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2023 MELAKA TRAVEL GUIDE (ITINERARY + BUDGET)

by thepinay solobackpacker | Feb 26, 2023 | Featured , Itinerary , MALACCA , Malaysia , Melaka , Travel Guide | 0 comments

Detailed Melaka Travel Guide blog with Melaka Itinerary and Budget, places to see in Melaka, and where to stay in Melaka.

Melaka’s gentle flowing river provides a serene accompaniment to its architectural splendor. Everywhere I turn, Malacca (Melaka) reminds me that I am somewhere unforgettable! From narrow lanes peppered with colourful Baba-Nyonya houses to a plaza fringed by red-painted Dutch brick buildings, grandiose temples to commanding mosques, and from hand-crafted intricate souvenirs to cafes serving taste bud-tingling local dishes! This lively city is one of my most visited destinations in Malaysia , still, I can’t get enough of its beauty!

Malacca (Melaka) is the birthplace of Malay civilization.  Even before the rise to fame of its neighbour Sing apore, Malacca was already turning heads. In fact, it has a long-withstanding history of colonial rule under the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British.  Because of its rich heritage, Malacca/Melaka was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site .

To make the most out of your trip in this historic town, here’s my Malacca/ Melaka Travel Guide with sample Melaka itinerary and budget.

TRAVEL BLOG CONTENTS

MELAKA (MALACCA) TRAVEL GUIDE

Melaka travel requirements.

Melaka, like the rest of Malaysia has scrapped the travel requirements for tourists. Vaccinated and non-vaccinated travelers are free to enter. Wearing of mask is now optional, but passengers on public transport like buses and trains are required to wear mask.

HOW MANY DAYS TO SPEND IN MELAKA?

2-3 Days in Melaka should be enough to visit the top tourist attractions. But if you want to explore more underrated destinations in this heritage city, you could always extend your Melaka itinerary.

MALAYSIA MONEY AND ATM 

Melaka uses Malaysian Ringgit as currency. 1 MYR (Malaysian Ringgit) is equivalent to roughly ₱12.61 (SGD 0.31/ $0.23).  Everything is on a cash (Malaysian Ringgit) basis in Melaka. But major hotels and restaurants take cards and debit cards.

ATMs are scattered in the city center and withdrawal limits depend on your bank. For ATMs in Malaysia, you can usually, you can withdraw up to MYR 1,500 (₱19,000 /SGD 466/ $352) per transaction. Foreign exchange fee will depend on your bank and the ATM will also charge you a foreign withdrawal fee for every transaction, unless you are using a Maybank card.

HOW TO GET TO MELAKA

Melaka/Malacca has an international airport; however, it’s not well-connected to other countries.  Most tourists fly to Kuala Lumpur first and then take a bus to Melaka/Malacca.

MANILA TO MELAKA/MALACCA

Fly to Kuala Lumpur from Manila . There are no direct flights to Malacca/Melaka from Manila, (Philippines) you need to fly to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) first. There are reasonably priced flights by airlines like Cebu Pacific, Air Asia, Jetstar, and Philippine Airlines.

Kuala Lumpur has 2 international airports for commercial flights:

• Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) – airport for many airlines, mostly flag carriers, like Philippine Airlines.
• Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) – airport for low-cost airlines like Cebu Pacific and Air Asia.

KUALA LUMPUR TO MELAKA/MALACCA

If you are in Kuala Lumpur, you need to make your way to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS Terminal). Then take a bus to Meleka/Malacca. Most buses terminate at Melaka Sentral Terminal. But there are also buses that end at Mahkota Medical Center (Hatten Hotel), however, it’s not as frequent.  Pick which one is near your hotel, also check my  Melaka hotel guide below.

Buses from TBS Terminal to Melaka Sentral runs every hour from at 7:30 AM to 11:50 PM.  Travel time is roughly 2 -3 hours, depending on traffic situation. Depending on the type of bus (standard, economy, or executive), bus fare starts at RM 10 (₱127/SGD 3/ $2.35) to RM 16 (₱204 /SGD 5/ $4). You can book in advance online through the link below to reserve a seat.

IMPORTANT: If you take a bus that terminates at Melaka Sentral Terminal, take note that this is quite a distance from Melaka City Center. You can take a Grab or taxi to your hotel from there. Or take a local bus. See the Getting Around (Melaka by Bus) section below.

✔ KUALA LUMPUR TO MELAKA BUS: RESERVE HERE

✔ kuala lumpur to melaka (private transfer): book here.

• Make your way to KL Sentral in Kuala Lumpur.
• At KL Sentral, take the KLIA Transit to KLIA Airport.
• Get off at Bandar Tasik Selatan Station (BTS Station). Travel time is roughly 6 min. Fare is MYR 6.50 (₱83 /SGD 2/ $1.53).
• Walk to Terminal Bersapadu Selatan (TBS Terminal). About 2 min.
• Proceed to the centralized ticket counter. Show the bus ticket you bought online, after verification, you’ll be provided a bus ticket with the Gate number.
• Proceed to the Gate # on your ticket. You must be at the gate at least 30 mins prior to yous bus departure.
• Ride the bus to Melaka/Malacca.
• Depending on the bus ticket you purchased, get off at Melaka Sentral or Mahkota Medical Center.
• Take Grab or taxi to your hotel.  There are also local buses at Melaka Sentral Terminal, but research first which one will stop near your hotel. See the Getting Around Section by Bus below.

KLIA TO MELAKA/MALACCA

If you are coming from KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport), there are buses that run to Melaka/Malacca. You can book online in advance and check the bus schedule below.

✔ KLIA TO MELAKA BUS: TICKETS HERE

• At KLIA, walk to the bus station. About 12 min.
• Ride the bus to Melaka Sentral. Fare is roughly RM 26 (₱330 /SGD 8/ $6). for bus with 2.30 hours travel time. And about RM 35 (₱447 /SGD 11/ $8) for bus with approximately 1.5 hours travel time.  There are also buses at KLIA that departs for Hatten Hotel (Mahkota Medical Center) in Melaka. Fare is approximately RM 35 (₱447 /SGD 11/ $8) and travel time is about 2.45 hours.
• Get off at Melaka Sentral Bus Station or Hatten Hotel (Mahkota Medical Center) depending on the bus you took. Grab or taxi to your hotel.

KLIA2 TO MELAKA/MALACCA

If you are coming from KLIA2, there are buses that run to Melaka/Malacca. You can book online in advance and check the bus schedule below.

✔ KLIA2 TO MELAKA BUS: TICKETS HERE

Important: Choose your bus destination either Melaka Sentral or Mahkota Medical Center, wherever is near your hotel.

• At KLIA2, walk to the bus station at Level 1 of KLIA2 Gateway Mall. 11 min.
• Take the bus to Melaka Sentral. Fare starts at roughly RM 24 (₱330 /SGD 7/ $5) for Transnational MY bus with 2.30 hours travel time. And about RM 35 (₱447 /SGD 11/ $8) for StarMart bus Express Bus with 1.50 hours travel time. There are also STARM buses at KLIA that departs for Mahkota Medical Center (Hatten Hotel) in Melaka. Fare is approximately RM 35 (₱447 /SGD 11/ $8) and travel time is about 2.45 hours.
• Get off at Melaka Sentral Bus Station or Mahkota Medical Center (Hatten Hotel) depending on the bus you took. Grab or taxi to your hotel.

SINGAPORE TO MELAKA/MALACCA

There are several buses that run from Singapore to Melaka. Buses to Melaka Sentral and Mahkota Medical Center (Hatten Hotel, Estadia Hotel) depart from Queen Street Bus Terminal, Kovan Hub Bus Terminal, Golden Mile Complex, and Katong V Mall (Village Hotel Katong).

Depending on the type of bus and your destination, bus fare from Singapore to Melaka starts at RM 81 (₱1,031 /SGD 25/ $19) to RM 123 (₱1,565 /SGD 38/ $29).  Travel time is roughly 3 hours and 30 minutes to 4 hours. If you’re coming from Kovan Bus Terminal to Melaka, travel time is approximately 6 hours and 10 mins.  First trip departs Singapore at 7:15 AM, and last trip is at 7:15 PM.  You can check the bus schedule and buy your tickets in advance through the link below.

Important: Since this trip include border crossing, make sure you have a valid passport. You need to have your passport stamped with Singapore Exit at the border and Malaysia entry stamp prior to entering Malaysia’s border.

✔ SINGAPORE TO MELAKA BUS: TICKETS HERE

✔ singapore to melaka sentral bus: tickets here, getting around melaka / malacca.

It’s quite easy to get around or tour Melaka/Malacca, in fact it’s pretty cheap as most attractions are walking distance of each other.  So, you can either do a DIY Melaka Walking tour, avail of Melaka/Malacca guided tour or ride the groovy Melaka/Malacca trishaw. You have plenty of options for your Melaka itinerary.

MELAKA BY TRISHAW (RIKSHAW)

Alternatively, a cool way to tour Melaka is by riding Melaka trishaws (rikshaw) for about RM 50 (PHP 629 / SGD 15 /USD 12) for 1 hour.  Rate is good for two persons.  Make sure you agree on the price first and what the tour covers before riding the trishaw.

Melaka’s trishaw is stylishly decorated with flowers and stuff toys, featuring cartoon characters like Hello Kitty, Pokemon, Pikachu, Doraemon, etc. and with blaring pop music. At night it becomes so colorful with lights.

✔ MELAKA TRISHAW RIDE AT NIGHT: BOOK HERE

Melaka day tour package.

If you are pressed for time and you just want a quick day tour to Melaka from Singapore, you can book a day tour with lunch through the link below. The tour includes a visit to St. Peter’s Church, A ‘Formosa Portuguese Fortress, Melaka Museum, Chen Hoon Teng Temple, and Melaka River. Pick-up and drop-off at designated point in Kuala Lumpur city center and Bukit Bintang area and lunch in Melaka is included in the Melaka Day Tour package.

✔ MELAKA DAY TOUR FROM KUALA LUMPUR  (WITH LUNCH): RESERVE HERE

✔ historical melaka private tour: reserve here, ✔ melaka private night tour: book here, ✔ melaka + putrajaya instagram tour: book here, melaka by bus.

Once you get off the bus at Melaka Sentral Terminal, there are local buses that go to Melaka city center. However, waiting for the bus will eat up your time because the bus schedule is unreliable. If you insist on taking the bus, you can take the Panorama bus from the following bus stops at Melaka Sentral:

• BUS #14 – At Melaka Sentral, look for bus #14. Ride the Panorama bus to Pantai Kunder. Alight at Hang Tuah Mall, Jalan Tun Mamat. Travel time is about 6 minutes, and bus fare is approximately RM 2.50 (₱31/SGD 0.77/ $0.58). You can walk to Jonker Street (12 minutes) and Dutch Square (17 minutes).
• BUS #23 – At Melaka Sentral Terminal, look for bus #23. Take the Panorama bus to Batu Berendam. Get off at Hang Tuah Mall, Jalan Tun Mamat. Travel time is about 7 minutes, and bus fare is approximately RM 3.50 (₱44/SGD 1/ $0.81). You can walk to Jonker Street (12 minutes) and Dutch Square (17 minutes).
• BUS #3 – At Melaka Sentral Terminal, look for bus#3. Take the Panorama bus to Ulu Bertam. Alight at Hang Tuah Mall, Jalan Tun Mamat. Travel time is about 10 minutes, and bus fare is approximately RM 4 (₱50/SGD 1.23/ $0.92). You can walk to Jonker Street (12 minutes) and Dutch Square (17 minutes).
• BUS #17 – At Melaka Sentral Terminal, look for bus #17. Ride the Panorama bus to Ujong Pasir. This can take you to the Dutch Square (Red Square).  Get off at Muzeum Belia Malaysia, 3 stops, 30 minutes. Bus fare is roughly RM 2 (₱25/SGD 0.61/ $0.46).

MELAKA DIY WALKING TOUR

(Jonker Street Night Market)

Most of Melaka’s top tourist attractions are concentrated around Jonker Street peppered with Baba Nyonya houses turned into museums or antique shops and the Dutch Square (Red Square), famed for its red buildings. You can easily do a DIY Walking Tour around these areas. You can check out the Top Attractions in Melaka below.

MELAKA BY GRAB/TAXI

Grab is also a convenient way to get around Melaka. Taxis are also available in Melaka. Taxi fare in Melaka starts at RM 3 (₱38 / SGD 0.91 /$0.68) for the 1 st kilometer and RM 0.87 (PHP 11 / SGD 0.26 /$0.20) per km thereafter.

MELAKA BY BOAT (MELAKA RIVER CRUISE)

A leisurely way to tour Melaka/Malacca is by doing the Melaka River Cruise, operating daily from 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM. The journey takes about 45 minutes, and includes sightseeing of the following attractions: Red Building, Stadthuys, Colorful Murals, Jonker Streets, Middleburg Bastion, Pre-War Buildings, Morten Village, Kampung Hulu Mosque, Church of St. Francis Xavier, The Shore Shopping Gallery, and the Mangrove Route. You can purchase tickets at the Spice Garden Jetty or Melaka River Square Jetty.

You can also rent an entire boat for the Melaka River Cruise if you are large group.

WHERE TO STAY IN MELAKA

You’ll never run out of places to stay in Melaka/Malacca.  There’s a wealth of accommodations here and they are mostly reasonably priced. When looking for a hotel, consider the location. If you’re a first-timer in Melaka, and you’ll spend your days touring, best to find hotels near the tourist attractions like the Red Square and Jalan Hang Jebat (Jonker Walk). From the bus terminal, you can easily book Grab or take a taxi to your hotel.

Here’s some of the top-rated hotels in Melaka, I grouped them according to their location:

✔ Hotels near Jonker Street (Jalan Hang Jebat)

If you want to stay near the tourist attractions in Melaka, book a hotel in or near Jonker Walk (Jalan Hang Jebat), Melaka’s Chinatown District. To get to Jonker Walk from Melaka Sentral Terminal, see the Getting Around (Melaka by Bus) section above.

Here are some of the top-rated hotels around Jonker.

•  Jonker Red Heritage Hotel
• CHECK RATES HERE or RESERVE HERE
• Swiss Hotel Heritage
•   Quayside Hotel
• Styles Hotel Malacca
• Baba House Melaka
• Discovery Malacca Hostel

✔ Hotels near Melaka City Center and Mahkota Medical Center 

If you happen to ride a bus that terminates at Mahkota Medical Center, then finding a hotel near this location will be more convenient for you. It’s also quite close to the Red Square (about 12-minute walk), and is a stone’s throw away from Dataran Pahlawan Shopping Mall, and restaurants.

• Imperial Heritage Hotel Melaka
• Hatten Hotel Melaka
• Estadia Hotel
• The Straight Hotel and Suites
• MidCity Hotel Melaka

MELAKA TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

  As I mentioned above, most of Malacca’s top tourist attractions are situated around the Dutch Square (Red Square) and Jonker Street (Chinatown District), so they are walking distance of each other.

Here’s a list of some of the places to see in Malacca that you can add on your Melaka itinerary.

1. DUTCH SQUARE (RED SQUARE)

The Dutch Square, also known as the Red Square, is probably the most recognizable attraction of Melaka, hence, it’s a must-visit on your Melaka itinerary. It is peppered with age-old buildings and structures built during the Dutch colonial period in Melaka from 1641 to 1825.

• Christchurch Melaka
• Open Hours: Daily 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Entrance Fee: FREE

• Open Hours: Mon – Thurs 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Fri, Sat, & Sun – 9:00 AM – 8:30 PM
• Entrance Fee:
• Foreigners – Adult – RM 10 (₱126 / SGD 3 /$2.31), Child – RM 5 (₱50 / SGD 23 /$ 0.92),
• Malaysians – Adult RM 5 (₱63 / SGD 53 /$1.15), Child -RM 2 (₱25 / SGD 0.61 /$ 0.46

• Tan Beng Swee Clock Tower
• Deutscher Grabenmorser
• Dutch Square Fountain/Queen Victoria Fountain
• Dutch Graveyard

2. ST. PAUL’S HILL

• FRANCIS XAVIER STATUE
• FAROL DE ALVENARIA DE MALACCA
• CHURCH OF ST. PAUL, MALACCA
• PROCLAMATION OF INDEPENCE MEMORIAL
• DUTCH GRAVEYARD

3. JONKER WALK (JALAN HANG JEBAT)

Jonker Walk is the Chinatown area of Melaka and a must-visit during your Melaka itinerary. It’s now officially renamed as Jalan Hang Jebat Street , the former antiques center in Chinatown. It’s a bustling street just right across the Melaka River from the Dutch Square, dotted with age-old Chinese shophouses revamped into museums, shops, and restaurants.

Jonker Walk, Melaka

Here are the other Melaka tourist attractions at Jonker Walk /Chinatown District area:

(Cheng Ho Cultural Temple, Melaka)

• Cheng Ho Cultural Museum
• Location: 51 Lorong Hang Jebat (1 min walk from Jonker Night Market)
• Open Hours: Daily (Except Monday) 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• Entrance Fee: Adult – RM 20 (₱252 / SGD 6 /USD 5), Child – RM 10 (₱ 126 / SGD 3 /$2.31)

(Sri Poyyatha Vunayaga  Moorthy Temple, Melaka)

•   Sri Poyyatha Vinayaga Moorthy Temple
• Location: 5-11 Jalan Tukang Emas
• Open Hours: Daily 7:00 AM – 11:30 AM, 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM
• Cheng Hoon Teng Temple
• Location: 25, Jalan Toong, Kampung Dua
• Open Hours: Daily 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM

(Kampung Kling Mosque, Melaka)

• Kampung Kling Mosque
• Location: Junction of Jalan Tukang Emas (Goldsmith Street) and Jalan Masjid
• Open Hours: 24 hours
• Jonker Walk World Heritage Park & Dr.Gan Bong Leong Statue
• Location: Jalan Hang Jebat
• Hang Kasturi Mausoleum

(Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum, Melaka)

• Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum, Melaka
• Location: 48-50 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (3 min-walk from Jonker Night Market)
• Open Hours: Thurs to Sun: 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM, 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
• Entrance Fee: Adult – RM 16 (₱201 / SGD 5 /USD 4), Child (5-12 y.o) – RM 11 (₱ 138 / SGD 4 /USD 3

4. MELAKA MUSEUMS

Melaka is oozing with museums, that said, plan ahead which museum you want to enter, otherwise, museum hopping will eat up 1-day of Melaka Itinerary. Here’s a list of some well-known museums in Melaka (see the list above for the museums in Chinatown).

(Museum Samudera (Flor de la Mar), Melaka)

• Museum Samudera (Flor de la Mar)
• Location: Jalan Merdeka, Bandar Hilir, Melaka
• Open Hours: Weekdays 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM, Friday and Weekeneds 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
• Museum Samudera (Flor de la Mar) Entrance Fee:
• Foreigner: Adult – RM 20 (₱252 / SGD 6 /USD 5), Child – RM 10 (₱126 / SGD 3 /USD 2.31)
• Malaysian: Adult – RM 10 (₱126 / SGD 3 /USD 31), Child – RM 5 (₱ 63 / SGD 1.53 /USD 01.15),
• Tickets include entrance to 3 attractions: Replica of Flor del Mar, Maritime Museum Phase 2, Royal Malaysian Navy Museum.
• Melaka Royal Marine Museum
• Entrance Fee: Use same ticket as Museum Samudera (Flor de la Mar)
• Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum
• Location: Jalan Kota, Bandar Hilir
• Open Hours: Daily 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM (except Tuesday)
• Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum Entrance Fee:
• Adult: (Foreigners) RM 5 (₱63 / SGD 53 /$1.15)
• Adult: (Malaysians ) RM 3 (₱38 / SGD 92 /$0.69)
• Children: RM 2 (₱17 / SGD 0.61 /$0.46)

(The Stadthuys Museum, Melaka)

• The Stadthuys Museum
• Location: Bandar Hilir,Melaka
• Open Hours: Mon to Thurs 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Fri,Sat, & Sun 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
• Stadthuys Museum Melaka Entrance Fee:
• Foreigners (Adult) RM 10 (₱126 / SGD 3 /$2.31)
• Foreigners (Child) RM 4 (₱50 / SGD 23 /$0.92)
• Melaka Art Gallery
• Location: Bandar Hilir, Melaka
• Open Hours: Daily (Closed on Mondays) 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
• Melaka Art Gallery Entrance Fee:
• Adult – RM 3 (₱38 / SGD 92 /$0.69)
• Child – RM 2 (₱17 / SGD 0.61 /$0.46)

5. MALACCA TOWER (TAMING SARI TOWER) 

A gyro tower in Bandar Hilir with a rotating viewing platform with an extensive view of Melaka.

(Malacca Tower)

Open Hours: Daily 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM

MALACCA TOWER:  DISCOUNTED TICKET HERE

6. KAMPUNG KETEK MALACCA 

This is located right in front of Xian Ling Si temple near Jonker Walk.  You can make a detour here while on a walking tour in Jonker. One of the oldest villages in Melaka. You can visit the Munshi Abdullah House, a traditional Malay house while you are here.

• Munshi Abdullah House

6. KAMPUNG MORTEN (MORTEN VILLAGE)

There’s a living museum in Melaka, where you can see Malay traditional houses and witness Malay traditional lifestyle. The village is named after a British Land Commissioner – J.F Morten who was involved in developing this village from a former mangrove swamp. But the village is believed to be founded by Othman Mod Noh.

It is recommended to add a visit to a traditional Malay village on your Melaka itinerary, and Kampung Morten is an interesting community to explore. The village is composed of roughly 85 houses, and 52 of these houses are Melaka traditional houses. The most famous is Villa Sentosa , which is now a museum open to the public called The Malay Living Museum .

• Villa Sentosa (The Malay Living Museum)
• Location: Lorong Tun Mamat 1, Kampung Morten, Melaka
• Open Hours : Daily (Except Friday) 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Lunchbreak from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Friday – 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
• Entrance Fee: FREE but donations are highly encouraged.

7. PORTUGUESE SETTLEMENT MELAKA (KAMPUNG PORTUGIS)

Located in Ujong Pasir, about 35 minutes away from downtown Melaka, is a Kristang (Portuguese-Eurasian or Malacca Portuguese) community. Malacca was a Portuguese colony from 1511 to 1641, and during that period, Portuguese men settled in Melaka and married Malay women.  Later on, they intermarried with Dutch, British, Chinese, and Malay.

Sometime in 1933, about 11 hectares of land in Melaka was cleared in what was previously known as the St. John Village, a sleepy fishing community. Here, about 11 wooden houses was built for the Kristang people. Eventually, it attracted more Kristang indigenous people from all over Malaysia. Unfortunately, today, only 1 traditional Kristang house stood the test of time. It is located along Jalan D’ Aranjo.  There’s not much to see or do in this quiet part of Melaka during the day, but at night tourists flock at the Portuguese Square to eat Portuguese seafood at the seaside.

(Portuguese Settlement Heritage Museum)

Here are some places to see while You’re in Portuguese Settlement Melaka:

• Portuguese Settlement Heritage Museum
• Traditional Kristang House (Portuguese Eurasian House)
• Portuguese Square
• Christ the Redeemer Statue
• Location: C-18 Portuguese Square, Portuguese Settlement
• Open Hours: Daily (Close on Sundays) 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
• Entrance Fee: RM 2 (₱17 / SGD 0.61 /USD 0.46), Children: FREE under 10 years old

8. CHITTY VILLAGE (CHETTI VILLAGE) & CHITTY MUSEUM (CHETTI MUSEUM)

There’s a Chitty Village in Jalan Gaja Berang, Melaka, which is home to a small, close-knit community of Hindu Peranakans who are descendants of the original Tamil traders in Melaka. Chitty (also Chetti) are Tamil traders from Southern India who reached Melaka back in the 15 th century to trade spices and other goods. Some of them married local residents (Malays, Chinese, Batak, Javanese) in Melaka. They resided in Melaka, and eventually adapted to local customs and language, while still retaining their belief in Hinduism.

Today, there are more or less 30 families residing in Chitty Village, Melaka.  You can visit the community while in Melaka, which is home to 3 Hindu Temples, the most popular is the approximately 190-year-old temple – Sri Maha Mariamman Temple.  And while you are it, do drop by at the Chitty Museum to get a glimpse of the artifacts, handicrafts, photographs, and learn the history and customs of the Hindu Peranakas in Melaka.

• Chitty Museum
• Location: Jalan Gajah Berang, Kampung Chetti
• Open Hours: Daily (Except Mon & Tues) 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Chitty Museum Entrance Fee:
• Adult – RM 2 (₱17 / SGD 0.61 /$0.46)
• Child – RM 1 (₱13 / SGD 31 /$0.23)

9. MELAKA STREET ARTS

(Street Art at Melaka River Side)

In recent years, ingenious murals mushroomed in Melaka, particularly along Melaka River, a must-see during your Melaka itineray. Tourists enjoy taking photos and interacting with these artworks as they walk along the riverside.  Perhaps the most famous street art in Melaka is My Kiehl’s Heritage Mural , painted by artists Kiehl and Fritelldea (Mohd Anuar). While you are at it, drop by at The Orangutan House , a gallery selling artworks and graphic shirts, painted with a gigantic mural art. Other street arts include Melaka’s Street Art (The Well) , the Melaka Street Art (Horses) 2 lovely horses further down Jalan Kasturi, and the Melaka 3D Street Arts . They are walking distance to Jonker Walk.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS IN MELAKA

• THE SHORE SKY TOWER: DISCOUNTED TICKET HERE
• UPSIDE DOWN HOUSE GALLERY: DISCOUNTED TICKET HERE
• ILLUSION 3D ART MUSEUM:  DISCOUNTED TICKET HERE
• MAGIC ART MUSEUM:  DISCOUNTED TICKET HERE
• WONDERPARK MELAKA: RESERVE HERE  
• JAYA MATA KNIFE GALLERY: DISCOUNTED TICKET HERE    

MELAKA DAY TRIPS

1. melaka straits mosque (melaka floating mosque).

Melaka Straits Mosque is a visually-appealing mosque located on Malacca’s artificial island, about 1 hour away from Melaka city center. This gorgeous modern-day mosque has a golden dome and turrets. As its nickname suggests, it seems like a floating mosque during high-tide. Make sure to add this on your Melaka Itinerary!

(Melaka Floating Mosque)

Location: Jalan Pula, Melaka

Open Hours: Daily 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM

How to get there: Grab or taxi from Melaka City center.

2. HANG TUAH CENTER

This museum and tourism complex in Kampung Duyong is devoted to the famed Malay warrior Hang Tuah, who was born in Kampung Duyong. Gabled-roof traditional Malay houses dominates the Hang Tuah Center where visitors can learn more about Hang Tuah’s life history, as well as see traditional Malay weaponry and handicrafts.

• Hang Tuah Center
• Location: Kampung Jambatan Duyong, Melaka
• Open Hours: Daily 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Closed 12:45 PM – 2:45 PM on Friday for prayer)
• Foreigners (Adult) RM 10 (₱126 /SGD 3/ $2.31), (Child 7-10 y.o) RM 5 (₱63 / SGD 1.53 /$ 01.15),
• Malaysians: (Adult) RM 5 (₱63 / SGD 1.53 /USD 01.15), (Child 7-10 y.o) RM 3 (₱38 / SGD 0.92 /$0.69)
• How to get to Hang Tuah Center:
• By Taxi or Grab: Grab or taxi from Melaka City center. There’s a bus, but schedule is erratic.
• Make your way to BSN, Jalan Munshi Abdullah bus stop.
• Take Panorama Bus #8 to Tangkak.
• Get off at SRA JAIM (Kandang Jalam Bukit Lintang), 11 th stop and travel time is about 14 minutes.
• Walk to Hang Tuah center, about 18 mins. Bus fare is roughly RM 5.20 (₱65 / SGD 57 /USD 1.17).

ALSO READ:  HANG TUAH CENTER MELAKA

3. malaysia heritage studios (taman mini malaysia & asean cultural park).

Malaysia Heritage Studios, formerly known as Taman Mini Malaysia & ASEAN Cultural Park, is a cultural theme park in Ayer Keroh, Melaka that features a cultural museum, traditional Malay house replicas, and traditional houses replicas from every member of the ASEAN. You rarely see this on the usual Melaka Itinerary since it’s quite a distance from Melaka city center, if you have the luxury of time, you can visit Malaysia Heritage Studios.

• Malaysia Heritage Studios Melaka (Taman Mini Malaysia)
• Location: Exit Lebuh, Ayer Keroh, Melaka Malaysia
• Open Hours: Mon to Thurs 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• Cultural Show Times: Weekday- 11:00 AM, 2:30 PM, Weekend -11:00 AM, 2:30 PM, 4:00 PM
• Foreigners (Adult) RM 90 (₱1,124 / SGD 27 /USD 20), (Child 4-12 y.o) RM 70 (₱874/ SGD 21 /$16)
• Malaysians (Adult) RM 45 (₱562 / SGD 14 /USD 10), (Child 4-12 y.o) RM 35 (₱437 / SGD 11 /$8)
• Senior Citizens – RM 35 (₱437 / SGD 11 /$8)
• PWD – RM 30 (₱375 / SGD 9 /$7)

RELATED BLOG:  MALAYSIA HERITAGE STUDIOS (TAMAN MINI MALAYSIA )

Melaka food: what to eat in melaka.

The ancient shophouses dappled around Jonker Street were once antique shops, but now they’ve been turned into cafes and restaurants.  Malacca is a foodie haven, a perfect place to try Nonya, Malay, Indian and Chinese cuisines, you’ll never run out of places to eat here. Be warned though about the queue especially on weekends and holidays, so if you want to skip the long line, either you eat early or late for lunch. Make sure to add food trip to your Melaka Itinerary.

• Chicken rice balls
• Nyonya laksa/ Nyonya asam laksa
• Gula Melaka

MELAKA ITINERARY (3 DAYS 2 NIGHTS WITH BUDGET)

It is possible to do a Melaka Day tour from Kuala Lumpur, but I recommend an overnight stay or at least 2 days 1 night Melaka itinerary. I would even stay here for 3 or 4 days, taking things at a leisurely pace while exploring the town’s outskirts.

Melaka Itinerary Day 1 is mostly walking tour, all sights are close to each other, so better go there on foot or hire a disco trishaw.  On the other hand, most attractions listed on Melaka Itinerary Day 2 (see other attraction listed above) are located outside Melaka’s historic district and are far from each other (see Google Maps).  So, it means, either you take the local bus (will eat up our time) or take a cab or book Grab to those destinations.

Here’s my sample 3 day/ 2 nights Melaka itinerary with budget.

IMPORTANT: The sample budget below doesn’t cover accommodation, the airfare going to Kuala Lumpur from your country, drinks, souvenirs and shopping expenses.

This 3 days 2 nights Melaka Itinerary covers most of the top attractions in Melaka for first time tourists. It’s a jampacked Melaka itinerary, but if you want a cheaper and more laidback itinerary, feel free to skip some attractions or activities above.  I’ll be writing another Melaka itinerary for 2 days 1 night soon.

IMPORTANT: I personally wrote the above Melaka Itinerary; it took me a week to finish it. Feel free to use it for your personal trip. But since this blogpost is copyright-protected, you are NOT allowed to copy this Melaka itinerary (or any other itineraries in this blog) in whole or in parts.  You can share the link to this blogpost instead, so others can read this too, and that will help me write more comprehensive trip itineraries to help you plan your future trips. Thank you for reading!

RELATED BLOG:

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BEST Melaka Itinerary To Plan Your Trip to Melaka (Malacca) For 1-2 Days!

Categories Asia , Itinerary , Malaysia

A trip to Melaka is a must! Melaka or Malacca, as it’s also known is one of the best places to visit in Malaysia ! It’s easy to get to from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, it’s fun and colourful and you don’t need a long Melaka itinerary to see all of the best things to do in Melaka because it is a small city!

I spent 2 days in Melaka enjoying the street art, the street food, the historical buildings and temples and I loved it! I went from KL to Melaka and it was such an easy journey!

There are also day tours from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka like this if you are short on time or just fancy visiting for the day!

In this Malaysia travel blog I’m going to give you the best Melaka itinerary (Malacca itinerary) so you can plan your trip to Melaka making sure you see all of the best places to visit in Melaka!

Whether you’re looking for a Malacca itinerary for 1 day or a Melaka itinerary for 2 days, or even 3 days, you can pick and choose from my itinerary below to help plan your Melaka Trip!

Melaka Itinerary

Melaka Trip:

Just looking for the top things to do in Melaka! Here’s my post on 10 amazing and fun things to do in Malacca !

Find What You're Looking For Easily Here!

Getting to Melaka

Kuala Lumpur to Malacca by bus is 2 hours and a very easy journey, I did it with no problems at all.

