During my recent trip to several Southeast Asian countries, I had the opportunity to travel to Malaysia for 6 days (Malaysia itinerary 6 days). Have a chance to visit the capital of Kuala Lumpur, the famous island of Penang and the oldest city of Malaysia is Melaka (Malacca). In this article I would like to share my Malaysia travel itinerary for 6 days with a few experiences I have gained after the trip. Hope to help you make a perfect travel plan to Malaysia! Now, let’s check it out on how to spend 6 days in Malaysia on a budget trip!

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Downtown of Kuala Lumpur
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One of the most famous paintings in Georgetown, Penang

Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia, is the federal constitutional monarchy nation, including 13 states and 3 federal territories. Geographically, Malaysia is divided into two parts, the peninsula and another part of Borneo Island. Malaysia is a multicultural and ethnic nation, considering Islam as the state religion.

1 day in Melaka Sailing on the Malacca River (1)
Malacca river
Street food Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Street food in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The traditional nasi lemak -kuala lumpur
The traditional Nasi Lemak dish, the national dish of Malaysia.

How to get to Malaysia?

The simplest and easiest and sometimes cheapest way to get to Malaysia is by air, travelers will fly to the capital of Kuala Lumpur or Penang. However, there is another way is by road from Singapore. This way is for those who go to Singapore and then go to Malaysia for convenient. And this also is the way I went before.

Getting from Singapore to Malaysia

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Singapore MRT

If you traveling from Singapore to Malaysia by road, first take the MRT to Woodland MRT station (NS9 station on the map, the red line). Get off this station, you go down to the basement, head to the bus stop right there. Find the bus number 950 or ask the staff here, they will enthusiastically help you. You take this bus to Woodland Checkpoint to exit Singapore.

Read more:

Woodlands MRT Station
Woodlands MRT Station
mrt singapore map
MRT Singapore map

After completing entry procedures, you continue get on the bus to pass the bridge connecting Singapore and Malaysia to arrive at the entry border into Malaysia. The bus will drop you off at the Johor Bahru Checkpoint border gate for you to walk into and making the entry procedures on Malaysia.

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Heavy traffic on the Causeway linking Singapore and Malaysia
Woodlands Checkpoint
Inside Woodlands Checkpoint

After completing the entry procedures into Malaysia at the main hall, you continue walking to the left side and then down a small stairs. Remember, do not follow the crowded towards the JB Sentral shopping center. After go down the stairs, there is a small bus terminal here, you take the bus to the Larkin Sentral Terminal in Johor Bahru. Ticket price is about 1.8RM/person.

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Bus from Singapore to Johor Bahru, Malaysia

After arriving at the Larkin Sentral Terminal, you buy intercity bus tickets to Kuala Lumpur, Penang or Melaka depending on the itinerary. Usually, I see people will going to Kuala Lumpur first. However, our group went to Penang first, then went from Penang -> Kuala Lumpur -> Melaka -> Kuala Lumpur.

Larkin Sentral Terminal
Larkin Sentral Terminal, Johor Bahru.

Link to buy tickets you can refer here: Travel Bus Pass for Johor Bahru and Singapore.

The most convenient way to get to Malaysia is to rent a private car, the car will pick up at the hotel, you can refer to and book here: Private City Transfers between Singapore and Johor Bahru.

Getting around Malaysia

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LRT Rapid Train, Kuala Lumpur

Traveling in Malaysia, our group mainly traveling by train for remote places and walk for the near spots. Only in Penang is I cycling around the old town of Georgetown to visit and take pictures of some places with paintings on the walls.

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Kelana Jaya route

Read more: Guide to LRT Kuala Lumpur — LRT Kuala Lumpur route, timetable & fare.

After taking bus from Johor Bahru to Penang for 2 days of exploring, I continued to travel from Penang to Kuala Lumpur. I have written an article sharing my travel experience of Penang, if you want to go to Penang, you should take a look here! Buses from Penang to KL Sentral station in Kuala Lumpur take about 5-6 hours.

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KL Sentral Station

After arrive Kuala Lumpur from Penang, it is also around 9am and 10pm, we catch the MRT to Bukit Bintang station near the our hotel. Then walk to the hotel only 500m – 600m away.

Where to stay?

The hotel in Penang we stayed is Chulia Heritage Hotel. Room rates are around 170 RM for double rooms and 250 RM for triple rooms, excluding breakfast.

Chulia Heritage Hotel
Chulia Heritage Hotel

A 3-star hotel with room rates from $15/night (You can check rates, reviews and book on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

The hotel in Kuala Lumpur that we have stayed is the Alor Boutique Hotel. This place is quite easy to find and away from Bukit Bintang train station is only a few hundred meters so it is very convenient for transportation. The hotel is also located at the beginning of Jalan Alor, the food street at night is bustling and crowded. Standing at the high position of the hotel you can see its bustle.

