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Thinking about exploring the best of Singapore and Malaysia in one trip? I’ve got you covered! I recently returned from a wonderful 9-day journey, splitting my time between Singapore’s vibrant city streets and Malaysia’s hidden gems, such as Johor Bahru (JB) and Kluang.
Unlike frantic, rushed itineraries, this trip was all about catching up with local friends, soaking in the neighborhood vibes, cafe hopping, and seeing a few classic sights at a leisurely pace.
✈️ Trip Overview & Quick Links
- Best Cross-Border Connectivity: Klook Southeast Asia Multi-Country eSIM
- Where to Stay in Johor Bahru: Amari Johor Bahru (Spacious & near the border)
- Where to Stay in Singapore: V Hotel Bencoolen (Unmatched MRT access)
Day 1: Arrival in Singapore & Traveling to Johor Bahru (JB)
We kicked off our trip with a morning flight, landing at Singapore’s world-famous Changi Airport around noon.
Travel Tip: Before arriving Singapore and Malaysia, make sure you submit the Singapore Arrival Card and Malaysia Digital Arrival Card.
Changi Airport now features advanced automated e-gates for almost all passport holders. Immigration is lightning-fast, leaving you plenty of time to grab lunch or explore the airport facilities before you head out!
After a quick lunch at Penang Culture, we caught a cross-border bus straight to Johor Bahru. I will share my experience in a separate post. When we arrived in Malaysia, the queue was quite long for the manual immigration counter. The Malaysian immigration took about 40 minutes. It was a smooth process overall.
On our way to the hotel, we passed by Rotiboy, a famous bakery chain known for its incredible coffee buns. The queue was massive, so we decided to drop our bags off first and try our luck afterward.
After checking into the Amari Johor Bahru we headed right back. Even though the line was still super long, we only ended up waiting about 10 minutes to snag our very first Rotiboy buns. They were fresh out of the oven and piping hot. Honestly, the buns were really good and definitely lived up to the hype! No wonder everyone was lining up.
Afterward, we headed over to Johor Bahru City Square to look for dinner. The mall is currently undergoing renovations, so a lot of the shops were closed, but we eventually wandered down to the basement level and had a great dinner at Oriental Kopi.
Day 2: Exploring Johor Bahru’s Local Culture & Heritage
Our second day was dedicated to exploring the historic and cultural streets right near our hotel. If you love local shops and beautiful architecture, you’ll absolutely love this walking route!
A Morning of Culture & Coffee
We kicked off the morning with breakfast at Zus Coffee to fuel up for the day. Right after, a stunning Hindu temple caught our eye: the Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple.
Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple
The temple is open daily to both local devotees and tourists. When we arrived, a friendly staff member let us know that we needed to remove our shoes before entering. There’s also a dress code; both shoulders and knees must be covered, and you’ll need to take off any caps or sunglasses. Don’t worry if you’re wearing shorts, though! They kindly provide robes for visitors to cover up. It’s a gorgeous, respectful place that is well worth a visit.
Strolling Down Jalan Tan Hiok Nee
Next, we wandered over to Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, a beautiful heritage street with a distinct old-town charm. It’s absolutely perfect for morning photos and a bit of shopping.
Naturally, we had to stop by the famous Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory to grab their signature banana cakes. Luckily, we only waited in line for about five minutes. Personally, I found the banana cakes to be quite normal—in a good way! They were nice, moist, and soft, but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way or wait in a massive line for them.
While exploring, I also spotted my favorite chocolate brand, Beryl’s, and just had to pop in to see what new products they had. I held off on buying anything just yet, though, since we didn’t want to carry chocolate around with us all day! To round out our morning, we checked out the Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum to learn a bit more about the history of the area.
After a busy morning, we grabbed lunch at Roast & Coffee and then headed back to the hotel for a quick, well-deserved break.
Afternoon Market Hopping
In the afternoon, we decided to check out some of the local markets, starting with B5 Johor Street Market.
We took a Grab there, and our driver was incredibly friendly! The driver chatted with us the whole way, pointing out different spots as we passed by. He was actually pretty surprised we were heading to B5, mentioning that it isn’t really a tourist hotspot and recommending Bazar JB instead.
He wasn’t wrong! When we arrived on a weekend afternoon, B5 was incredibly quiet, and a lot of the stalls were closed. Because of that, we wandered over to Maslee Supermarket instead. I actually loved it there because the prices were so affordable. We picked up some bottled water and local snacks. Honestly, it’s a fantastic spot to stock up on local treats!
Right across from the supermarket is Angsana Mall, so we popped over to explore. About half of the mall is dedicated to traditional Malay clothing and accessories. We ended up stopping for a quick ice cream break at Rollney before making our way back to the hotel.
Dinner & Night Markets
To wrap up our day, we had a delicious Japanese dinner at Kokoro Don & Noodle. Afterward, we went to check out Bazar JB (Bazar Karat).