Singapore to Malacca by bus is just 4 hours including the overland border crossing and Malaysia offers a 90day free visa to most nationalities so it is easy to travel to Malaysia and Melaka from Singapore for a few days.

Each of the above buses will drop you off at Melaka Sentral bus station.

From Melaka bus station to the city centre you can get a taxi outside the station which will cost about 20RM. Or you can order a grab taxi which is much less expensive at about 7RM, or get local bus 17 from stand 17 from Malacca Sentral to the Clock Tower for 2RM.

What’s really handy is that you can book your Malaysia buses in advance on 12GO Asia to save you time when you get there and so you know you have a confirmed booking! That’s what I did and it made my trip to Melaka from KL much easier!

Kuala Lumpur to Melaka Day Tour

Talking of KL, before we get into your itinerary for Melaka, if you are really short on time and you only want to do a day trip to Melaka from Kuala Lumpur and don’t have time to spend the night there, I do recommend an organised day tour to help you with the logistics and timings!

There are day tours from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka like this which I recommend instead of trying to visit yourself on a Melaka day trip!

How to get around Melaka

One of the reasons I loved Melaka so much is because it is easy to get around by foot! Although the city of Malacca is quite big, the tourist centre is only small and when planning what to do in Melaka, it’s easy to plan it all by foot!

If you need transport you can order a Grab taxi, get a public bus which are really efficient or you can get a crazy and colourful tricycle which I’ll talk about later!

Look for the best flights to Melaka here!

I use Skyscanner to book all of my flights! I’m a huge fan of Skyscanner because I love how easy it is to compare different dates and routes to help me find the best flight at the best price! 

Open Skyscanner by clicking here and search for the best flights as you read this post.

1 Day Melaka Itinerary

This Melaka itinerary for 1 day is a great itinerary to follow if you are visiting for Melaka for a one day trip because you will see all of the top tourist attractions in Melaka and get a feel for why this city is so fun!

For a one day trip to Melaka I recommend getting up early and getting to Melaka by mid-morning at least, this way you will have the morning, all afternoon and early evening to enjoy the best things to do in Melaka !

Breakfast at the Cafes in Melaka

When it comes to planning your Melaka itinerary, be sure to plan in time to enjoy the cafes because the cafes in Melaka are really good! There are a mix of local cafes and restaurants and also fancier cafes that could be taken straight from London!

I really loved Navy Navy for breakfast so definitely get breakfast out on day 1 in Melaka! For more ideas of where to go, check out my friend Rose’s cafe guide to Melaka !

Jonker Street Street Art & Shops

Jonker Street is the Main Street in the tourist centre of Melaka and it offers a lot. You’ll probably visit a cafe for breakfast near Jonker Street so I suggest staying in this area to see more of it.

When it comes to things to do in Melaka and what to do in Melaka, finding street art is one of the top things to do, especially if you like to post colourful photos on Instagram!

Lots of street art can be found around the River and it’s all in perfect condition and as well as looking along the river be sure to head off into some side streets around Jonker Street .

Jonker Street also has some great independent shops so if you’re looking for souvenirs from Malaysia these shops are a good place to look!

Cheng Hoon Temple

Cheng Hoon Temple is just off of Jonker Street so it’s worth seeing on morning 1 of your Malacca itinerary whilst you are exploring Jonker Street.

There are a few Buddhist Temples in Melaka but this is famous as it is the oldest working Buddhist temple in Malaysia and I read on a sign there it’s the oldest temple in South East Asia !

You’ll notice by now that there are so many places to eat in Melaka so enjoy one of the restaurants or cafes for lunch near Jonker Street . One of the cafes I really liked and is highly recommended is Geography Cafe .

Cheng Ho’s Cultural Museum

There are lots of museums in Melaka which are really interesting, Cheng Ho’s Cultural Museum is just off Jonker Street so it’s a good place to visit after lunch. It’s a history museum chronicling the life of noted Ming Dynasty explorer and fleet admiral Zheng Ho.

Clock Tower

The Clock Tower in Melaka or Menara Jam Melaka as it’s also called is a hive of activity! Especially with the tricycle drivers!

This is another great photo spot on your Melaka itinerary, especially photos of Christ Church which is a historic protestant church you can go inside of and the square opposite with a Dutch Windmill !

If you still have time in the afternoon of your Melaka itinerary then I recommend seeing some more museums and galleries close by like Cheng Ho Gallery and Melaka Literature Museum .

Jonker Night Market in Melaka

Come evening, there is only one place to be- Jonker Night Market! This is easily top of the list of things to do in Melaka and the top Melaka attraction!

Jonker Street is one of the main tourist streets in Melaka and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening it turns into a night market full of food stalls, clothes stalls and so many other things!

I won’t lie to you, it gets busy! But it’s worth it and a great way to spend the evening in Melaka so do try and plan your trip to Malaka for a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night for one of the best night markets in Malaysia !

2 Day Melaka Itinerary

If you are 2 days in Melaka, I recommend you spend this day of your Melaka trip itinerary going slightly further out than you did on day 1.

Church of St Pauls in Mekala

Start your day at the Church of St Pauls, or the ruins of the Church of St Paul’s to be precise.

I liked walking here as it isn’t far from the river and the Clock Tower where Christ Church is however it is a bit hidden and once you’re there it opens out into the Fort and you’ll end up seeing much more than just the Church.

St Paul’s ruins are up a hill with a fair few steps but there’s a good view and you can even see the sea! I recommend visiting here in the morning of this 2 days Melaka itinerary so it isn’t as hot and the walk isn’t as hard!

Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum

Behind the ruins of the Church of St Pauls is Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum which is recommended highly as one of the best places to visit in Melaka and as you are so close by, it’s worth visiting on your trip to Melaka!

Maritime Museum

I went to the Maritime Museum next on my Melaka trip where I thoroughly enjoyed l earning about the history of Malacca as a port city and the colonisation of the Portuguese, Dutch and British.

I also loved walking to the Maritime Museum as it took me out of the really tourist centre of Melaka like it is around Jonker Street and showed me a more local side of the city .

On the way from the Church of St Pauls to the Maritime Museum is Dataran Pahlawan Shopping Mall , it isn’t a huge mall but it is a good place to visit if you need a bathroom or some air-con as I did!

Walk along the River

When ending your day in Melaka on this Melaka itinerary, I recommend walking back to your accommodation and back towards Jonker Street via the River.

You’ll pass lots more street art and nice cafes and it’s a good way to get away from the crowds of Jonker Walk in Melaka, especially if you visit for a weekend in Melaka when it get’s very busy.

The footpath up the river goes quite far however I felt like it got a bit industrial after walking for a bit and there are not many things to do in Melaka up there, so you can walk as far as you want and then turn back or cross the river on one of the many bridges and walk back the other side.

Have you booked your flight to Melaka yet??

I use Skyscanner to book all of my flights! I’m a huge fan of Skyscanner because I love how easy it is to compare different dates and routes to help me find the best flight at the best price!  Open Skyscanner by clicking here and search for the best flights as you read this post.

Melaka Tricycle Ride

And finally, on your last night in Melaka you have to go on a ride on one of the fun, loud and colourful Tricycles. I recommend leaving this until night time because at night the tricycles light up and are even more fun!

If you are visiting Melaka as a family, this is definitely a great way to end your trip to Melaka!

I hope this Melaka itinerary has helped you plan your trip to Melaka!

To SEE my time in Melaka, have a watch of my YouTube video here!

• For more of my posts on Malaysia see:
• Things To Do in Georgetown!
• Travellers Guide to the Small Perhentian Island!
• How Much it Costs to Visit the Perhentian Islands!
• All Malaysia Posts

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Travel & Food, Itineraries & Guides, Hotel Reviews

The Essential 2-day Weekend Melaka Itinerary (Malacca Travel Guide)

February 28, 2023 by Bino 5 Comments

Melaka (Malacca) is one of the most historic destinations in all of Malaysia. With an old town that is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Melaka is filled with charming Peranakan shophouses, old churches, unusual-looking mosques and one of the best restored old towns in the country. Tourist attractions aside, Melaka is also known for the food. Chendol, chicken rice balls, Peranakan food and Portuguese cuisines are just some of the things your tastebuds should try while here.

For a practical and efficient weekend trip to Melaka, this itinerary and travel guide aims to tell you how the town should be done within 2 days.

Table of Contents

Day 1 – A’Famosa, Jonker Walk, The Shore Sky Tower & More

If you are taking the very first morning bus from Singapore, you would have arrived in Melaka at around noon. If you are coming from Kuala Lumpur and are taking the early morning bus, you would have arrived at around 10am. After dropping your bags in the hotel, head out to the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum . A reconstruction of an actual sultan’s palace, the magnificent structure now houses a museum showcasing the local Malay culture. A visit here is as much about the photogenic exterior as it is about the interesting museum pieces inside. It’s also recommended to visit this place in the morning when the sun will be shining on the palace museum, making for great photos.

a’famosa

Afterwards, head to A’Famosa or Porta de Santiago. Dating back from 1511, the fort was built by the Portuguese to solidify their hold on Melaka. After the Dutch took over the city, they imprinted the logo of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) which can still be seen there to this day.

st. paul’s church melaka

Afterwards, climb up the series of steps to the hilltop St. Paul’s Church . Another Portuguese construction, the church was turned to a burial site after the Dutch took over. The stones plaques displayed around the walls of the church are actually tombstones erected by the Dutch back in the 1600s.

chicken rice ball in melaka

If you are thinking of where to have lunch around the heritage area of Melaka, I would recommend having chicken rice balls for your first meal in the city. In view of the crisis that gripped the tourism sector in Melaka, many of the chicken rice ball venues in the old town have closed.  A 10 to 15 minute cab ride away is Huang Chang (BB-376, Taman Melaka Baru, Batu Berendam, open daily except Wednesday and Thursday from 8AM to 3PM). This restaurant is refreshingly out of the tourist trail and you’ll find yourself dining with locals rather than those restaurants in Jonker Street that cater primarily to tourists.

christ church melaka

Afternoon is an excellent time to visit Dutch Square , the center of tourist activity in Melaka. Famous for its fiery red Christ Church and Stadhuys , the buildings around the square date back from the 1700s when Melaka was under Dutch influence. Now you might wonder why I did not combine Dutch Square with the other heritage sites prior to lunch. The reason is because the Christ Church and Stadhuys would have been against the sun during the mornings. This makes a huge difference especially during sunny days. You’ll be able to appreciate the vivid redness of the buildings when you visit during the afternoon.

jonker street in melaka

One of my favorite museums in Melaka is the Baba and Nyonya Museum (daily 10AM to 5PM except Monday). Built in 1986, the venue showcases the life and times of the Peranakans, or the Chinese-Malay people across the Straits of Malacca who have their own unique culture and cuisine. Another unique museum to check out in the area is the Jaya Mata Knife Gallery . Swords are a part of the local Malay culture, as seen through the elaborately made keris (local type of daggers). Jaya Mata has a number of sections with well thought out and interactive exhibitions including a section dedicated to Malay daggers. There are a few photo opps as well. 

the melaka river cruise allows one to admire the many wall murals in the city

One of the recommended activities in the city is the Melaka River Cruise . There are merits to doing in the day and the evening. If you do it during the day, the wall art would be more visible while doing the cruise during the evening allows you to appreciate the lights by the riverside. The cruise is priced at MYR 30 for foreigners and MYR 25 for Malaysians.

Probably one of the liveliest night markets I have seen in the entire Malaysia is the Jonker Street Night Market . This is another reason why a weekend trip to Melaka is recommended as the night market is only open from Fridays to Sundays between 6PM and midnight. You’ll get to see a lot of interesting food and souvenirs. While here, don’t miss out on coconut ice cream, chendol and the local popiah. You’ll find elements of Taiwanese night markets here through stalls selling dragon beard candy and mochi while Thai influences are also evident through the many Thai iced tea stalls.

the shore sky tower

Another evening activity you can do in Melaka is to climb up to the observation deck of The Shore Sky Tower . At 163 meters tall, this is the highest building in Melaka and you can catch views as far as 50 km away. The observation deck is open daily from 11AM to 10PM. The best time to visit is during sunset at around 7+PM.

Day 2 – Straits Mosque, Museum-Hopping & Off-the-Beaten-Path Attractions

melaka straits mosque by hams nocete | cc 2.0

Start the day early by watching the glorious sunrise at the seaside Straits Mosque of Melaka. The structure has a floating-like position whenever the water level is high which is compounded by the fact that the structure is situated at land’s end. The best place to view the mosque is by the beach just next to it. 

cheng ho museum

Afterwards, drop by Cheng Ho Museum (open daily 9AM to 5:30PM) to check out artifacts related to Chinese exploration of Melaka from 600 years back. The building housing the museum is itself believed to have been built by Chinese explorer Cheng Ho as a storehouse during his time in Melaka. The museum also serves simple breakfast. I had bee hoon (vermicelli) here.

kampung kling mosque

While here, make a stop at the Kampung Kling Mosque next door. Personally, I found the architecture quite interesting as it does not resemble a mosque at all. The design is said to be a cross between Chinese, Sumatran, Hindu and Malay sensibilities. The mosque also has a minaret with a pagoda-like rooftop.

melaka sand dunes

Spend the rest of the day at your leisure before making your way back to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. For some family fun, you may wish to check out my suggestions under the “Melaka for Families” section below.

If you have your own car, you may wish to check out the unmarked sand dunes of Melaka . Located to the west of town in Klebang, the sand dunes were essentially left over from the reclamation project that occurred in the area. The result is a desert-like atmosphere by the sea. Do note that the pathway leading to the sand dunes is not fully paved.

If you are heading back to Singapore or Kuala Lumpur for the evening, it would be great to leave at around 3PM to 4PM (for Singapore) or 6PM (Kuala Lumpur) in order to reach your respective destination before it gets too late. Also, do note that the international border between Malaysia and Singapore tends to get jammed during Sunday evenings so leaving early certainly has its merits.

Melaka For Families

• A’Famosa Water Theme Park – 11 rides and attractions including pools and slides at Malaysia’s largest water theme park. Suitable for children of all ages. Those 90cm and below in height can enter for free. The theme park is located in Alor Gajah, around 30 minutes away from Melaka city proper.
• A’Famosa Safari Wonderland – Appealing to both kids and adults, this safari minutes away from the water park is filled with ostriches, flamingos, lemurs, giraffes, camels, zebras and more.

Getting There

Frequent departures between Melaka and Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Johor Bahru are available but you might want to book tickets in advance especially if you are traveling during a weekend. You can compare bus ticket prices here or here .

What to Eat in Melaka

matcha and canele at kin

The Daily Fix Cafe – Located right at the heart of Jonker Street, The Daily Fix Cafe is perhaps the most popular cafe in town. It’s an excellent option for breakfast / brunch especially if you love pancakes. Do note however that the wait can be extremely long during weekends. If so, you can check out their sister cafe – Kin by The Daily Fix located less than 3km away. They have excellent caneles. 

Bei Zhan Restaurant – This is a popular Chinese restaurant for banquets in Melaka due to the venue’s sheer size. Frequented by locals, Bei Zhan serves Chinese cuisine with a slight Malaysian flair. Specialties include their Pumpkin Tofu as well as Fish with Assam Sauce. 

Bunga Raya Popiah – You will find a snaking queue well before this humble stall opens at noon. Bunga Raya Popiah serves neatly rolled takeaway popiah (fresh spring rolls) in either spicy or non-spicy versions. Their secret is the crispy pork lard which they stuff inside the popiah.

laksa, toast and kopi at siang chang

Siang Chang – If you prefer local breakfast, Kedai Kopi Siang Chang is a reliable option for its thinly sliced kaya toast, laksa and Sarawak kolo mee. Be prepared to queue a bit if you come from 10AM onwards. 

assorted skewers at ban lee siang

Ban Lee Siang Satay Celup – Satay celup is Melaka’s variation of the satay / lok lok concept with various types of skewers cooked in simmering satay sauce. In Melaka tradition, re-used sauce (from the previous set of diners) supposedly makes the food taste better and is the default option if you choose to dine here. Those concerned with hygiene can also opt to get a fresh pot of sauce or have the restaurant cook the skewers themselves. 

nyonya cuisine at atlantic restaurant

Atlantic Nyonya Restaurant – Melaka, like Penang and Singapore, is one of the strongholds of the Peranakan community. As such, you’ll find a number of Nyonya restaurants around Melaka. One of the most popular options is Atlantic Nyonya Restaurant. They have 3 outlets within the city with the main branch in the old town typically having a long wait. If you’d prefer to skip the queue, I suggest heading to their Melaka Raya outlet a few kilometers away. 

Klebang Original Coconut Shake – For a rather filling dessert, head out to the suburb of Klebang for this popular coconut shake stall. The business started as a purely takeaway business with a tent by the street selling coconut shake with ice cream. They have since expanded to an actual shop with dine-in options. 

Where to Stay in Melaka

There are three main areas to stay in Melaka. The first is within the traditional core near Jonker Street or the old forts. The second is in an area called “Melaka Raya” which is dubbed as the new downtown of the city. The third is along the area immediately north of the old town.

The benefit of staying in the old town area is that guests get easy access to the bulk of Melaka’s tourist attractions. The main disadvantage however is that traffic can be congested here due to narrow roads and parking is rather limited for those who are driving. Most of the hotels in this area are also small boutique hotels as many buildings here are conserved under UNESCO.

Midrange: The Rucksack Caratel – Garden Wing feels like a world away with its beautiful garden views. Rooms are stylish with a slight hipster vibe. Excellent value for money.

Luxury: Majestic Malacca – A luxurious colonial hotel located by the river, the Majestic Malacca is perhaps the most upscale accommodations to be had while in the city. Nearer to the old town, Casa del Rio charms with its Mediterranean style interiors. 

Melaka Raya

Surrounded by shopping malls and close to direct drop off points (for buses coming from Singapore), Melaka Raya is the area to choose if you’d rather stay in a multi-storey chain hotels.

Midrange: Holiday Inn Melaka and Hatten Hotel are popular picks along this stretch due to their sheer size. If you’d prefer accommodations with a bit more personality, you can check out the no-frills but nicely decorated The Nest House located in one of the side streets.

Luxury: Doubletree by Hilton , at the end of Melaka Raya, is undoubtedly the poshest hotel along this stretch. It is located just next to ElementX Mall. 

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Hi, my name is Bino and I started I Wander around 15 years ago with the aim of sharing about some of my personal journeys and experiences, hoping that the information may benefit readers like yourselves. Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below. Alternatively, you can also email me at b i n o (at) iwandered.net. You can follow I Wander on Facebook , Telegram , or Instagram . Also, if you liked this article, please feel free to SHARE or RETWEET

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March 8, 2019 at 12:16 pm

hi bino! i would just like to ask if what are we going to ride from melacca to singapore. and where can we ride a bus if there is a bus going to singapore. do you have any idea about the sched and fare?

April 2, 2019 at 10:47 am

You can book your return trip bus ticket online.

April 6, 2019 at 9:20 pm

Hi Bino! I’m traveling to Malaysia for the first time with a friend and Melaka is one of our stops from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. This is a great article! The details and time recommendations to visit the places you mentioned with this travel guide is very helpful and useful! I’m also a travel guide blogger and I really appreciate how detailed your writing is.

September 13, 2019 at 8:55 pm

Hi Bino, what’s the best way to get around Malacca? Is it worth booking a taxi for the whole day? Or take grab from point to point? Thank you

September 15, 2019 at 10:06 am

Yes taking grab from point to point is still better. It is cheap and relatively easy to book

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The Best Melaka (Malacca) Itinerary for a 1 or 2 Day Trip

• October 7, 2023
• One Comment

If you’re planning a one or two day trip to Melaka (Malacca) in Malaysia this guide is just for you. We recently spent a few days in the charming coastal city, so we can share what we got up to and what we consider to be the best Melaka Itinerary for one or two days. We cover all the top things to do in Melaka, where to eat and sleep, as well as everything you need to know to help plan your trip.

Whenever I mention Melaka, also known as  Malacca , I’m often met with blank or confused faces. The historic city doesn’t find it’s way onto most Malaysia itineraries – which is a pity, as it has a lot to offer.  While Melaka might not be as exciting as Kuala Lumpur or as adventurous as Borneo, the city provides a fascinating glimpse into the history of Malaysia. And if you’re looking to explore somewhere a little bit unique, you should, at the very least, consider a day trip to Melaka which is easy to do from Kuala Lumpur or even Singapore.

To sum up the city in a nutshell, Malacca is a melting pot of cultures and a stunning UNESCO Heritage Site. Having once been colonised by the Dutch, British, and Portuguese, you will find said influences in the food, architecture, and even the language. It also has a large Chinese and Indian community, whose influence again are prevalent throughout the city. Gorgeous architecture and a serene river add to its charm, and I promise you won’t regret giving this whimsical little city a chance.

Anyway, I could spend all day bigging up Melaka but let’s get to it. Here’s our tried and tested Malacca Itinerary, ideal for a 1 or 2 day trip.

Heading to Malaysia soon? Check out our  2 Week Malaysia Itinerary  and  2 Day Kuala Lumpur Itinerary  for further travel inspiration.

*Before You Travel to Malaysia,  have you got your travel insurance sorted?  Cover yourself for the unexpected, read  why you really need travel insurance  or  get a quote from World Nomads .

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*Don’t leave home without any  backpacker essentials  with our free printable packing list.

How Long to Stay in Malacca

While Melaka is a huge city, the tourist centre is actually pretty small. Other than a few exceptions, the tourist centre concentrates most of the cities major landmarks, making it easy to navigate on foot and manageable in a day. If you wanted to explore places a little further afield such as the Melaka Straits Mosque, for example, I’d recommend spending at least 2 days here.  

Below I’ve laid out a suggested Malacca Itinerary for 2 days; but if you only have the day, you can follow day 1 of the itinerary and ignore day 2.

Where to Stay in Malacca 

There is no shortage of wonderful places to stay in Melaka, regardless of your budget. On one end of the spectrum, you’ll find cute hostels and charming homestays, on the other boutique hotels and luxury resorts.  

The best area to stay in would be near the river close to Jonker Street. This way, you’ll be close to most of the top things to do in Malacca, which is ideal if you’re only staying for a day or two. 

I’ve made some hotel suggestions below, or you can click the link for a list of all hostels, guesthouses, and hotels in the city.

Check rates and availability for all Melaka accommodation here.

Hostel $ – Yote 28 

Yote 28 is where we stayed during our time in Malacca, and it’s one of the best hostel experiences we had in Malaysia. The hostel is modern and clean with excellent facilities, and it’s within walking distance of Jonker Street and other famous landmarks. It is a tad more expensive than most other hostels in the city, but in my opinion, it’s worth every penny.

Check rates and availability for Yote 28 here.

Budget $ – Lavender @ Guesthouse

Hostels aren’t for everybody, so if you’re travelling as a couple or prefer a private room, Lavender Guesthouse comes highly recommended. Again, this place in an ideal location to explore the city, and while basic, the rooms are clean and comfortable, equipped with everything you need for an enjoyable stay. Throw in the optional breakfast for £1, and you’re onto an absolute winner.

Check rates and availability for Lavender @ Guesthouse here.

Mid-Range $$ – Heeren Straits Hotel

If you have a few extra pennies to spend, I can recommend Heeren Straits Hotel which provides insane value for money in one of the best areas of Melaka. Tastefully restored from a Peranakan culture townhouse, you can feel the history throughout this boutique hotel, which combines mid-century architecture with contemporary decor. Opt for a superior room for the best experience and enjoy the onsite terrace as well as a children’s play area.

Check rates and availability for Heeren Straits Hotel here.

Luxury $$$ – Casa Del Rio Melaka

If you are going to treat yourself in Melaka, you can expect nothing less than the celebrity treatment at Casa Del Rio. Set alongside the river, just a 2-minute walk from Jonker Street, this 5* hotel provides astonishing views as well as convenience and luxury in the heart of the city. Alongside spacious and modern rooms, you can enjoy a realm of facilities including an infinity pool and fitness centre.

Check rates availability for Casa Del Rio Melaka here.

Top 10 Things to do in Melaka

I go into a quite a lot of detail in this comprehensive Melaka Itinerary. So if you’re short for time, here’s an overview of the top 10 things to see and do in Melaka.

• Sample all the street food at the Jonker Street weekend market.
• Learn about Malaysian history at one of the many museums.
• Take a ride to remember on a fantasy-themed tricycle. 
• Admire the pink facade of the Christ Church.
• Take a serene river cruise on the Malacca River.
• Check out the ruins of St Pauls Church
• Meander the streets on the hunt for street art and colonial architecture.
• Visit The Huskitory and play with Siberian Huskies.
• Marvel the awe-inspiring Melaka Straits Mosque.
• Visit the Cheng Hoon Buddhist Temple.

The Best Melaka Itinerary

OK, let’s jump into the itinerary. The goal here is to be as strategic as possible with your time, but I don’t want you to get too tired. You are on holiday, after all.  

If you are spending just one day in Malacca, I suggest sticking to the tourist centre and covering the museums and landmarks in that area. But if you have 2 days in Melaka, we can branch out a little bit and see some of the attractions on the outskirts of the city.

Remember, this is a two-day itinerary. If you only have the day in Melaka, I suggest following Day 1 of the itinerary. You can ignore Day 2 or save it for another time.

Melaka Itinerary Day 1

Discover the tourist centre & significant landmarks.

• Windmill Dutch Square 
• Cheng Hoon Temple
• St Pauls Church 
• River Walks & Cruises

Windmill Dutch Square

Your first stop on this Melaka itinerary is Windmill Dutch Square. The square is arguably the most famous spot in the city, thanks to its terracotta colonial architecture which is a prime spot for photography. You’ll find many significant attractions surrounding the square, including Stadthuys. Historically, Stadthuys served as the official residence of the Dutch governors. Today, it houses a collection of museums.

We didn’t go inside Stadthuys. You’ll soon realise you have to be picky when it comes to the museums you visit in Melaka as there are so many. For us, the view from outside was enough. It’s not often you see such architecture in this part of the world, and it’s rather striking. It reminded me a little of the Franciscan Church in Ljubljana. Other significant structures around the square include the unmistakeable Christ Church and the Tang Beng Swee Clocktower.  

St Pauls Church

St Pauls Church, or should I say  the ruins  of St Pauls Church is one of the most interesting places to visit in Malacca. The church was built in 1521 by a Portuguese Noblemen, who believed he owed the Virgin Mary his life after surviving a storm at sea. That’s pretty cool as it is, but it’s also the oldest church in Malaysia and South Asia.    

As I say, the church is in ruins today, but this only adds to its appeal. Admittedly I have a soft spot for wrecks and remains and anything eerie, but I’m confident you will enjoy it just as much as I did. It won’t cost you anything to visit the church remains other than a little of your energy. Set at the top of a hill, you have to climb some pretty steep steps to get to it.  

Street Art Hunting

One thing that surprised me about Melaka was the realm of street art that adorns several of the buildings. Of course, Georgetown in Penang is incredibly famous for its murals, but it seems Malacca is equally vibrant. In fact, hunting for street art turned out to be one of our favourite things to do.

You’ll find a lot of the street art down alongside the river, which is perfect as you can k!ll two birds with one stone. A stroll along the river banks is a gorgeous way to while away the hours and will help you to work up an appetite for lunch. As you walk, look out for the famous street murals such as the vibrant Kiehls wall pictured below. But don’t be afraid to take a detour down the backstreets, as much of the street art is hidden. Or you can check out this  Melaka Street Art Guide  to help with your quest.

Next up, it’s one of our favourite times of the day – the others being breakfast and dinner, of course. Mealtimes are particularly exciting in Melaka, however, as there is so much incredible food on offer. The hardest part is deciding what to have.

Your best bet is to find somewhere on or around Jonker Street, as it’s nearby our next stop of the day. Thankfully this area concentrates the majority of the best food spots as well, so it’s a win-win.  

My first suggestion would be to check out one of the quirky cafes in the area. The cafe culture has grown immensely in this part of the city, and it’s a quintessential Melaka experience. One of our favourites is Kaya-Kaya Cafe, with its industrial decor and delicious food & coffee. But there are many others,  as listed in this guide .

Don’t fancy a cafe, not a problem. Why not try the celebrated Malaccan dish of chicken rice balls at Kedai Kopi Chung Wah? Or sample traditional Nyonya cuisine at Nancy’s Kitchen.

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

After lunch, you can take a gentle stroll along Jonker Street, checking out the cute boutique stores along the way. The stores in this area seem geared mainly towards tourists, and the prices reflect this. But if you’re looking to pick up some local souvenirs, this is the place to go. We aren’t big shoppers ourselves, but according to this  Malacca shopping guide , there’s plenty of opportunities around the city.

Not far from Jonker Street is the Cheng Hoon Teng Buddhist Temple. The temple is one of the most notable landmarks in the city and a worthy addition to your Melaka itinerary. Like many other Buddhist temples we’ve visited, the ornate details and vibrant design are a sight to behold.  

The temple feels like a mini-museum for Chinese culture and arts, and incense, colourful carvings & shrines give it a profoundly religious vibe. What’s even more impressive, however, is that it’s believed to be the oldest Chinese Temple in Malaysia.  

Visit a Museum 

We don’t consider ourselves museum buffs, but if it means we’re going to learn about the local history, why not. As I said earlier, you’ll have to be selective about the museums you visit in Malacca on a day trip, as there are several. Some such as the Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum and Villa Sentosa are really popular, but there are some hidden gems as well. 

Keen to learn more about the Peranakan culture in Malacca, we explored the Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum. The Peranakans came from China and settled in Malaysia, where the combination of the two cultures resulted in a new and unique way of life. Admittedly, it isn’t the most exciting museum to visit, but for less than $6, we had a guided tour which provided an interesting insight into Peranakan history. 

Another museum worth stopping by is the Sultanate Palace, which is an exact model of a palace belonging to the ruler of Malacca during the early 1400s. Inside is another cultural museum, and at less than $1, it’s incredibly cheap to visit. We also enjoyed the Maritime Museum set inside a replica of a Portuguese sailing ship. If you have the time, you can check out this list of other  museums worth visiting in Melaka . 

River Boat Cruise

One of the best ways to take in the sights of this picturesque city is to enjoy a peaceful cruise along the river. The river is the focal point of the tourist centre, and on both sides, you can enjoy the multitude of beauty that Malacca has to offer. 

If you time the day right, the best time of day to take a river cruise is just as the sun is going down. The shops and bars alongside the river come to life during this time. And as it gets dark, you’ll get to see all the pretty lights. 

As you sit back and enjoy the ride, look out for the vibrant street art that adorns many of the buildings, as well as popular landmarks such as the Clock Tower and Ghost Bridge.

Jonker Street Night Market

The Jonker Street night market is the number 1 things to do in Melaka. That’s why I strongly recommend you plan your visit for the weekend if possible, as the market is only on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings.  

Slap bang in the middle of the tourist centre, Jonker Street is a fun and energetic spot anyway. But when the night market is on, it really bursts into life. Dozens of market stalls set up shop, selling anything from clothing to accessories, and local souvenirs, and best of all, there’s an amalgamation of street food to enjoy.

We spent hours wandering around the market, sampling a realm of different dishes at unbelievably low prices. Grab an ice-cold Tiger beer to wash it down with, and you’re good to go!

Tricycle Ride

After a long day of exploring, it’s time to rest your weary legs, and I suggest taking a tricycle ride back to your hotel. If you’ve travelled in South East Asia, you’re probably wondering what is so special about this activity, but when you get there, you’ll know exactly what I mean.  

You see, each of the tricycles in Malacca is adorned in some kind of wild and wacky theme.   Hello Kitty  is the most common (Malaysians love Hello Kitty! Check out this Hello Kitty Hotel), but you’ll also see Pokemon, Disney, and other in-your-face designs. They often play jingles and are a fun thing to do in Melaka, especially if you’re travelling with little ones.

Malacca Itinerary Day 2

Explore outside of the tourist centre, bukit china, visit another museum, the huskitory cafe, melaka straits mosque.

If you have a second day to explore Malacca, I suggest starting it at Bukit China.   Bukit  translates to  hill , and it’s called Bukit China because it is home to the largest and oldest Chinese cemetery outside of China. The grounds date back to the 15th century and features a temple, burial ground, and a well. 

To reach the starting point of the trail is around a 20-minute walk from Jonker Street, or you could take a taxi or tricycle. Once you reach the starting point, it’s around a 1.5km incline to the summit, where you can enjoy sweeping views over the city.  

If you don’t mind the early start, we agreed it could be a nice spot to catch the sunrise before breakfast. Otherwise, try to set off before 9 am when it starts to get hot.  

