On paper, Ipoh seems like a city well past its heyday. The tin-mining industry that has brought people and riches to the city are a thing of the past, and many parts of the city are left unkept, crumbling, or abandoned entirely. I ended up in Ipoh thinking it would be a good way to break up the journey between Kuala Lumpur and Penang. The grand images of Ipoh’s old town on the sachets of instant white kopi that I had been drinking also may have influenced me a little bit.

I won’t lie. My first impressions of Ipoh were that I had been catfished by a 3-in-1 coffee packet. The bus terminal was about 30 minutes outside of Ipoh’s historic center, and the drive was not particularly glamorous, save for the occasional limestone karst beautifying the background. The walk from our hotel to Concubine Lane took us through long stretches of decrepit city blocks, abandoned buildings, and overall sketchy vibes. It was not the most pleasant introduction to Ipoh, and my first thought was “thank God we only booked one night here.”

Thankfully, first impressions are far from everything, and I grew to enjoy Ipoh. While it pales in comparison to Malaysia’s other historic cities like George Town and Melaka, Ipoh ended up being a lovely stop with plenty of hidden gems to explore. If you’re traveling between Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and the Cameron Highlands, spending a day in Ipoh is a great way to break up a longer journey.

Here is how I made the most out of one day in Ipoh, a hidden gem of Malaysia.

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How To Get To Ipoh

We left Penang in the late morning, giving us enough time for one last breakfast and slow wander through my favorite city in Malaysia. We pulled into Ipoh’s Amanjaya Bus Terminal at around 2 PM and then took a Grab taxi to our hotel in the city center. Buses to Ipoh are very frequent, as it lies in between Penang and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s busiest travel destinations. We used RedBus to check the bus schedules and book our tickets online. If you’re looking for a great place to stay in Ipoh, the Brownstone Hostel and Space is a great option, offering both shared dorms and private rooms.

The Best Things To Do in Ipoh: A 24-Hour Travel Itinerary

Ipoh was the perfect stop to spend a night and about a full day exploring. While I wouldn’t call it an essential part of a Malaysia travel itinerary, I did have a great experience here. A day was the right amount of time, giving us ample time to explore, but not too much time that we got bored or ran out of things to do. Here is how I would spend 24 hours in Ipoh.

My first impressions of Ipoh were underwhelming, especially as we took an awkward route from our hotel to Concubine Lane. Many buildings that we passed along the way were abandoned, decrepit, with some falling apart altogether. The Tiktok sound “we in da ghetto” kept playing in my head as we passed these seedy-looking areas. Thankfully, once we reached the hub of the Old Town, Ipoh’s colorful charm began to shine through.

Wander the Historic City Center and Concubine Lane

From our hostel, our first stop was to explore the historic old town of Ipoh. The most famous street here is a narrow alleyway known as Concubine Lane, lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants. Concubine Lane itself wasn’t particularly exciting, but there are plenty of cool things in the nearby vicinity. A highlight is the Han Chin Pet Soo Tin-Mining Museum, giving a glimpse into the booming tin industry that initially put Ipoh on the map.

We also walked up to the Birch Memorial Clock Tower, surrounded by a hawker center with tons of tasty meals and snacks to choose from. As it started to rain, we moved indoors, stopping for a pastry at the charming Chloe.co bakery, hunting for vintage finds at Evrythng Soul, and a drink at the vibey Kiki Lalat. Once it stopped, we returned outdoors to seek out street art and delicious local eats. More on those later.

The old town of Ipoh isn’t particularly big, which makes it easily explorable in less than a day. The only struggle is finding the stomach space to eat all of the tempting restaurants, cafes, and street food that you’ll find along the way.

Hunt for Ipoh’s Street Art and Murals

Ipoh has no shortage of beautiful murals adding splashes of color to the city, with some of these artworks covering entire buildings. A lot of the larger murals will show up on Google Maps, but the best way is to aimlessly explore Ipoh’s old town and see what you find. It is a city filled with art.

Visit Gerbang Malam, Ipoh’s Night Market

Ipoh is even more lively at night. On the way back to our hotel from the old town, we wandered through a bustling night market. Vendors lined the street for several blocks, and the area transformed into a lively pedestrian thoroughfare. It mostly sells cheap clothing, shoes, and knickknacks that won’t be of much interest to tourists but it is still a fun place to walk around. We had some sate of all sorts at a nearby food court before heading back to the hotel to rest for a jam-packed next day.

