21 days gives you a good amount of time to explore Malaysia but be warned, this itinerary will be jam-packed. From beaches to tea plantations to street art to big cities to museums to jungles, this itinerary has a bit of everything. Have a bit longer than 21 days to spend in Malaysia? Check out my complete 30-day itinerary here. Are you a bit shorter on time? I have a 7-day and 14-day itinerary, which might be better suited for you!
Day 1- Melaka
Arrive in Melaka (from either Singapore or KL) and get checked into your accommodation. If you arrive early enough, spend the afternoon walking around the old town of Melaka, admiring the street art and orientating yourself.
If it’s a weekend, grab dinner and dessert at the famous Jonker Street Market and shop for souvenirs. Try local specialities such as quail egg, grilled oysters, coconut ice cream, cendol, fishballs in sauce, fresh mango smoothies and colourful dim sum. Afterwards, head down to the river to commence a night cruise to see the city illuminated at night.
Day 2- Melaka
Start the day early with coffee and breakfast pastries from Heesan Kopi. Afterwards, head to the town centre for a trishaw-guided tour of Melaka. Make sure you haggle the price! The tour should only last 10-30 minutes, depending on the driver.
Grab lunch at one of the many cafes lining the main street of Melaka, such as Geographer Cafe or Stolen Cup. Then go to the Stadhuys Dutch Village to admire the famous red buildings. Also worth checking out the Christ Church (free to enter as long as mass service is not occurring). Afterwards, follow the path around to the A’Famosa Fort Ruins and climb the steps to Saint Paul’s Church Ruins. Make sure you read all the plaques scattered around to learn the history of the many battles and takeovers of the port city of Melaka.
Stay a-top the hill of Saint Paul’s Ruin for sunset. Then return to experience another night of food and fun at Jonker Street Weekend Market. If you fancy a few drinks afterwards, head to Reggae on the River for some casual drinks, live music and people-watching along the river.
Day 3- Melaka
Grab one of the best smoothie bowls in Malaysia at Trois a Navy Cafe. After you’ve had your fill, head to Sri Poyatha Temple before it closes at 11:30 am. Ensure you cover your knees, shoulders and chest before entering out of respect. Afterwards, head to Cheng Hoon Teng Chinese Temple just down the road. This is the oldest functional temple in Malaysia, and you can marvel at the architecture.
For lunch, head to Jonker 88, one of Melaka’s busiest and most popular eateries. Be prepared to wait a while to be seated, but it will be worth it for one of the best Laksa ever! Wash down your Laksa with a traditional Melakan dessert called Cendol, which you can purchase from nearby street sellers.
To get a more specific history of the different cultural groups in Melaka, spend the afternoon exploring two of Melaka’s best museums: Cheng Ho Museum and Baba and Nonya Museum. Afterwards, end the day at the Jonker Street Weekend Market, enjoying more delicious food.
Day 4- Melaka
Start the day with a full Western breakfast at Gravy Baby (a little bit expensive, but well worth it!). After breakfast, make sure you go to the museum complex behind Stadhuys Dutch Village. Depending on how much you love museums and your specific interests, you could spend days reading all the information at all the various museums. The first museum (the Stadhuys Museum) is a must-see as it gives a great overall history of Melaka over the centuries. There are so many museums to see in this complex, such as the People’s Museum, which focuses on the different ethnic groups which have inhabited Melaka, and the Museum of Beauty, which focuses on different beauty trends across the world.
After you’ve got your fill of museums, grab a quick lunch at one of the cafes along Jonker Street. Then head to the Taming Sari Revolving Tower for a 360 view of Melaka from above. Afterwards, enjoy a walk along the river heading to Villa Sentosa (also called Kampung Morten). Villa Sentosa is a living museum that is perfectly preserved and still inhabited by the family who owns the house. They run informal tours (more like chats) with a family member who gives insight into how local Melakans lived throughout the decades.
For your last evening in Melaka, head to Melaka Straits Mosque for sunset to see one of the most famous sights of Melaka illuminated by light. Head to Mamasita Mexican Restaurant for dinner to enjoy some happy hour margs and banging Mexican food.
Day 5- Melaka- KL
Wake up early and head to Seedella’s Workshop for breakfast. After a quick breakfast, jump on a bus heading to Kuala Lumpur.