To round off the morning, you could check out another museum such as Villa Sentosa or the Maritime Museum, which are both on the outskirts of the tourist centre. If you missed it earlier, here’s a list of the best  museums worth visiting in Melaka . Our next stop is a cafe, but they don’t serve food, so grab yourself some lunch beforehand! 

Our next stop is often rated the best thing to do in Melaka, and for dog lovers like us, it’s easy to see why. We were beside ourselves when we learnt there was a husky cafe in Malacca. They are our favourite breed of dog, but unfortunately, our travelling lifestyle doesn’t allow for such a commitment just yet. So for now, we have to settle for cuddles with other huskies instead. Like the time we did a Husky Safari in Finland.

At The Huskitory Cafe, you can play, take photos, and spend time with this beautiful and lovable breed. Since our visit, I’ve seen some negative reviews regarding the well-being of the dogs and capabilities of the staff. But when we were there, the huskies seemed happy and healthy, and we saw nothing to cause us concern. Of course, any kind of animal tourism is never entirely perfect, but at least these dogs are cared for. That’s more than you can say for many dogs in Malaysia.

There’s a compulsory entrance fee to the cafe of RM18 which includes a drink, and to avoid disappointment, I would  book in advance . It’s also quite a ride out of the city, so use the  Grab app  to order a taxi. They are super reliable and affordable – much cheaper than local taxis in the city.

Our final stop of the day is the Melaka Straits Mosque. An awe-inspiring structure set on the coast of the Malacca Strait – The stretch of water separating Peninsular Malaysia with the Indonesian island Sumatra – it is by far, one of our favourite spots in the city.

Built on a man-made island just off the coastline, when the water level is high, the mosque appears to be floating on the water. For this reason, it is often referred to as the ‘floating mosque’. With its striking white facade and golden dome, it’s appearance is truly enchanting. The view is even better during sunrise and sunset or at night when the mosque lights up, so try to time your visit wisely.  

The view from outside alone is a wonderful experience, but you can visit inside the mosque for free. Just be sure to check the visiting hours on the day as they often change, and wear appropriate clothing. Legs below the knee and shoulders should be covered, but if there are any issues, the mosque provides the necessary gowns free of charge.

Tips & Advice for this Melaka Itinerary

Here I’ll list some of the travel tips that we accumulated during our stay in Malacca. Hopefully, they will help you have a hassle-free break in the city.

Getting to Melaka

If you’re travelling from within Malaysia, your best bet is to take a bus from Kuala Lumpur. The journey time is just two hours, and it’s super easy to organise. Just book your   ticket in advance with 12 Go Asia here for the best prices, a guaranteed seat, and peace of mind. We booked all of our internal transport in Malaysia with 12 Go, and it made our lives a hell of a lot easier.

It’s also common for visitors to travel to Melaka from Singapore. It’s just a 4-hour bus ride including the overland border crossing, which is pretty straightforward as Malaysia offers a 90-day free visa to most nationalities.  

If you wanted to head to Melaka on a day trip, without the hassle of planning everything yourself, you do have the option to travel with an organised tour group. This Full-Day Trip to Malacca from Kuala Lumpur includes transport to and from your hotel, a guided tour of the most famous historical landmarks, plus a traditional lunch. At less than $45, it’s also excellent value for money.

Getting Around in Melaka

You will spend a lot of time on your feet in Malacca. The tourist centre is rather small and easy to navigate on foot. For the few places further afield, you can take a local taxi or order through the Grab App, which we always found to be the cheapest option.

The Best Time to Visit Malacca

Since Malaysia is close to the equator, it has a tropical climate, sporting hot and humid conditions all year round. With this in mind, the best time to visit is between May to July and December to February when the humidity is lower and days are mostly dry.

Melaka Daily Budget

Below is a breakdown of what your daily Malacca budget might look like:

• Dorm Bed in a Hostel: $5-10
• Budget Private Room: $10-15
• Premium Hotel Room: $50-150
• Street Food: $2-5
• Local Restaurant Food: $7-15
• Taxis: $5-10
• Museums: $2-5

Travel Insurance

Melaka is a very safe place to travel; however, you should still have travel insurance to cover you for the unexpected. Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. If the unlikely event that something goes wrong, you’ll want the best cover money can buy.

For this reason, we always recommend World Nomads for travel insurance. They are affordable, offer a variety of packages and add ons, and allow you to make amendments to your policy while travelling. 

If you need further convincing, read our article on  why you need travel insurance . Or get an on-the-spot quote from World Nomads using the form below.

Staying Connected in Melaka

If, like us, you rely on the internet when you travel (let’s face it, who doesn’t anymore), we have the perfect solution.   TravelWifi’s portable pocket wifi  allows us to quickly and securely connect when we need it the most. Click the link for more information on coverage, packages, and the latest offers.

Oh, and  don’t forget a VPN . Using a VPN is very important these days to make sure that all your data is safe and secure. Also, it helps while travelling not only for safety reasons but also it unlocks geo-restricted content such as Netflix and helps to avoid demographic price discrimination while looking for a flight or a hotel.

We use  Surfshark VPN  to keep us safe and secure.   Register here  and use promo code:  ourtasteforlife  for 85% off and 3 extra months free!

Did you enjoy our Malacca (Melaka) Itinerary?

Let us know!  That concludes   Melaka Itinerary .   We hope you enjoy your time in this beautiful city. If you have any questions or feel we have missed anything, please reach out to us in the comment section below, or through our contact us page. Don’t forget to follow us on  Instagram here , where we share further travel advice & inspiration.

Stay adventurous and Happy travels.

Charlotte & Natalie x

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A Two-Day Malacca Itinerary: A Walk Through the Old and New – Malaysia

Oct 9, 2019 | Malaysia , Selangor - Malacca | 0 comments

Prepare your Malacca Itinerary and prepare for a culture hit.

A two-day Malacca Itinerary: A Walk through the Old and New – Malaysia

Are two days enough in Malacca, Malaysia? That’s an open question with no right or wrong answer, as two days is only scratching at the surface. Yet, when time is at a minimum, here is advice o how to make the most of your Malacca Itinerary and see all the best places.

Malacca or Melaka

Malacca or Melaka is the spelling that confuses me, even after having a Malacca City tour.

I know it’s the same place, and even when wandering the streets, the Melaka name will appear more often, which is the local’s spelling of the word.

Although for foreigners, Malacca is more common in spelling, and I know it’s what I have always used, even if I am wrong.

Therefore, I’ll stick with Malacca spelling in this article, even though the Melaka spelling appears also.

How do you spell it? Malacca or Melaka.

Getting Around Malacca

The most famous Malacca Sightseeing Attractions are within a stone’s throw, so getting around by foot is a convenient path to take. Especially for those gorgeous river walks.

The trishaw is set up at the most popular tourist attractions, with many located at the famous Stadthuys. For a small fee, the driver will take you on a short Malacca tour and make the day even more straightforward for you without breaking a sweat. 

A River Cruise is a great way to sit back and take in the best sights along the Malacca River, and it can drop you off at various Jetty stops along the way.

Another way to embrace your Malacca day trip is to hire a bicycle and pedal to several Malacca sights; alternatively, hire a GRAB driver or taxi for places further away.

The trishaws are lined up in front of the Stadthuys.

Malacca Itinerary – Day one – Visiting the best Malacca Tourist Spots

Day one of your Malacca Itinerary will give you the most fulfilment of your Melaka trip.

Excitement will be the overwhelming outcome once you wander into the city’s heart and spend the day taking in the fun places in Malacca.

Therefore, let’s begin your hectic Malacca day tour, which will keep you busy deep into the night while visiting the traditional and modern attractions.

A Walk-through of old Melaka

Any trip to Malacca will include a walk-through of Old Melaka, visiting heritage buildings made long ago and discovering the city’s rich history by visiting various museums.

Throughout this Malacca one day trip, you’ll see a few famous Malacca attractions from the Stadthuys, AFamosa and the Maritime Museum.

So, let’s start day one precisely the same way I did, by doing a gorgeous river walk that leads to the best places to visit in Malacca.  

Go on a Historical Malacca Tour with Klook!

A walk through Old Malacca gathers many tourists from all around the world.

The Stadthuys

The Stadthuys is visited by many travellers to Malacca and has been an iconic landmark in the city since 1650.

  Established by the Dutch, The Stadthuys is the oldest Dutch-designed building in the Southern Hemisphere.

  The vibrant colonial building stood out in its terracotta red colours. The Stadhuys was once known as the residence of a Dutch officer and successive governments of the Portuguese and British. 

  At the front of the Stadthuys, tourists gather and enjoy the buoyant atmosphere and take photos in front of the I love Malacca sign.

  There is also a row of tricycles, market stalls with local souvenirs and the boutique Christ Church Melaka next to the star attraction in the same Terracotta colours. 

The Stadthuys.

Ruins of St. Paul’s Church

From the Stadthuys, you continue the Malacca tour for a short walk and ascend the stairs to the old wreckage of the Ruins of St Paul’s Church.

St Paul’s Church is a historic building built in 1521, making it the oldest church in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. 

It’s pretty lovely to walk through the hollow hall of the church and view the architecture of a heritage church and the ruins that lay before you today.

The church that was partly dismantled when invaded by the Dutch in 1641 is part of the Malacca Museum Tour and is situated on the summit of St Paul. 

Walk inside the Ruins of St Paul’s Church.

From the ruins, it’s time to head to another heritage building as your Malacca itinerary steps up, but not before you descend the steps and walk through a marketplace that leads to the A Famosa.

In Portuguese, a Famosa, which means “The Famous”, is a former fortress among the oldest surviving European architectural remains in the Far East. 

It’s one of the city’s hottest Malacca tourist spots. Every person gathers in numbers for a photo opportunity before leaving by trishaw or foot to the next stunning Malacca attraction. 

Enjoy more heritage with a Melaka tour with Klook!

The crowds dazzle at A Famosa.

Melaka sultanate palace museum.

The  Sultanate Palace Museum Melaka is a wooden replica of the 15th-century Palace, which belonged to the Sultan Mansur Shah, with the modern-day building was completed in 1985.

When you pay your RM2 entrance fee to the ancient Malay Kingdom, you’re fixed on the fascinating architectural structure and the stunning gardens surrounding the building.

Inside the three-storey Museum, the main focus is to showcase the knowledge of the Malays side of Malacca’s history, which dates back many centuries. 

The Palace also displays the traditional costumes, historical replicas of past times, the weaponry used in the day, ancient drawings and musical instruments. 

Related article: Check out our guide to the six best museums in Malacca!

Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum. 

Maritime Museum

From the moment you see the stunning replica of the 34-metre-high and 8-metre-wide ship stationed next to the harbour. You’ll be hooked to pay the entrance fee and see the marvellous relics inside the Maritime Museum.

The Museum’s primary focus recognises the long history of Malacca city as an international trade route, and you’ve left in awe the model ships on display.

Inside are beautiful paintings portraying the role of the Straits of Malacca for early traders, the maritime history, and the golden age of the Sultanate when known as the Emporium of the East. 

Enjoy a voyage in the historical city of Melaka with Klook!

Maritime Museum Malacca.

Dhataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall

You’ll desire to escape the heat and visit a shopping mall for relaxation and retail therapy throughout the day wandering the city.

Throughout the day, wandering the cityDhataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall is ideally located from the Sultanate Palace Museum. The ideal midway point is to browse retail outlets, dine in fantastic restaurants, and enjoy the mall’s entertainment.

Dhataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall.

Menara Taming Sari Tower

It’s the home to the best views in Malacca.

The Menari Traming Sari Tower is a 360-degree revolving ride that rises to 80-metres in height and allows you to capture a birds-eye view of a remarkable city.

The Tower is open every day of the week from 10 am to 11 pm, with extended opening hours on weekends.

The entrance fees for international visitors go at 23RM for an adult ticket, and there are other packages and prices available to the public.

It’s at the base of the Menara Taming Sari Tower, where the atmosphere shines as you browse through various marketplaces of souvenirs and food stalls that serve the tastiest of local cuisines.

Enjoy the best views of Malacca City Menari Traming Sari Tower.

Jonker street

The hustle and bustle of Jonker Street in Chinatown are one of the best places to go to experience the real Melaka.

The lively atmosphere of Jonker Street from early afternoon to deep into the night is electric as the crowds gather at this hotspot.  

The famous street is desired for shopping in retail outlets, delicious fruit flavoured ice tea, cold beer from a local bar, a local’s favourite of Chicken & rice and enjoyed an excellent coffee in a café.  

The action heats up on Jonker Street.

Cheng Hoon Teng Chinese Temple

While browsing the back streets of Malacca, the Cheng Hoon Teng Chinese Temple is an ideal quick stop when desiring to appreciate the articulate design of a beautiful temple. 

The Hoon Teng Temple practices the three Doctrinal Systems of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, and many worshippers come daily for prayer and candle lighting. 

Tourists are also welcome to partake in their worship and take pictures of the incredible relic and structure. 

Cheng Hoon Teng Chinese Temple.

A Gorgeous Malacca River Walk

A riverwalk will frequently happen throughout your Malacca trip, for the experience of a charming stroll by the water is unforgettable.

A walk along the river is the best way to view the elegant heritage buildings, experience riverside restaurants and cherish the fantastic street art scene throughout the banks of the river.

In the morning, the calm is around as the businesses are shut, the people are away, and the riverbanks are much more peaceful.

When the sun is setting, the river looks at its best in its glowing light through the evening, and the tourist takes advantage of their Malacca sightseeing experience.

At night, the lights from the buildings and the bridges take over and provide the ideal setting for lovers with the ultimate romantic stroll in the perfect location.

Explore the best Malacca attractions along the river.

Riverside dining for the ultimate romance experience

Most restaurants are closed throughout the early part of the day but come late into the afternoon; they open for business and many tourists, and the evening plan is set in stone.

There is no better place in Malacca to enjoy an excellent meal at dinner time, an ice-cold beer and watch the boats cruise past while sitting back and enjoying the cool evenings in a cultural city.

A little romance is welcomed in Malacca.

Melaka River Cruise

Why walk the river when you can enjoy the best views on a Melaka River Cruise throughout any part of the day or night.

It’s what you can do in Malacca to pass the time away and get off your feet.

With the added audio commentary of each fascinating Malacca attraction down the stretch of the river, sit back, unwind and enjoy the sounds and sights of the river on a laidback cruise.

Let a river cruise guide you through the city.

Malacca Itinerary – Day 2 – The best of the rest

The second day in Malacca will be less hectic and away from the crowds as you prepare to leave Malacca for your next destination in Malaysia.

On day two, you’ll head in a different direction and spend a reasonable amount of time in the Shore Shopping Gallery, including lesser places of Bukit Cina and Villa Sentosa. 

Let’s get stuck into it, and if you have kids, their excitement will go up another notch.

The Shore Shopping Gallery

It’s not only a place for shopping; the Shore Shopping Gallery is an action-packed centre to visit with kids with many fun attractions for the whole family.

While the Shopping Gallery has the essential retail outlets, a Starbucks for a coffee hit and various dining options of international cuisines, it’s the fun attractions that will occupy your time for hours.

Make your way to the Shore.

Each attraction does require an entrance fee and the convenient way is to purchase a package pass to three or four different venues at the ticket station on the first level.

You’re sure to have a whole lot of fun!  

Oceanarium: The Shore Oceanarium: An Aquarium on the 4th floor of a shopping mall; how cool is that?

I can assure you it’s not your everyday aquarium with only the basics.

It’s much more than what you’ll see because the Oceanarium has many species of the ocean, plenty of fun stuff to do with kids, and a fantastic 3D show the kids will adore.

Whether you’re travelling with kids or not, this is a must-see attraction for any tourists who love the ocean and to learn about marine life.

Visit many species of marine life in the Oceanarium.

Kidzania: We all know the famous kids’ attraction of Kidzania, a prominent place where the children can learn about different careers in the workforce.

It’s an environment where your children can learn the craft of being a baker, a mechanic, perhaps working in an office or even a fireman.

They are only a few of the careers to roleplay in Kidzania.

Sky Tower: Go to great heights again and see the very best of Malacca City from the Sky Tower at the very top of the Shore.

  Other exciting attractions inside the Shore Shopping Gallery include 3D Park, AV VR, HIPPOPO and the famous Toy Museum.

Gop to great heights at the Shore with the Sky Tower!

The Toy Factory will have the kid’s favourite action stars inside.

If you want to spend time outdoors in Malacca, visit the fascinating cemetery for the old Chinese Settler at Bukit Cina.

The hillside attraction, which overlooks many parts of the city, is an ancestral burial ground of the Chinese community with over 12000 graves. 

Among the graveyards of the Chinese settlers, there are also 20 Muslim tombs inside Bukit Cina, which are seen by walking the pathways inside Bukit Cina.

Great city views from Bukit Cina.

Villa Sentosa

Located in the Kampung Morten of the city along the Malacca River, Villa Sentosa is a traditional house, turned into a living-history museum and depicts the life of an early 1900’s home for the wealthy.

You’ll only spend a short time at Villa Sentosa, but it’s fascinating to wander inside and around the house and check out the furniture, antiques and the layout of a traditional Malaysian house. 

That wraps up your two day holiday in Malacca, so why not add this city to your travel plans when desiring to see the very best of an extraordinary Malaysian destination.

If you want to expand your Malacca itinerary for an additional day or two, you won’t be disappointed either because there is so much more to see while you spread your wings beyond the city limits.

Villa Sentosa.

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Review my trip to Melaka – Best things to do [2024 updated]

DISCLOSURE: My articles may contain affiliate links. To click on those links, you won’t be charged any extra cost, instead, you help me to get some small commissions to maintain my blog . Thanks for understanding!

I’m really into ancient towns all over the world and will never be bored when traveling to those destinations. This time, I chose Malacca (Melaka) – a renowned trading port in Malaysia in the past – located to the South of Kuala Lumpur. Well, undoubtedly, this town is really worth my visit… and yours as well. 

In this ultimate travel guide, I will sum up all information that you need to know before taking your trip to Melaka.

👉 Want to rent a private car for your trip to Melaka from Kuala Lumpur ? Contact me via Whatsapp +60 149.776.712 (Mai) or my Instagram for the best price 💸 .

Useful links for your Melaka trip

• Buy 4G Malaysian sim card (KLIA2 pickup) : Click here
• Buy bus tickets from Kuala Lumpur to Malacca: Click here
• Highly-rated hotels in Melaka (below 100RM): Hotel Arissa , Ohana House HQ , Greystone 99 Suites
• Best tours in Melaka: Melaka historical tour with lunch , Melaka & Putrajaya tour from KL
• Discounted ticket to Menara Taming: Click here

You may also like: Batu Caves – Murugan Statue: interesting facts, history, how to get there?

Table of Contents

1. About Melaka

2. how to get to melaka from kuala lumpur, 3. how to get around melaka, 4. where to stay in melaka, 5. best things to do in melaka, 6. how many days to stay in melaka.

Melaka is a historical site listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008 and is known as one of the best destinations in Asia recognized by Forbes and Lonely Planet.

BRIEF HISTORY

In the 14th century, as a protectorate of Ming China, Melaka developed rapidly and was once a bustling international trading center with trade routes between China, India, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. 

Not until 1511, Melaka became a colony of Portugal after a conquer led by Alfonso de Albuquerque. 

In 1641, after several efforts, the Dutch eventually defeated the Portuguese and captured Melaka. Despite not developing Melaka as a trading center, they still erected Stadhuys as a landmark in the city.

The Dutch then ceded Melaka to the British in 1824 according to the Anglo-Dutch Treaty. 

From 1942 – 1945, the city was ruled by the Japanese during World War II.

Nowadays, Melaka City is the political and economic center for the state of Malacca. Simultaneously, it is also one of the most famous travel destinations in Malaysia.

Melaka city is the capital of the state of Melaka located 148km southeast of Kuala Lumpur. You can easily reach Malacca from Kuala Lumpur within 2 hours by bus or car.

There are 2 ways to get to Melaka from Kuala Lumpur: by bus or by car.

• From Kuala Lumpur City Centre to Melaka: The easiest way is by bus which takes around 2 hours costing just around 15RM/way/person. From Kuala Lumpur, you go to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) by LRT, KTM, or KLIA transit trains. In TBS, there are buses departing every 30 mins to Melaka Sentral Bus Terminal (and other southern parts of KL, even Singapore). Tickets can be purchased at the station or online via this link.
• From Kuala Lumpur International Airport: There are bus terminals in both KLIA (Lower Ground Floor) and KLIA2 (Level 1).  The bus ticket cost about  25-35RM/way/person and take around 2 hours and 30 mins to reach the Melaka Sentral Bus Terminal. You can buy tickets online via This link.

Besides, you can also go to Melaka by car. Going to Melaka from Kuala Lumpur by car is much more convenient and time-saving than traveling by bus.

If you want to rent a car to Malacca, contact me via Whatsapp +60 149.776.712 (Mai) or my Instagram for the best price 💸 .

Read more: How to take a bus from Kuala Lumpur to Malacca: bus schedule & ticket price

From Melaka Sentral Bus Terminal to your hotel: there are 2 options for you. One is by bus which costs about 3.5 – 5.2RM. However, as I arrived in Melaka quite late (after 8 pm) and I only have nearly 2 days to visit this beautiful city, thus, I prefer the second option – taxi/grab. You can also download Grab which is a very popular app in Southeast Asia where you can book a taxi at an affordable price. 

Around the city: I think walking is the best way as the places of interest are quite near to each other, except for the Malacca Mosque. On the other hand, you can use a taxi/ grab car when you feel too tired of walking, but believe me, it’s not that tiring.

Besides, as an option for tourists, there are a plethora of colorful Trishaws with cute decorations (Doraemon, Hello Kitty, etc.) and fun music that you can try, the price may vary depending on your bargaining skills, it’s about 25RM for 10mins (you can try to ask for a lower price, who knows….).

The best area to stay in Melaka is probably the neighborhood of Jonker Walker Street. This is where many tourist attractions are located at such as the Christ Church, Stadthuys, Melaka river cruise, etc. So if you stay nearby, you can get around by walking.

Here are some highly-rated hotels nearby Jonker Walker that cost less than 100RM/night: Ohana House HQ , Ola Hostel

During my trip to Melaka, I stayed at Bayview hotel Melaka – a 3-star hotel located in Jalan Bendahara (15mins walking to the Jonker Walker) for the price of around 150RM. The room is quite big, clean, and fully furnished with a massive window (although the view is not beautiful…at all). However, one of my concerns is that the area is a little bit dangerous for solo female travelers (as I feel) because I didn’t see many people walking around, so if you travel alone, I recommend you take a taxi when it’s late. Overall, I think it was quite ok with that price and location.

Note: Since 2017, Malaysia applies tourism tax for foreigners at a flat rate of 10RM/room/night (no matter where in Malaysia). So if you stay there for 4 nights, you have to pay 40RM/room.

Best things to do in Melaka in the daytime

• Admire Malacca Straits Mosque

The mosque is situated on the man-made  Pulau Malacca Island which is quite far from the city center taking about 15mins by taxi (costs about 15RM/way). It is a gorgeous white mosque with the harmonization between the Middle Eastern and Malay architectural styles floating on the water. 

• Free Islamic clothing is offered for free for tourists visiting the Malacca Straits Mosque. You can find it on the left-hand side of the mosque. And remember to return it after visiting the mosque.
• If you don’t want to get inside the mosque, it’s fine, you can come at any time you want as we can also take a lot of beautiful pictures from the outside.

Address: Jalan Pulau Melaka 8, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia

Opening hours: 9:00 – 17:00 on Sunday only

This is one of my favorite things to do in Melaka. Besides Penang, Melaka is also a famous city for street art. The interesting thing is that those murals perfectly matched the ancient beauty of the town making the whole area so gorgeous, romantic, and instagramable. Fortunately, this area is located between all the famous tourist attractions, so you can easily find it when walking around the city center. 

• Enjoy the bird’s eye view of Melaka at Taming Sari Tower

Taming Sari Tower is the first and highest tower in Melaka with 24 levels and a height of 110 meters. This is the best place in Melaka to see the panoramic view of Melaka town. The special thing is that the observation deck will revolve around the tower so that visitors enjoy the 360-degree view. 

Pro tips: Don’t buy tickets at the counter, it’s cheaper to buy online via THIS LINK .

Address: Jln Merdeka, Bandar Hilir, 75000 Melaka

Opening hours: every day, 10 AM – 11 PM

• Drop by Masjid Kampung Hulu

It is the oldest functioning mosque in Malaysia which was once demolished by the Portuguese and later rebuilt by the Dutch as a part of their colonization tactics. The mosque, however, is not open for tourists, thus, you can only wander around and admire its magnificence.

Address: Jalan Kampung Hulu, Melaka

It is surely the most famous attraction in Melaka which is located within Dutch Square. This church dates back to the 18th century with the Dutch architecture style and is the oldest functioning Protestant church in Malaysia. Interestingly, it was originally painted in white, until 1911, it changed its outfit to red making this area so distinctive from a far distance.

Address: Jalan Kota Melaka, Melaka

Tips tips tips :

If you want to take a Trishaw ride, it is a perfect location to find drivers. As I mentioned above, it may cost around 25RM for 10 minutes. 

Next to the Christ Church Malacca is Stadhuys, it was built in 1650 by the Dutch and functioned as the local town hall but later, was converted into the History & Ethnography Museum. Same as Melaka Christ Church, Stadhuys was also initially painted in white and was re-painted in red later on.

Address: Banda Hilir, 75000 Malacca, Malaysia

This was once a fortress of the Portuguese which was built in 1511 known as one of the oldest European historical relics in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, it was intentionally destroyed in 1806 by the English when they dominated this city. Nowadays, there is only a small gate called the  Porta de Santiago remained thanks to the decision of Captain William Farquhar to save this gateway.

Address: Jln Parameswara, Banda Hilir, 78000 Alor Gajah, Melaka, Malaysia

Opening hours: 24/7

• Cheng Hoon Teng temple

This is the oldest functioning Chinese temple dating back to the 17 th century and is the most popular place of worship for the Hokkien community in Melaka. There are several prayer halls inside the temple, the main one is to worship Guan Yin – the Goddess of Mercy.

Address: 25, Jalan Tokong, Kampung Dua, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: 07:00 – 19:00

Best things to do in Melaka at night

It is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in Melaka at night, especially for foodies.

No more peacefulness like during the daytime, after 18:00, this street is chock-full of people and has a myriad of dancing or singing street performances making it so lively and hectic – a good place to have fun. Especially, you will be enamored by all the delicious smells along this food paradise, try at least 4-5 foods, it’s cheap and finger-licking good!!! For this site, you can spend almost the whole evening exploring it.

One thing you should bear in mind is that this market only opens on the weekend (every Friday and Saturday). 

Opening hours: 18:00 – 00:00 on Friday and Saturday

• Take a Malacca River Cruise

I would say this is the most romantic thing to do in Melaka. Although the cruise is also operated during the daytime, I prefer to take it at night because we can enjoy the breeze in the evening and avoid the heat (which makes this experience less enjoyable). The total cruising time is about 45 mins to 1 hour and you can buy the tickets on some apps such as Klook, Traveloka, etc.

Operating hours: 9:00 – 11:30pm

Where to find boarding jetties: there are 2 jetties close to the center which are Muara Jetty and The Shore Jetty. You need to check your booking reservation (if you book online) to see exactly where your cruise departs. If you buy tickets at the counter, there is one ticket counter just nearby the Dutch church (next to the bridge), you can go there to buy tickets and ask for directions to the jetty.

Price: 30RM (for adults) and 25RM (for kids).

Well, in my opinion, 3 days 2 nights are just enough for a trip to Melaka. If less than 3 days, you cannot discover all the attractions. If more than that, there won’t be many things to do in Melaka.

And make sure that you come here on Friday and Saturday when the Jonker walker night market is open. If not, there are NOT many things to do at night time, so your trip turns out quite boring.

Alright, that’s all I want to share with you after my trip to Melaka. Hope you find it helpful and share your thoughts below. 

Thanks for reading.

You may also like : Batu Caves – Murugan Statue: interesting facts, history, how to get there?

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Melaka itinerary: The best things to do in Melaka / Malacca

A city steeped in history, the UNESCO World Heritage Site and City of Melaka (or Malacca as it’s commonly spelled in English) in Malaysia is a wonderful mix of atmospheric colonial buildings, a sparkling waterfront, and authentic and local culinary experiences. It presents a striking contrast to glitzy Kuala Lumpur. With a rich past peppered with Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese, and even Indian influences, Melaka is an eclectic fusion of cultures and traditions; a place where nearly everybody can find a travel style to suit them. So, with that in mind, we’ve put together this: a Melaka itinerary to suit just about anyone’s travelling tastes.

A few words on Melaka / Malacca

The oldest city on the Straits of Malacca, the city of Melaka harks back to the Malacca Sultanate, and for many years was a trading port, with traders from all of the Middle East, Asia and Europe (particularly the Portuguese) flocking to it. It has a long history of conflict – from it’s occupation by the Portuguese, to the sultanates of Johor and Aceh trying to wrestle it away, as well as a stint under the Dutch, the British and the Japanese before it returned to the hands of the Malaysians, during the country’s formation in 1963.

Now one of the most confusing bits about any travel to Melaka, is understanding the name – you’ll find Malacca and Melaka used interchangeably everywhere you look. Essentially, the name Melaka has three potential origins, each with it’s own colourful story. It could be related to it’s trading history, with the name originated from the Arabic word ‘malakat’ which means to gather trade. It could be from a Hindu myth, that the area was akin to ‘amalaka’, a tree associated with wealth and power. Or, our personal favourite: It could have been named after a tree, with a prince resting under a pokok melaka (Indian gooseberry tree) when he came up with the name

Whatever led to the moniker of the place, Malacca is considered the English or anglicized version of the name, while Melaka is the Malaysian version. If you ask us? It’s Melaka. That’s since the Malaysian state itself decreed this it’s official name in 2017. 

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Malacca Highlights: 2 day Melaka itinerary

Need an itinerary in a hurry? If you just want our highlights from our time spent in Melaka, here is a short and sweet list of the must-do’s on any Malacca itinerary:

• Head to the Red Square to see Christ Church, Stadthuys and Queen Victoria’s Fountain
• Check out A Famosa, and the Porta de Santiago gate, alongside St Paul’s Church, one of the oldest churches in Southeast Asia
• Meander around museums like the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum, the Maritime Museum, and the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum
• Eat Nyonya or Peranakan cuisine – chicken rice balls, cendol, laksa lamek – you name!
• Take a walk down Jonker Street, admiring the shops or visiting the Jonker Walk Night Market for the food and clothing stalls
• Take a funky trishaw ride, or float down the Melaka river on a river cruise
• Search for street art in all the alleys and walkways of Melaka

Heading to Melaka just for the photo highlights? We’d recommend getting a local guide for your Instagram itinerary – you can book this great Get your Guide tour which takes you to all the most ‘grammable spots.

Witness cultural and religious harmony

Melaka has several notable religious structures, including mosques, churches, and Buddhist and Indian temples scattered across the city, a reflection of the region’s rich cultural diversity.

And with a Buddhist and Hindu temple and mosque located just a few minutes from each other, Jalan Tukang Emas or Harmony Street is a perfect example of this.

Cheng Hoon Teng temple is the first of these religious structures you will come across. Built in the 1600s, it is the oldest temple in all of Malaysia and was painstakingly restored in 2003, for which it was recognized by UNESCO.

Located 100 meters away is the Kampung Kling Mosque that features a unique mix of traditional Islamic and Chinese architectural features.

A minute’s walk from the Kampung Kling Mosque will take you to the Sri Poyatha Moorthi Temple, dedicated to the Hindu elephant god, Vinayagar.

We loved observing the distinctly different cultural influences in each of these structures but what stood out was how the vibe was always the same – that of peace and spirituality.

Another religious monument worth visiting is the Melaka Straits Mosque, a beautiful mosque that sits on a platform constructed on the water. With its golden-colored dome and arched entryway, it makes for a striking image and is definitely one of the most notable landmarks in Malaysia . The best time to visit the mosque is during the evening hours when the sun goes down, and the mosque and minaret are lit up.

Take a stroll back in time

The region is not called ‘The Historic State’ for nothing. You will find remnants of the Portuguese and Dutch period in many parts of the city but nothing quite as grand as the Dutch Square, the site of the iconic Christ Church. Just around the corner is the Stadthuys , built in 1660 and one of the oldest Dutch-style buildings in Asia.

A Famosa Fort is around the bend, a crumbling 16th-century fort that holds within its walls tales of a bygone era.

A short walk uphill from the fort will take you to the beautiful St. Paul’s Church. The oldest church in Malaysia, its dilapidated walls still retain much of its character. Take a walk around the structure; there is an old Dutch cemetery nearby. Not to be missed are the delightful views of the city the vantage position of the church provides. 