Travel Tip: Don’t arrive too early when visiting Bazar JB! We got there a bit ahead of schedule while the stalls were still setting up. The market primarily caters to locals selling daily goods. It actually reminded me a bit of Hong Kong’s Ladies’ Market.
Day 3: A Day Out at Legoland Malaysia & Evening Heritage Walk
On our third day, we headed out to Legoland Malaysia. This is easily one of the biggest highlights of the Johor Bahru area. Legoland is a great addition to the itinerary, especially if you’re traveling with family or die-hard Lego fans!
Travel Tip: If you’re planning a visit, I highly recommend booking your discounted tickets online from Klook, as buying them directly at the ticket counter is definitely more expensive.
Honestly, the park was a bit of a disappointment for us. So we ended up wrapping up our time there much earlier than expected. (I’ll be sharing a full breakdown of my experience in a separate post, so stay tuned!)
Since we had some extra time on our hands, we headed back to Jalan Tan Hiok Nee for some relaxed wandering and shopping. I think this might officially be my favorite street in JB! It has such a gorgeous old-town feel, making it the perfect place to slow down, explore, and snap some photos.
First things first: we swung by Beryl’s so I could finally pick up the chocolates I’d been eyeing the day before. After securing the goods, we treated ourselves to some amazing ice cream at The Ice Cream Project.
By the time evening rolled around, we were pretty exhausted from the long day. So we decided to treat ourselves to a comforting meal at Arashi Shabu-Shabu. We dropped our shopping bags off at the hotel, headed out for dinner, and then officially called it a day.
Day 4: An Authentic Day Trip to Kluang from Johor Bahru
For a change of pace, we took a day trip to Kluang. If you want a travel experience that feels significantly quieter, less crowded, and more local than Johor Bahru, Kluang is a really interesting addition to the itinerary. However, one thing to note is that it isn’t the most pedestrian-friendly town to walk around.
This actually turned out to be a highly memorable day for us because—for the first time in all our travel history—we actually missed our train! It was a bit stressful at the moment, but looking back, it’s definitely a funny travel memory. Despite the train mishap, the smaller-town scenery was a beautiful breath of fresh air before we headed back to the city. I’ll be sharing the full story, my honest review of Kluang, and exactly how to avoid making our mistake in a separate blog post soon, so stay tuned!
Day 5: Crossing the Border by Train from Malaysia to Singapore
After a wonderful few days exploring Malaysia, it was time to take the train across the border back to Singapore. Once we arrived, we checked into our hotel and grabbed a quick lunch at Food Dynasty in the Lazada One building, which was just a few minutes away. Afterward, we took some well-deserved time to unpack, unwind, and rest up.
Later in the afternoon, we set out to explore Tanjong Pagar. This neighborhood has a completely different energy from Johor Bahru, beautifully mixing sleek, modern skyscrapers with historic shophouses. It was such a lovely, low-stress area to ease ourselves into Singapore without feeling rushed at all. One hilarious surprise, though, there were so many wild chickens roaming around the area!
To wrap up a great first day back, we met up with a friend for dinner at The Blue Ginger, a fantastic nearby Peranakan (Nyonya) restaurant. It was the perfect end to the evening!
Day 6: Nature at Mandai Boardwalk, Immersive Science at Exploria, & Plaza Singapura
Day 6 was all about balance. We started our morning at the Mandai Wildlife Boardwalk, which is a brilliant, incredibly calm nature stop. It felt so refreshing to surround ourselves with lush greenery and experience a completely different, quieter side of Singapore.
Next, we headed over to Exploria, a super fun, immersive center where you can learn all about our planet. We ended up spending a few hours exploring their five interactive zones, finally wrapping things up around 5:00 PM.
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped by Plaza Singapura for a little well-deserved retail therapy and caught dinner at Nando’s. Honestly, balancing nature, education, and a bit of shopping made this day feel incredibly fulfilling without being exhausting at all!
Day 7: Singapore Culture Walk (Chinatown, Little India, & Suntec City)
Day 7 was easily one of my absolute favorite days of the entire trip because it gave us such a beautifully diverse view of Singapore’s cultural tapestry. We packed the day with some incredible stops:
- Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre: A fantastic, immersive spot to learn all about the unique local heritage.
- The Fountain of Wealth at Suntec City: This massive, iconic landmark is so cool. You can actually walk around the base of the fountain for some good luck!
- Chinatown & Little India: Two vibrant neighborhoods bursting with color, rich history, and mouth-watering street food. Walking through both back-to-back really showcases the beautiful diversity of the city.
If you love cultural history, vibrant architecture, and neighborhood food walks, dedicating a full day to these areas is an absolute must for your Singapore vacation!
