Melaka
A historic port city on the Straits of Malacca and, with George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The historic port city
Melaka is a historic port city on the Straits of Malacca, about two and a half hours by coach from Kuala Lumpur. With George Town it forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2008; Melaka's part of the listing covers the 15th-century Malay sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods that followed, seen in its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications. The red Stadthuys and Dutch Square are the centre of the old town, and a 45-minute river cruise runs past the heritage quarter daily. "Melaka" is the official English spelling.
Explore Melaka on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
The unmissable Melaka
What to do in Melaka
The old town, the river and the state museums are all close together.
The old town
- Start at Dutch Square and the Stadthuys, known locally as the Red House.
- Go inside the Stadthuys for the History and Ethnography Museum.
- Walk Jonker Street across the river.
On the river
- Board the Melaka River Cruise at the Taman Rempah or Quayside jetty for the nine-kilometre round trip.
- From the boat, look for the murals, Kampung Morten, the Church of St Francis Xavier and Kampung Hulu Mosque.
- After dark the route includes a water fountain display that the operator lists as night-time only.
Museums
- The Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum is modelled on the palace of Sultan Mansur Shah.
- The Maritime Museum is housed in a replica of the ship Flor de la Mar, opened in 1994.
- The Submarine Museum shows a retired French-built Agosta 70 submarine.
One full day in Melaka
Old town, museums and river
Begin at Dutch Square and the Stadthuys museum, continue to the Sultanate Palace and Maritime museums, walk Jonker Street, and finish with the Melaka River Cruise after dark.
From Kuala Lumpur and around the old town
Most visitors come by road from Kuala Lumpur.
From Kuala Lumpur
- Coaches run from the TBS terminal in Kuala Lumpur to Melaka Sentral.
- Transnasional lists departures through the day, from early morning to evening.
In the old town
- Dutch Square, the Stadthuys and Jonker Street are within walking distance of one another.
- The river cruise has two boarding points, at Taman Rempah and Quayside.
Melaka at a glance
From the operators and the museums corporation.
Listed jointly with George Town.
Daily from 9am to 11pm, as listed by the operator.
The museums corporation runs 21 museums and 9 galleries, open Tuesday to Sunday.
Why the old town is listed
The listing recognises five centuries of exchange between East and West on this strait.
The listing
- Melaka and George Town developed through 500 years of trade and cultural exchange in the Straits of Malacca.
- Melaka's share of the story begins with the Malay sultanate, before the Portuguese and Dutch periods.
What it means on the ground
- The heritage is described as both tangible and intangible: buildings, and the communities that use them.
- Mosques, temples and churches on the river route are working places of worship as well as sights.
Planning notes
Two checks before fixing the day.
Timing
- The state museums, including the one in the Stadthuys, are closed on Mondays.
- The river cruise runs until 11pm; an evening sailing also takes in the fountain display.
- For the south-west coast the meteorological department records the most rain in October and November and the least in February.
Pace
- Keep the old town for walking and the museums for the hotter middle of the day.
Frequently asked
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