The perfect city for museum hopping

Melaka has a curiously large number of museums, given the size of the town.

The Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum is a gorgeous wooden building that is as interesting on the inside as it is beautiful on the outside. The structure is a replica of Sultan Mansur Shah’s wooden palace, the ruler who presided over Melaka from 1456 to 1477. Inside you will find exhibits and artifacts that showcase the history of the city.

The Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum is a fascinating museum and one of our favorites. The museum is actually a house converted into a museum. It is located on a street that was once called Millionaires Row and known for its large, luxurious homes. The museum traces the history of the ethnic Chinese Malays, also known as Baba Nyonya or Peranakans, and is filled with exquisite porcelain pieces, furniture, and intricately carved furniture.

Housed in a ship-shaped structure, the Maritime Museum is one of the most famous museums in Melaka. The museum design is based on the Flor de la Mar, a treasure-filled ship that sank off the coast of Melaka after the Portuguese conquest of the city. The museum takes you through the importance of Melaka as a maritime trade center through the Sultanate, Portuguese, Dutch and British periods.

Amble around Jonker Street, be it day or night

The main street of Chinatown, Jonker Street, is lively, festive and busy. Some of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, including some popular museums are located on or near the area. The lane itself has a mix of charming old buildings, some from the 18th century, and some newer establishments.

A daytime visit to Jonker Street will allow you to appreciate the architecture and history of this place and also grant easy access to some of the city’s best-known attractions. And with some unique antique shops, cafes, and restaurants, it’s the perfect place to shop until you are ready to sample some fabulous local cuisine.

This street is famous because of the Jonker Street Night Market that takes place every Friday and Saturday night. Stalls pop up, live music streams through the entire road, and a party atmosphere takes over the whole walk. The Jonker Walk Night Market is considered the best in all of Malaysia, and you will find tourists from Kuala Lumpur and neighboring Singapore heading to the city just to be part of this.

With a wide variety of merchandise on offer, it’s the perfect place to shop and bargain hunt. But for us, the biggest draw was the street food – hot and sizzling! Juicy grilled meats, spring rolls, dim sums, and more are on offer, and you really don’t have to empty your wallet to try out a wide variety of local specialties.  

Savor authentic and traditional dishes

Melaka is a melting pot of sorts, and the best way to experience the diversity of the region is by savoring the city’s culinary offerings.

Peranakan or Nyonya cuisine, an exciting blend of Chinese and Malaysian flavors, originated in Melaka and is known for its unique fusion of ingredients and techniques. The cuisine developed as a result of Chinese immigrants marrying local Malays. If you are in the mood for food that gets your taste buds tingling, then head to Nancy’s Kitchen or, for a more upscale experience, to Seri Nyonya Peranakan Restaurant. Get a taste of dishes such as Otak otak, a fish dish cooked in banana leaves, Laksa Lemak , a coconut-based dish, and Rendang, a fiery meat-based stew and so many more delicious foods.

Try out the Chicken Rice Balls, a local delicacy, at Huang Chang Chicken Rice, an eatery popular with locals, or at the busy Hoe Kee Chicken Rice, located on Jonker Street.

For regional desserts, head straight to the Jonker Dessert Cafe for some cool Baba Ice Kachang or Durian Cendol with Palm Sugar and other local confections.

One of our favorite places to spend the evening was near the riverfront – at one of the many restaurants facing the Melaka River. Strolling past the vibrant art and twinkling lights and enjoying a beer and local cuisine at one of the outdoor eateries as a gentle breeze wafted by remains one of our most memorable moments from Melaka.

Cool off with a cruise down the river

If you’ve had a day or two of sightseeing, then taking a cruise down the Melaka River is the perfect way to finish off your tour of this charming city. The Melaka river cruise starts at Muara jetty and gives you a waterside view of the Stadthuys, brown-faced colonial buildings, and the colorful street art of Melaka. An evening cruise is particularly romantic as the skies change colors and your boat sails by beautifully lit-up shops and restaurants.

Experience nighttime in Mekala aboard a trishaw

This is one of those touristy things that can be totally avoided. Yet, we are glad we didn’t! Yes, it’s gaudy and quite over the top, but it was a total riot to tour the historic center of Melaka in a trishaw with flashing lights and a loud sound system. Hello Kitty-themed trishaws seem to be the most popular ones though we did see some trishaws decked based on floral and superman themes too!

You’ll find the trishaw drivers waiting near Red Square.

Attractions for families

Those traveling with children will find plenty to do in Melaka. The Melaka Zoo is home to 1200 animals and is a perennial family favorite. The Shore Oceanarium gives you and your little ones a glimpse of the wonders that lie under the ocean’s floor. Kids love the interactive exhibits there! There is also the Melaka Butterfly & Reptile Sanctuary, the Melaka Botanical Garden, and the Melaka Bird Park, all child-friendly places that also hold the interest of adults.

If you are looking for a bit of seaside fun, head to Big Island, located around 8 miles from mainland Melaka and known for its clean beaches. The other option if you want some beach fun is to visit Puteri Beach.

Bonus things to do in Melaka

Menara Taming Sari: This is a viewing tower and theme park ‘ride’ in one; a rotating tower that whizzes you up to 110 metres to give you a 360 degree view of the city. It’s not top of our list, but if you have the time, check it out. It’s open from 9am to 11pm, the 7 minute ride will only set you back 23 MYR (5.20 USD/4.50 GBP).

Kampung Morten: Morten village is essentially a traditional Malay village which boasts over 100 traditional Malay houses. It’s a great little slice of the city’s history but keep in mind it’s a real residential neighbourhood and not just a tourist attraction when you visit!

Where to Stay in Melaka

What we really liked about Melaka was that you really could get a great room, at a pretty affordable price. So, regardless of your budget, here are a few top notch options for accommodation:

Budget:  If you’re saving your Ringgit,  Ola Lavanderia Café  is a lovely hostel in the heart of old town that offers a range of rooms, and a nice sociable atmosphere.

Mid-range: Stay in the old town, in the hotel we stayed in on our last visit – JonkeRED Heritage Hotel . It’s a wonderful family-run hotel which is honestly a stone’s throw from the Dutch Square!

Luxury: If you really want to splash out, our choice would be Casa Del Rio Melaka . A hop, skip and a jump from Jonker Street with 5 star facilities to boot, it’s a great luxurious option.

Best places to visit near Melaka

Kuala lumpur.

Travel time : 2 hours by road – book it here

You can’t really explore Malaysia without spending time in Kuala Lumpur, the bustling capital which – spoiler alert – is one of our favourite cities in the world! We probably don’t need to sell you on visiting KL since surely it’s already part of your travel plans. If not, make sure you read through our entire Kuala Lumpur itinerary , to find out the best bits.

Port Dickson

Travel time: 90 minutes – book it here

Port Dickson (or PD as it’s known to locals) is a bit of a Malaysian secret, a beach town frequented by Malaysians (and Singaporeans) but usually totally unknown to international tourists. It packs a punch – if you want to find out more, just read out full Things to do in Port Dickson guide .

Travel time : 3 hours by bus – book it here

While it might not be in Malaysia itself, Singapore needs no introduction really. This incredible city is just three hours away on the bus! Head there to gasp at Gardens by the Bay, to explore Little India, to shop til you drop and so much more. And, of course, you guessed it: we have a Singapore itinerary for you when you arrive.

What did you think of our Melaka itinerary and travel guide? Did you use it, and has something changed? Do let us know in the comments below!

About the Author: Gayathri Ranganathan Gayathri is an accomplished travel writer, who loves to travel with her family – her teenage girls and her husband. She feels that ‘traveling is the best way to open up one’s mind and heart to different cultures, foods, and lifestyles.’ When she’s not traveling, she’s dreaming about traveling or busy researching some new destination. “Over the years, I’ve discovered that in life and travel, it’s always about the journey, never about the destination.” 

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Experience A Magical 48 Hours in Melaka Itinerary- Step by Step Guide

Ahh, I was in Melaka, finally! I have wanted to visit this beautiful historical city for so long. And I finally visited this beautiful historic city. At first, I was worried about whether I would get to see the best tourist spots in Melaka in 48 hours. But I did it! And if you want to do the same, my A Magical 48 Hours In Melaka Itinerary is just for you.

As part of my magical 48 hours in Melaka itinerary , I visited some of the best places in Melaka and tried out the best cuisines. My Melaka itinerary will help you check out all the best sites in the city in just 48 hours.

Before diving into this magical itinerary, let me tell you that Melaka is also known as Malacca . Melaka is the government accredited spelling, whereas Malacca is still used by many businesses and organizations. If you find any companies using Malacca on your visit to the city, don’t be shocked. However, in this Melaka itinerary , I will use Melaka.

Now, let’s just get down to what we were here for. A magical 48 hours in Melaka itinerary- your perfect escape to the most beautiful city in Malaysia. Also, you can read another article The 14 Top-Rated Places to visit in Melaka, Malaysia That Will Amaze You

WHAT IS COVERED IN THIS ARTICLE?

Melaka Itinerary-Day-1:

How to reach.

You can reach Melaka from Kuala Lumpur by bus, trains , taxis or cars. It is only a 1.45 to 2.30-minutes ride from KL depending on traffic. However, as we travelled from Shah Alam , we got there by driving for 2.5 hours.

By Bus: If you are on a budget itinerary, you should plan your journey from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka by bus. At first, you have to head to the KL Sentral Station from your hotel using any transportation method of your choice. After reaching KL Sentral, take the KLIA Transit to Bandar Tasik Selatan Station(BTS), a train station. The cost of transit will be around RM 6.50.

You have to follow the signs from the train station, and you’ll reach Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) Bus Station within 5 minutes. You can also go to TBS via KTM Komuter and LRT, but KLIA Transit is more comfortable, according to me.

Upon reaching the bus terminal, collect your bus boarding pass if you have already bought the ticket online. If you haven’t bought the ticket, you can purchase one at the station. The price of a ticket might be anything between RM 13-15.

By Train: If you want to go to Melaka via train, you must know that there’s no train station in Melaka. You’ve to get on a train from KL Sentral to Tampin, the nearest railway station to Melaka. The cost of a train ticket is around RM 20-30.

After reaching Tampin, you can get on a bus from the bus station at a 1km distance or take a taxi. Train timings might be delayed for various reasons. So, I’d suggest not to choose the train as your method of transportation if you have a strict itinerary to follow and as train tickets are pricey.

By Taxi or Car: If you want a hassle-free journey from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka, you can hire a taxi that might cost you around RM 250-300. If you don’t have a fixed budget to follow, you can do it. But I don’t suggest it if you are travelling solo.

There’s no point in spending so much money when you can reach your destination by bus for only RM 13-15. If you have your car, you can drive to Melaka from KL. If you take your car, it’d be easy for you to check out the attractions at a distance.

Private Transfer Between Kuala Lumpur to Melaka: Travelling from Kuala Lumpur , Johor , or even Singapore to Melaka is easy and comfortable when you book a private transfer. Private vans and cars operate daily from the mentioned locations to offer comfortable, stress-free travel for those who want to experience all that historic Melaka has to offer.

Where To Stay

There are many budget hostels, hotels, and Airbnb homes in Melaka. I stayed in an Airbnb house. However, staying in any of the heritage hotels in Melaka will give you a broader insight into the city’s ethnicity. The location, interior, and exterior of these hotels are perfect for tourists.

Imperial Heritage Hotel

Imperial Heritage Hotel is located in Jalan Merdeka. It has some of the top attractions of the city Jonker Street, The Stadhuys, Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum, Christ Church Melaka, Malacca Clock Tower within a few minutes walking distance. You can stay here for RM 103 per night.

Jonker Boutique Hotel

Jonker Boutique Hotel is a heritage building situated right at the beginning of Jonker Street and Temple Street. Many famous eateries are located near the hotel. You will find some of the most famous local foods like Chicken Rice Balls, Chendol, and Peranakan cuisine near the hotel. You can stay here for RM 243 per night.

Try Asam Pedas for Lunch

Asam Pedas is a must eat food in Melaka. So, I decided to start my Melaka itinerary with it. The word Asam Pedas means sour and spicy. It is a sour and spicy curry that can be eaten with white rice and different types of fish. The best place to try Asam Pedas in Melaka is the restaurant Asam Pedas Pak Man near Melaka’s downtown area.

Asam Pedas Pak Man

Location: No 51, Jalan Knmp 2a, Kompleks Niaga Melaka Perdana, 75450 Ayer Keroh, Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: Thursday – Tuesday | 7:30 am – 8:00 pm (Closed on Wednesday)

Walking Around Dataran Pahlawan

After lunch, I walked around the Dataran Pahlawan megamall. It is the most significant lifestyle megamall in Malaysia. You will find international fashion brands, international/local food, beverage favourites, entertainment centres, and karaoke in the mall. Many excellent restaurants inside the mall serve delicious international and local cuisines.

Location: Jln Merdeka, Bandar Hilir, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: Everyday | 10:00 am – 10:00 pm

Sunset Seeing At Pantai Klebang

The Pantai Klebang Beach in Melaka is most famous for its beautiful sunset. So, after the river cruise, I decided to give the beach a visit. No matter how long you choose to visit the beautiful historical city, you must pay a visit to the beach during sunset.

The Klebang beach is located a 15-minutes’ drive from Melaka city. It has dunes and gives a feeling of the desert. Here, you will notice the most beautiful colour-changing of the sky when the sunsets. Even though the beach looks like a desert, it offers a serene feeling. The best time to visit Pantai Klebang beach is during sunrises or sunsets.

Maritime Museum

Melaka is mainly known as a historical city. And it would be pretty awkward if you came to a historic town and didn’t visit a museum. So, as a part of my Melaka itinerary, I saw the most visited museum of the city, the Maritime Museum . It is the replica of a Portuguese carrack named Flor do Mar .

It gives an enlightening look back into the city’s past. The museum had only one phase when it started in 1994. In 1998, the second phase of the museum was opened. Maritime Museum gives us an outlook on the political history of Melaka. Some ship models are also on display at the museum.

If you want to know more about the kinds of ships and their functions, Maritime Museum is a place you shouldn’t miss visiting.

Entry fees: Adult- RM3 Children- RM1

Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday | 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (Closed on Monday)

Peranakan Cuisine for Dinner

Every tourist must try the Peranakan cuisine in Melaka. It is a mixture of Malay and Chinese flavours that you won’t find anywhere else. You will discover Peranakan cuisine in Nancy’s restaurant . Also, Peranakan cuisines are cheap.

But Peranakan cuisine is not halal as the dish contains pork. Nancy’s restaurant is also non-halal. So, if you are a Muslim, you can head to any other halal-certified restaurant for dinner. I’m sure you’ll easily find a halal restaurant nearby.

Nancy’s Restaurant

Location: No 13, Jalan KL 3/8, Taman Kota Laksamana, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: Friday – Sunday | 11:00 am – 3:30 pm, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday | 11:00 am – 5:00 pm (Closed on Tuesday)

The 2nd day of our Melaka itinerary started by parking our car in the Dataran Pahlawan parking area.

Chicken Rice Balls for Breakfast

Chicken Rice Balls are my favourite Malaysian breakfast. You can savour these nasty nuggets any time of the day, even as snacks. These balls contain chicken and vegetables inside the rice balls.

Fun At A’ Famosa Resort

If you are looking forward to a fun filled visit to Melaka, you must visit A’ Famosa Resort . A’ Famosa has a 27-hole golf course, a water theme park called Water Theme Park, a zoo called Safari Wonderland, a resort hotel, a night entertainment Old West and some beautiful villas in its 1,300 acres of land.

The most attractive thing to tourists about A’ Famosa is the water theme park. It covers an area of 20 acres and is the largest water theme park in all of Malaysia. It has slides, pools, and activities for people of all age groups.

Also, if you pay a visit to the resort, take a walk around A’ Famosa Old West. There are restaurants and shopping villages in that part of the resort. And if you visit the resort at night, you would be lucky enough to see a beautiful night carnival which consists of an animal musical parade, dancing, and fireworks.

Pro tip: An ancient fortress in Melaka, built-in 1512, is also known as A’ Famosa. If you love consuming history, you can visit the fort instead of the resort.

Location: Jalan Kemus, Simpang Ampat, 78000 Alor Gajah, Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: Everyday | 24 Hours

Tired after swimming in A’ Famosa? You must already be hungry. For lunch , I decided to have some local Malay foods. So, I had Nasi Ganja Melaka for lunch. Nasi Ganja is a famous food in Malaysia , also known as Nasi Kandar . It originated in Penang. This dish contains rice with fried chicken, curried beef spleen, cubed beef, lamb, fish roe, fried prawns, or fried squid.

St. Paul Church

St. Paul’s Church is the oldest church building in Southeast Asia. It was built in 1521 and is located near the A Famosa fortress. So, if you visit the fort, don’t miss the chance to see the church and vice versa.

Location: 1935, Jalan Kota, Bandar Hilir, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia

Dutch graveyard

The Dutch graveyard is near St. Paul’s Church. It consists of the graves of 5 Dutch officers and 33 British officers and their spouses.

Jonker Street Night Market

Jonker Street is primarily famous for its beauty during the night. I absolutely loved the rendezvous of the night street. It has a well-organized wide array of stalls, polite hawkers, and a lively street party-like atmosphere.

The night market only takes place every Friday and Saturday night. So, if you want to enjoy the beautiful ambience of Jonker Street night market, plan your trip to Melaka on a Friday or Saturday night.

Location: Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: Friday – Sunday | 6:00 pm – 12:00 am (Closed on Monday – Thursday)

Pancakes for Breakfast

The most famous pancakes in all of Melaka are pandan pancakes. The best pandan pancakes in Melaka are available in The Daily Fix Cafe. Besides pancakes, I also tried pasta and coffee.

The Daily Fix Cafe

Location:  55, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: Everyday | 9:30 am- 5:30 pm

Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum

Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum showcases the history of Peranakan culture in Melaka. The Chinese people who came and settled here in Malaysia are known as Baba-Nyonya or Peranakan. In Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum, you will see how two cultures blended in so well.

The history of the museum dates back to 1985. After living here for four generations, the Chan family opened it as a museum. The museum is still under the authority of the Chan family and is managed by them. It often remains busy with tourists. So, if you don’t want to miss out on any corner of the Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum, you should book a tour at least one month before your trip.

Location: 48-50, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: Friday – Sunday | 10:00 am – 12:30 pm, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm (Closed on Monday – Thursday)

Entry fees: Adult- RM16, Children (5-12 years old)- RM11 (Additional RM4 for adults booking a guided tour)

River Cruise On Sungai Melaka

The most exciting part of my Melaka itinerary was the Melaka river cruise . You can watch beautiful scenarios of the city on this 45-minute river cruise. If you have time, take the river cruise during sunset. You will get to see all the best attractions of the town through this river cruise.

The boats leave from Melaka River Square Jetty or Spice Garden Jetty. During the 45-minute boat ride, you’ll explore many awe-inspiring sights and the vibrant heritage of Melaka. You’ll come across some fascinating bridges of the 16th-20th century and catch glimpses of an old church of the Portuguese era and the oldest Malaysian village.

Opening Hours: Everyday | 9:00 am – 11:00 pm

Melaka Straits Mosque

My Melaka itinerary ended with visiting Melaka Straits Mosque . Melaka Straits Mosque is known as Masjid Selat Melaka in Malay. The right time to visit this mosque is at dawn or dusk. When the water level is high, it starts floating. The mosque is an architectural mixture of Middle Eastern and Malay craftsmanship, which was completed in 2006.

Location: Jalan Pulau Melaka 8, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: Everyday | 5:00 am – 12:00 am

Best Time To Visit Melaka

Now that I’ve shared my Melaka itinerary with you, you might want to know the best time to visit Melaka. If you decide to copy my Melaka itinerary, you don’t need to worry about when to visit Melaka, as these attractions aren’t affected by seasonal changes.

However, if you don’t prefer to visit the historical city in the rain, avoid going there during the last few months of the year. May-July is the driest month in Malaysia, so you can plan your Melaka itinerary during these months.

Best Restaurants in Melaka

I have already mentioned about a few food items and restaurants in my itinerary. But I’m giving you a few more restaurant options below so that you can choose your comfort restaurant and food all by yourself.

Halal Restaurants in Melaka

Bica & Co Courtyard Cafe

Location:  212, Jalan Parameswara, Kampung Bandar Hilir, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: Friday – Sunday | 11:45 am – 11:00 pm, Monday – Thursday | 11:45 am – 10:00 pm

Asam pedas KING by Selera Ibuku

Location: 30G, Jalan pm 9 Plaza mahkota, Bandar Hilir, 75000, Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: Friday – Sunday | 12:00 pm – 12:00 am, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday | 12:00 pm – 11:00 pm (Closed on Tuesday)

Restoran Madinah

Location: Jalan Melaka Raya 3, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: Everyday | 24 hours

Non-halal Restaurants in Melaka

The Baboon House

Location: No. 89, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Taman Kota Laksamana, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: Wednesday – Monday | 10:00 am – 5:00 pm (Closed on Tuesday)

Restoran Nyonya Makko

Location: 123, Jln Merdeka, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: Wednesday – Monday | 11:30 am – 2:25 pm, 6:00 pm – 8:45 pm (Closed on Tuesday)

SamFu Restaurant

Location: 108, Jalan Bunga Raya, Kampung Jawa, 75100 Melaka, Malaysia

Opening Hours: Wednesday – Monday | 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm, 5:30 – 9:30 pm (Closed on Tuesday)

My 48 hours in Melaka Itinerary was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you follow this Melaka itinerary , I am sure that you will have a fantastic experience too. If you have already visited Melaka, let me know which places you saw and which foods you tried. If I am lucky enough to revisit Melaka, I will surely try them out.

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How to Spend 48 Hours in Melaka (Malacca) Malaysia

By: Author Guest author

Posted on Last updated: June 21, 2023

Yen from the travel blog Wandering Journal is guest author with this article about solo travel to Melaka (Malacca) Malaysia. Learn about this historic city and find the best things to do when traveling alone to Melaka. I visited Malacca Malaysia in 1993 when I enjoyed my first round of vagabond life, solo backpacking around Southeast Asia for a few months. One thing that I noticed right away is that a lot of people spoke English, so I had no problem with communication. The other thing is, I found the people in Malacca very friendly and helpful to a solo traveler.

Along with relying on locals for information I also brought my guidebook for Malacca.

This post contains compensated links and I may receive a commission for purchases made through links. See my disclosure about affiliate links

In the old days everyone relied on the Lonely Planet travel guides, and my copy of Southeast Asia on a Shoestring served me well. Today we can plan a trip entirely on the internet. A smart phone becomes the tourist guidebook.

Melaka Itinerary

How to spend 2 days in melaka malaysia.

Once a major port connecting the Western and Oriental worlds, Melaka had its golden era back in the 1500’s. Packed full of history, Melaka is a place you shouldn’t miss if you’re into learning the culture and history of a country while traveling. There are lots of interesting things to do in Melaka but today, we’re only going to talk about how to maximize your 48 hours in Melaka.

Are you ready to craft your 2-days itinerary in Melaka? Let’s dive in!

Where Exactly is Melaka

Melaka is located 2 hours drive (145 km/90 miles) south of the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. It’s a seaport city, located on the west coast of West Malaysia.

Most of the attractions in Melaka are located near the port where you’ll also find many hotels and hostels . So, if you’re staying near the port, you’ll get easier access to all the interesting places in Melaka. We’ll talk about that in a moment.

Getting Around in Melaka

The best way to get around in Melaka is on foot. Attractions are located close to each other, so you can basically walk from one place to the next.

If you don’t feel like walking, GrabCar is the best alternative. Public transportation in Melaka is not particularly reliable. You have only 2 days in this city, don’t waste time waiting endlessly at bus stations.

For those who never heard of GrabCar, it basically works the same way as Uber, the only difference is that the fare is fixed, instead of metered. This way, you know what you’re paying in advance with no worries on overcharges.

Have a look and download the app . You can use it nationwide, also in Singapore, Vietnam and several other Southeast Asian countries.

Things to do in Melaka

Now we’re entering the most exciting topic, what to do in Melaka? So I assume that you’ll be staying near the port, as most of the travelers will. Let’s get started.

Visit historical Kota A’Famosa

Kota A’Famosa was built more than 500 years ago by the Portuguese army, aiming to defend the port from the Dutch and other forces.

Kota means ‘fort’ in the Malay language. And yes, it was a huge fort with walls surrounding the coast and city, but all that’s left is the main gate. The authorities had done well preserving it for tourism.

Just in case you’re wondering, the fort was destroyed by the Dutch in 1641.

Address: Jalan Parameswara, Bandar Hilir, 78000 Alor Gajah

Kota A’Famosa Fort Melaka Malaysia

Visit Jonker Walk Street

Jonker Walk Street is the most happening street in Melaka. On every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there will be a night market all along the street. There, you’ll find all sorts of street foods, gifts, souvenirs, and many other street vendors.

During the day, it’s much quieter on Jonker Walk Street because of the blazing heat. You’ll still be able to find some decent restaurants during the day, like Daily Fix Café and Jonker 88 Café.

Best way to end your busy day of sightseeing in Melaka.

Hop On Melaka River Cruise

Fun fact: Melaka River was once a highly polluted river. But since the authorities invested millions of Ringgit Malaysia into the project, the whole river reawakened. Clean water started flowing and the tourism blossomed.

The river cruises in Melaka are not big cruise ships they’re actually… I would call them tour boats.

For foreigner adults, the ticket will cost MYR18 (around $4.50 USD) for a 45-minute tour along Melaka River. You’ll pass through several cafes by the river, and notice the gap of development between both sides of the river.

The side near the sea was preserved as a UNESCO Heritage Site , while the other side is not. Therefore you’ll see huge buildings on one side and old, traditional Malay-style buildings on another side. Pretty interesting, huh?

Melaka River Cruise is a fun and relaxing tourist attraction

Kampung Morten UNESCO site

A village you’ll pass by during your cruise tour on the Melaka River, Kampung Morten is an underrated gem of Melaka city. Due to its location outside of the UNESCO Heritage Site, they hadn’t received funding from the government to preserve their buildings.

The head of the village decided to do things on his own, decorating his own house with antiques, cultural stuff, and information boards to showcase the Malay culture.

Things hit off and tourists started visiting the village. Now the whole village is looking sharp and it’s pleasant to walk around.

If you’re planning to stay overnight in this village, there are plenty of homestays for you to choose from as well!

Be sure to visit the Villa Sentosa in Kampung Morten, the traditional Malay house is now a living-history museum.

Kampung Morten Villa Sentosa in Melaka Malaysia

Street Art in Melaka

Street art is also one of the highlights of Melaka city. Along Melaka River, you’ll find a handful of massive street art murals painted on the side of the building. The most noticeable one is the Nyonya Ladies mural near Jonker Street.

CLICK for more street art around the world

Melaka street art mural “Nyonya Ladies” along the Melaka River

Visit Cheng Ho Cultural Museum

What if I tell you the first foreigner who set foot on Melaka was not from the West? Yep, 600 years ago, a fleet of business ships led by Cheng Ho, an admiral from the Ming Dynasty in China paid a visit to Melaka.

Over the years, Cheng Ho visited the port several times. He brought useful plantation techniques, skills and knowledge to share with the people in Melaka at no cost.

Some people even argue that Islamism was brought in by Cheng Ho during his visit, as Cheng Ho was a Muslim himself.

The entrance fee at Cheng Ho Museum is MYR 20 for adults and MYR 10 for kids.

READ now: Xian China Walled City – Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum

What to Eat in Melaka?

You’ll want to try some of the local cuisine in Melaka, here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Melaka Cendol

What’s special about the cendols in Melaka compared to the famous one in Penang, is that the Melaka Cendol was laced with Gula Melaka (Melaka Palm Sugar). The thick, flavorful aroma of the palm sugar is like icing on a cake.

You’ll find plenty of restaurants offering the dish but the best one is at The Wild Coriander Restaurant by Melaka River. Try it and you’ll never regret it!

READ now: 13 Best Places for Solo Travel in Southeast Asia

Cendol at The Wild Coriander in Melaka

Chicken Rice Ball

What’s the difference between chicken rice ball and chicken rice? You guessed it, the word ‘ball’!

Just kidding, but that’s right too. They’re just chicken rice pressed into spherical shapes. But why, you ask?

Centuries ago, when Chinese labors are still used widely by the British, they had no food containers to bring their lunch to the workplace. So what they did was press the chicken rice into spherical shapes, making them easier to carry.

And hence, chicken rice balls! Plenty of restaurants serve them in Jonker Street, give them a go.

Nyonya Baba Asam Laksa

Nyonya Baba, also known as Peranakan, are descendants of Chinese immigrants who moved into the Malay Archipelago between 15 th  and 17 th  centuries. They have unique cultures, combining the influence of both Chinese and Malay.

The best restaurant to try this dish would be Jonker 88 Restaurant on Jonker Street.

But there are more than just Asam Laksa. Nyonya foods are generally delicious and flavorful. Again, I recommend having them at The Wild Coriander Café.

Nyonya Baba Asam Laksa Jonker Street

Where to Stay in Melaka

Lodgings in Melaka range from hostels and homestays to luxury hotels.

Budget Option

Omni Hostel Malacca

One of the best-reviewed budget hostel in Melaka. It’s close to the city center, enabling easy access to all attractions nearby. It’s a bunk bed in a dormitory room and it’s a great value option – check availability now .

Mid-range Option

Ibis Melaka Hotel

Not exactly located in the UNESCO Heritage area but it’s close to it. With highly-rated reviews it’s always booked out many days in advance. So make sure to book early once you confirm your itinerary!

Luxury Option

The Majestic Malacca Hotel

One of the top luxury hotels in Melaka. It’s around $125 USD per night but sometimes they have specials so check for latest deals and prices . Located within 1 km (.6 mile) from the city center. A perfect choice especially when you have only a couple of day in Melaka.

So that’s probably everything I have to offer for your two days in Melaka. I hope I helped in planning your itinerary in Melaka, Malaysia. Feel free to leave comments below if you have any questions. Happy traveling!

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About the Author:  Yen from Wandering Journal is a full-time university student who always takes full advantage of his holidays to travel for new experiences. He’s been to New Zealand for a Working Holiday and then a road trip, volunteered in Kathmandu, Nepal and exchanged in California along with several backpacking trips through Southeast Asia. Having spent months in foreign countries, he gives in-depth travel tips and guides on his travel blog, Swing Abroad.

Explore other destinations for your next solo travel adventure

Saturday 20th of August 2022

Thanks with the helpful tips...Will definitely visit the places suggested...n try the cendol n laksa...can't wait...

SoloTripsAndTips

Sunday 21st of August 2022

Drew, I hope you enjoy Melaka, it's a wonderful city and the food is superb!

Sunday 17th of March 2019

This is a great guide to visiting Melaka. As a self-appointed street art aficionado, I am glad that the impressive murals got a nod. Along with excellent street art of Penang and Ipoh, Melaka should not be missed by street art lovers. Cheers!

Monday 18th of March 2019

Yea that's true, street arts are getting more popular in Penang, Ipoh and Melaka, they're everywhere to be found in the tourism area. It's a fun thing to do to explore them all. :D

Susan Moore

Hi Elena, thanks for your comment, glad you like Yen's guide to Melaka! And nice to know another street art lover. Always makes my day when I find cool murals while I'm traveling. Cheers, Susan

Saturday 16th of March 2019

Nicely written, with lots of information. The foods sound tasty and the art work on the buildings are gorgeous

The food is absolutely amazing, especially Melaka Cendol, which I'm still craving from time to time now. Give it a try when you're there!

Thanks for you comment Jo! Yes I love the historical info on Melaka that Yen included in this post, and I really miss the food in Southeast Asia!

Ryan K Biddulph

Friday 15th of March 2019

Good job Yen! That food looks amazing. So happy to be back in SE Asia; just arrived in Bangkok.

Thanks Ryan! Have a safe and fun trip in Bangkok!

I miss the food in Southeast Asia! Have fun in Thailand Ryan, thanks for dropping in on the blog :) Hope you get some time in Malaysia too!

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Today, the Stadthuys is the museum that holds the centuries-old history of Malacca. Just a few steps away is Christ Church, built in the 18th century in Dutch architecture. Initially, the church was painted white, then in the 1900s turned red, so it is also called “Red Church.” In addition, St. Paul’s Church, the fortress of Famosa or the fortress of Porta de Santiago are also not to be missed.

• Malacca day trip from KL — What to do in 1 day in Malacca & Suggest Malacca itinerary 1 day perfectly
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• Where to shop in Melaka? — 10 best places to shop in Malacca, Malaysia

Maritime Museum

The unique shape of this museum’s unique ship will make it easy for you to recognize. The museum will tell you about ocean trade, an important part of the history of Malacca, turning this place from a small fishing village into a major trading port on the route connecting Asia and in Europe in the 15th century. Today, although the heyday has retreated, there are still about 2,000 ships passing through this street every year.