Ipoh Day Two Itinerary

Since Ipoh isn’t far from Kuala Lumpur, we decided to take a late afternoon bus back to the capital, giving us most of the day to further explore Ipoh. Now that we’ve wandered through Ipoh’s historic city center and vibrant market streets, it is time to experience the natural beauty of Ipoh. Make the most of your day by starting bright and early, in part to avoid the punishing midday heat and humidity.

Cave Temples

Ipoh is surrounded by limestone karsts, which is ultimately what convinced me to spend the night in Ipoh on the way back to Kuala Lumpur. The scenery from the bus ride as we passed Ipoh was stunning, and I was sure we would find some beautiful natural spots in Ipoh. The cave temples of Ipoh can’t be missed. There are a few of them to choose from, but in my opinion, the most beautiful is the Sam Poh Tong Temple. Kek Lok Tong and Perak Tong are the other two that I would absolutely recommend visiting.

While Ipoh isn’t too popular of a travel destination, these are among its top attractions, so going early will help beat the heat and the crowds. The same goes for Ipoh’s latest hotspot, the Mirror Lake.

Visit the Mirror Lake

Tasik Cermin, or Mirror Lake, is situated not far from the cave temples I just mentioned, so it’s easy to squeeze them all in one day. The lake is surrounded by limestone karsts, making for dramatic South East Asian scenery similar to what you’d expect from Thailand, Vietnam, or the Philippines. One can also hop on a boat and visit another lake that’s only accessible through a watery tunnel.

As Ipoh continues to recover from the collapse of the tin-mining industry, it has started to lean more and more on its two other strengths, natural beauty and food. We’ve covered the natural beauty, now let’s shine the spotlight on Ipoh’s mouthwatering culinary scene.

Eat, Eat, Eat. Feast on Ipoh’s Food Scene.

Ipoh has an excellent culinary scene. Malaysian food is one of the most underrated cuisines in the world, and Ipoh is a great city to take your taste buds on a ride. Both sweet and savory connoisseurs will find an abundance of things to snack on here. Some specialties of Ipoh are Tau Fu (tofu), bean sprout chicken, hor fun, and of course, their signature white coffee which brought Ipoh to my attention in the first place. Another favorite of ours was Ipoh’s take on laksa, and our meal at Shan Cheng Laksa was among my favorites in Malaysia. I loved the food scene in Ipoh, and whether we were eating at a budget street joint, old-timey kopitiam, or a nicer restaurant, the food always exceeded expectations.

Again, I wish we had infinite stomach space because there were so many more things that we wanted to try. Beggar’s chicken and curry bun were two that caught our eye, but neither of the two seemed like a particularly bus-friendly snack for the ride back. We ended up settling for a variety of pastries from Ipoh’s many bakeries and cafes. The same street where the night market is held has no shortage of delectable treats to choose from, so be sure to wander along it during the day as well.

Final Verdict: Is Ipoh Worth Visiting?

Ipoh can often go overlooked, especially among travelers who may not have much time in Malaysia. I’d consider Ipoh a city of second-bests. While it has a charming, historic old town, it pales in comparison to somewhere like George Town or Melaka. Natural beauty? Travelers may prefer spending time in Langkawi or the Cameron Highlands. The food is excellent, but Kuala Lumpur and Penang trump everywhere in Malaysia, and make a strong case for best food in South East Asia. In short, Ipoh is a good, well-balanced travel destination, but it doesn’t have many things that stand out enough for me to recommend it over any of Malaysia’s other travel destinations.

The one thing that it does have going for it is that it is conveniently located in the center of the Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Cameron Highlands tourist triangle. Odds are, you’ll be passing by Ipoh as you backpack around Malaysia, and in that case, I do think it is well worth an overnight stop or layover of up to two days. In short, I would recommend spending some time in Ipoh if it happens to be along the way, but maybe not as a priority of your trip. Our 24 hours in Ipoh were perfect, hitting the sweet spot where we were able to see the major attractions of the city but also short enough that it didn’t get stale.

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More on Malaysia

• George Town Travel Guide: A Wanderer’s Paradise
• The Backpacker’s Travel Guide to Langkawi
• Is Batu Caves Worth Visiting?