Awesome Things to do in Ipoh (Travel Guide) and Where to eat in Ipoh

Last updated on February 21st, 2023 at 05:40 pm

Looking for a plan to do on a short weekend in Ipoh? If you are in Malaysia, you might consider visiting Ipoh.  Here’s a mini guide of things to do in Ipoh, and where to eat in Ipoh on a short weekend! Check out this Mini Ipoh travel guide that we wrote for you.

Read here our favorite Malaysia tourist spots

Ipoh Travel Guide

Ipoh is located half of the way to Penang coming from Kuala Lumpur. It’s the third largest city in Malaysia with a population of 700,000 . It’s the capital of Perak in Malaysia. Ipoh can be considered an off the beaten path. It is a place where you can really interact with locals. For more information about what you can see in Ipoh, you can check this resource here.

How to get to Ipoh

Getting to Ipoh is actually easy –  there are many options to choose from: by bus, by train and even by an airplane. Choose what’s right for your budget and for the comfort you want out of this weekend!

Best Time to visit Ipoh

The best time to visit Ipoh is in the driest season from April to October. Perhaps dry season is the best for visiting Ipoh based in my own experience in Malaysia, there would be many days that it could rain, and I had been in Malaysia in different times of the year.

Click here to know more about the weather in Ipoh!

Visa to visit Malaysia

Malaysia is a very friendly country especially when it comes to tourist visas. Check out this list to know if your country is allowed to visit Malaysia without visa and how long can you stay in the country for free.

Things to do in Ipoh

Hiking Kledang Hill

This is the perfect plan for your Sunday morning or even evening. It’s a good way to exercise and you will find areas for resting during the way. It’s a very easy hike, something you can easily accomplished even if you’re not into hiking or exercising a lot. One more thing about the hiking is you can do it for free.

Street Art in Ipoh

There are wall art murals and paintings on buildings in the Old Town. These paintings capture the elements of the local life in Ipoh. You will enjoy walking around, taking pictures and admiring the beauty of the paintings.

Things to do in Ipoh at night

Visit night markets : Nightlife in Ipoh

Now this might not be the best thing to do while in Ipoh. But if you feel like hanging out, you will find bars and pubs in Bandar Baru Medan where you can enjoy and have a drink for the night.

There are a few of the Pasar Malam (as they are called in Malay language) in Ipoh. It’s a perfect place to meet local people and try the best local food in town.

Visit Geological Museum

There are different areas in the museum to take a look: history, dinosaurs, minerals and mining activities.

Where to eat in Ipoh

One of the best reasons for visiting Ipoh is their Chinese cuisine and the popular white coffee. Prices are very cheap, starting from 1-2 USD. If you are traveling around Malaysia and are a big foodie, make sure you read our full guide on street food in Southeast Asia. Definitely one to check out, if you want to know in advance what kind of cheap street food Asian countries can offer.

Kai See Hor Fun

This is a delicious chicken soup made with rice noodles. It’s made up of the tasty prawn broth with chicken slices cooked with fresh prawns and onions.

Nasi Lemak

This is our favorite choice for breakfast in Ipoh. The rice is cooked with coconut milk, served in a banana leaf, with sambal (Malaysian hot sauce), anchovies and boil or fried egg.

Ipoh White Coffee

This is a must when visiting Ipoh for the weekend. Make sure you try Ipoh’s popular white coffee. It’s perfect for a short break while walking around Ipoh. Want to meet and network with people? If you are in the city for meetups, business meetings (if you have a travel blog and you create social media content) or just for short conversations with new people, coffee is a great way to go!

Where to sleep in Ipoh

There are a lot of sleeping options when staying in Malaysia for a weekend. Our recommendation is to stay in an Ipoh hotel that matches all your preference – budget, comfort, and proximity to places you want to see. It’s a short stay so might as well have it your way.

We are sure that you want to have a good short weekend. You can check the link above and compare various hotels – search for the best Ipoh hotel. Some of the important factors you should be looking into are finding places that don’t require a booking fee and accepting various ways of getting a payment. These options will allow you to save some money (not having to pay booking fees), and have a choice how you want to pay, since some services are cheaper than others.

Click here to book your accommodation for next trip!

Read here for more information of best places to eat in Ipoh!

If you want to get more information about Malaysia, check out our full guide for backpacking Malaysia. Also more places to visit in Malaysia Penang and Melaka.

You can also check this guide if you want to visit Singapore for a weekend.

Any more suggestions for spending the weekend in Ipoh? Or is there any other destination in Asia that you would suggest spending a nice short weekend in? Leave your answers in the comments below! Happy Travels. x