Address: Jalan Merdeka, Bandar Hilir. Admission Fee:  5 MYR.

Other famous attractions

In addition famous places to visit above, you can visit some other famous landmarks and attractions of Melaka such as: St. Paul’s Church, A Fomasa Fortress, Middleburg Fortress, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum, Chinatown, Take a boat cruise on the Melaka River …

Enjoy a beautiful afternoon at Baboon House

When coming to in Malacca, let’s enjoy the moments of “slow life”. So, the most popular, easiest and most fun way to enjoy an unforgettable life is to go to Baboon House on a beautiful afternoon and sip a cup of coffee. If you want to be more elegant, you can read some pages of books.To this restaurant, you will see how familiar because the restaurant was built based on the inspiration from the ancient town of Hoi An (Vietnam). Good books, good coffee, warm space, so enough for a beautiful sunny afternoon.

Baboon House

Address : 89 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Kampung Bukit China. Opening Hours: open from 10h00 to 17h00 daily.

Enjoy live music at the Geographer Cafe

The restaurants in Malacca close very early, however, if you want to enjoy the nightlife, the Geographer is a good choice. The cafeteria is open until 1 am and there are live music performances all around the corner.

Geographer Cafe

Address: 83 Jalan Hang Jebat. Opening Hours: Open daily from 10h00 to 01h00.

Malacca travel blog: What to eat in Malacca?

Food tourism – an indispensable part of every journey.The scenery in Malacca are wonderful, the food here will also make you much more interested.

Chicken Rice Ball

This is the most popular dish in Malaysia. However, the chicken rice in Malacca has an interesting version: The rice after being cooked with chicken broth will be squeezed into rounds of chicken, sweet and fragrant soft. If you want to eat this dish, you should go to Famosa Chicken Rice Ball – 21 Jalan Hang Jebat. However, you should come soon. We came to eat at 8 pm and received the smile of the innkeeper: “Very sorry, the restaurant was closed. Please come back at 9 am tomorrow! ”

The traditional rice dish is known throughout the country “hibiscus flower”. Rice is a fatty corner of coconut milk, aroma of pineapple leaves and is used with many dishes accompanying: fried anchovies, roasted peanuts, boiled/fried eggs and cucumber slices. Nowadays, many restaurants offer more variants of this dish, such as Nasi Lemak with chicken, beef, squid, blood cockle or even the vegetarian version. You can easily find this dish anywhere, from the sidewalk to the luxury restaurants.

Nyonya Laksa

Nyonya Laksa is the characteristic dishes of Baba-Nyonya culture. A bowl of laksa including large noodles, fish balls, fresh shrimp, boiled eggs, tofu and bean sprouts. When you put the sweet and fatty broth cooked from coconut milk and curry. This time we went to Nancy’s Kitchen – 13 Jalan KL 3/8, Taman Kota Laksamana. This restaurant is open only from 11 am to 5 pm.

Grilled Satay

Satay is meat skewers (maybe chicken, beef or lamb) marinated with peanuts and some typical spices, then roasted on the charcoal stove, Peanut flavor, this dish more and more aromatic. Here they even think of Satay Celup, instead of grilling, you will dip the meat skewers in a large pot of water like many stores Tok or sell in Korea. This dish is sold at Jonker Street night market.

It is Malaysia’s famous desserts include red bean, coconut milk, corn syrup, pineapple, palm sugar and durian that can beat all good believers after a tasting. This dish is sold in stores on the Jonker Walk. However, gourmets often talk about Jonker 88, open daily from 10:30 to 17:30.

Putu Piring

Another noteworthy dessert is Putu Piring. Sweet cakes made from rice flour and palm sugar, after steamed, will be placed on banana leaves covered with a layer of coconut.

Putu Piring Tengkara:

Address: Putu Piring Jalan Tengkara – 252 Jalan Tengkara. Opening Hours: from 18:30 to 22:30 from Monday to Saturday.

Durian cream cake

In Vietnam, there is also this cake, but in Malacca, the durian cake mixed with cream fresh cream hidden inside the foam soft shell will certainly make this dish more delicious than 1,000 times. Let’s believe us! Contraindications to those who intend to diet. Because you just to bite a piece, you will not deny the wonderful taste of this cake and want to eat more. The Jalan Hang Lekir area, Jonker Walk is home to many of this cake.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in and from Melaka you can refer to

• Melaka Day Tour with Attraction Tickets from Kuala Lumpur
• Historical Melaka Tour with Lunch from Kuala Lumpur
• Private City Transfers for Kuala Lumpur and Surrounding Cities
• [SALE] 4G Prepaid SIM Card (MY Airports Pick Up) for Malaysia
• 4G WiFi (MY Airport Pick Up) for Malaysia
• Malacca Night Tour with River Cruise and Trishaw Ride
• Historical Melaka Tour with Lunch
• Zoo Melaka Admission Ticket
• Melaka Wonderland Water Theme Park Ticket
• Melaka Crocodile and Recreation Park Ticket
• Kidzooona Ticket in Melaka
• Upside Down House Gallery Melaka Ticket
• Melaka Bird Park Ticket

Are you looking for Melaka travel guide? Read more: Malacca travel blog — The fullest Malacca travel guide for a wonderful trip to Melaka, Malaysia.

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An Unforgettable 2 Days in Melaka Itinerary

by Julie Oct 3, 2019 Itinerary , Malaysia , Travel

Melaka is definitely a stop everyone should put on their Malaysia itinerary . It’s got so much history. It was here that the Malay Kingdom began. Melaka had not one but three colonizers: the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British. All leaving a little bit of their culture behind when they left. And you can’t overlook the contributions Chinese immigrants have made to Melaka’s stunning architecture and rich and complex food culture. This suggested itinerary will help you manage your time so that you can see all the important sights of Melaka in two days.

This Melaka itinerary is part of my 2-week and 3-week Malaysia itinerary. 

If you don’t have time or inclination to tour the city on your own, you can also join a convenient Melaka day tour from Kuala Lumpur .

Is it Melaka or Malacca ?

Before you get started on your itinerary, let’s clear up a few things about the spelling.

You’ve probably seen the two ways to spell Melaka:

Melaka and Malacca .

Which is correct?

Malacca is the old spelling under the British. You’ll notice it used in Singapore and by hotels in Melaka. Melaka is the official government spelling for the city. You’ll come across it when booking buses for Melaka.

I’m going to use Melaka in this post unless an organization or business uses Malacca .

Now that we’ve cleared up the spelling business, grab a cup of coffee and let’s look at what to do in Melaka.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate and a Bookshop.org Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  Please see this website's  Disclosure for more info.

Table of Contents

(Click an item in the Table of Contents to jump to that section of the Melaka Itinerary)

History of Melaka

Day 1 of Melaka Itinerary

• Check in at Hotel
• Lunch at Peranakan Restaurant
• Bab Nyonya Heritage House Museum
• Tour Chinatown
• Jonker Street Night Market

Day 2 of Melaka Itinerary

• A’Famosa Fort
• St. Paul’s Church
• Sultan’s Palace
• Dutch Square
• The Stadthuys
• Christ Church
• Lunch at Hoe Kee Restauarant
• White Coffee
• Kampung Morten and Villa Sentosa

Additional Ideas for Longer Itinerary

A Bit of History for Your Melaka Itinerary

Located along the Straits of Malacca in southwestern Malaysia, Melaka is a historical city of 484,000 people . Malays consider it to be the most important city in the country’s history. It’s here where the Malay Kingdom originated.

Until the fourteenth century, Malays didn’t have their own nation or kingdom. The kingdoms of Java and Sumatra had always ruled over them.

Independence finally came in the 1300s when a member of the Malay royal family, Parameswara, declared himself ruler of the Malays. He was kicked out of Sumatra. He fled to the island of Temasek (Singapore), where he killed the local ruler and made himself king until the Thais drove him out. Looking for a suitable place to start his own kingdom, Parameswara ended up on the Malaysian Peninsula.

One day, his son, Iskandar Shah, was out hunting when he encountered a mouse deer that was ferociously attacked his hunting dogs. Impressed by the mouse deer, Iskandar took it as a good sign. And while sitting under a tree called the Melaka tree, he decided to make the area the future capital of the Malay Kingdom. He named his new home Melaka .

Parameswara established a kingdom as powerful and as rich as the Srivijaya’s, stretching from the Malay peninsula to Sumatra. From 1400 to 1511, Melaka became the most important trading post in the region, attracting people from Asia and the Middle East.

Traders from the Middle East brought Islam to the Kingdom. This new religion spread quickly throughout the local populace, uniting the Malays even more.

Melaka was successful for several reasons: The government catered to the needs of traders, kept port fees low and consistent, and controlled piracy. Trade grew and people became wealthi

Travel Tip: Best Days to Visit Melaka

Your Melaka itinerary should include a Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday stay so that you can attend the Jonker Street Night Market . It’s one giant outdoor party filled with loud music, food, and drink. During the other days of the week, lots of businesses and restaurants close between 4:00 and 6:00 pm, so Melaka becomes as dead quiet as a cemetery at night. Sunday’s the best day to begin your Melaka itinerary  because weekend tourists are gone by then and hotel prices drop.

Day 1 of Your Melaka Itinerary

Most people arrive by bus from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. I suggest leaving these cities around 8:00 am so that you arrive at noon, giving you have a half day in Melaka.

From Singapore, the bus ride takes around 4 hours and from KL, it’s 3 hours. You can read about how to travel from Singapore by bus in this post.

I took the bus from Singapore. Buses from there can drop you off at Melaka Sentral bus station , or at certain hotels ..

When you buy your ticket to Melaka, you’ll have the option of choosing your drop-off point. I chose Melaka Sentral, but then paid the bus driver S$5 to take me to my hotel. He dropped me off 5 minutes from my hotel. This wasn’t an official dropping off point.

Check out these travel guides for Singapore

• Singapore itinerary: 5 Amazing Days in Singapore
• How to Save Money in Singapore and Still Have an Amazing Time
• The Best Singapore Food Tour

1. Checking Into Your Hotel

Begin your Melaka itinerary by either checking in or dropping your luggage off at your accommodation.

I highly recommend staying at one of the heritage hotels in the historic Chinatown area of Melaka. You won’t be disappointed.

What are Hertiage Hotels?

Heritage Hotels are renovated shophouses from the 1800s and early 1900s. Back when the British ran things in Malaysia and Singapore, merchants would have their shops on the first floor and sleeping quarters on the second floor. There was usually an open courtyard in the middle of the shophouse. This was so that air would circulate and cool down the premises.

The British required that the second floor be built over a five-foot walkway (sidewalk) so that people could continuously walk down the street and still stay in the shade during sunny days and dry during the daily rain showers.

To attract customers, merchants would paint their shophouses in beautiful colors like that of an Easter egg and add European style decorative designs to the façade and pillars. The more prosperous a merchant was, the more elaborate the designs were.

One other tidbit you might find interesting is that the second-floor room that was directly over the sidewalk had a spyhole whereby the occupants could peep at whoever was on the sidewalk below.

Heritage Hotels – Where to stay in Melaka

Melaka is the perfect place to splurge just a little (you don’t need to spend too much for a unique experience) on your own shophouse experience while in southeast Asia. Heritage hotels in Melaka are cheaper than those in Penang . You can read more about heritage hotels in Penang here. 

Aava Malacca Hotel

AGODA | BOOKING.COM

I paid US$45 for a terrific hotel, the Aava Malacca Hotel , a few blocks from Jonker Street. If you appreciate beautiful architecture and décor and lots of color, you’ll love this place. It also has an infinity pool overlooking Riverwalk. Breakfast is included in the price. Make sure to upgrade to a room with a window. Because shophouses were built long and narrow, you’ll often come across hotel rooms with no windows.

Other great hotels in Melaka:

I didn’t stay at these hotels, but from my research, they are the top places to stay in Melaka:

• Super Budget (Under US$50): Omni Hostel Malacca – AGODA | BOOKING.COM – newer hostel, super clean, friendly owner, right on the Melaka River
• Budget (US$50 – $100) : 19straatheeren – AGODA | BOOKING.COM – centrally located hotel, in an old shophouse but with modern décor, friendly staff
• Mid-range (over US$100) : 5 Heeren Museum Residence – AGODA | BOOKING.COM – Wow! This place is stunning; it’s like you’ve stepped back in time; traditional Nyonya furniture and décor; great breakfast; great location on Heeren Street. If I had the money, I’d stay here.

Travel Tip: Getting Around Melaka

If you’re in Chinatown or the Colonial center , you can get around by foot . However, if you’re outside of these two areas , I highly suggest getting a Grab (like Uber) or taxi. There aren’t many sidewalks, so you’re constantly walking in the street and the streets (and sidewalks) are full of holes, making walking an unpleasant experience. There aren’t many traffic lights or signs, so crossing the street can be a nightmare. Streets are broad and buildings are spread out.

2. Have Peranakan food for lunch

Your first fun activity of day 1 of your trip to Melaka should be to get some food into your belly. What better way to do it than by exploring the unique and little known cuisine of the Peranakans! Melaka is going to be your best opportunity in Malaysia to try Peranakan food. I found there to be more Peranakan restaurants here than in Penang or KL and nd cheaper ones than Singapore.

Who are the Peranakans?

I knew little about Peranakans before visiting Southeast Asia. But the more I learned, the more fascinated I became and the more I researched their culture.

The Peranakans were the children of Chinese, Arab, or Indian fathers and local Malay mothers. Chinese Perankans were the most common. But Melaka has an Indian Peranakan community as well albeit smaller.

Male Peranakans were also referred to as babas and females as nyonyas . Baba-nyonya culture. And the food as Nyonya cuisine .

Today, people refer to Chinese Peranakans as Straits-born Chinese . You know the movie and book, Crazy Rich Asians ? They were Straits-born Chinese (Peranakans). Lee Kuan Yew was also one. However, nowadays if you’re walking down the street, you can’t tell Peranakans apart other Chinese.

When did Peranakan culture begin?

It’s unclear when these cross-cultural marriages began. One legend goes that the Emperor of China married off one of his daughters to the Sultan of Melaka in the 1400s. She brought along several hundred servants and retainers, who married local Malay women. However, there isn’t any record of this in China. so it’s unlikely that this actually happened.

It’s more likely that Peranakans originated from Chinese spice traders. In the 1500s, the Chinese were active in the spice trade, and  some settled in Melaka at the time.These traders had wives and children back home, but they would have been stuck in Melaka for many months waiting for the monsoon winds to change course so they could return to China. In the meantime, they would have found it financially beneficial and personally fulfilling to marry into a local Malay family.

What is Peranakan food?

When the couple married, they each brought a little of their culture to the family, developing a new hybrid one: Peranakan.

One of the most interesting customs involved the food. Peranakan cuisine can be best described as a mix of Chinese recipes with Malay ingredients (coconut, chillis, tamarind, lemongrass, shrimp paste, pandan leaves, etc.). It’s spicy from the chilis and sour from the tamarind. Some popular dishes are laksa, achar (pickled vegetables), otak-otak, and lots of sweets called kueh .

You can learn more about this culture at the Peranakan Museum and the Baba House in Singapore and at the Baba Nyonya Heritage House Museum in Melaka.

Where to eat Peranakan food in Melaka?

I tried two Peranakan restaurants in Melaka: Nancy’s Kitchen and Kocik Kitchen .

Nancy’s Kitchen is the most famous of the two. It’s a plain and unattractive restaurant. Not fancy like the Peranakan restaurants in Singapore.  It’s in a strip mall outside of the Chinatown neighborhood, so it’s best to take a Grab or taxi to get to it. They also offer cooking classes.

Kocik Kitchen is in Chinatown. It’s a bit older looking but it’s also more colorful than the drab Nancy’s Kitchen.

However, the food at Nancy’s Kitchen was fresher and better tasting than at Kocik’s. I had their specialty, Candlenut Chicken , and water spinach with shrimp paste and chili peppers. At Kocik  I had the famous Peranakan dish, Assam Fish . It was dry and not so fresh. I couldn’t taste the tamarind or lemongrass flavors, just a lot of spice.

3. Baba Nyonya Heritage House Museum

PRICE: MR16 entrance fee + MR4 guided tour fee | OPEN: M-Th 10:00 am – 5:00 pm; F-Su: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm | TOUR LENGTH: 1 hour

The next stop on your Melaka itinerary is a visit to the Baba Nyonya Heritage House Museum . This was the highlight of my trip to Melaka

The Baba Nyonya Heritage House Museum was the family home of the Chan family, a Peranakan family that first came to Melaka in the early 1800s. Chan Cheng Siew married a local Malay woman named Chee Gee Geok Neo. His only legitimate son married a woman from another Peranakan family. The house will give you an idea of how a wealthy Peranakan family lived.

The family still owns and manages the house, but they have immigrated out of Malaysia. You can see a family portrait of the current multi-ethnic extended family.

The house is huge. It consists of three shophouse lots. It’s three stories, and there are two or three courtyards. My favorite section was the huge kitchen with some unique devices and equipment for cooking Peranakan food. The interesting thing is that the kitchen is open to the rest of the house including the dining room.

The museum doesn’t allow you to take photos.

I highly suggest going on the tour. You’ll learn so much more about the family and Peranakan culture than if you walked around on your own.

You might be tempted to skip this thinking that you can tour a Peranakan house in Penang . Don’t! The house in Melaka is more authentic than the one in Penang ( Pinang Peranakan Mansion ). 

TRAVEL TIP – Exchanging Money in Melaka

Not easy to do! I had trouble exchanging money in Melaka. There was one ATM machine (at a 7-11) in Chinatown , and it didn’t take my foreign bank card. I walked for 30 minutes outside of Chinatown alone at night until I found a May Bank to get money. A bit stressful as the streets were pretty deserted, and I made the mistake of making eye contact with strangers, resulting in some harassment. The two best banks are May Bank and HSBC . I’ve read, but I cannot confirm, that there are ATM machines at Melaka Sentral bus station.

4. Tour Chinatown

The next activity on this Melaka itinerary is to tour Chinatown. It’s probably the most interesting part of Melaka to wander around in.

Chinatown is not large—four blocks one direction and four blocks the other. The area is along the Melaka River and directly across the river from the Colonial area.

Chinatown has three must-visit streets:

• Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Heeren Street)
• Jalan Hang Jebat (Jonker Street)
• Jalan Tukang Emas (Harmony Street)

The most important street is Jalan Hang Jebat (Jonker Street). You can find lots of shops, cafes, and restaurants. This street is probably the best one for finding souvenirs from Malaysia . If you’re in Melaka on the weekend, you’ll return here after 7:00 for the Jonker Street Night Market. 

If you spot a sign for Perankan kueh (sweets) or pineapple tarts , grab some to snack on while you’re doing your walking tour. Pineapple tarts are Portugal’s contribution to Malaysian cuisine.

You can also find on Harmony Street the mosque, Masjid Kampung Kling (built by Indian Muslim traders in 1748) and the oldest Hindu temple in Malaysia, Sri Poyatha Vinayagar. I didn’t go into either of these two places.

Finally, walk along Lorong Hang Jebat , a street along the Melaka River. Here you’ll find the Cheng Ho Museum (Open: 9:00 – 6:00 pm | 20RM) —a museum dedicated to Cheng Ho (Zheng He), a Chinese admiral who visited Melaka several times on his way to Southwest Asia and Africa from 1405 to 1433. His ships were exponentially larger than Columbus’s. Supposedly, this is the site of Cheng Ho’s original warehouse.

The information about Cheng Ho and his voyages is extensive, but politicized. You won’t see many original artefacts. Instead you’ll see lots of shoddy dioramas. to be honest, I wasn’t that impressed with the museum.

5. Jonker Street Night Market

COST: free | OPEN : F, Sa, & Su: 7:00 pm – 12:00 am

The Night Market begins at 7:00 pm and goes until midnight on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. During the Night Market, Jonker Street is closed to traffic. Vendors open stalls selling food, drink, and other goods on the street and the shops along Jonker Street stay open late. It’s like one big street party.

TRAVEL TIP – Is Melaka safe for solo travelers?

As a solo traveler, the old part of Melaka felt safe. My biggest concern was falling in a hole or open sewer (there are so many!) while walking down the street at night. Some streets also lack street lamps, making it even more hazardous. I also walked around outside of Chinatown looking for an ATM late at night and was harassed a couple of times.

Start day 2 of your Melaka itinerary in the colonial area.  This is where you’ll see the remains of the three European powers that occupied Melaka at one time or another during its history: the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British. The afternoon is spent walking along the Melaka River to a Malay village.

You can switch this itinerary around and do the Melaka Riverwalk and Kampung Morten in the morning and the Colonial Center in the afternoon. Either way it will be hot in the morning and even hotter in the afternoon.

To get to the colonial part of Melaka from Chinatown, cross the Melaka River. You’ll come to a roundabout called Dutch Square . Right in front of you, you’ll see a beautiful fountain and a group of large red buildings that stick out like a sore thumb. These buildings are the Stadhuys, the townhall for the Dutch and British colonial governments, and Christ Church.

The Melaka Tourist Information Center is on the right side of the roundabout. It may be the worst tourist information center I’ve ever come across. When I was there, it was staffed by a sulky, uncommunicative human being. I didn’t find any information that would have been helpful to me.

1. Porta de Santiago – A’Famosa Fort

COST: free | OPEN : 24/7

Ignore Dutch Square for now and start with the remains of Portugal’s role in Melaka’s history and the oldest European structure in Asia with a visit to the ruins of A’Formosa Fort . In English, A’Famosa means “the famous.” All that remains of the fort is a small gate house. I like to start with the fort and St. Paul’s Church rather than Dutch Square as it’s nicer to climb up to the church in the morning than the sweltering afternoon.

You can get to it by walking up Jalan Kota Street to the other side of St. Paul Hill.

How were the Portuguese able to conquer the Malay Kingdom so easily?

The Portuguese arrived in Melaka in 1511, when cracks began to appear in the Melaka Sultanate. As time went by, the later descendants of the Sultan became less capable and more slothful and corrupt. The residents of Melaka consisted mostly of foreign traders who had little sense of loyalty to the Malay rulers. So, when the Portuguese came looking for a port to help them control the spice trade, Melaka was ripe for their taking.

With their superior weapons, the Portuguese easily defeated the Malays. The royal family escaped to Johor and the Riau Islands (near Singapore).

What did the Dutch and British do with the fort?

When the Dutch conquered Melaka, they took over the fort. You can still see the company logo of the Dutch East India Company on the gate of the fort. Look for the inscription, ANNO 1670, the year the Dutch took over the fort.

The British  destroyed A Famosa when they first colonized Melaka in 1795. Thanks to Sir Raffles, at least the gate was saved.

2. St. Paul’s Church

COST: free | OPEN: 24/7

About ten minutes by foot uphill from A Famosa, you’ll find the remains of St. Paul’s Church (1521), also built by the Portuguese, taken over by the Dutch, and destroyed by the British.

Under the Portuguese, the church was called the Church of Annunciation. When the Dutch replaced the Portuguese, they converted it to a Dutch Reform church and renamed it St. Paul’s Church. They used it until they built Christ Church in 1753. Then it fell into disrepair. The British used the church as a storehouse for ammunition and explosives.

Francis Xavier attempted to convert Melakans while he was in the city from 1545 – 1552, but he was unsuccessful. He died in Macau, but his body was interred in the church for 9 months before it was moved to Goa. There’s a blocked off area in the church where his body lay. You can see his statue in front of the church.

Why did the Portuguese fail?

The Portuguese didn’t have an easy time ruling Melaka. They were continuously fighting off attacks from enemies, and they lacked the manpower to control the port.  Melaka could never attract the best and brightest Portuguese. Most who lived there were illiterate and corrupt, resulting in a colony that bled money for Portugal. Muslim traders refused to trade with them. So, Melaka’s prominent position in the economy of Southeast Asia faded and never bounced back to what it had been like under the Malay Sultanate.

Looking for more info on traveling to Malaysia?

• Malaysia Itinerary: 2 Weeks in Asia's Best Kept Secret
• 10 Best Books about Malaysia: Read Before You Go!
• How to travel from Singapore to Malaysia by Bus

3. Sultan’s Palace (Istana Kesultanan)

COST : 5 MR | OPEN : Tu – Su: 9:00 am – 5:00 or 6:00 pm

The next stop on your Melaka itinerary is the palace of the Malay Sultan, Istana Kesultanan. It’s at the base of St. Paul’s Hill. Just follow a trail down from St. Paul’s Church.  You’ll get to learn a lot about Malay history at this fascinating replica of the original palace.

The original palace was burned down by the Portuguese. The palace you see now is a replica built based on old drawings of and documents on the original. Like the original palace, this recreation was also built completely out of wood using no nails.

You’ll see the Sultan’s bedchamber and his throne room. You’ll also come across exhibits on the people of Melaka and their customs and traditions. There are two main exhibits that tell the story of two famous heroes from Malay history: Hang Tuah and Tun Kudu.

There are other smaller niche museums nearby like the Stamp Museum, the Islamic Museum, and the People’s Museum.

4. Dutch Square

Once you’ve seen the back end of St. Paul Hill, return to where you started your morning itinerary of Melaka, Dutch Square.

Dutch Square is the perfect place to rest (around the fountain) and do some people watching.

The two main red buildings in the square are Christ Church and the Stadthuys . You can choose to see the two buildings now and then go to lunch or have lunch and then come back to see them.

5. The Stadthuys

COST: RM 10 | OPEN: 9:00 am – 5:30 pm

The Stadhuys was the colonial administrative center of both the Dutch and the British. It is now the Museum of Ethnography , devoted to Malay culture. According to the museum, you can blame the British and not the Dutch for the awful red color. The Stadhuys was originally white under the Dutch. It was the British who painted it red.

On the other hand, the old red stone buliding with its rooms of dark wood beams is quite evocative. If you ignore the exhibits, it’s easy to imagine yourself walking through these halls 300 years ago.

Other than these two red buildings, the Dutch made little mark on Melaka’s culture. In 1641, they kicked the Portuguese out and administered the city until the British took over 183 years later.

Their occupation of Melaka didn’t bring the city’s glory days back. It continued to decline. The Dutch made Batavia (western coast of Java) as their trading and administrative center rather than Melaka.

6. Christ Church

COST: free | OPEN : M-Sa 9:00 am – 4:30 pm

You can next make a quick stop at Christ Church. It’s right next to the Stadthuys.

The Dutch in Melaka

Under the Dutch it was a Dutch Reform church. But when the British took over, they turned it into an Anglican Church, which is what it is now.

The Dutch were different from the Portuguese in that they weren’t interested in saving souls or punishing Muslims. They just wanted to make money.

However, they had a reputation as ruthless colonizers. If anyone defied them, they would kill the entire population of an area or burn all of their crops.

Because of the policies of the Dutch, the living standards of the Malays suffered greatly. They drove the Malays away from their traditional trading way of life into the less lucrative occupation of agriculture.

The British and Melaka

In 1795, Europe was at war and the Netherlands fell under French rule. The Dutch gave over its territories in Southeast Asia to the British East India Company temporarily so that they wouldn’t fall into the French hands. When the war was over in Europe, they were supposed to be returned to the Dutch. So, the British planned to move the whole population of Melaka (15,000 people) making the city uninhabitable for the Dutch when they returned. However, Sir Raffles thought this was unfair to the people of Melaka and convinced the British East India Company not to do it.

In 1824, the Netherlands and Britain signed the Anglo-Dutch Treaty. The British would get everything north and east of the Straits of Melaka and the Dutch everything south of it. That meant that Melaka went to the British and became part of its Straits Settlement along with Penang and Singapore.

Melaka’s fate improved somewhat under the British, who invested modestly in the colony. But it really wasn’t until rubber was discovered and Chinese rubber entrepreneurs began investing in Melaka in the late 1800s that the city began to prosper again.

TRAVEL TIP – Where to buy a SIM card

I got a Malaysian SIM card at a Hotlink store on Jonker Street . The people who worked there were helpful at inserting the card for me and explaining how to use it. To add more data to your card, visit a convenience store like 7-11 and ask for a “tap-up” on your card. The Hotlink SIM card worked fine in Malaysia, but even though it was supposed to work in Thailand and Singapore, it didn’t. Singapore SIM cards should work for a few days in Malaysia. Most Malaysian SIM cards charge for text messages, so use What’sApp instead.

Head back to Chinatown for lunch at Hoe Kee Chicken Rice (Open: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm) (4, 6 & 8, Jalan Hang Jebat, Melaka, Malaysia). Melaka has a famous dish that is a variation of the Hainanese Chicken Rice dish called Chicken Rice Balls. It’ll be a shame if you can’t sample this famous dish during your 2 days in Melaka. 

The staff will suggest which size of chicken you should order according to how many people are in your group. I was just one person and I paid 7.50 RM for the chicken and 1.50 RM for 5 rice balls (.30 RM per rice ball).

The Origin of Chicken Rice Balls

Hainanese Chicken Rice is the national dish of Singapore, but you can find it all over Southeast Asia where Chinese immigrants live. The origins of the dish come from the southern province of Hainan. It’s boiled chicken on top of oily, flavored rice and with chili sauce on the side.

The Melakan version takes the rice and rolls it into balls.There are several theories as to how this concept started.

The most interesting story involves a fisherman named Hoe Kee and his wife that took place around 50 years ago. Hoe Kee was jailed for illegally fishing in Indonesian waters. While he sat in a prison in Indonesia, his wife thought of a clever way to make money. She started peddling chicken rice to laborers at the docks. But since the workers had little time for lunch, she came up with a way to make it easier for them to carry and eat their chicken rice. She rolled the rice into balls. The idea was a hit, and her dish became very popular. When Hoe Kee was released from jail, he joined his wife in the business. They eventually opened up a restaurant. Today the Hoe Kee Chicken Rice restaurant is still run by the family.

8. Try some White Coffee

A great place to rest and try some White Coffee during your 2 days in Melaka is at the Calanthe Art Café . You’ll love this cafe–decent food, great drinks, and friendly staff. It’s got some cool decor inside and a nice outdoor seating area.

They have tons of other flavored coffees including the Malaysian specialty, White Coffee. You can choose your coffee drink based on which of the 13 Malaysian states the coffee bean comes from.

Take a seat outside. Sometimes a guy across the street will play the erhu (Chinese stringed instrument) as you sit outside sipping your coffee.

You can come here for dinner as it’s one of the few places that are open in Chinatown after 6:00 pm. They have pretty good laksa.

White Coffee originated with the poor Chinese immigrants who worked in the mines around Ipoh in the 19th century. They roasted coffee beans in margarine, which gave the coffee a caramelized flavor.

But why is it called White Coffee?

Due to the condensed milk that Malaysians add to the coffee. It’s sweet but not as sweet as say Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk. You can order coffee without the milk as well. 

You can pick up a bag of instant white coffee in stores in Malaysia. Don’t buy the coffee from a tourist shop, though (a bit pricey). Since Malays drink these instant packs of coffee, you should be able to find it in any old convenience store or grocery store.

9. Riverwalk

The next must-do activity on your Melaka itinerary is a walk along Riverwalk–a pedestrian lane along the Melaka River. This is a cool area. You’ll find lots of old restored buildings that have been turned into cafés and hotels. Alternatively, you can take a river cruise (RM27), but I found I could see more on my walk.

The only downside to the walk is the heat. So, you might want to start walking in late afternoon or take it slow by stopping off at the cafes, bars, and restaurants along the way.

Check out the cool street art and bridges along the way.

It’s1.5 kilometers to Kampung Morten.

10. Kampung Morten

Your walk along Riverwalk will take you to Kampung Morten, a Malay traditional village of around 50 traditional Malay houses surrounded by modern high-rise apartment and office buildings.

Register at the entrance of the village for a free guided walking tour. There are supposedly guided tours at 4:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Besides walking around the village, you can go inside a 90-year-old home turned museum, Villa Sentosa . It’s open from 9:00 am-1:00 pm and 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm. The owner, Ibrahim Hashim, or one of his family members will give you a tour of the home and tell you stories about what life was like in the village long ago. You’ll get to see artefacts from the family’s past representing Malay culture. There is no ticket cost, but you’re expected to leave a donation .

Don’t skip Kampung Morten. It will be one of the few times you’ll get to explore the most important aspect of Malay culture: the kampung. While Chinese, Indians, and Europeans lived in cities, most Malays resided in villages, called kampungs , where they made a living through farming.

