas.

Read also: Bukit Merah Laketown Resort – Affordable Family Fun Theme Park

#7. Pangkor Island

Best accommodation in Pangkor:

• Pangkor Laut Resort – Absolute comfort at around RM1000/night for 2 people; Book Pangkor Laut Resort now

Booking.com

• Nipah Guesthouse Pangkor – Chalets at walking distance to 2 beaches. Priced at RM200-400/night for 2 people; Book Nipah Guesthouse Pangkor

Booking.com

• Pangkor Homestay – Different sized bungalows (with kitchenettes) priced from RM400-700 a night. Great for large groups. Car rental service is available. Close to Pasir Bogak; Book Pangkor Homestay

Booking.com

 

A chance to see blue tears?

#8. Pulau Sembilan Road Trip

Pulau Sembilan is a bunch of small islands south of Pangkor Island and Lumut.

They are famous because it is here, that you can witness the “blue tears” phenomenon.

We have a separate post on this – catching blue tears at Pulau Sembilan.

Driving time: You need to get to the jetty that is located in a small fishing village in Bagan Datuk. A 2 hour drive from Ipoh.

Cost: Around RM200-250 for the overnight package (including transport to the island, basic accommodation and food)

Recommended duration: There are daily and overnight tours.

Remarks:

• It’s best to go with a tour for this one as the island is privately owned and requires a permit to visit.
• Book as early as a month ahead and check with the tour agency on the peak months to visit.
• There are less plankton during the rainy season. We went in September and didn’t see too many.

#9. Penang Mainland

It should come as no surprise that Penang is on this list:

Seeing that it’s only 2 hours away from Ipoh!

But we won’t touch on the usual Penang attractions here since Penang is already well-known.

This place is still relatively new to tourists outside of Malaysia but locals are quickly catching on to this local beauty!

Read more: Penang Itinerary – How To Get The Most Out Of Your Penang Trip

Frog Hill, Tasek Gelugor near Bukit Mertajam

It is however, quite isolated:

Check out our full experience here – Froghill, Penang, we actually got lost and have a few tips to share if you do decide to go here.

Read more: How To Go To Ipoh From Penang

Had enough of the heat?

#10. Ipoh To Cameron Highlands Road Trip

The locals come here to escape the heat and to enjoy the fresh air.

What to do in Cameron Highlands?

You can visit the mossy forest, farms and BOH tea plantations, go hiking, play golf, have tea at a fancy British-styled cafe, etc.

More details in our separate post for this – an alternative Cameron Highlands getaway.

Read also: How To Go To Cameron Highlands From Singapore

Heading back to Kuala Lumpur? You might want to consider visiting these awesome places!

#11. Kuala Selangor Road Trip

Driving time: Kuala Selangor is about a 3 hours’ drive away from Ipoh and an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur.

Tip: Don’t take the North-South Expressway if you want a more scenic route.

Recommended duration: Day trip to a weekend

11.1. Sekinchan

Where you can visit a rice factory, the rice paddy fields of Sekinchan and a fishing village.

Cost and all other details are in the post (link above).

11.2. Sky Mirror

The local tour companies might combine the “Sky Mirror of Kuala Selangor” (Sasaran salt flat) together with a chance to see blue tears,eagles or fireflies.

In our post (link above), we have a table comparing the different prices and tour companies.

But you can also visit these places separately.

11.3. Bukit Melawati

See the silver leaf monkeys and the old fort after a quick hike up Bukit Malawati (Google Maps has it spelled this way).

This is also a good place to check out while waiting for your Sky Mirror tour to start. It’s fairly close to the jetty.

Cost: Free entry. Small fee if you want to take the tram or buy food for the monkeys.

Recommended duration: 1 hour

If you’re going down to Kuala Lumpur from Ipoh:

#12. Kuala Lumpur Road Trip

Shah Alam is essentially a 30-40 minute detour from Kuala Lumpur.

So why not combine your Kuala Selangor trip with some sight-seeing in Shah Alam?

12.1. I City Shah Alam

Besides the gorgeous LED light displays, there is a water park and Malaysia’s largest snow park!

12.2. Batu caves

A must-see that’s just outside Kuala Lumpur, this Hindu temple and shrine sits amid limestone caves.

But the most striking feature is a massive statue of Lord Murugan.

In recent years, the steps were painted in an assortment of bright colors.

Read also: How To Get To Cameron Highlands From Kuala Lumpur

#13. Banding Island & Belum Rainforest Resort

Belum Rainforest Resort

Booking.com

Belum Rainforest Resort is on Banding Island which sits in the middle of Lake Temenggor.

The lake was created by the flooding of the valley when the Temenggor Dam was built.

The forest which surrounds the lake however, is an ancient (130 million years old) one named Royal Belum Rainforest.

Hence, due to its location, Belum Rainforest Resort is a very convenient starting point for appreciating the beauty of this forest reserve.

Book Belum Rainforest Resort

3-4 day road trips from Ipoh

Last on our list (and furthest away from Ipoh):

#14. Pahang (+Port Dickson) road trip (4 days)

This is a round trip that passes through two Malaysian states.

Our full trip is covered in a separate post Pahang Road Trip

14.1. Sungai Lembing

For the novelty of sleeping in a capsule:

You can book a container at The Time Capsule Retreat in Sungai Lembing. There are modern facilities in the middle of nature. We had a lovely stay here~

And for hiking Panaroma Hill (or Bukit Panaroma) before sunrise:

14.2. Kuala Gandah elephant sanctuary

Feed the elephants sugarcane and peanuts and watch them go for their daily baths in the afternoon.

Lexis Resort, Port Dickson

Booking.com


Technically not in Pahang but we decided to treat ourselves at the Lexis resort in Port Dickson:

The sea or beaches are not the best in Port Dickson but the Lexis resort chalets are gorgeous!

Especially on the inside. We even got an upgrade to a better room when we went!

The beach (open to public) is just walking distance too!

Cost: We paid ~RM400 for a double room.

Book the Lexis resort in Port Dickson here.

And just to give you some ideas if you’re planning a road trip between Terengganu and Pahang:

#15. Terengganu Road Trip From Ipoh

1. Lake Chini,
2. Cherating Turtle Sanctuary,
3. Taman Negara,
4. Kenyir Lake,
5. Crystal Mosque,
6. Perhentian Islands,
7. Redang Island,
8. Kapas Island,
9. Lang Tengah Island, etc.

Pahang

1. Chamang Waterfall,
2. Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary,
3. Bukit Fraser (a.k.a Fraser’s Hill),
4. Teluk Cempedak,
5. Cameron Highlands,
6. Colmar Tropicale, Berjaya Hills in Bukit Tinggi
7. Genting Highlands,
8. Berkelah Falls,
9. Bentong, etc – we’ve also found a couple of farm resorts and one camping resort between Kuala Gandah and Fraser’s Hill.

Conclusion

It only takes a few days to explore Ipoh city. So if you need a change of scenery, you can visit the other places around Ipoh and in the neighboring states of Pahang, Penang and Kuala Selangor.

Our list here is arranged by duration from the nearest to the furthest locations. Helps loads to have your own car if you want to see all of them!