Arrive in Kuala Lumpur and check into your hostel. Spend the early afternoon hanging out at KLCC Park and admiring the views of the Petronas Towers in the daytime. Stay until after dark at Petronas Towers to see the stunning towers lit up at night. Stay for the fountain light show and the general vibes around the park in the evening.
Then, head to Jalan Alor Food Street for dinner to try some local Malay cuisines. Then head to Changkat Bukit Bintang for drinks and dancing until the early hours of the morning.
Day 6- KL
Wake up (maybe a little hungover) and grab a leisurely brunch at LOKL Cafe just north of Chinatown. After brunch/lunch, spend the morning exploring the streets of Chinatown, including sights such as Sri Maha Mariamman temple and the Central Market, for some souvenir shopping.
Afterwards, walk to Jamek Mosque for a free guided tour of the main Mosque in the city. After your tour of the Mosque, go to Merdeka Square to learn about Malaysia’s independence.
Spend the late afternoon exploring Brickfields, a suburb known for its Malay-Indian culture. Grab an early dinner at Gandhi’s Vegetarian Restaurant before heading back to your hostel to get changed into your fanciest backpacker outfit. After, head to Skybar for the sunset to drink a few fancy cocktails and enjoy stunning views of the Petronas Towers lit up at night. If you fancy continuing the night, return to Changkat Bukit Bintang for drinks and dancing.
Day 7- KL
Grab breakfast somewhere quick and takeaway before jumping on a train heading for the famous Batu Caves. Spend the morning exploring the caves, taking photos of monkeys and getting that typical photo for the Gram on the rainbow steps.
Afterwards, jump in a taxi heading for the Genting Highlands. Grab lunch in the food court, where the cable car begins, before purchasing your ticket. Enjoy the stunning views from the cable car before arriving at your destination- the top of the Genting Highlands. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the theme park, opulent mall and other attractions before jumping on a bus and then a train back into the city.
Head to Hutong 10 food court (one of the most famous hawker markets in Malaysia) for dinner. Then, get an early night’s sleep before a big day of sightseeing tomorrow!
Day 8- KL
Wake up and grab brunch at Cafe ETC in Chinatown before a big day of walking and sightseeing. Start the day at the National Museum, learning about the history of Malaysia. Spend as little or as much time as you need exploring the massive museum (I spent around 4 hours).
Grab lunch at the restaurant outside of the museum before walking across the road to the Botanical Gardens. Spend the afternoon walking around the massive gardens taking in sights like Goose Island, the Spice Garden, the Orchid Garden and the Butterfly and Bird Parks if you fancy.
After you’ve worked up an appetite, head to the Hungry Tapir in Chinatown for a fancy last dinner in KL. If you feel like a night cup, head to one of the laneway or dive bars around Chinatown, such as Attic Bar. But ensure you get an early night before a big day to Taman Negara tomorrow!
Day 9- Taman Negara
Wake up early and grab a quick takeaway breakfast on your way to Han Travel agency. Ensure you have plenty of snacks and water because it’s a long travel day to Taman Negara! Once you arrive at Kuala Tembeling, make sure you opt for the boat transfer to Taman Negara (if you haven’t already booked this). Enjoy a scene 2 hour boat ride into Kuala Tahan (the main town in Taman Negara), where you’ll have the opportunity to spot wildlife on the river banks, such as monkeys and birds.
Once you arrive in Kuala Tahan at around 4 pm, settle into your accommodation, freshen up and then head back to the pier to enjoy dinner at one of the many floating restaurants.
After dinner, meet at the pier for a 1.5-hour guided night safari tour of the National Park. You’ll have a chance to spot scorpions, spiders, frogs, monkeys, snakes and, if you’re lucky, some bigger mammals.
Day 10- Taman Negara
Wake up early and head over to Mutiara Resort via a long boat to treat yourself to a full buffet-style breakfast there. After breakfast, meet your guide at the information centre in Mutiara Resort to begin your day tour. The standard day tour of Taman Negara includes a canopy walk, hiking up Bukit Teresek, rapid shooting and visiting an Indigenous community known as the Orang Asli people.
After wrapping up your day tour, enjoy some drinks and dinner at Ann’s Restaurant in the town centre. Make sure you try the Chicken Satay- it’s to die for!