Malay culture and values originated in the kampung. The villagers based their life on two principles: compensation and mutual responsibility. When someone in the kampung broke the law, he or she wasn’t punished (sent to prison). Instead, his or her family compensated the victim. And if a member of the kampung caused a problem outside of the village, then the whole village would be responsible for the actions of that one person. The worst thing that could happen to a member of a kampung was to be banished from it and left to fend for himself or herself. This is traditional Malay culture. Nowadays, though, more and more Malays live in big cities like KL instead of villages.

Many restaurants in Chinatown close between 4:00 and 6:00 from Mondays to Thursdays. Before leaving your hotel, have an idea of which restaurant you’re going to. Wandering around looking for something that’s open will only frustrate you because so many places are closed on weekdays.

I had dinner at the Calanthe Art Cafe . I loved the cocunuty flavor of their laksa. As a solo traveler, I felt comfortable eating here alone.

Other options in Melaka:

• Wild Coriander – Malay food, very good reviews
• River View Café Melaka – quality varies, but it’s nice to sit outside near the river
• Pak Putra Tandoori and Naan Restaurant – excellent food, very popular, open late
• Bulldog – local Malay food with a modern twist

More Ideas to add to your Melaka Itinerary

If you’re staying longer than 2 days in Melaka, consider these places to visit:

Floating Mosque (Masjid Selat Melaka) – a frequently photographed mosque on the outskirts of Melaka; the best time to go is at sunset; you’ll need to take a taxi or Grab to get there and back; it might be hard to find a taxi back to the city center (Rough Guide Malaysia, Lonely Planet Malaysia)

Bukit China – This is the ancestral cemetery of the Chinese community; today it’s also a park (Rough Guide Malaysia; Lonely Planet Malaysia).

Sam Poh Kong temple – A temple dedicated to Admiral Cheng Ho; located at the base of Bukit China (Rough Guide Malaysia)

Portuguese Settlement – An area of Melaka where the descendants of the Portuguese settlers live; you can still hear the people speak Kristang, a dialect that mixed Malay and Portuguese (Rough Guide Malaysia)

Maritime Museum – Located in a recreation of a Portuguese shop, this museum is dedicated to the maritime history of Melaka from the Malay Sultunate to the British occupation (Rough Guide Malaysia; Lonely Planet Malaysia)

Cheng Ho Cultural Museum –Located along the Melaka River, this museum is dedicated to the life of Cheng Ho and the history of his voyages to Melaka. (Rough Guide Malaysia, Lonely Planet Malaysia)

Dutch Graveyard – You can explore the graves of Dutch and British settlers here; located near St. Paul’s Church, the Dutch graveyard (Rough Guide Malaysia)

Little India – Chitty-Peranakans are the descendants of Indian fathers and Malay mothers; a colorful neighborhood a kilometer from Chinatown; Visit the Chitty Museum – on the history and culture of Chitty-Peranakans; Sri Subramaniam Thuropathai Amman – colorful Hindu temple (Lonely Planet Malaysia)

List of Sources for Melaka Itinerary Post

Along with visiting Melaka, I also researched the history and culture of the city and of Malaysia. You can find a list of the books I’ve read on Malaysia in the post, 10 Books about Malaysia: Read Before You Go! For this post, I specifically used the following sources:

• Crossroads: A Popular History of Malaysia and Singapore
• Rough Guide: Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei
• Lonely Planet: Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei

So, there you have it: an activity-packed two-day Melaka itinerary filled with amazing food, a fascinating and tragic history, stunning architecture, and a kaleidoscope of cultures. This itinerary will give you a chance to explore Melaka’s Malay, Chinese, and European heritages.  To add its Indian heritage to your itinerary, you’ll need to add another day or cut something out of this two-day itinerary.

• If you want to avoid all the hassle of traveling around Melaka yourself, you can join this historic day tour from Kuala Lumpur that covers the colonial center, Chinatown, and the river .
• If you want to focus more on the colonial center with a river cruise and a visit to the Shore Sky Tower, check out this day tour of Melaka from KL .

If you have any questions about this post, please feel free to leave a question in the comment section below!

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Looking for more info on Malaysia and Singapore?

• An Unforgettable 2-Day Melaka Itinerary
• Penang Itinerary: 3 Days of Street Art and Night Markets
• 15 Best Books about Malaysia: Read Before You Go!
• Singapore Itinerary: How to Spend 5 Days in Singapore
• How to Save Money in Singapore
• 30 Awesome Books About Singapore
• Hello Singapore Food Tour - Unbiased and Honest Review
• Review of Black and White Houses Tour

12 Comments

Wow- I love the heritage hotels- great pics!

They are pretty cool!

I loved visiting Melaka, we have dropped by twice for day trips and one overnight. I wish we had stayed longer – we missed several of your suggestions but I am sure we will put them to use next time.

I hope you get a chance to return to Melaka!

Great insight to somewhere that’s been off my radar so far! You’ve made me want to visit now -added to the bucket list!

I’m glad! I hope you get a chance to visit Malaysia.

Great post, some of those heritage houses look amazing. I visited the region when I was a teenager with my parents (back in the 1980s!) but I’d love to go back, I’m sure I’d appreciate it more now.

The heritage houses/hotels are the best part of Melaka. I hope you have a chance to return.

How beautiful, this looks so exotic 🙂

Thanks for a good read!

Chinatown and the Colonial Center are quite beautiful.

Thanks for this guide to Melaka! The place looks so charming I’d be happy to visit on my trip to Malaysia…

Thanks! I hope you get a chance to visit soon.

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Welcome to The Bamboo Traveler, a travel blog dedicated to helping those travelers who want to dig deeply into the history, heritage, and culture of a place. Whether it’s through the pages of your passport or the pages of a book, I’ll help you travel the world and uncover the history, culture, food, architecture, and natural beauty of some of the world’s most fascinating places.

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Malacca Travel Blog. First Impressions.

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Malacca is a strange place. Arriving on the bus from Kuala Lumpur , on motorways that could easily have been in Surrey, I felt as if we’d left Asia. It was all a bit too Western. We got off the bus at Malacca Sentral, not to be greeted by touts, but by helpful people pointing us in the direction of the official taxi rank. The taxi drivers didn’t try to rip us off, they got together to discuss where we were going, agreed on a reasonable price and who should take us. When the driver couldn’t find our guesthouse he drove around searching and didn’t charge us any extra.

Refreshing and lovely, but really weird, I’m not used to this after months in Southeast Asia . More from our Malacca travel blog section on pretty, historic Malacca, impressions, travel tips, thoughts and places to see.

We also talk a little about food and restaurants in Malacca, further down the page.

Malacca is famous for many things, other than its UNESCO-listed old town and night markets, including being home to Malaysia’s Mr Universe, photo below.

Malacca Travel Blog

I’m struggling to write a blog post about Malacca in Malaysia, it’s so diverse and parts we like, parts we don’t.

The city itself is incredibly modern, but the old town that centres around Jonker St . is a different world. Old, really, really old, and stunningly beautiful.

Malacca (AKA Melaka ) is UNESCO listed , conserved and preserved, painted, spruced and ready to impress. But I’ve got this weird feeling that I’m in a kind of historical theme park.

It’s beautiful and gorgeous, but it’s SO full of tourists, so full you can barely move on the weekends, let alone find a room.

The roads are littered with crazy, decorated, musical pedal rickshaws pumping Gangnam Style through pimped up sound systems. There is a Hard Rock Cafe.

Jonker St. itself is a historical and architectural delight, turned gift shop.

I have mixed feelings. I love it, but it’s not the sleepy old town I expected.

The diversity is what gives Malaysia and Malacca its uniqueness. The Indian, Malay and Chinese communities live side by side with colonial history showing through.

There is blending, of course, but each community retains some identity.

Back at our guest house we’re woken by the call to prayer from the mosque at 5 something am, shortly followed by the gongs of the Chinese Temple directly opposite, our first day of exploration has begun.

Within 2 minutes we can be in a Hindu temple dedicated to Ganesh, step inside and you really wouldn’t know you were anywhere other than India.

I really love the authenticity, diversity and acceptance. Malacca is, without a doubt, my favourite part of Malaysia so far. If I had to recommend one part of Malaysia to visit, this would be it.

It’s not what I expected, but that’s OK. I suppose it’s like going to Devon or Cornwall and expecting genuine fishermen to live in the fishermen’s cottages and finding tea shops instead.

I think I just expected too much. Expectations are your worst enemy sometimes.

We have almost a week to explore and enjoy Malacca before we head south towards Singapore for  Johor Baru and Legoland , I’m looking forward to some great food while we’re here. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Update: As our time in Malacca passed we never did find that great food. We tried Indian, Chinese, and Nonya, but unfortunately, we found nothing to rave about. The Indian was authentic, cheap, and good, but nothing unusual about it it was the usual food you’d find in the south of India. You need to go to Little India for that.

Everywhere we go in Malaysia, we gravitate towards the very good Indian food you can find there. You can read more in our post on Indian food in Malaysia.

Nyonya cuisine is a result of Malaysia’s mix of cultures and nations, it’s particularly noticeable in Malacca. Nyonya cuisine comes from the Peranakans, local descendants of Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Singapore, and Indonesia, blending their cuisines with local Malay dishes. Nyonya cuisine is a mother’s or grandmother’s food. In Baba Malay, a female Peranakan is a nonya, and a male a baba.  You’ll see a nyonya menu below.

The Malacca night market serves some interesting street food and we tried satay and more, still nothing too exciting. We visited the Bird’s Nest Soup production facility and museum, found playgrounds and parks for the kids, and the superb Malacca Museum (the one that looks like a giant boat). Malacca is a nice place, just not our scene. It’s pretty, and you have to love it for that. Its history is fascinating but it’s not a place we’d particularly choose to visit again. Back to our main Malaysia travel blog page here.

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This Melaka blog post was written a very long time ago on our first trip to Malaysia. And it is written travel blog style, not as an information post. We’ve since returned to Malaysia many times. I’d have to say now that our two favourite places in Malaysia are Kuala Lumpur and Kuching Sarawak . We still haven’t returned to Malacca, but maybe one day we will.

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Alyson Long

Costs of staying on ko phangan, haad salad, kawan kawan guest house malacca (melaka) review, 19 thoughts on “malacca travel blog. first impressions.”.

Yep, I like my Asia as Asia-y as possible. I adore India, Nepal, Vietnam, so Malaysia just doesn’t really float my boat. Maybe if I’d gone there first, 20 years ago before I fell in love with Thailand, then India, I would have enjoyed it a lot more, but it was a good experience to see some of Malaysia and I’d very much like to see the rest of it.

Very interesting impressions. I wonder how much you were influenced by where you came from. I visited Malacca in 1999 as my first stop in the “real” Asia after landing in Singapore and spending a week there. It seemed so exotic and cheap in comparison! I didn’t know much about it so I loved the history and the old buildings and I loved being able to ride a gaudy bicycle rickshaw from my guesthouse in an old colonial building to the entrance of a modern, western style shopping mall! I agree with folks that suggested that it would be a great entrance city to Asia for people who haven’t traveled there before. But I’m also guessing it’s a lot busier now than it was 15 years ago, too. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to go back and check it out again with the family in tow.

I’ll be in KL for a week this January. Originally I was thinking of doing just a day trip to Malacca, but maybe I’ll stay a bit longer.

Thanks for all the info! 🙂

Hi Beth, you could certainly spend a few days in Malacca exploring the old town and the churches etc. Try and be there for the weekend night market, but it’s very busy on weekends. We stayed a week and I was very glad to leave. Malaysia and I don’t get on so well.

Melaka was my favourite place in Malaysia too – I ended up spending three weeks there! I found a place with the most killer roti cenai and those statues of the bodybuilder made me laugh every time I saw them. I would love to return.

Oh I know, those statues are so funny! He’s the guy behind the whole Jonker Walk renovation, so Malacca has a lot to thank him for.

I agree, expectations are often your worst enemy! Malacca looks lovely though, I wish we’d visited while we were in Malaysia – looking forward to hearing more about your stay there.

We wanted to visit, but never did. I am determined now. I love your pictures, so vibrant and full of colour!

This looks like such a culturally rich place. Judging by your beautiful photos, I would love to travel there. Waking up to the gongs reminds me of waking up to the bell tower ringing in Italy <3

I will have to save this info for our time in SE Asia next year. We had Penang and KL on our list, but now I need to learn more about this place.

Accommodation is more expensive in Malayasia, certainly Suzanne and you get less for your money ( posts coming out today about room costs). Alcoholic drinks are more, but not if you want a shot of Chinese fire water from a “real” bar.. If you eat in the real Indian restaurants you can get a meal for a dollar. So food can be cheaper if you want it to be. There are also plenty of up market places where a fairly fancy meal is maybe $5. Buses and taxis are great value. So it’s not too bad overall.

Sounds like a good place to ease into Asia. Is it a lot more expensive than the other places you’ve been?

I loved Malacca – I was there about eight years ago – just after they had finished building Tescos! But there was a full complement of touts then, and bits of the city looked like it was falling down. But I loved it – the whole multicultural chaos of it. The Museum of Beauty – which raises all sorts of questions about the how we construct beauty. And there was a museum near the quayside showing goodies appropriated by Customs Officers with a curtained-off bit for adults only, with a small statue of a naked woman that looked almost tasteful to me; and, on full display, a rubber vagina – I can only assume they didn’t know what it was!

Later, when I was in Penang, I learned that they were hoping to apply for World Heritage status and, in order to get it, they would have to work in partnership with Malacca – and they felt that Malacca was letting the side down, with the modern bits of the city taking over and the historical bits left to rot. Sounds like that has changed – hopefully for the better.

Can you do a post at some point about Malaysia that I (& others lol) can use as a guide. We are flying into KL in May next year for 2 weeks. The only plans we have are to fly down to Johor to take the kids to Legoland. We don’t want to go remote at all as will have the new baby who will be about 8/9 weeks old but I want to be able to experience Malaysia and for the kids to get a taste of travel. What do you reckon? Can you write me an itinerary of sorts? 😉 xx

I’ll do my best Korina, but I can’t really recommend things for other people to do. I can tell you what we did, what we thought of it and how much it cost, but everyone is different and wants travel to be something particular to them. I’ve been pretty fed up in the past trying to do things recommended on travel blogs when all the information wasn’t given. ie. it costs a fortune or will take 2 hours to get there. I’ll tell it like it is, always.

My Dad couldn’t believe our last holiday we spent the whole time in KL and didn’t go to Malacca. We love KL and never ran out of things to do there but Malacca is on my list of places I want to go – so I’ll be interested to see what else you have to say.

Yep, Kuala Lumpur is great, we spent almost 3 weeks there, but I’d prefer Malacca. It’s more compact, walking from the old town to the mega malls or to Little India is easy and it has more of the old buildings concentrated in one area. Like Georgetown but much nicer and bigger. We really didn’t think much of Penang at all, particularly not Batu Ferringhi, but this is good, crazy, weird, beautiful good.

Interesting. I did a day trip to Melaka many years ago and I wondered what the fuss was about. I feel like I must have missed something! It was empty when I went for a start! I wonder if the popularity is a new thing, or if I just went on a bad/good day, but it just seemed boring to me. However, I read things like this and it inspires me to give it another go, especially since I never used to like Malaysia either but now I love it.

I think Malacca only fills up on the weekends Sharon, it’s heaving right now, mostly with local tourists. It’s so pretty, did you not find the old town and all the temples and churches? Some of the chicken rice ball shops have had queues going round the block for the last 2 days, it must be good, but it smells terrible to me! I think the Jonker St Night market only happens on the weekends, it was so busy last night we could barely move.

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Dive Into Malaysia

21 Best Places To Visit In Melaka

Going on a Melaka trip and want to know all the best places to visit in Melaka? We have you covered! Below you will find our guide to all the best attractions in Melaka.

Melaka (also spelt Malacca), is a port city about an hour and a half’s drive south of Kuala Lumpur, and is a great place to visit. It has an interesting history thanks to periods of Malay, Dutch, English and Portuguese rule due to its strategic trade location on the Straits of Melaka.

The best part is that it’s easy to explore and learn more about this past on a holiday in Melaka by visiting all the most interesting things to do in Melaka, Malaysia. So – if you’re looking for the best place in Melaka to explore, read on! 

With a UNESCO heritage listed heart, Melaka is a great place to just wander. Many of the places of interest in Melaka are within walking distance of each other and you can find many of the Melaka best place to visit options this way by just wandering the old area. 

There are also some fun and fascinating Melaka, Malaysia tourist attractions just out of the central area including theme parks and other Melaka place to visit family attractions for people who have more time.

Below, you will find our Melaka travel blog with all the places to visit in Malacca that we loved. It also has everything you need to know about what to do in Melaka as well as the best places to stay for your ultimate Melaka vacation!

Travelling to Malaysia? Click here to download your free Malaysia Trip Planning checklist . We’ll help you get ready for your trip!  

Have any questions? Join our Malaysia Travel Planning Facebook group here now! It’s the perfect place to ask any questions and to be inspired.

Top 21 Best Places To Visit In Melaka

Here are the top places to go in Melaka. Read through and select the ones that fit your interests and timeframe.

Sultanate Palace

This Melaka famous place is located at the foot of St Paul’s Hill, the Sultanate Palace was built in 1985 as a replica of the original wooden palace that once belonged to Sultan Mansur Shah. Sultan Mansur Shah was once the ruler of Melaka between 1456 to 1477.    

Today the palace is home to the Cultural Museum showcasing Malay history and offers tourists a rare insight into what the ancient Malay Kingdom was once like.

In the Cultural Museum, there are over 1300 items from Melaka’s past including photographs, weapons, drawings and musical instruments. This place to visit at Melaka is also surrounded by stunning landscaped gardens.

An interesting fact worth knowing about the Sultanate Palace is that it was built without any nails. Instead, the structure was put together by a series of wooden grooves and slots to hold everything in place.

Entry is RM2 for Adults and RM1 for kids.

Address: Jalan Kota, Bandar Hilir

St. Paul’s Church

Located on the top of St Paul’s Hill are the ruins of this interesting place in Melaka that’s well worth a visit – St Paul’s Church. The Church is the oldest church in Malaysia and, in fact, Southeast Asia being built in 1521 by the Portuguese. Originally known as Our Lady of the Hill (Nossa Senhora do Oiteiro), the church was enlarged in 1556 and renamed the Chapel of Mother of God (Madre de Deus).

When the Dutch colonised Melaka, the church was no longer used as a place of worship and today only ruins remain of the church. However, this is still one of the interesting places in Melaka well worth visiting.  

The views from the top of the hill are worth it alone. Here you can see all across Melaka and even right out to the coastline.

In order to reach the church, you will pass various other historical places in Melaka including museums and monuments so be sure to give yourself enough time to explore everything of interest to you.

Entry is free.

Christ Church

Next in our Melaka places to visit list, and located opposite the Stadhuys (see below) on Jalan Gereja (also known as Church Street), Christ Church is an instantly recognisable red brick building which was built by the Dutch in 1753 to celebrate the Dutch occupation.  

Today, Christ Church is one of the most popular tourist places in Melaka and remains the oldest operational Protestant Church in Malaysia.

Inside the Christ Church, you will find 200-year-old handmade pews, decorative fanlights and plaques in honour of the Dutch soldiers and locals.

Christ Church is located near Chinatown across the bridge from Jonker Street and directly opposite the Historical Museum and Ethnographical Museum.

Address: No. 48, Jalan Gereja

A’Famosa Fort/Porta de Santiago

Located on St Paul’s Hill just before you reach the ruins of the St Paul’s Church, you will find the Porta de Santiago (referred to as A’Famosa Fort by locals), which was once used as a fortress in the war and is now a historical monument.  

This monument is perhaps the most famous place in Melaka to visit and the most photographed structure in all of Melaka.

Built in 1511, this fortress was built with long ramparts and four major towers. One of the towers was a four-storey keep while the others were the home of the captain, officer’s quarters and an ammunition storage room. Today, most of the fortress has been destroyed with the exception of a small gatehouse, yet it remains the oldest surviving European structure in all of Asia.

Address: Jalan Parameswara, Bandar Hilir, Alor Gajah

Menara Taming Sari

If you’re wondering where to go in Melaka for a great bird’s eye view of the town, then head on up to the revolving Menara Taming Sari. With a height of 110 metres, from the top of this tower (the only one to be built in Malaysia) you get 360-degree panoramic views.

This Melaka tourist spot has visitors climb into the glass cabin, and the cabin then starts to revolve getting higher and higher until it reaches its peak. The entire journey lasts around 7 minutes.

This Melaka new attraction is located in Bandar Hilir on Jalan Merdeka and if you’re looking for places to visit in Melaka at night you’ll be pleased to know that opening hours are 10 am to 11 pm daily.

Entry fee is RM 22 for adults and RM 11 for kids.

Address: Jalan Merdeka, Bandar Hilir

If you’re looking for the best place to visit in Melaka and you love history, you won’t want to miss the Stadthuys. This massive, bright terracotta red, riverfront building is a popular tourist spot and one of the attractive places in Melaka to visit. The Stadthuys building dates back to 1650 and was built during the Dutch colonial period.  

The building is modelled on the town hall in Hoorn in the Netherlands and is believed to be the oldest surviving Dutch building in the East.

Stadthuys was once the local town hall and residence of the governor, although since 1982 it has been home to the History and Ethnography Museum. The museum showcases Melakan culture as well as its history from the Malay Sultanate, Portuguese, Dutch and British occupations.

Entry costs RM10 for adults and RM4 for kids.

Address: Jalan Gereja Bandar Hilir

Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum

The Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum is a collection of three restored houses arranged to look like a typical 19th century Baba-Nyonya residence. Baba Nyonya was the name given to the affluent Chinese-Malays that once lived in Melaka.

The Baba Nyonya purchased dutch townhouses and renovated them into mini palaces. It was not uncommon for these homes to be decked out with Dutch-influenced fixtures such as hand-painted tiles, elaborately carved teakwood and Victorian lamps.  

For tourists interested in a glimpse into what these Baba Nyonya homes were like, then the museum is one of the must visit places in Melaka .

Entry fee is RM15 per adult and RM10 per child.

Address: 48-50, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock

Click here to buy discounted half day tour tickets now.

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

The Cheng Hoon Teng Temple is the oldest operating Chinese temple in Malaysia, and another contender for the Melaka best place to visit prize. Built in the 17th century, today it remains one of the most important places of worship for the Buddhist Chinese community in Melaka.

While the temple is dedicated to Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy, however, it remains a multifaith temple with Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian elements.

Located near the Hindu temple Sri Pogyatha Vinoyagar in Jonker Street, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple is open daily and is one of the popular tourist attraction places in Melaka to visit.

Address: 25, Jalan Tokong, Kampung Dua

Masjid Kampung Kling

Masjid Kampung Kling is a mosque in Melaka which was originally built by Indian Muslin traders in 1748. The mosque was then rebuilt in 1872 with a combination of styles which remains much the same today.  

You can see Hindu influences with the multi-tiered Meru roof, Sumatra influences in the Moorish watchtower minaret and English and Dutch influences with the tiles used inside.

Given Masjid Kampung Kling’s close proximity to Cheng Hoon Teng Temple and the Hindu Temple Sri Poyatha Venayagar Moorthi, this Melaka destination is known as “Harmony St” and is must add to your Melaka sightseeing l ist, especially if you’re interested in Melaka attraction places that represent the diverse nature of Malaysia and Melaka. 

Tourists of all faiths are welcome to visit, however, please ensure to address appropriately.

Address: 75200 Malacca

Sri Poyatha Venayagar Moorthi Temple

Another religious sightseeing option on this Melaka interesting places list is the Sri Poyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple.

Opened in 1781, Sri Poyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple was one of the first Hindu temples built in Malaysia and remains one of the oldest operating Hindu temples in Southeast Asia. Whilst many say the temple is not as grand as the Masjid Kampung Klings, the temple does feature lovely, colourful stone-carved statues of animals and Hindu deities.

The temple is located in Harmony Street close to the Masjid Kampung Kling and Cheng Hoon Teng Temple and is one of the popular things to see in Melaka.

Visitors are welcome to visit the temple during their Melaka holiday daily.

Address: Jalan Tukang Emas

Jonker Street

Read any Melaka trip blog and no doubt they will say that the best place at Melaka is Jonker Street. It’s definitely one of the best known Melaka tourist place / hotspot for visitors.

Located in the centre of Chinatown, Jonker Street is certainly the place to be for street food, shopping and nightlife.

Probably the best thing about Jonker Street are the night markets which are on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday nights. At the night markets, you can pretty much buy anything and everything such as great souvenirs and handicrafts as well as the best street food, restaurants and bars.

So if you’re looking for things to do in Melaka at night , be sure to head on down to the Jonker Street night markets and enjoy one of the Melaka best places to visit.

Address: Jalan Hang Jebat

Maritime Museum & Naval Museum

If you love boats, you won’t want to miss this place to go in Melaka. Located on Quayside Road you will find a staggering 34 metre high, 36 metre long and 8 metre wide ship. This ship is a replica of the Flor de la Mar, a Portuguese ship which sank off the coast of Melaka. As the story goes; when it sank it had the loot the Portuguese had stolen from Melaka city onboard.

The ship now contains the Maritime museum which is divided into various eras including the Melaka Sultanate, Portuguese as well as the Dutch and Britsh rule.  

On display, you will find various artefacts and documents from these administration eras. Other items on display include local vessels and nautical devices as well as a collection of porcelain, silk, textile and spices that were brought in by traders from Arab, India and China.

Just across the road from the Maritime Museum is the Naval Museum where there are a series of uniforms, boats and helicopters on display.

The Maritime Museum & Naval Museum is open daily and is one of the popular activities in Melaka for all those with an interest in maritime history.

Costs RM3 per entry for adult and RM1 for kids.

The Shore Sky Tower

For a great view across the entire city of Melaka and another fun Malacca place to visit, be sure to go the 43rd floor of the Shore Sky Tower – the tallest man-made structure in the city. From here you have 360-degree panoramic views up to 50 kilometres in each direction.

To ensure you get the perfect view, the fencing is made from glass so there is absolutely nothing obstructing your views. There are also a range of telescopes available for a closer look. If you dare, be sure to walk out over the glass floor section which feels like you are floating above the city! Plus this is definitely a Malacca famous place to experience. 

The Shore Sky Tower is open daily until 10.30 pm Sunday to Thursday and 11.30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

A visit to the top of the Shore Sky Tower is one of the best things to do in Melaka for a view of the entire city and definitely a highlight of this Melaka attractions list.

Entry costs RM25 for adult and RM18 for kids 3 to 12.

Address: Level 42, Tower 1, The Shore Melaka, 193 Pinggiran @ Sungai Melaka

Click here to buy discounted tickets now.

Also known as Chinese Hill, Bukit Cina is the largest and oldest Chinese graveyards outside of China. Dating back to the 15th century, here there are over 12,500 graves mostly of early Chinese settlers to Melaka.

These days, Bukit China is primarily used as a recreational park where many people like to stroll among the pretty walking trails. If you reach the very top you will be rewarded with panoramic views across the city.

If you do visit Bukit Cina, some interesting things to see are the Chinese World War II memorial as well as temples and wells built by Sultan Mansur Shah.

Melaka River

Another of the famous places in Melaka and spanning a total distance of around 10 kilometres, the Melaka River was once considered the “Venice of the East” as it was one of the main ports of entry for traders from Europe and Asia during the late 16th century.

Today, a Melaka River cruise is a great way to see the popular sites of Melaka. During a leisurely cruise, you can see numerous colonial buildings, old shophouses, local settlements, colourful street art and historical bridges.

A cruise along the Melaka River is a must for all those visiting the city, and you’ll see many of the Melaka interesting place to visit options along the way from the water.

Entry costs RM10 for locals, RM15 for foreigner adults and RM5 for kids below 12.

Address: Jalan Tun Sri Lanang, Pengkalan Rama Pantai

Taman Mini Malaysia & ASEAN

Located in Ayer Keroh, the Taman Mini Malaysia & ASEAN is a Melaka must visit for anyone wanting to learn more about the culture of the various Malay states. Here you will find 13 replicas of traditional homes for visitors to explore (one for each of the Malay states).  

These wooden houses are fully furnished containing fixtures and works of art as well as life-like wax figures dressed in traditional clothing so visitors get an understanding of the traditional culture from each of the Malaysian states.

Other activities at the park include traditional games, cultural dance, cooking and coconut shredding demonstrations, costume rentals, batik painting and more.  

Taman Mini Malaysia & ASEAN is open daily.

Entry for adult is RM12, RM6 for kids and RM10 for students.

Address: Leboh Ayer Keroh

This Melaka place is great if you’re an animal lover and wondering what to see in Melaka , then a visit to the Melaka Zoo is a must. Located in Ayer Keroh, Melaka Zoo is the second largest zoo in Malaysia (the National Zoo of Malaysia being the biggest).  

Spread out over 54 acres, the zoo is home to over 1200 animals from 215 different species including birds, tigers, elephants, zebras, orang-utans, panthers, deers, rhinoceros, reptiles and many more.

Throughout the day there are zookeeper talks, bird shows, elephant feeding and the popular night safari. During the night safari, visitors are driven around by tram where they can see the nocturnal animals. It is a highlight for many tourists visiting the zoo.

The Melaka Zoo is open daily with the night safari taking place only on Friday and Saturday evenings between 8 pm and 11 pm.

Address: Lebuh Ayer Keroh, Hang Tuah Jaya, Ayer Keroh

Melaka Crocodile Farm

Also known as Taman Buaya Melaka, Melaka Crocodile Farm is located in Ayer Keroh and is home to over 100 species of crocodiles. The crocodiles are housed in man-made swamp-like habitats and, as well as observing them from their enclosures, visitors can learn more about the crocodiles via live shows and feeding demonstrations.

As well as seeing crocodiles, the park also has numerous other non-crocodile attractions such as Malaysia in Miniature (showcasing 14 famous Kuala Lumpur attractions in miniature), Aviary Bird Park, Reptile House (see Iguanas and cobras), petting zoo, magic show and Water Recreation Park. The Water Park is a must on a hot day – here you will find mushroom-shaped water fountains, man-made waterfalls, a swimming pool and waterslides.  

The Melaka Crocodile Farm is open daily.

Entry costs: RM10 (Crocodile Park & Water Recreation) and RM5 (Crocodile Park) for adults; RM 6 (Crocodile Park & Water Recreation) and RM3 (Crocodile Park) for kids

Address: Pusat Pelancongan Ayer Keroh

A’Famosa Water World

If you’re still wondering about Melaka where to go with kids or for a fun family day out, A’Famosa is the largest water theme park in all of Malaysia and is the perfect place to visit on a hot day. Though it’s not one of the classic Malacca tourist attractions, it is great for cooling down for a few hours and relaxing. 

Spread across 1300 acres, the park features 11 rides and attractions including numerous waterslides (including the Big Ice Cream which is the tallest and longest waterslide in Southeast Asia), rapids, a wave pool and a multi-level interactive water play area for the kids. This is definitely one of the best places in Melaka for families with kids who love to swim. 

Right by the water park, you can also visit the other A’Famosa parks – Safari Wonderland and Old West Cowboy Town. At Safari Wonderland you can see a range of animals including elephants, camels, monkeys, orangutans and reptiles.

At Old West Cowboy Town, you can see a range of shows featuring cowboys and Indians as well as stunt shows or visit the funfair.

A’Famosa Water World is open daily except Tuesdays. If you plan on visiting all the parks, it’s best to purchase a combined ticket.

Address: Jalan Kemus / Sempang Ampat, Simpang Ampat, Alor Gajah

Melaka Wonderland Theme Park

Located in Ayer Keroh, Melaka Wonderland Theme Park features 11 awesome water attractions that the entire family will love. Attractions include waterslides, a wave pool and a multi-level active water play area for the kids which includes mini waterslides and interactive water activities.

Melaka Wonderland Theme Park is open daily.

Address: Lot PT17178, Lebuh Ayer Keroh, Hang Tuah Jaya, 75450 Ayer Keroh

Melaka Bird Park

This place to visit in Malacca is built across 1.8 hectares at the Botanical Gardens in Ayer Keroh, the Melaka Bird Park is the largest bird park in Asia. Here you will find almost 700 species of Malaysian birds as well as birds from South America, Asia, Australia and Asia.

Visitors will love wandering through the massive aviary where birds fly freely. To get a closer view of the birds, guests are invited to walk along the canopy walk. The canopy walk is 12 metres high and 108 metres in length and is accessible for everyone via stairs or an elevator.

Entry for adults is RM15 on weekdays and RM20 on weekends while it’s RM10 on weekdays and RM15 on weekends for kids ages 4 to 12.

Address: Taman Botanikal, Ayer Keroh

Did you find the best place in Malacca for you? As you can see, there are too many Malacca places to visit in just one day, so in the next section of this guide to places in Malacca, you can find all of my suggestions for where to stay in Malacca too.