Day 8: Iconic Singapore Sights, Cute Cafes, & Catching Up with Friends
Day 8 gave us that classic, picture-perfect “Singapore travel feeling.” We started our Saturday morning at Merlion Park to see the famous statue up close, followed by a lovely stroll through the luxurious Marina Bay Sands Shoppes.
Since it was the weekend, I got to meet up with my friends who work in Singapore for a wonderful lunch at White Restaurant in Suntec City. Afterward, we spent the afternoon exploring the trendy, vibrant murals of Haji Lane, hanging out with the sweet resident kitties at Meowmi Cafe, and doing a bit of window shopping around Bugis.
We ended this quintessential Singapore day with a delicious, comforting dinner at Geylang Claypot Rice, the perfect wrap-up to an amazing Saturday!
Day 9: Souvenir Shopping at Jewel Changi Airport & Departure
On our final morning, we had one last catch-up breakfast with our friend at Toast Box before heading off to Changi Airport. Our flight back to Hong Kong ended up being delayed, which actually gave us the perfect excuse to hunt down the delicious gelato our friend had recommended inside Jewel Changi!
I honestly wish we had a bit more time to explore the rest of Jewel’s massive indoor waterfall and canopy parks. However, because of our train mishap in Kluang earlier in the trip, we were way too paranoid about missing our flight to wander too far off. Plus, our flight was departing from Terminal 4, which is a bit of a distance from Jewel Changi, so we decided to play it safe.
💡 First-Timer Tip: If it’s your first time visiting, definitely budget a few extra hours just to explore the airport. You can even book your Jewel Changi Attraction Passes online ahead of time to experience the canopy bridges and mazes!
Essential Travel Resources for This Itinerary
📱 Staying Connected
Instead of dealing with multiple physical SIM cards or expensive roaming charges, I booked the Klook Southeast Asia eSIM. It automatically switched networks the second we crossed from Singapore to Malaysia. It is incredibly affordable and saved us so much hassle. You can check the current rates and data plans here.
🚍 Getting Around
In Malaysia, our main modes of transportation around the city were Grab (super convenient and affordable) and the ETS train for our day trip to Kluang.
In Singapore, we primarily get around using the MRT and public buses. If you’re from Hong Kong, you’ll find the MRT system incredibly familiar and easy to navigate! A huge plus is that Singapore’s buses and trains accept contactless credit cards, so we didn’t even need to buy traditional tourist transport cards. It made commuting so seamless. Just remember to tap on when you board and tap off when you alight the bus!.
🏨 Where to Stay
In Johor Bahru, we stayed in a triple room at the Amari Johor Bahru. It was sparkling clean, incredibly spacious, and located right near JB Sentral, making it the perfect base for cross-border travelers. The hotel is right across the KOMTAR JBCC, and within walking distance to the Johor Bahru City Square.
In Singapore, we booked a three-person room at V Hotel Bencoolen. While the room was admittedly on the smaller side, the location is unbeatable. It is surrounded by direct bus routes and connects you to two major MRT lines (the Downtown and Circle lines). In fact, the hotel is located right next to Bencoolen MRT Exit A, and it’s just a quick, few minutes’ walk away from Bras Basah MRT Station. If convenience is your top priority, this spot is a fantastic choice!
Final Thoughts: Is This Singapore & Malaysia Itinerary Right for You?
This 9-day cross-border itinerary worked beautifully for us because it struck the perfect balance between city exploration, delicious local food, shopping, and plenty of much-needed downtime. Because my main goal was catching up with friends in Singapore, I loved being able to take things slow rather than rushing to check every single tourist landmark off a list.
If you are looking for a relaxed, slower-paced route that experiences both the local side of Malaysia and the highlight neighborhoods of Singapore, I highly recommend this itinerary.
Recommendations for First-Time Visitors
If this is your first time in Singapore, you will definitely want to add a few of the world-famous highlights to your bucket list. They are incredibly popular for a reason! To beat the crowds, I highly recommend booking your entry vouchers online in advance.
- Universal Studios Singapore – A must-visit theme park on Sentosa Island if you love movie-themed rides, immersive zones, and thrilling rollercoasters.
- Gardens by the Bay – Absolutely unmissable. Make sure to check out the futuristic Supertree Grove and the stunning Cloud Forest.
- Night Safari & Singapore Zoo – An amazing wildlife experience located right in the Mandai Wildlife Reserve area, which we visited on Day 6.
- Sentosa Island – Grab a flexible attraction pass that pairs free island admission with a bundle of tokens, letting you choose exactly which activities you want to experience.
- Disney Cruise – For the ultimate Disney fans, don’t miss out on checking out the Disney Adventure, the very first Disney Cruise Line ship to homeport right here in Asia!
Whether you choose a fast-paced tourist route or a slow-and-steady neighborhood wander like ours, sharing a trip between Singapore and Malaysia is an unforgettable experience.
Are you planning a trip across the Singapore-Malaysia border soon? Let me know if you have any questions about the trains, buses, or itineraries in the comments below!