A two-week itinerary for Malaysia may feel a little rushed, but you will still get to experience the best bits: Melaka, KL, Cameron Highlands and Penang. This Malaysia itinerary will take you from cities to tea plantations, on street art tours and will include many great night markets. Do you have longer than two weeks and are looking for a longer Malaysia itinerary? Check out my 21-day and 30–day Malaysia itineraries. Are you a bit short on time? Then my 7–day Malaysia itinerary may be just right 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 make your way 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 the second destination on this Malaysia itinerary: 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 day time. 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
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 7- KL
Wake up (maybe a little hungover) and grab a leisurely breakfast at LOKL Cafe just north of Chinatown. After breakfast, 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, make your way to Merdeka Square to learn about Malaysia’s independence.
Then, head to the National Museum to learn 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 dinner in KL. 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 8- KL
Grab an early breakfast from Cafe ETC in Chinatown before packing up your things to meet the bus in town. Today you are heading off to the third destination on your Malaysia itinerary: the Cameron Highlands.
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 9- 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 10- 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, come back to 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 11- 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 your final destination on your Malaysia itinerary: 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 12- 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 13- 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, make your way 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 14- Georgetown, Penang
Start your final day of this Malaysia itinerary 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 to behind the Hindu Temple to watch the sunset over the jungle before departing in the evening!
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