Melaka day trip and Melaka Itinerary

If you are just visiting Melaka for a day or 2 nights, 1 day, you can find our Melaka trip itinerary by clicking here . This also works for a Melaka one day trip.

Top Things To Do In Melaka Tourist Map

Best Accommodation in Melaka

Most tourists coming to Melaka choose to stay in the UNESCO section of the city which is where you will the majority of the tourist attractions, and a great area to stay in when you visit Malacca.  

Any accommodation within walking distance to Jonker Street is a great spot. However, there are a number of great attractions in Ayer Keroh also which may warrant staying a few days in that location also.

Below I have listed some great accommodation to suit your needs, whether you’re looking for budget hotels in Melaka, mid-range accommodation Malacca has or a luxury hotel in Melaka for a relaxing get away. 

Casa Del Rio Melaka Review

Located right by the river only 300 metres from Jonker Street is the stunning 5-star luxury boutique hotel Casa del Rio Melaka Hotel.

The Casa Del Rio offers a range of different room types.  Hotel rooms accommodate up to 5 people, while for even larger groups there are two-bedroom suites which can accommodate up to 6 people.  

All rooms include a TV, wifi, tea and coffee making facilities, air conditioning and a desk. Suites also include separate living and dining areas with some suites even including an outdoor spa.

The hotel features first-class facilities including the stunning infinity swimming pool with views across the Melaka River as well as three restaurants, a gym, a rooftop garden and day spa.

Click here for the latest prices.

Swiss-Garden Hotel Melaka Review

Located along the Melaka River just a 10-minute walk from Jonker Street is the 5-star Swiss-Garden Hotel which offers guests modern style accommodation.

Rooms at the Swiss-Garden Hotel accommodate up to two guests and include amenities such as a TV, air conditioning, wi-fi, tea and coffee making facilities, private balcony and seating area.  

For those who prefer more space, there are also suites which include separate dining and living areas. Some hotel rooms and suites also include panoramic views of the ocean and the Melaka River.

The Swiss-Garden Hotel includes a range of facilities including two Olympic size swimming pools, a tennis court and the Sky Garden rooftop bar. The hotel also has direct access to the Shore Shopping Mall and the Shore Oceanarium Complex.

T Hotel Melaka Review

Located in Melaka City, just 15 minutes walk from Jonker Street, the T Hotel is a terrific option for travellers after a good clean room at a low price.

Whether you are a group of two or family, the T Hotel has a suitable room for you in either their double, triple or family suites.  

Double rooms accommodate two guests in either one large double bed or two singles, while triple rooms come with one large double bed and one single bed. Family suites come with two double beds.

All guest rooms at the T Hotel come with air conditioning, wifi, a TV, tea and coffee facilities and a seating area.

For travellers looking for good clean budget accommodation, you really can’t go past the T Hotel.

You can find more options for accommodation in our guide to the best hotels in Melaka here.

Find our full guide to the best hotels in Melaka here.

Getting To Melaka

Melaka is close to Kuala Lumpur which makes it easy to get here from all over peninsular Malaysia. It’s also easy to get here from KL Airport and you can even take a taxi right from departures.

By clicking below, you can find our detailed guides for how to get to Melaka from:

• Kuala Lumpur

A very easy way to get to Melaka is to take a private taxi from anywhere in peninsula Malaysia. We can book this for you!

Click here for more information and to see the latest prices.

Final Words

As you can see there is no shortage of things to do and places to visit in Melaka – hopefully you’ve found lots of ideas and inspiration in this post!

Whether you’re interested in historical monuments, traditional temples or shopping there is something for everyone in Melaka. It’s also an ideal destination for families with loads of great family-friendly attractions.

Looking for the ultimate Malaysia Itinerary Planner for your trip? Click here to get it now!

Read more Melaka guides here .

Planning a trip to Malaysia? Have any questions? Join our Malaysia Travel Planning Facebook group here now! It’s the perfect place to ask any questions and to be inspired!

Related posts:

By Sharon Gourlay

Sharon is a certified Malaysia travel expert and can't get enough of travelling and talking about Malaysia since she first visited 21 years ago. She travels around Malaysia multiple times a year both alone and with her kids. She used to call Penang home and especially loves this food paradise. Sharon also has a Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies, a Certificate III in International Travel Sales and has been certified by Tourism Malaysia as a Malaysia Travel Expert. Through this site, she'll help you have the perfect trip to this amazing destination.

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Melaka trip: the eight best things to do in Melaka, Malaysia!

Melaka is a nice city just a two-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur . We initially did not plan to visit Melaka (or Malacca as it is often called). But we are so happy that we did! The city really surprised us with cool street art, nice shops and great food.

Melaka is a lot bigger than we expected, the city is quite extensive, although almost all the sights are in the centre. We also noticed how clean the city is. It sometimes reminded us of Japan!

How many days do you need for a Melaka trip?

Things to do in melaka.

Melaka is a tourist spot at the weekend when many Malaysian tourists visit it for a day trip. However, during the week it is pretty quiet here. You can walk around freely on Jonker Walk (the central street where everything happens) and there are more than enough hotel rooms available. However, keep in mind that some restaurants and shops are closed. We stayed three nights on weekdays in Melaka and found the peace wonderful. Unfortunately, we had to miss the night markets, these only take place at the weekend. Read about our 8 favorite things to do in Malacca below!

Below the eight best things to do in Melaka!

1. visit dutch square, the old stadthuys and christ church, 2. enjoy the nyonya cuisine, the local food in melaka., 3. wander around st. paul’s church and a famosa fort.

Behind Dutch Square, there is a hill where there used to be a fortress. You can still find a number of historic buildings here. The most beautiful is St. Paul’s Church . This church was built by the Portuguese (who also ruled here for a while) and is full of Dutch gravestones.

Just behind St. Paul’s Church is the only remnant of the A Famosa Fort . This is a very old (and unfortunately poorly maintained) building that was part of the fort built by the Portuguese. The only thing left to see of this fort is the gate, which is also called Porta de Santiago.

4. View the Melaka Straits Mosque

5. shop on jonker walk or visit the night market at the weekend, 6. admire the sultanate palace.

The Sultanate Palace is a wooden replica of the real palace of Sultan Mansur from the 15th century. It is made according to traditional building technology with associated material. Nowadays the palace houses a cultural museum called Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum .

Are you travelling to the Cameron Highlands after Melaka? Find our in-depth travel guide to the Cameron Highlands here!

7. Take a cruise on the Malacca River or walk along the river in the evening!

The Malacca River goes right through the centre of Melaka. Although, the river itself is not very special (even a little dirty with the brown water), but the beautiful buildings, which are illuminated at night, bridges and street art, make a cruise (especially when travelling with children) fun. A cruise costs 30 MYR and takes 40 minutes.

We did not opt for a boat trip on the Malacca River but often walked the quays in the evenings. With the lights, there is a very nice atmosphere here. Sit down at one of the dozens of bars on the water or admire the beautiful bridges.

8. Admire the street art and graffiti

The nicest restaurants in melaka.

There is really an abundance of nice restaurants, coffee shops and street food in Melaka. Keep in mind that many restaurants have strange opening times. For example, many eateries are closed after 6 pm in the evening, or closed on any day of the week. So always check Google Maps to see if the cafe or restaurant is open.

The best breakfast, lunch, and coffee shops during your Melaka trip

Backlane Coffee – good coffee Are you looking for a quiet coffee shop? Then Backlane is a very good option. Internet is not always as fast (just as in all other places in Melaka), but the setting is nice, there are sockets and the coffee is nice. A good co-working place. Click here for the location on Google Maps.

The Nyonya kitchen in Melaka

When you come to Melaka, you absolutely must have tried the Nyonya cuisine. Below several restaurants that prepare tasty dishes in this style.

The Melting Pot – dining among the locals It might seem to be a bit of a tourist catch, but  The Melting Pot  isn’t! The food is very tasty and you will only find Malaysians inside. We went for the Nyonya Pancake (fried fish pancakes), Nasi Malak and mustard greens prepared locally. Click here for the location on Google Maps.

Heng Huat Coffee Shop – cheap lunch No, Heng Huat Coffee Shop is not a place you go for coffee, but for delicious and very cheap food! We had lunch here (this place closes at 3 p.m.) with rice and noodles and paid less than € 3.50 together! You will only find local people here. Click here for the location on Google Maps.

Jonker88 – always full! You can also try the Nyonya food at Jonker88 . Here you can eat local noodle soup or a dessert of shredded coconut ice cream and durian. It is always very busy here, so be on time or be prepared to wait a while. Click here for the location on Google Maps.

At the weekend you also have two famous street markets where you can eat very well: Jonker Walk Street Market and Kee Ann Food Street . On these two markets, you can eat and shop from Friday evening to Sunday evening. Kee Ann Food Street is much less known to tourists and therefore less crowded.

Fine dining during your Melaka trip

Many restaurants are closed in the evening, but the places below were open during our visit and very nice!

Makan Avenue – food hall We discovered this food hall by accident when we walked along the Malacca River. You will only see locals who are sitting on the waterfront or in the hall enjoying the food. There is not much choice for vegetarians, but the fresh spring rolls were tasty. Ries took Malaysian satay, also a good choice! Click here for the location on Google Maps.

The Daily Fix Cafe – hip Asian and Western dishes This restaurant is hidden behind a souvenir shop, but nevertheless it is always full here. Daily Fix Cafe serves dishes that are a mix of Asia and the West, very tasty but with accompanying Western prices. Click here for the location on Google Maps

The best hotels for Melaka

Melaka is bursting with cool hip hotels and hostels. Below a selection of our favourite hotels in Melaka. Are you staying in Melaka at the weekend? Make sure you book your accommodation well on time before everything is full!

This cozy hostel has surprisingly large private rooms, clean showers and is attached to a cool café. You sleep here from 17 euros per night in a private room (with air conditioning).

The beautiful rooms of JonkeRed come straight from a design magazine. With a location next to the Dutch Square, you can hardly be more central. For only 22 euros per night (two people).

This hotel, housed in a red-brick building, is so cool! The interior is beautiful, with a courtyard garden and luxurious rooms. You sleep here from 75 euros per night including breakfast (two people).

Super handy: the best hostels, hotels and lodges per destination at a glance. Read our guide to the best hotels in Malaysia !

How do you reach Melaka from Kuala Lumpur?

Melaka is located in the south of Malaysia, just a two-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur.

Public transportation – MYR 10 / € 2.50 per person Buses run to Melaka every half hour from the central bus station in Kuala Lumpur (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan, TBS). You can reach Melaka Sentral by bus in just over two hours, from where it is another ten minutes to the centre by Grab/taxi (costs 8MYR or € 2).

By taxi – MYR 250-310 / € 55-70 You will be travelling by taxi from Kuala Lumpur for about an hour and a half. You pay a lot more for this, while the bus is probably as comfortable as the taxi.

Tip: buy your tickets at the station itself, or in advance via Easybook or  Bus Online Ticket

Are you planning your Malaysia trip? Check out our  Malaysia itinerary  for three weeks travel!

Click here for all the  Malaysia blogs!

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Melaka Day Trip: Easy & Affordable Itinerary (2023)

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Malacca Day Trip: Easy & Affordable Itinerary (2023)

If you’re from Malaysia (or visiting Malaysia) you have to go on a Melaka day trip.

Melaka (also known as Malacca ) is one of the two historic cities along the Straits of Melaka.

Melaka was listed as a UNESCO world heritage city in 2008 because it is historic and rich in culture from being colonised by the Portugues, British and Dutch. 

Besides beautiful architecture, historical shop houses and remnants of war, there are many delicious foods that fill your soul and aesthetic street arts to explore.

My friends and I visited Melaka for a short getaway. We explored most historical sites and the very famous – Jonker Walk in a couple of days.

However, if you only have one day in Melaka or wish to make a day trip to Melaka from Kuala Lumpur (KL) , this guide should be good enough to explore historical sites and grab some good local food.

The map above has every place in this one-day guide mapped out for easy navigation.

More on Melaka: 10 Best Cafes In Melaka (Instagrammable & Delicious)

How Many Days To Visit Melaka?

1-2 days would be good enough.

If you have 2 days in Melaka – do the morning and afternoon activities in this guide on the first day and the rest of the evening activities on the second day so you can give more time and attention to all activities respectively.

But if you only have 1 day in Melaka, this guide will be perfect for you. You’ll get to explore historical sites, culture and eat some delicious local food.

Melaka Day Trip From KL: How To Get There

Many locals and tourists like travelling to Melaka from Kuala Lumpur. Locals do it for a change of scene and to get away from the busy city. 

Meanwhile, tourists opt to explore Melaka because it is only two hours away from Kuala Lumpur by bus or car.

Buses from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka are very affordable. They range from RM8-RM14 (). These buses are stationed at Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS). 

You can book your bus ticket here.

There are buses as early as 4AM! Booking a bus that’s around 6-7AM would get you in Melaka by 9AM+ and you can start your day exploring the city early.

If you’re planning a one day trip to Melaka from KL and don’t want any hassle planning your trip, I suggest you checkout this super affordable guided tour where they pick you up from your accommodation and also send you back!

How Do You Travel Around Melaka?

If you have your own car you might want to find a whole day parking pass to station your car or leave your car at the hotel so you can get around my foot, grab or trishaw ( beca in Malay language).

This is because most of the sights are situated closely to each other, around Dutch Square and Jonker Street/Walk (parking is definitely an issue although you can try Jonker Walk Parking . It would be best to avoid driving your own car)

Most easiest way to get around Melaka:

• Grab (E-hailing) – we took a grab from our home stay, they cost anywhere from RM8-RM15 depending on peak hours.
• Walking – we walked to every single cafe, historical site, street art and of course we walked along Jonker Street.
• Trishaw (Beca)

Best Places To Stay In Melaka (Malacca)

Personally, I would recommend a hotel/hostel near Dutch Square or somewhere on Jonker Walk. 

This is because most of the sights are in this area and you won’t need to spend any money on e-hailing/taxis/trishaws. All you’ll have to do is walk!

10 Best Things To Do In Melaka With Family Or Friends

Here’s a quick list of fun things to do in Melaka – however, most of these things are included in the Melaka Day Trip Guide in detail (so, don’t worry!)

• Visit Dutch Square (Red Square) to take photos and checkout museums.
• Take photos at Christ Church Melaka
• Climb St. Paul’s Hill
• Explore A’Famosa Fort
• Cafe Hopping in Melaka
• Have Street Food At Jonker Street
• Go On Melaka River Cruise
• Checkout The Beautiful Floating Mosque
• Look At Melaka City From High Up (Menara Taming Sari)
• Explore Nightlife At Melaka River

Melaka Sightseeing Tours

If it makes things easier, you can always choose to go for a sightseeing tour, that way, you won’t have to plan your Malacca day trip all by yourself.

This Melaka sightseeing tour covers almost everything in this itinerary and more.

Melaka Day Trip Itinerary (One Day Melaka Itinerary)

• Christ Church Melaka
• Queen Victoria Fountain
• Bukit St. Paul (St. Paul’s Hill)
• A’Famosa Fort
• Maritime Museum Melaka
• Sultan Palace Melaka Museum
• Jonker Street/Walk
• Melaka River Cruise
• Nightlife At Melaka River

Sightseeing spots mostly situated in Dutch/Red Square (Christ Church, Victoria Tower, Bukit St. Paul and A’Famosa Fort). 

Great to explore during the morning before the sun heats up the town.

1. Christ Church Melaka

You should start off your day with the famous Christ Church Melaka located at Dutch Square, also known as Red Square.

The Dutch Square consists of many sights and museums but since you only have one day in Melaka, it’s best to be picky with the places you visit. 

Hence, you’ll not be visiting the famous Stadthuys as that takes more time and energy to explore.

You can take some photos in front of the Church and around the square as there are many other historical monuments in the square.

If you’re here on a Sunday, the Church is open for prayers . For the rest of the days – it’s open to the public from 9AM-4.30PM.

Fun fact: Red Square or Dutch Square was not painted Red by the Dutch during their rule of 183 years in Melaka. It was originally white and was painted Red by the British.

2. Queen Victoria Fountain

While the church was built by the Dutch, Queen Victoria Fountain was built by the British during their rule in 1901 .

The fountain is right opposite the church, just a few steps away – something you cannot miss in sight. This is the only colonial fountain in Malaysia that’s still functioning.

3. St. Paul’s Hill ( Bukit St. Paul)

A couple minutes walk away is St. Paul’s Hill . The hill is named after St. Paul’s Church – a church built by a Portuguese man in the honour of Virgin Mary. 

This is the oldest Church not only in Malaysia but also Southeast Asia.

You can choose to climb the hill and visit the ruins of St. Paul’s Church and then proceed to A’Famosa Fort.

Or you can skip the climb and just walk a little bit further to A’Famosa Fort itself. It’s up to you, how much time and energy do you have on your hands.

Once you climb up the hill and arrive at the church ruins, you’ll find souvenir shops and drink stalls to purchase a drink or some trinkets. 

The reason why I’m recommending all these historical sites during the morning is because it’s not too hot and you’ll be able to climb the hill or walk from Christ Church Melaka (first stop on this itinerary) all the way to A’Famosa Fort.

4. A’Famosa Fort ( Kota A’Famosa)

I finally got to see the famous Kota A’Famosa out of the school history textbooks! 

I was so excited because this iconic fort has been in our school syllabus for years and I can’t believe I’ve never seen it with my own eyes before.

I expected it to be larger, but it wasn’t tiny either – it has been ruined over the years as the fort was ruled by the Portuguese, Dutch and British.

A’Famosa Fort was built in 1511 by the Portugues, under the command of Alfonso de Alberqueque.

It was built to fend off the attack from Sultan Mahmud of the Melaka Sultanate Era and the continuous attack from Acheh and Johor empires.

Afternoons are probably great to visit museums, especially after lunch time when the sun is scorching hot – you want to find a shaded area but also still explore Melaka (museums are probably your best choice as there are many in the area).

However, there’s just so many museums in Melaka that it can be intimidating. 

You want to make the most out of your one day trip! Hence, I recommend these two museums to learn more about Melaka’s ancient history and when it was first colonised by the Portuguese. 

1. Maritime Museum Melaka

In case you didn’t know why the Portuguese came to Melaka in the first place, it was because Melaka was a strategic location for trade. 

This museum is built in a big ship which is the exact replica of the Portuguese ship that sank in the coast of Melaka on the way to Portugal.

Admission into the museum is RM3 per adult and RM1 per child. It is open daily from 9AM -5.30PM.

If you want to learn more about the Maritime history in Melaka, trade routes, ships and the Melaka Sultanate era – this is the perfect museum to visit!

2. Sultanate Palace Melaka Museum 

A sight I regret not going to and will make sure I squeeze it in my next Melaka 1 day trip itinerary – the Sultanate Palace Melaka. 

The Sultanate Palace is a replica of the palace that once existed. This ancient Malay kingdom ruled Melaka before the Portuguese arrived. 

At that time, the king was Sultan Mansur Shah who ruled Malacca in the 1400s.  

Today, that replica is a museum that consists of photographs, paintings, weapons, musical instruments and more.

Admission into the museum is RM2 per adult and RM1 per child. It is open daily from 9AM -5.30PM.

Now that you’re done exploring most of the historical sites and museums, it’s time to indulge in Melaka street art, food and the night life!

1. Street Art

Just like Penang and Ipoh, Melaka has quite a bit of street arts to explore. However, I recommend exploring the ones near or at Jonker Street itself.

One of the most popular photo taking spots would be Kiehl’s mural , located right at Melaka River. It’s vibrant and picture pretty! 

While you’re there, you can also take pictures of not only the River but also the street arts across it.

Since you’re already in the area, might as well hop on the Melaka river cruise!

2. Melaka River Cruise

After taking photos at the scenic river, hop on a cruise! 

The cruise is available daily from 9AM-11PM. It is RM30 per person. You can book it here.

The cruise at night looks super fun as the river and trees are lit by colourful lights and you’ll be riding the cruise under the moonlight. It was definitely a beautiful sight.

3. Jonker Street/Walk

This is the highlight of your evening itinerary – Jonker Walk. There’s so much to explore on this lengthy street, it can be overwhelming. 

If you’ve been to Armenian Street in Penang, you’ll understand what i’m talking about.

However, Jonker Street has way more stalls and is way more crowded than Armenian Street.

Jonker Street comes to life from 6PM-11PM on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  

This is why I highly recommend you plan your Melaka day trip on one of these days so you get to explore the night market.

At Jonker walk, there’s a lot of street food to try out. My personal favourites were – twister/spiral potato, curry fish balls and iced coconut lemon (super refreshing drink).

Don’t forget to purchase the very famous pineapple jam tarts (they’re all over Melaka).

Look out for shops where you can purchase some chinese biscuits with different stuffings (chicken, pork, red bean, and more).

Besides being a food haven, Jonker walk has a ton of souvenirs.  

You can also buy essentials like sunglasses, hair clips/ties (mine BROKE while walking, thankfully there were many stalls selling hair accessories) and a rechargeable fan.

4. Nightlife At Melaka

Melaka nightlife is kinda cozy, there’s not too many things to do but there’s certainly some hot spots to explore!

However, if you’re on a Melaka day trip, you probably need to board your bus back. 

But, if you are staying the night in the city – make your way back to Melaka river as there are many bars along the river for a night out.

Do not expect a clubbing scene, they’re mostly cosy and chill bars where you can have a beer or cocktail while looking out into the river.

Melaka Day Trip: Best Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Spots

For this article, I’ll be recommending all food spots that are nearby to best suit this Melaka day trip guide.

You can get to these food places by foot if you’re visiting any of the sites mentioned in this article.

Let’s look at some restaurants and cafes on Jonker Street/Walk itself:

The Stolen Cup

I recommend this place for breakfast because they’re known for their wide range of pastries and coffee.

Plus, it is located near the start of Jonker Walk and very near to Christ Church Melaka, Dutch Square. 

So you can basically get a good breakfast here then head off to start your one day tour in Melaka.

If you do visit this cafe, be sure to try their popular Salted Egg Yolk Croissant and gula Melaka latte (might as well explore local flavours if you’re dining at a cafe in Melaka).

The Daily Fix Cafe

Probably my favourite cafe in Melaka (only because they roast their own coffee and I loved their latte).

This is your typical western cafe with great aesthetics. If you’re not in the mood for local food and want to grab brunch and a cup of coffee, I highly recommend The Daily Fix. 

You can read more about my review on this cafe and other best cafes in Melaka here.

Calanthe Art cafe

Calanthe art cafe is one of the most instagrammable cafes in Melaka. It’s filled with artsy paintings and props. It also has super affordable local fusion food. 

I had creamy butter chicken rice and tried Malacca’s iced local coffee. Both were   (RM15/USD3.37)  

Explore in more detail what my friends and I had for lunch here.

This option is perfect for tea time or dinner.

Jonker Walk Street Food 

Some Jonker street food to keep your eyes peeled for:

• Fish curry balls
• Iced coconut lemon drink
• Portuguese tarts
• Chinese biscuits with different fillings
• Twister/Spiral Potato
• Quail Egg Skewers

Books To Read Before Visiting Melaka

This one teaches us the history of Melaka – especially before it was colonised by Portuguese, Dutch and British.

A history of the Malay Peninsula and the islands of the Archipelago. The Malay Annals (Malay: Sejarah Melayu), originally titled Sulalatus Salatin (Genealogy of Kings), is a literary work that gives a romanticised history of the origin, evolution and demise of the great Malay maritime empire, the Malacca Sultanate. The work which was composed sometime between 15th and 16th centuries, is considered one of the finest literary and historical works in the Malay language. In 2001, the Malay Annals were listed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme International Register. The Annals cover the founding of Melaka and its rise to power; its relationship with neighbouring kingdoms and distant countries; the advent of Islam and its spread in Melaka and the region as a whole; the history of the royalty in the region including battles won or lost, marriage ties and diplomatic relationships; the administrative hierarchy that ruled Melaka; the greatness of its rulers and administrators, including the Bendahara Tun Perak and Laksamana, Hang Tuah.

Melaka Trip Budget

Melaka is one of the more affordable cities in Malaysia in my opinion. If you’re on a budget, Melaka is great for travel. 

Below is an estimate on Melaka travel budget (one day trip):

One night hotel: RM120-RM180

Transport: RM30

Food and drinks: RM50

Museums/Sights: RM40-RM60

Souvenirs: RM30-RM50

Overall, the estimated budget for a one day Melaka trip would be RM270-RM370 (USD60-USD83).  

I definitely spent more than that because I bought lots of food and souvenirs for family.

It’s easy to overspend on food and purchasing souvenirs, especially at Jonker Walk. So if you’re on a budget, keep that in mind!

Melaka Day Trip: Reminders and Tips

Some important things to remember:

Carry a water bottle with you. It’s really hot and gets hotter in the afternoon. 

There’s a lot of walking and you’ll get thirsty easily. Plus, the drinks and water bottles are slightly pricier in tourist areas.

Wear Walking Shoes

Although I decided to wear a dress to take some pictures, I decided not to go with my heels. 

It would be ridiculous and painful. 

Wear walking shoes even if it doesn’t go with your outfit , it’s the most sane thing to do.

Travel Light

Leave your luggage or bag at the hotel and opt to carry a tote bag. 

Trust me, it’s convenient to store your water bottle, sunglasses, money, umbrella, street food (yes, we stuffed food in our bags) and also souvenirs. 

If you’re only here for a day trip, make sure your backpack is as light as possible!

You can buy a traditional hand fan or rechargeable fan from the souvenir shops along Jonker Street.

Or you can buy them online to prepare for your trip.

Follow This Itinerary & Use The Map Provided!

As mentioned before, I recommend visiting historical sites in the morning, museums in the afternoon and street arts + Jonker Walk in the evening.

This is because the afternoon is super hot and you wanna use that time to avoid walking around the city too much – best to explore museums as they are shaded.

Is It Worth Visiting Melaka?

Final verdict – YES . I think it’s worth your time especially if you’re already in Malaysia (specifically in Kuala Lumpur). It is a short journey to and fro, inexpensive and there is a lot of culture, history and food to explore. 

What more could you want from a holiday?

I hope this simple one day in Melaka guide was helpful for you. If you’re visiting Melaka for more than a day, you can split the activities accordingly.

FAQ on Melacca Day Trip

How long is a car ride from kl to melaka.

Travelling to Melaka from KL by car takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours . It’s a fairly short drive from KL!

What is The Best Months To Visit Melaka?

Dry months such as April, May and October are the best time to visit Melaka as there’s a lot of walking to do when visiting historical monuments and exploring the lengthy Jonker Street.

Melaka One Day Trip: Easy & Affordable Itinerary (2023)

I hope this Melaka one day trip guide helped you maximise your time in Melaka!

Liked this Malacca travel blog? Checkout more Malaysian travel guides:

• 10 Best Cafes In Melaka (Instagrammable & Delicious)
• 8 Best Cafes In Bangsar To Get Your Caffeine Fix
• Beautiful Ipoh Street Art Murals To Visit (2023)

Hi there, i'm Sonia. The founder and author at Brewing Writer, a blog that features detailed book reviews, bookstagram tips, book blogging tips, thoughtfully curated book lists (which my readers love!) and cozy aesthetic photography that’ll make you crave a cup of coffee and a good book.

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• 18 Places To Visit In Malacca In 2024 That Bring Out The Other Side Of Malaysia

23 Mar 2023

Malaysia’s south-western coastal state and the country’s historical heart, Malacca, has many aces up its sleeve. The destination is extremely popular amongst travel enthusiasts. Steeped in culture, history, and traditions, this coastal state allows you a peek into the Malaysian way of life through its many museums, architectural, gastronomic delights, and plenty of places to visit in Malacca . Malacca is truly a melting pot of cultures with its unique blend of Chinese, Portuguese and Dutch influences.

18 Best Places To Visit In Malacca

Here are the top 12 places to visit in Malacca . There are tranquil beaches, lakes and hot springs for those seeking a relaxing break from the hubbub of Kuala Lumpur:

• Malacca River
• Masjid Tanah
• Melaka Straits Mosque
• Jasin Hot Springs
• Tanjung Kling
• Pulau Besar
• St. Paul’s Church
• Malacca Jonker Street
• Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum
• Cheng Hoon Teng Temple
• Melaka Wonderland Theme Park
• Freeport A’Famosa Outlet Village
• The Shore Sky Tower

1. Malacca River

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the capital city of Malacca is a rollercoaster ride of visual and sensory delights. You can either take a leisurely stroll through the historical center or a ride in the vibrant and quirky ‘trishaw’ to soak in the flavor of this culturally rich city.

Must-visit attractions: Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum, Christ Church, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (exquisite engraved woodwork), Stadhuys, Melaka Sultanate Palace, A’Famosa (Portuguese ruins), Eye on Melaka, Melaka River Cruise, Jonker Street (for antiques, knick-knacks, and tantalizing traditional food).

Do not miss: Friday and Saturday Jonker Walk Night Market is the best place to visit in Malacca at night. You must sample the fried egg ice-cream and Nyonya pineapple tarts.

Must Read: 10 Reasons To Visit Malaysia That Will Trigger Your Wanderlust

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2. Alor Gajah

Just 24 Kms north of Malacca City is the lush and laidback countryside town of Alor Gajah, counted among the top places to visit in Malacca, Malaysia . While the tranquil town square is a nice spot for a stroll amidst pretty shops, the highlight of the town is the renowned A’Famosa Resort. Sprawled over 1300 acres, this haven of leisure is a unique and magical world with several theme parks and a golf course within it making it one of the most interesting places to visit in Malacca . You should definitely consider visiting here.

Must-visit attractions: Animal World Safari, Water Theme Park, Cowboy Town.

Suggested Read: 23 Romantic Budget Honeymoon Destinations In Asia For Every Budget

Located along the Malacca Strait this coastal town just a two-hour drive away from Kuala Lumpur has some unique attractions making it one of the best places to visit in Malacca town . The Klebang beach is a nice area to take a leisurely stroll, play in the sand and enjoy kite flying with the kids. Do not miss on sipping the delicious coconut shake while gazing at a pretty sunset. It is the best places to visit in Malacca city .

Must-visit attractions: The Submarine Museum (offers a chance to visit a real submarine converted to a museum), Pantai Klebang Sand Dunes (a stunningly beautiful stretch of white sand dunes changing hues with the setting sun. Adventure enthusiast can indulge in sand-boarding).

Suggested Read: 8 Most Popular Beach Resorts In Malaysia

4. Ayer Keroh

Those looking for places to visit in Malacca bathed in nature’s splendor amidst lush greenery and soaring trees can make a visit to Ayer Keroh. The laid back vibe of this backwater town just 15Km outside Malacca city allows you to spend a relaxed and fun-filled day with the kids and family. The Butterfly and Reptile Sanctuary as well as Melaka Zoo (with an exciting night safari) are great spots to keep the kids engaged and amazed.

Must-visit attractions: Mini Malaysia and ASEAN Cultural Park, Malacca Crocodile Farm, Melaka Botanical Garden, Melaka Wonderland Theme Park and Resort (nestled amidst 60 hectares of forests and home to 16 thrilling attractions and rides).

Suggested Read: Best Hotels In Malaysia: For Those Who Love Living Life To The Fullest

5. Masjid Tanah

Located in Alor Gajah district, Masjid Tanah is one of the largest towns and best places to visit in Malacca for outdoor activities. With some of the best hiking trails in the state as well as beautiful beaches around, it’s a great getaway for adventure enthusiasts and beach bums alike. Add to this a turtle hatchery and a lovely waterfront with some of the best restaurants in Malacca offering delectable seafood and you’ve got the recipe for a perfect holiday.

Must-visit attractions: Turtle Information Centre (with a chance to hold some endangered species in your hands), Sungai Udang Recreational Forest, Tanjung Bidara and Pengkalan Balak Beaches, The Al-Khawarizmi Astronomy Complex.

6. Melaka Straits Mosque

Though a part of Malacca city, this man-made island is also a special destination in itself and must be on top of your list of places to visit in Malacca . Along with its buzz and beaches, this tiny island is special because of the visually stunning and tranquil Melaka Straits Mosque. Also called the floating mosque, this gorgeously designed place of worship also offers breathtaking sunset views. You’ll be blown away by the mesmerizing view. So, make sure to stop by here.

Suggested Read: 15 Best Resorts In Malaysia That Are Downright Alluring

7. Jasin Hot Springs

Image Source

The southernmost district of the State is one of the popular Malacca tourist attractions owing to the rejuvenating hot springs located here. Jasin Hot Springs, based on the Japanese onsen concept offers pools with varying degrees of rejuvenating thermal water. You can take a relaxing dip in the healing waters while the kids can enjoy the inflatable slides and kids’ pools. Though the maintenance is average, this reasonably priced attraction is one of the best places to visit near Malacca to unwind.