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Street view from Alor Boutique Hotel

A 3-star hotel with room rates from $18/night (You can check rates, reviews and book on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

See more: Where to stay in KL? — Top 8 best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur for the first-timers.

The hotel in Melaka that we stayed is Ola Lavanderia Cafe, with room rates at 72RM. This hotel model is dorm type, the bed is also quite spacious, clean, comfortable and quiet.

Ola Lavanderia Cafe
Ola Lavanderia Cafe

A top rated hostel with room rates from $8/night (You can check rates, reviews and book on Booking.com).

6 days in Malaysia: Day 1 — Singapore – Penang

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Johor Bahru at night.

The first day I traveled by road from Singapore to Johor Bahru and then to Penang. In the morning, I still have enough time to wandering some places in Singapore before go to Johor Bahru. I depart from Singapore at around 10am to 11am and check-in hotel in Penang is at 1am to 2am the next day. I spend almost a full day to move.

Malaysia itinerary 6 days: Day 2 — Penang

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Penang city at night

This day I spent exploring some tourist attractions of George Town and Penang Hill. I choose a bike to ride for convenient because the attractions are also close to each other. Because the hotel offers free bikes, it is also great to help me don’t have to pay a bike rental fee. However, the bikes at the hotel is not very good, some bikes are damaged, has a lot of flat tires and no pump available. So, if you rent a bike in Penang, remember check it first. You can user bike rental sevice of the LinkBike, quite good.

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Georgetown, Penang
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Georgetown street
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Old houses of Georgetown

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Here are a few places to visit in Penang that I have visited, mainly in the old town of George Town. These places are quite close to each other so you can rent a bike or walk.

Chocolate and Coffee Museum

In my opinion, this is actually a shop selling and displaying Chocolate and candies. Maybe they call the museum to raise its valuable. Inside I see them displaying images that simulate the process of making Chocolate, and also combine with selling cakes, Chocolate candies or some products made from chocolate.

Chocolate and Coffee museum
The 10-step process of making chocolate is beautifully painted on the wall.
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Drawings chart of annual chocolate consumption per capita of countries.

Address: 22, Leith St, Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Hours: 9AM–6PM

Camera Museum and the mosque

Penang camera museum
Camera museum

After visiting this Chocolate Museum for a while, I cycled through the nearby Camera Museum (Address: 71 (1st Floor, Lebuh Armenian, Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia / Hours: 10AM–6PM). Then I rode my bike to the famous Kapitan Keling Mosque (Address: 14, Jalan Buckingham, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia / Hours: 11:30AM–1PM, 2–4PM, 5–6:30PM; Friday: 2:30–4PM, 5–6:30PM), not far from here.

Penang camera museum
Inside museum
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Exterior view of Kapitan Keling Mosque
Kapitan Keling Mosque penang (2)
Inside

Clock Tower and Fort Cornwallis

After taking a picture and resting here for a while, we cycled to the beach embankment to play. Also go to the Clock Tower and Fort Cornwallis nearby.

A section of the coastal embankment, I don't remember which one. This part is near Fort Fort Cornwallis
A section of the coastal embankment, I don’t remember which one. This part is near Fort Fort Cornwallis

I went to the clock tower to visit, taking photos for a while and then visit Fort Cornwallis nearby.

The Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower (Jubilee Clock Tower) (1)
Clock Tower, next to it is a rather large roundabout
 (2)| best places to visit in penang malaysia
The Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower (Jubilee Clock Tower)

Fort Cornwallis is the oldest and largest fortress in Malaysia today. It was built in the early 18th century, when Malaysia was still is British colonial. Francis Light is in charge of monitoring this construction. The fortress was created to protect an important trade sea route from pirates and the French. Currently the fort is still quite intact because it has never been attacked.

Fort Cornwallis

Fort Cornwallis penang
This fort is not very large, walking around about 30 minutes is the end.

Address: Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Hours: 9AM–10PM

Penang Street Art

After finishing the tour to visit Cornwallis fort, I cycling around to look for Street Art locations to take pictures. If you have a lot of time or spend time to go around the small streets in the old town of Georgetown have many such drawings. Below are some pictures on the walls that I have the opportunity to take.

penang street art

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Everyone wants to pose with pictures.
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And it’s quite funny.
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The paintings look like real.
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These two sisters are equally famous.

Penang Hill

Going around for a while until noon, we went back to the hotel to send the bike and then had lunch on Lebuh Chulia street. Then take a rest and catch Grab to Penang Hill to visit.

The station at the foot of Penang Hill, buy an entrance tickets here. In the distance, there are train tracks going up the hill.

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The station at the foot of Penang Hill, buy an entrance tickets here. In the distance, there are train tracks going up the hill.
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When the train is slowly climbing up the hill. Because I am standing right near the beginning of the machine so I can see its tracks very clearly.
Penang-Hill
Penang Hill | malaysia itinerary 6 days

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