Looking for the perfect day trip from Johor Bahru? While there are plenty of things to do in JB, sometimes you want to escape the city bustle.
After searching for relaxed day trip ideas, I kept seeing one recommendation pop up online: Kluang. Known for its local coffee culture, vibrant street art, and slower pace of life, it sounded like a wonderful getaway.
However, our own carelessness almost ruined the trip before it even started! If you’re planning a Kluang day trip from JB, here is our honest itinerary, what went wrong, and how you can avoid making the same expensive mistakes.
Pre-Trip Essentials: Getting Connected
Before jumping across the border from Singapore or heading out from Johor Bahru, make sure your data is sorted. Navigating train schedules and booking rides on the go requires a reliable internet connection. I highly recommend grabbing a digital SIM card beforehand. You can easily secure your Klook Southeast Asia eSIM online to get connected the second you arrive in Malaysia.
How to Get to Kluang from JB Sentral by Train
We planned to take the train from JB Sentral to Kluang, which is usually a quick, budget-friendly one-hour ride. You can book the tickets on the official website.
Learn From Our Mistake: Double-Check Your Tickets!
We arrived at the station, ready to board, only to realize we had booked the wrong date for our train tickets.
It was an incredibly stressful start. Luckily, there were still seats left on the next scheduled train. We had to buy brand-new tickets on the spot (RM165: round-trip tickets for 3), but at least our day trip wasn’t canceled.
Boarding Process: At JB Sentral, we boarded the train at Platform B. Once you have the correct ticket, the process is simple: scan your barcode at the turnstile, find your coach, and head to your seat number. A conductor will walk through the cabins to verify your tickets during the journey.
First Impressions of Kluang Railway Station
When we stepped off the train, I was pleasantly surprised. The Kluang station is newly renovated, clean, and modern.
Traveler Tip: As soon as you exit, independent drivers might approach you offering unofficial local tours. Since we couldn’t verify if they were licensed, we politely declined and decided to explore Kluang on our own.
Best Things to Do in Kluang: Our Day Trip Itinerary
1. Breakfast at Kluang Railway Coffee
Walking distance from station: ~2 minutes
Our very first stop was the iconic Kluang Railway Coffee. This is easily the most famous breakfast spot in town, so expect a brief wait for a table.
We kept it classic and ordered their signature Kaya Toast paired with local iced coffee. It’s a simple, traditional, and incredibly satisfying way to kick off your morning.
2. Take Photos at Laman Pesona Lane (Mural Art)
Next, we took a short walk over to Laman Pesona Lane to admire the local street art.
Did you know that the name Kluang comes from the Malay word Keluang, which means fruit bat? Because of this, you’ll spot a lot of creative, bat-inspired designs hidden in the murals. My favorites were the colorful paintings depicting local heritage and everyday Malaysian life. It’s a beautiful, relaxed spot for photos.
3. Buy Traditional Snacks at Tong Huat Confectionery
From the art lane, we headed to Tong Huat Traditional Confectionery. This famous Chinese bakery is legendary for its authentic salty bean cake (Tau Sar Piah).
They actually enforce a strict limit of 10 packs per person because it’s so popular! We just bought one pack to sample, and it lived up to the hype—perfectly flaky and savory.
4. Visit the Kluang Coffee Powder Factory
Walking time from town center: ~15 minutes
No trip here is complete without visiting the Kluang Coffee Powder Factory. On our way there, we walked through the scenic Sungai Mengkibol Riverside Park for a quick break.
An honest warning: The walk to the factory in the midday heat was brutal. Even with a UV umbrella and a portable fan, the lack of pedestrian-friendly sidewalks made it exhausting.
The Verdict: When we arrived, we headed straight to their air-conditioned cafe to cool down with some drinks. If you are expecting an in-depth, guided factory tour, you might be slightly disappointed. It’s more of a self-guided viewing area where you can watch the staff roast and pack coffee through glass windows. Still interesting, but quite brief!
Escaping the Heat: Lunch & Shopping
By lunchtime, the Malaysian sun was completely unforgiving. Our original plan was to head to either Yean Kee Beef Noodle or Tangkak Beef Kluang, two incredibly famous local spots that I was highly anticipating.
However, looking at the map, they were simply too far from the Kluang Coffee Powder Factory to walk to in that blistering weather. Defeated by the heat, we resorted to the nearby Xian Fu Hawker Center instead. While the food there was perfectly affordable, the intense humidity made it hard to fully enjoy the meal. We ordered a Bak Kut Teh that had high reviews online, but I found the taste quite bland and the serving not very generous.
Exhausted from trying to travel on foot, we decided to cut our outdoor itinerary short. (If the heat doesn’t bother you, you can check out the hiking trail Gunung Lambak). We called a Grab ride and headed straight to Sunway Kluang Mall to seek refuge in some precious air conditioning. We stocked up on cold drinks at the supermarket and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing at OldTown White Coffee while waiting for our return train.
Disaster Strikes: How We Missed Our Train (Again!)
When it was time to head back to JB, we took a quick 5-minute Grab ride to the station. But as we walked up, we watched our train pull away.
Yes, we somehow managed to miss the train twice in a single day. This time, we had simply misread the departure time on our tickets. The next available train wasn’t until 9:00 PM, a painful 4-hour wait.
Desperate to return to Johor Bahru, we needed to go back to Singapore the next day as part of our 9-day itinerary. We opened our ride-hailing apps:
Our first Grab driver accepted, then called and aggressively asked us to cancel the trip.
Luckily, a second driver accepted the long-distance fare.
The ride back to JB took 2 hours and cost us nearly RM160. It was a very expensive lesson in time management!
Essential Kluang Travel Tips For Your Trip
If you’re planning your own JB to Kluang day trip, keep these tips in mind so your day goes smoother than ours:
- The 30-Minute Rule: Arrive at the train station at least 30 minutes before your departure time. The gate closes 5 minutes before departure. The trains are punctual!
- Don’t Trust Your Memory: Double-check (and triple-check) the exact date and time on your PDF tickets before you leave your hotel.
- Ditch the Walking: Kluang’s roads aren’t highly optimized for pedestrians, and the tropical heat is draining. Save your energy and use Grab to move between attractions—rides are cheap and fast.
Final Thoughts: Is Kluang Worth Visiting?
Despite our chaotic train mishaps and the exhausting heat, Kluang absolutely has its own pocket of unique charm. From the rich heritage of its local coffee culture to the vibrant murals and delicious traditional bakeries, it offers a beautifully slow-paced contrast to the bustling streets of Johor Bahru.
However, to give you my absolute honest recommendation: Kluang is a great, quick stop if you happen to be passing through or are deeply passionate about old-school Malaysian coffee culture. But if your schedule is tight, I would not go out of my way to add Kluang to your Malaysia itinerary. We asked the locals for recommendations on things to do in Kluang, but they said there wasn’t much. A half-day here is actually enough, unless you plan to go hiking.
If you are mapping out a larger trip across the region, you can see how we paced our time better by checking out our comprehensive 9-day itinerary, which highlights exactly where to spend your days for maximum value.
As for me? Between the trauma of missing two trains and paying for an RM160 Grab ride back to JB, I think I’ll be staying away from the “Bat Town” for a little while!