Timings: 9AM-midnight (Tuesday to Thursday); 9AM to 2AM (Fri-Sat); 3PM-midnight (Tuesday)

Suggested Read: 21 Malaysia Islands You Must Visit For Having The Best Vacation Ever

8. Tanjung Kling

Tanjung Kling is well-known for its gorgeous Puteri beach and the tomb of one of the greatest Malay warriors. The 2.5km stretch of beach offers panoramic views and is a wonderful place to put your feet up and relax, relish the local food at the food stalls or hang out in the night market along the shore. This is one of the best places to visit in Malacca at night. You can also visit the Hang Tuah mausoleum to pay homage to the legendary warrior and get an insight into his life.

9. Pulau Besar

Also called the Big Island, this mystical island off the south-east coast of Malacca is a great choice for places to visit in Malacca for a memorable day trip. The island is frequented by spirituality seekers who come to visit the meditation caves of Muslim mystics. You can also choose to simply relax at the palm-shaded beaches soaking in the tranquility and natural beauty of this Instagrammable place in Malacca. Jungle hiking is also a rewarding experience for outdoor junkies.

10. Pulau Upeh

A small island off the coast makes it to the list of Malacca attractions for its tranquil setting away from the bustle of city life. Popular amongst both locals and tourists, Pulau Upeh is also the breeding site for the endangered Hawksbills turtle. Visitors can catch a glimpse of their nesting on the beach during March-June. Can it get any better than this? Make sure to stop by this destination for scenic views.

11. Red Square

If you want to get background information on the Dutch possession of Malaysia, stop by Red Square. You will come across two prominent landmarks in Malacca, which includes the Christ Church and the Old Town Hall. Hop on a trishaw ride and indulge yourself in some souvenir shopping. We promise you’ll have the time of your life and you won’t be disappointed.

12. St. Paul’s Church

Located at the top of St. Paul’s Hill, the St. Paul’s Church ruins make for some photography shots. After a brief hike, you can have some amazing views of the city of Malacca. Make sure to carry your camera with you. The place has been well maintained by the local authorities. The tombstone and the relic inscriptions will allow you to get a detailed insight into the history of the church. You’ll be convinced to visit Malacca again and again.

13. Malacca Jonker Street

Image Source Jonker Street happens to be an enormous market area in the center of Chinatown and it has everything you can possibly think of buying in Malaysia. Loaded with a rich history, a variety of people, plenty of historical landmarks, numerous cafes and restaurants, as well as various attractions, Jonker Street in Malacca is nothing less than a sheer delight for people to walk through. Since it is a great place to shop, you will always find it busy with people looking for some or the other interesting stuff to buy. It’s a good place to visit in Malacca to buy handicrafts, clothes, jewelry, and much more.

14. Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum

Image Source This splendid living museum was established way back in 1896 and had once served as the family home of Baba Chan family in Malaysia. It’s now a renowned heritage building that attracts people with its unique blend of cultures and showcases the Peranakan lifestyle as it was at the end of the 19th century. The original design of this place draws influence from European architecture as well as Eastern traditions and history.

15. Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

Image Source This is the most popular landmark of the city of Malacca and it is located in the famous Jonker Street. Built in 1646, this historic Chinese Temple is known to be the oldest shrine and Buddhist place of worship in Malaysia. Dedicated to Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, this holy structure was designed by Malacca’s second Chinese captain who also happened to be the son-in-law of Captain Li. People are often impressed by the huge black, gold and red statue of Goddess Kuan Yin of the temple perched in the central prayer hall.

16. Melaka Wonderland Theme Park

Image Source Looking for the perfect place to beat the heat in Malacca? Well, the Melaka Wonderland Theme Park and Resort is the best means to cool down as well as indulge in some fun activities on a hot day in Malaysia. The prime features that attract people to this place are high-speed water slides and thrill rides, other than 16 different yet equally exciting attractions and rides. The park is located inside a lush forest far away from the maddening crowd and traffic of Malacca. The most popular rides here include the Lazy Cum Crazy River, the Big Wave pool, Pendulum slides, Adventure Island, and Anaconda Twist, which together make this one of the best places to go in Malacca, Malaysia.

17. Freeport A’Famosa Outlet Village

Image Source This is essentially an open-air Dutch colonial era styled shopping village located in Malacca. Locals and tourists consider it to be the biggest shopping outlet situated at Alor Gajah since it consists of over 70 international brands that are offered here at amazing prices. This shopping arcade is located right outside A’Famosa Resort Malacca and rumor has it that it will soon be declared as Malacca’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kids too are attracted to this place owing to its pool with miniature geysers, enormous windmill, carousel rides, strollers, and tricycles.

18. The Shore Sky Tower

Image Source If you wish to indulge in some breathtaking 360° bird’s eye views of the city of Malacca, then you must get to the 43 storied Sky Tower that will let you see as far as 50 kilometers into the distance in all directions from a great height. And the best part – it’s super easy to reach this spot since it is located just a short walk away from the UNESCO World Heritage district beside the riverbank that faces the delightful Morten village.

Further Read: Malaysia Honeymoon Guide To Answer All Your Travel Queries

Now that you know all about this gem called Malacca, book a trip to Malaysia at the earliest and share your offbeat experience with the world. These places will provide you with a unique and awesome experience on your trip. Make sure to stop by as many places to visit in Malacca that we’ve shortlisted as you can. You will have the time of your life here amidst beautiful sunsets and scenic views of the beach.

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Please Note: Any information published by TravelTriangle in any form of content is not intended to be a substitute for any kind of medical advice, and one must not take any action before consulting a professional medical expert of their own choice.

Frequently Asked Questions About Places To Visit In Malacca

Where can I go at night in Malacca?

There are plenty of places you can explore in Malacca at night. Some of the best options are Hard Rock Cafe Malacca in Lorong Hang Jebat, Geographer Café in Jonker Street, Mixx Club, Ringo’s Classic Café in Jonker Street, Portuguese Square, The Library, Eleven Bistro & Restaurant in Jalan Hang Lekir, and Reggae on the River in Lorong Hang Jebat.

What is Malacca known for?

Malacca is famous for its unique blend of beautiful ancient architecture and breathtaking modern structures coexisting in a single space! It is loved by travelers for its rich cultural heritage, and the charming blend of Portuguese, Dutch, and British influences that you will see in the food, architecture, and lifestyle of people here.

What is there to do in Melaka for free?

Malacca has a range of experiences that you can experience without having to use your wallet! You can choose to explore the river, visit the temples, meet the Buddhist monks, behold the gorgeous street art, roam around the night market on Jonker Street, wander around in the Dutch Square and the Stadthuys, watch stunning street performances, or explore the Portuguese fortress.

How far is Melaka from KL?

The driving distance between Kuala Lumpur and Malacca is about 150.84 km. you can hire a taxi or take a bus to get there. You can even take a train to Tampin and a taxi from there to reach Malacca. The cheapest way to get there is by bus.

How do I get from Singapore to Malacca?

There is no direct train to Singapore from Malacca or vice verse. You will need to take a train from Tampin in Malacca to Singapore. Tampin is located approximately 40 km away from the town of Malacca. Once you get down at Tampin, you can travel around on a local bus or taxi.

What is the tourist season in Malacca?

The peak tourist season in Malaysia is from December to January and then during the festive season, that is, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Chinese New Year.

Where should I go for 2 days in Malaysia?

You can easily cover the main destinations like Kuala Lumpur, George Town, Penang, Langkawi, and Malacca in a duration of 2 days in Malaysia.

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A 3D2N Melaka Itinerary For Your Next Long Weekend Getaway

Located next to the Straits of Melaka in the southern region of Peninsular Malaysia, Melaka is a haven for avid travel junkies from both within and outside the country. Known affectionately as 'The Historic State', the city has long attracted visitors with its charming historical ambiance, deep-rooted cultural traditions, and especially its wide array of delectable local delicacies.

All things considered, Melaka isn't exactly a 'big' city by any definition, which makes it a perfect destination for those looking for a place to relax and unwind over a long weekend! Here's a 3D2N itinerary to help you get the very best of your visit to one of Malaysia's most popular holiday destinations!

Getting there and where to stay

There are several ways to get to Melaka. The best way, if you're travelling from within Malaysia itself, is to simply drive there. The drive would take approximately two hours from Kuala Lumpur and six from Penang.

If you're flying in, be prepared to make a few stopovers as Melaka International Airport currently only welcomes direct flights from Pekanbaru (Indonesia) and Penang. The nearest train station for Melaka is Tampin, which is about 40km away from the city, so you will probably need to transfer to a bus or catch a (rather pricey) cab from the station.

Once you're in Melaka, I recommend looking for accommodation in Melaka City, the capital of the state. It's where all the best attractions and food are and the city centre has an abundance of hotels, hostels and B&Bs compared to other areas.

And now that you've (hopefully) settled in, let's get to exploring!

Day 1: A'Famosa → Dutch Square → Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum → Melaka River Cruise (Stopovers at Maritime Museum, Masjid Selat, The Shore Oceanarium + Sky Tower)

Seeing as Melaka is a city steeped in history, it is fitting that our journey begins with a visit to the city's most storied location: A'Famosa Fortress . Located on the serene St. Paul's Hill, the fort is one of the most popular tourist spots in the city. The fortress gate, the Porta de Santiago , is the oldest surviving European architectural monument in the region. Take some time to admire the historical ruins of the fort, including the iconic St. Paul's Church that was built in 1521, and take a few photos of the scenery there.

After that, take a short walk towards Dutch Square where you will be able to see Melaka's famous red terracotta buildings left behind by the Dutch in the 1700s. There, you'll find the Stadthuys , once the official residence of the Dutch Governors, now refurbished to house several interesting museums, such as the Muzium Rakyat (People's Museum).

However the main attraction of Dutch Square is Christ Church which stands out even amongst the other colourful buildings. Feel free to visit the interior of this Anglican church and marvel at its elegant designs.  

From Dutch Square, make your way down to Melaka's Maritime Museum for a quick look into what made Melaka rise to prominence as an international trade city all those centuries ago. You can't miss it, just look for a massive ship on the side of the road!

For lunch, we'll be digging into Melaka's famous chicken rice balls ! Ee Ji Ban Restaurant is one of the most famous chicken rice ball restaurants in Melaka City and it's only five minutes or so away from the Maritime Museum! It is also a halal-certified restaurant, making it the perfect option for Muslim travellers!

After lunch, head towards Pulau Melaka which is about 2km away from Ee Ji Ban Restaurant and visit the majestic Masjid Selat , the floating mosque on the Straits of Melaka. Beautiful both inside and out, it is one of the most photogenic locations in the city and one that not many people actually know about. Score!

Once you'd had enough photos for your Instagram feed, it's time to head towards The Shore Shopping Gallery for a slightly hair-raising experience, but before that, you'll pass by the unique Upside Down House , which, as the name suggests, is a house with an interior that is completely the wrong side up! How about it? Some wacky fun to fight off the after-lunch slumber!

Our next agenda is not for the faint of heart. Located on the bank of the Melaka River is The Shore Shopping Gallery, which houses the Melaka Sky Tower ! For those who dare walk on the glass panels of Melaka's tallest building (43 floors above ground), you'll be treated to a breathtaking aerial view of Melaka!

Staying closer to the ground, you'll find The Shore's interactive Oceanarium which is home a huge collection of seashells and a mini-aquarium which allows visitors to touch bamboo sharks and hedgehogs, and to feed turtles!

Back on the culture and heritage trail, the Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum is only a short drive from The Shore Shopping Gallery. From visiting exhibitions of furniture and utensils to learning about their cultural traditions, here, you'll be able to peer into the way of life of Melaka's unique Baba Nyonya community! And once you're done with the tour, take a short walk to L W Nyonya Pineapple Tarts shop to sample and buy some irresistible pineapple tarts.

For dinner, head over to the highly-rated, halal-certified Kocik Restaurant for a taste of authentic Baba Nyonya cuisine ! Take the time to sample some of the best Peranakan dishes and don't forget to wash it all down with some traditional desserts too!

As night falls, make your way towards the Taman Rempah Jetty to board a cruise of the Melaka River . While there's nothing wrong with joining the cruise during the day, I recommend saving this activity for the night as that is when the lights along the river bank come on, making the cruise even more colourful, romantic and ambient.

As you cruise along the river, you'll be able to spot Kampung Morten , one of the few remaining authentic Malay villages in Melaka, well preserved in terms of architecture (think wooden houses) and lifestyle.

And with that whimsical journey along the Melaka River, we conclude the first day of our tour! Rest up because the next day's going to be equally exciting!

Day 2: Taman Mini Malaysia & ASEAN → Botanical Gardens → Melaka Batik House → Pantai Klebang → Jonker Walk

After all the excitement of the first day, day two is more about relaxation and enjoying the natural scenery in Melaka. You can either start your day early with a hearty breakfast or sleep in till the late morning. We're not visiting as many places today so you have the liberty of a late start.

Once you're up though, head in the direction of Ayer Keroh and visit Taman Mini Malaysia and ASEAN . The cultural village contains impressive replicas of traditional Malaysian and ASEAN homes, each fully furnished with respective interior décor depicting the culture of the families who live within them.

Enjoy exploring the history of Malaysia, its traditional costumes and handicraft, and maybe even try your hand at traditional Malay games like congkak ! Visit during the weekends to enjoy regular cultural dance performances!

Next, head on over to the beautiful Botanical Gardens and admire the wide range of flora and fauna on display. What sets the Melaka Botanical Gardens apart, however, is the Kampung Buku , or Book Village located within its vicinity. Part of an ongoing project to encourage reading and to make books readily available to the public, the Book Village in Melaka contains more than 15,000 books on its shelves, making it a must-visit for all self-professed bibliophiles!

Stop for a simple lunch at the Botanical Café before heading to Melaka International Trade Center where you’ll be visiting the Batik House . Here, you can learn the art of batik printing (traditional Malay-Indo fabric art) and can even try making a batik print of your own to bring home as a meaningful memento! Daily classes are subject to slot availability though so make sure to call in advance to avoid disappointment!

Now that the sun is starting to set, head towards Pantai Klebang for Insta-worthy white sandy beaches, a pleasant sea breeze, crashing waves, an alluring sunset, and awesome coconut milk shakes ! Yes, the creamy coconut shakes at Klebang Beach are famous throughout Melaka (even Malaysia to a certain extent!) and are not to be missed during any trip to Melaka! Laze around on the beach and watch the sun set before embarking on the highlight of any Melakan itinerary: visiting Jonker Street !

Jonker Street is the most happening place in Melaka, no doubt about it. Especially packed during the night, it is home to Melaka's famous Jonker Walk Night Market , in addition to several unique eateries and restaurants! Take your time to explore this lively area and sample some of Melaka's best street food!

One particular delicacy you must try is satay celup ! Often found only in Melaka, it's like hotpot except instead of an aromatic broth, you get a boiling pot of peanut sauce (satay, duh!). Cook your food in the peanut sauce and munch away! Since this is the end of day two, I'll leave it to you to decide when you want to call it a night! See you tomorrow!

It's our last day in Melaka! How did time fly by so fast? Well, let's make the most of our last remaining hours in Melaka, shall we? First stop: the Taming Sari Gyro Tower !

While it's not as tall (and harrowing, for those who have a fear of heights) as the Sky Tower, this slow-moving gyro tower offers spectacular aerial views of the city as you slowly ascend to the top. You'll be able to spot some of the places you've visited the past two days, such as St. Paul's Hill, the Maritime Museum and Jonker Street! Not a bad way to recap all you've done in Melaka, eh?

Next, we'll make a quick stop at Tan Kim Hock Product Centre where you get to shop for local snacks that are famously Melakan. Definitely go for the durian-flavoured dodols (sweet, toffee-like sweets), coconut cookies , pineapple tarts and gula melaka (Melakan palm sugar)! Once you've stocked up, it's time to visit the final destination of our long weekend getaway in Melaka.

The Dataran Pahlawan Megamall is Melaka's most popular shopping centre, housing internationally-renowned brands and high-quality products. However, we're not just here for shopping! Within the mall, you can find the Nyonya Memoirs , which is basically an interactive space modelled after Peranakan life in the 1920s. Enjoy a guided tour or put on a traditional Baba Nyonya costume and snap away to conclude your memorable journey to Melaka!

If only we had more time!

Of course, there's still more to explore in Melaka than what's been listed in this itinerary! If you have more time, you should definitely check out places such as Wonderland Theme Park and the Melaka Tropical Fruit Farm . Both these  places are located further away from the city but they offer fun experiences you won't get anywhere else!

Also, if you're a husky lover like me, you would want to free up some time for the Huskitory , arguably Malaysia's pioneer husky café, housing around 20 energetic huskies you can snuggle up to.

That being said, this 3D2N itinerary is pretty solid if you want to cover most of the major attractions in Malaysia's historic state of Melaka! So, with that, go make your travel plans now! I hear the next long weekend is not that far away! See you soon!

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• Malacca One Day Trip: Where…

Malacca One Day Trip: Where You Must GO and Selfie

Only had a day off from work but doesn’t know where to go?

Why not soak yourself in a land of abundance culture, history and gastronomical delight?

Malacca was once a thriving trading port. Today it is teeming with history!

While it no longer enjoys the glory days of centuries gone by, it still is a melting pot of cultures that came to establish themselves through ancient conquests and trade.

In 2008, the city was awarded a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its unspoilt architecture of the old town and its glorious history.

Today it is one of the top places to visit in Malaysia and the phenomenon is not fading anytime soon.

A day trip to Malacca will definitely be a great day out, especially when you do it in a group; family, friends or colleagues.

There are plenty of attractions to fill up your day and whet your appetite for a repeat visit.

6 Recommended Itineraries For Malacca ONE Day Trip

Itinerary 1 –  St. Paul’s Church –> A’Famosa Fort –> Dutch Square –> Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum –> Cheng Hoon Teng Temple –> Shore Sky Tower

Itinerary 2 – Cheng Ho Cultural Museum –> Menara Taming Sari –> St Paul’s Church –> Dutch Square –> Straits Chinese Jewellery Museum –> Shan Shu Gong –> Jonker Street Night Market

Itinerary 3 – St. Paul’s Church –> Stadthuys –> Upside Down House Malacca –> Maritime & Naval Museum Malacca –> Menara Taming Sari –> Alto Sky Lounge@ Hatten Hotel

Itinerary 4 – Taman Mini Malaysian & ASEAN –> Malacca Wonderland and Theme Park –> Malacca Bird Park

Itinerary 5 – Coral Wonderland Malacca –> Upside Down House Malacca –> A’ Famosa Fort –> Stadthuys –> Malacca River Cruise

Itinerary 6 – Cheng Ho’s Cultural Museum –> Straits Chinese Jewellery Museum –> Jonker Walk –> Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple –> The Shore Sky Tower

Malacca Popular Tourists Attraction Places

1. a’famosa resort malacca.

This resort is named after the famous fort built by the Portuguese to protect Malacca from invaders. A’Famosa Resort Malacca is set in a lush countryside with tropical greenery as far as the eye can see.

It is one of the region’s most sought-after leisure spots and it welcomes thousands of visitors every year. The resort is easily accessible as you will see the resort when driving on the North-South Highway.

Coming from Singapore, it is a four-hour ride from downtown Singapore including the time it takes to navigate through customs and immigration at the causeway.

Visible from the North-South Highway, A’Famosa Resort is a short distance away from the historical town of Melaka. It is just a mere hour drive from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and one and a half hour drive from Kuala Lumpur.

Are you in Malacca for business or pleasure? This luxury resort will answer to both cases. It is built on all of 1,300 acres and there is a championship golf course of international standards here among other attractions.

Attractions

• The championship golf course : The golf course was designed by the master golf course architect Ross C. Watson, an Australian. It has beautiful greens and fairways fringed by tropical coastal flora. There are 27 holes overall at the golf course. The clubhouse has the best panoramic views of the whole resort as it is built on high ground. Here you will find fine dining, a business centre and VIP accommodation.
• Animal World Safari : This is a fantastic place to see animals roaming in the wild, right inside the resort. There are tigers, lions, racoons, giraffes, rabbits and lemurs, and also their own Monkey Island.
• The Water World Theme Park : Here you will find some of the best rides in all of Malaysia as well as many more water games and exciting activities for children and adults alike.
• Accommodation : There is plenty of accommodation here. You can choose to have rooms or suites at the Resort Hotel, the villas or at the Condotel.
• Cowboy town: Here, you will find enacted Wild West shows featuring almost real-life cowboys. The shows are exciting and they will leave you breathless.

2. Melaka Wonderland Theme Park & Resort

Malaysia has some of the best theme parks in all of Southeast Asia. The Melaka Wonderland Theme Park & Resort is one of the best in Malaysia itself, it is also the latest addition to the theme parks that are already in Malacca. The theme park is located in the beautiful and exotic tourist area of Ayer Keroh, Malacca.

Also read: How To Get To Malacca From Singapore

The theme park is a wholesome collection of fun activities for everyone. Adults, teens and children will all have a fabulous time here and the memories will last you, your family and friends for a long long time. Set in natural surroundings, the greenery is enchanting as the water rides and slides are exciting.

The Melaka Wonderland Theme Park and Resort spreads across 360 acres of land which means that everything is not crammed in one place. It is ideal for a leisurely day out for family or groups of friends.

• The Tornado Chaser: A wild water slide where you will be thrown into a swirling pool after a fast ride down. It is the first of its kind in Malaysia and the memories of this ride will not fade for years. It is the most popular slide here and people come from far and wide for the extraordinary experience.
• Lazy cum Crazy River: A slow-moving river with numerous twists and turns and plenty of fun activities for the young and the young at heart.
• 1 Big Wave pool: This is a beachfront like-place where gentle waves lapping the shore that kids love to play in very much. You can sit and relax or you can opt to join in the fun too.
• Adventure Island: This is an island of fun for children of all ages. It is an 8 slide complex made to be one great play area that kids really love.
• Natural Recreational Forest: This is a lush forest with local tropical foliage where a nature walk is always rejuvenating and a beautiful place to take pictures of the memories.

3. Jonker Walk – Famous Night Market

Jonker Walk is a street in Malacca right in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site . It is a famous street globally for its rich collection of authentic antiques, the cultural aspect and the architecture; most of the shop buildings here are from the 17th century which makes them several hundred years old.

Lovers of antique items will always come to Jonker Walk as part of their Malaysian itinerary. Visitors come from far and wide, all over the world for the best bargains of items and jewellery of bygone eras.

In the Dutch colonial period, it was the street in which the servants of Dutch masters had their homes. Soon the well-heeled locals started to live in the area and they opened shops as well.

The street has a strong Chinese influence; there is even a Chinatown owing to Chinese immigration over the centuries.

• The weekly market: The Street is closed to traffic on all Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. This is to allow the market to thrive and it does this very well between 6:00pm and midnight. It is here that traders will display their wares and invite you to see and buy.
• The antiques: It is on Jonker Walk that you will find genuine antiques from the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British colonial periods. You will also find ancient Chinese items on this street. There will be a wide collection of fabrics, jewellery, wooden clogs, arts and crafts and other memorable items at prices you will not get anywhere else in the world.
• Jonker Street Food : It has some of the best eateries in Malacca. It is at the end of the street that you will find Geographer’s Café, a famous place for great drinks and Nyonya food in Malacca .

4. Air Keroh Lake

The Air Keroh Lake is the place to visit if you are looking for a great water sports venue. The lake, clean, calm and vast is a great place for people who want to play in the water in a serene and attractive environment.

It is set in a splendid tropical environment and it is green all around. One of its best attributes is that it is only 11 kilometres from the Malacca city. This makes it ideal for people who are visiting the city but want the calmness of the countryside for part of their tour.

Also read:  How To Get To Port Dickson From Singapore

This is an ideal place for lovers; there are cabins and huts for rent if you want to extend your stay at the lake. There are also facilities to ensure that it is family friendly. For a group coming from Singapore or Johor Bahru, it is only a few hours ride by car.

Attractions:

• Water sports: Do you enjoy sailing? This is the place to be when you want a great day on the water. Here you will find safe, clean and reliable sailing boats that will soon have you feeling the wind in your hair as you skim over the lake. You will also find canoes and boats all for rental at the shore.
• Fishing: Have you ever had the urge to catch your own dinner? You can do that at Air Keroh Lake. With a rental boat and some necessary equipment, you can have a part of the lake as your own where you can spend some quiet time with a friend or loved one floating on the water. With luck, you can catch some fish as well.
• Other facilities: Other facilities you can enjoy include a large playground, jogging paths and kiosks where you can buy some good food and cold refreshments.

5. Malacca On Bike – Day Tours

Most tourists will prefer to walk around the city and attractions near Jonker Street as most historical places are within a small radius. For attractions outside town, most visitors will prefer to drive around.

There is an alternative way to make tours more interesting in and out of town; riding a mountain bike around the attractions.

Malacca is known for its historical significance, but there is a whole world of beauty and adventure beyond the UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are many beautiful rubber and palm plantations stretching on and on and one of the best feelings is to feel the wind on your face where you are riding in a green plantation or open fields.

Malacca On Bike-Day Tours has been giving guided tours since 1999, cycling through villages and whiffing the taste of ‘real’ Malacca is another experience one should try!

• The bikes are well maintained, safe and reliable. They will take you all over the city and to the other attractions beyond. The freedom you feel when riding a bike on a guided tour makes for a great day out with your family and friends. The bikes are rented out depending on the duration you want. You can opt for a short ride of about 3 to 4 hours or a whole day package.
• You will be provided with helmets for safety and the guides are well informed about the best sights of the terrain and they are also friendly and helpful.

6. Malacca River – Relax and Nice View

Malacca River is a slow-moving river that cuts across the city. This is one of the best things to do in Malacca that you should do after getting to Malacca. This tour will let you get a good overview of the city whether you choose the walk or ride on a cruise.

Have a slow and entertaining view of the city while cruising down the river. You may choose to ride either in the morning, afternoon or evening. The evening cruise is the most attractive one as every shop is lit up with colourful bright lights whereas the twinkling sparkle from the reflection of water makes the city glow!

If you choose to walk, you will find that it is clean, safe and easy to walk even when you are in a group or with small children. The graffiti here along Jalan Kampung Hulu is colourful and intriguing and lovers of street art will find plenty to look at and enjoy.

Photo credits: TNkoh22

• The river cruise: The Melaka River Cruise operates every day between 9:00am and 11:30pm the cost is affordable and it is well worth the cost anyway because the sights are great when being seen from the river. The Malacca River is not very wide. This gives you the opportunity to take in the city sights at close range.
• The river cruise at night: If your stay in Malacca extends to the evening, take a night cruise on the Malacca River and get ready for one of the most spectacular river cruises you will ever have in your life. Most of the buildings on either side of the river have bright decorative lights all about them which will excite your eyes to no end. Add the twinkling reflections on the water and the cruise will be as magical as it can ever be.
• The Jetty: The jetty area is bright with canopies to shelter you from the hot Malacca sunshine during the day as you enjoy your time along the river walk. At night, catch the breeze here before you leave town; you will love it!

7. Dutch Square

Dutch Square also known as Red Square is one part of Malacca that inspired the awarding city as a World Heritage site. It is situated just to the south of the main part of the city near the St. John’s Fort.

It is easily accessible and a lot of locals and overseas tourists come to visit Dutch Square every day. Dutch Square is clearly visible from St Paul’s Hill which is not far off. In the vicinity of the Dutch Square is the Cheng Ho Culture Museum.

The history that is held in this place is immense. You will experience the history from the Malay Empire days, to the Portuguese invasion days, to the Dutch period and the current situation. Having a good guide is a plus because he will put all the attractions in perspective besides adding an anecdote or two to his explanations.

• Mini Lisbon: It is the only site that maintains its true Portuguese identity so well in the entire country. It is the place where the culture of the Portuguese exhibits itself in all its splendour. This is a place that looks like nothing much has changed for the last 400 years. Today, it hosts lots of tourists looking to enjoy its restaurants, entertainment spots and its unique stalls.
• Malacca Hotel : This is the main hotel in this part of the city. It offers accommodation with all budgets catered for.
• The Stadthuys: It is the most recognizable building in the whole area together with its red clock tower. It was the seat of the government during the Dutch colonial era. Nearby are the A’Famosa Fort and St. Johns Hill.
• Christ Church: This building is to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Dutch occupation in Malacca and to replace the earlier ruined Portuguese church.

8. The Shore Sky Tower

The best way to see the sights of a city is to visit the sights themselves, to see them from a distance and to see them from above.

For many years, the visitors would only see the sights from the ground; then came the Shore Sky Tower , the highest man-made structure in Malacca and many miles beyond.

Today, you can experience some of the most breathtaking views of Malacca from very high; as high as the 43rd-floor viewpoint from the Shore Sky Tower. Apart from the cityscapes themselves, you will be able to look as far as 50 kilometres from Malacca on either side

Apart from that, there is plenty more that you can do at the Shore Sky Tower.

The Shore Sky Tower is an elaborate development on the shores of the Malacca River. It is planned to be the premier shopping, dining and accommodation centre in the city.

• The Observation deck: The top floor of the Shore Sky Tower will give you the most panoramic views of the city and beyond. This is a part of your tour to Malacca that you will do yourself a disservice to miss. The fee is affordable for everyone and the photo opportunity are to die for up there.
• Dining and wining: Enjoy fine dining at the Shore Sky Tower. You will find splendid restaurants with the widest local and international menus anywhere in Malacca. You will also find fine bars where you can have the best wines and classy cocktails among other refreshments.
• Oceanarium Complex: This development will have the longest oceanarium complex in the whole world bringing together business, accommodation and fine shopping to Melaka.

9. The Stadthuys Malacca

Are you a history buff? Do you like photogenic places where you can walk around and feel one with the heritage of a place rich in history?

Don’t forget to visit The Stadthuys when you go to Malacca as it is also known as a matter of priority. It holds a lot of secrets and stories from the Dutch colonial period.

Here you will find a vibrant atmosphere with many tourists visiting The Stadthuys every day. They will be from locals, Asia countries and other countries in the world. It is also a good place to people-watch.

• The Dutch Administration Center: This is the large red building that hosted the offices and residences of the Dutch Governor during the colonial era. Here will be the famous and one of the most photographed buildings in the city, the Stadthuys. There will also be the Christ Church which is also from the Dutch period. From the British period in the Victorian years, you will find the Queen Victoria’s Fountain. The Chinese have always had a presence here for centuries and this is represented by the Tan Beng Swee Clock Tower. It is dedicated to a benevolent Chinese trader who was highly admired and respected in his day.
• Souvenir shops around Jonker Street : You can buy inexpensive souvenirs ranging from hand-crafting shoes, Nyonya attire, antique sculptures, jewellery to foods at the shops in Jonker Street and stalls that will be at the Red Square. You will find good bargains here and you may just land a great antique at an unbelievable price.
• Nearby attractions: The best thing about The Stadthuys is that most of the other attractions in the city and especially in the World Heritage Site are all accessible easily on foot, by car or by riding a bicycle.
• Great photos: Carry your camera along for some of the best sites to take pictures at The Stadthuys. It is these pictures that will remind you of the great times you had at Malacca.

Best Way To Get Around Malacca

If  you have planned for a short weekend getaways from Singapore to Malacca, you will need to have the best transport arrangements to ensure that you have the time of your life.

The most convenient way to get to Malacca and back to Singapore is to use a privately hired taxi to and from there. SGMYTAXI  is the leading firm in this field.

The taxis are large 7-seater vehicles that are fully air-conditioned, well maintained, and spacious to give all passengers a comfortable ride even with their luggage. The drivers are well trained, professional and well versed with all the routes to Malacca and all its attractions.

What are you waiting for! Book online now with SGMYTAXI to get the service.

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• President Biden to visit Seattle for campaign events

President Joe Biden is headed to Seattle this week to raise money for his reelection campaign.

Biden will participate in fundraising events in the area on Friday and Saturday, the White House announced Wednesday.

The Friday reception will benefit the Biden Victory Fund, with tickets starting at $500 per person, and donors who give $25,000 or more will get a photo with the president, according to an invitation.

No public events have been announced. Further details are expected in the coming days.

The Biden Victory Fund is a so-called joint fundraising committee, which can rake in checks from big donors — up to $929,600 per person, with the money split among the Biden campaign, the Democratic National Committee and various state Democratic Party organizations.

Biden last visited Seattle on Earth Day in 2022 , signing an executive order aimed at saving old-growth forests at an event in Seward Park and discussing prescription drug prices during a speech at Green River College in Auburn.

The Seattle visit is part of a West Coast swing by Biden as he faces poor approval ratings before an expected rematch with former President Donald Trump.

On Thursday, Biden will travel to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he’s scheduled to attend two Friday fundraising events.

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