Day 11- Taman Negara
Wake up early and head to Ann’s Restaurant for a traditional Malay breakfast of Roti Canai. After breakfast, head down to the Jetty to meet your guide to commence your Lata Berkoh day Tour. This tour will allow you to spot wildlife on the river bank, experience rapid shooting, complete a small hike and have a chance to swim in a beautiful waterfall.
After the tour ends at 4 pm, take a short walk to Lubok Simpon Waterhole. Here you can enjoy a late afternoon swim and chill out. On your walk back, stop in at Mutiara restaurant to treat yourself to a well-deserved meal and cocktail.
Day 12- Taman Negara
Enjoy one last breakfast at Ann’s Restaurant before packing up your things to meet the bus in town heading to Cameron Highlands. Make sure you stock up on snacks and water at the small shop in Kuala Tahan before you depart.
After a long travel day, you’ll arrive at Cameron Highlands at 4 pm. After checking into your hostel and freshening up, time to head to dinner. If it’s a Friday or Saturday night, make sure you head to the Weekend Night Market. Some specialities to try are tempura vegetables, sweet potato balls, nasi lemak with strawberry rice, smoking ice cream and strawberries and chocolate for dessert. Make sure you also grab some takeaway breakfast for tomorrow morning.
Day 13- Cameron Highlands
Wake up early (at least 30 minutes before sunrise) for your Mount Brinchang Sunrise Tour. Enjoy your takeaway breakfast while watching the sunrise over the highlands. Afterwards, head to a tea tasting and morning tea break at the famous BOH Tea Centre. Following this, complete a hike for a few hours in Mossy Forest.
The tour will finish at around midday, and after all the hiking, you’ll probably be starving. Head to Sri Brinchang for lunch to enjoy a hearty meal of Malay-Indian cuisine. Afterwards, Afterwards, walk to the Time Tunnel Museum to learn about the history of the Cameron Highlands. As you walk back, detour to visit Big Red Strawberry Farm. Here you can pick your own strawberries and try various strawberry-flavoured foods at their quirky strawberry-themed cafe.
For dinner, head to one of the best restaurants in the Cameron Highlands, Singh Chapati. This restaurant has delicious Indian cuisine and is one of the most popular dinner spots in Cameron Highlands for this reason.
Day 14- Cameron Highlands
Wake up early to enjoy a proper Western breakfast at Amsterdam Cafe. Make sure you have a hearty breakfast, as today will be a massive day of hiking. Walk just out of town to commence hiking Route 10, the most popular hike in the Cameron Highlands. Instead of hiking the whole route, return via Route 6 to enjoy the best and most diverse views. The end of Route 6 will take you to Bharat Tea Plantation, another super famous tea spot in the Cameron Highlands. Enjoy a tea tasting and some light lunch before hitchhiking back into Tanah Rata.
After you’ve freshened up from a big day of hiking, head to Mayflower restaurant to enjoy a Chinese Hot Pot. Then head to Rainforest Cafe for some casual drinks after a big day. If you want to have a bit of a night out, make your way to Traveller Bar for afters.
Day 15- Cameron Highlands- Penang
Wake up and enjoy a traditional Malay breakfast of Roti Canai at Bunga Suria restaurant. Afterwards, head to the bus station to board your bus to Georgetown, Penang.
After a long day on the bus, you should arrive in Georgetown by 4 pm. This will give you enough time to settle into your hostel before heading out for dinner. Check the night market schedule here and head to whichever night market is running, depending on the night of the week it is.
Day 16- Georgetown, Penang
Start the day off with breakfast from cult-classic cafe Yin’s Sourdough Bakery and Cafe (you won’t regret it). Afterwards, it’s time to commence a big day of walking and exploring Georgetown’s famous street art and sights. You can jump on a walking tour or hire a guide if you prefer, but you can easily find street art yourself. There’s street art on almost every corner in Georgetown, and they have plaques explaining the art and its meaning. Some of the main spots you can’t miss are Muntri Street, Weld Quay, Jalan Penang, Leith Street, Ah Quee Street and Armenian Street.
After you’ve worked up an appetite walking around Georgetown, head to Chew Jetty to grab some lunch from one of the local restaurants at the entrance. Then explore the Clan Jetties, starting with the most famous, the Chew Jetty. Afterwards, head to Fort Cornwallis to explore the 18th-century fort and learn more about the colonial history of Georgetown. At around 4 pm, make your way to the Komtar building. Head to “the top” Penang skywalk to watch the sunset over the city.
