Melaka Day Trip from Kuala Lumpur in One Day

This is your departure point for the coach to Melaka Sentral. Starting here leaves the day’s sightseeing for Melaka’s compact old town and gives you one clear terminal to return to before travelling back to Kuala Lumpur.

Melaka Sentral is where your coach arrives and where you return for the ride back to TBS. From the terminal, make your way to Dutch Square, then spend the rest of the day on foot in the heritage core.

StadthuysChrist Church

The Stadthuys was completed in 1650 and served as the Dutch governors’ residence and office until British control began in 1824. Christ Church was completed in 1753; its red exterior dates to 1911, and it remains an active Anglican church. The square brings the Stadthuys and Christ Church together in one compact stop. The Stadthuys houses the History and Ethnography Museum, with displays on Portuguese and Dutch artefacts, Peranakan domestic life and Malay heritage.

The Portuguese built a fortress around St. Paul’s Hill, completed in 1548, and also built a church on the hilltop. The Dutch later made the church a Protestant church and named it St. Paul’s Church. Climb to the hilltop church ruins, identified with the remains of the Portuguese-built Chapel of Our Lady of the Hill. The old fort once stood around the hill, linking this stop to the nearby gate at A Famosa.

Porta de Santiago was a gate of the Portuguese fortress, A Famosa. The British-directed dismantling of the fort began in 1795, when Melaka and its fortress were temporarily handed over to the British. Pause at Porta de Santiago, the only standing physical remnant of Melaka’s fort. Its position close to St Paul’s Hill makes it an easy continuation of the morning’s walk.

The museum presents a palace design based on the Malay Annals’ account of Sultan Mansur Shah’s era. Its exhibits include palace models, traditional clothing, ornaments, weapons and pottery. The palace design and displays offer a different look from the nearby fort remains. Take time with the models and objects before heading towards Jonker Street for lunch.

Jonker Street, also known as Jalan Hang Jebat, lies in the older section of Melaka City, placing this named street within the city’s older area. Browse antique shops for artifacts and collectibles, with some pieces dating back as far as 300 years. Art galleries, food outlets and souvenir shops give you more places to browse, pause for a meal or pick up a memento.

Cheng Hoon Teng was founded in the 1600s by Chinese Kapitan Tay Kie Ki, also known as Tay Hong Yong. It served as a place of worship and as an administrative centre and court for the Kapitans. The temple’s main hall honours Kuan Yin, and its prayer halls are associated with Taoist, Confucian and Buddhist traditions. The complex remains an active place of worship.

The Chan family acquired the three terrace lots in 1861. Four generations lived in the house before it opened as the Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum in March 1985. Look closely at Thia Besar, the reception hall, where tall panels carry Chinese silk embroidery beside wood-and-marble furniture. Elsewhere, Dutch, Portuguese, Malay and colonial design influences meet lavish blackwood pieces and rooms with Peranakan touches, giving you plenty of detail to compare.

We found a tour for this stop

Malacca Shore Excursion with Tour Guide & Baba Nyonya Lunch

5.0 (1 review)4–6 hours

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The Melaka River Cruise, a boat service along the river, was officially launched on 11 November 2005. Its launch marked the start of the cruise service in Melaka. Take in Melaka’s landmarks from the river, watching for the Stadthuys, Kampung Morten, river murals and the Church of St. Francis Xavier. The route also passes Kampung Jawa Bridge, dated to 1714, and a night-time rhythmic water fountain.