For dinner, head to wherever the night market is in Penang, depending on the night of the week. To wash down your dinner, head to Love Lane for casual drinks and watch the nightly fire shows.
Day 17- Georgetown, Penang
Enjoy a little sleep in before heading to the best brunch spot in Penang- Urban Daybreak. After gorging yourself on a full English breakfast or smoothie bowl, go to the Blue Mansion. At the Blue Mansion (also known as Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion), take an audio tour of the house to learn about the history of the historical figure Cheong Fatt Tze and the significance of the mansion to Penang History.
After the audio tour of the Blue Mansion, grab lunch at Teksen Restaurant (one of the top restaurants in Penang). You may have to queue for a while outside, but it is worth it, particularly for their famous pork dishes.
In the afternoon, head to Khoo Kongsi Clan House to learn about the history of Penang. Afterwards, walk to China House (another historical house) to learn about Chinese-Malay culture in Penang.
For dinner, head to Deens Maju to try their famous Nasi Kandar, a speciality dish originating from Penang. If you fancy heading out tonight, start the night at the Original Reggae Club on Love Lane. For dancing, go to Canteen (particularly if it’s a Friday/ Saturday night).
Day 18- Georgetown, Penang
Start the day with coffee and breakfast at Coffee Lane in Georgetown. Afterwards, jump in a grab to spend the morning or early afternoon at Kek Lok Si Temple. Make sure you take the cable car to the top, where you will be rewarded with panoramic views of Penang Island. Grab a quick lunch at Kek Lok Si Temple before jumping in a Grab heading toward the Botanical Gardens.
After spending some time walking the gardens and relaxing on the grass, commence the 3-hour hike through the jungle to Penang Hill. The hike starts from within the Botanical Gardens (the trail starts just to the left of the office). You may spot wild monkeys or other animals on this trail if you’re lucky.
Grab some lunch from one of the street vendors at Penang Hill before walking around to explore the area. If you’re still there around 5 pm, head behind the Hindu Temple to watch the sunset over the jungle.
For dinner, head to whichever night market is on, depending on the night of the week!
Day 19- Georgetown- Langkawi
Grab a hearty breakfast at Mugshot Cafe in preparation for a travel day to Langkawi.
Arrive by midday in Langkawi to allow you plenty of time to explore. As soon as you’ve checked into your hostel, jump in a Grab or rent a scooter to get to Pantai Kok Beach to relax, swim and detox for the rest of the afternoon. Just before sunset, return back to Cenang and head to Cenang Beach. Here you can watch the sunset with paragliders in the foreground. In the evening, the beach bars serve food, cocktails and often have fire shows.
For dinner, head to one of the local night markets, which change nightly depending on the day of the week. For the full schedule, check out my Langkawi blog here.
Day 20- Langkawi
Wake up early and grab breakfast at a local restaurant called Bella’s. This restaurant serves dishes like Roti Canai but also simple Western breakfast options. Afterwards, head back to your accommodation to be picked up for your tour of the Kilim Geoforest.
Spend the rest of the day on this popular day tour exploring bat caves, seeing wildlife like eagles and monkeys and swimming on remote islands.
When you return back to Cenang, head to Bobi’s restaurant for delicious Malay food for dinner and also affordable cocktails. Kick the night off by heading to One Love Club for more drinks and dancing. If you fancy a super late night, head to Tulak for afters.
Day 21- Langkawi
Start the day with a delicious smoothie bowl from Indiana Cafe and Yoga. Afterwards, jump in a grab en route to the Langkawi Cable Car entry. Spend the morning riding the cable car to enjoy panoramic views of the island. Make sure you also check out the sky bridge for insane views!
Grab a quick lunch at one of the restaurants near the entrance of the cable car park. Then jump in another taxi for a short drive to Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls. Spend the afternoon hiking from the bottom to the top waterfalls, swimming in the waterfalls and hopefully not getting robbed by the many monkeys around.
After you’re done swimming, get a Grab to whichever night market is on that night, depending on the day of the week. Afterwards, grab a dessert crepe from My French Factory near Cenang Beach to celebrate your last night in Malaysia!
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