Best Time To Visit Ipoh – When You Should Go To Ipoh
Ipoh is a small city with a tropical climate. So, the traffic situation and temperature should be more, or less the same all year round, right?
But what if we told you that there are better and worse times to take note of?
Here are our tips on how you can plan your trip to avoid the worst of crowds. And to enjoy cooler temperatures in Ipoh.
Some Notes About The Weather In Ipoh
Weather patterns have noticeably shifted in Ipoh. And so, we’ll take the year, 2023 for reference.
What is still constant is sunrise and sunset. These are around 7:30am and 7:30pm respectively. The minimum temperature in Ipoh is between 22 to 24°C. It feels coolest in the morning after a day of rain.
Beginning Of The Year (Jan To March)
Usually, the beginning of the year is unbearably hot if you don’t have air-conditioning. There’s hardly any rain.
But January and February 2023 had an unusually cool start (highs around 30 to 32°C) in 2023, and plenty of overcast and rain too.
March 2023 was much hotter with highs at 34°C. This is also the fasting month (10 March to 9 April 2024) for Muslims in the country.
9 to 17 March marks school holidays for Singaporeans. So, there may be more Singaporeans in Ipoh (and Cameron Highlands) during this time.
Public holidays between Jan to March 2024:
- New Years’s Day – 1 January 2024
- Thaipusam – 25 January 2024
- Chinese New Year – 10 to 12 February 2024
- Nuzul Al-Quran – 28 March 2024
The biggest holiday in the beginning of the year is Chinese New Year. It’s not a coincidence that school holidays (for the end of academic year 2023/2024) in Malaysia begin from 9 February 2024 to 9 March 2024.
For the Chinese in Ipoh, this is the most anticipated time of the year. Many locals working outside Ipoh (this includes those from Singapore) will return to Ipoh.
And many Chinese-owned businesses will close for a whole week during Chinese New Year. Ipoh’s Chinese temples will be at their busiest too.
Middle Of The Year (April To Jun)
Between April and Jun 2023, we saw record high temperatures in Ipoh (35°C). At times, there were relentless sunny days with no rain in between. Nights were warm and stuffy too.
It’s hard to say if that will be the case again this year so keep this in mind if you plan to visit Ipoh this time.
Public holidays between April to Jun 2024:
- Hari Raya Aidilfiltri – 10 to 11 April 2024
- Labour Day – 1 May 2024
- Wesak Day – 22 May 2024
- Agong’s Birthday – 3 June 2024
- Hari Raya Haji – 17 June 2024
April is when the Malays in Malaysia celebrate their New Year. There is a school break (Term 1 holidays) for Malaysian schools between 24 May to 2 Jun 2024.
Thus, many Malay families will leave the cities to return to their family homes (typically there will be a lot of traffic heading to the north of Malaysia – like Kedah, Kelantan and Terrenganu).
Note: If you’re trying to do anything that requires government authority, you’ll find that it literally comes to a standstill during this time of the year.
25 May to 23 June is school holidays for Singaporeans. Again, there might an increase in tourists from Singapore during this time. Especially since the durian season begins in June.
Middle Of The Year (Jul To Sep)
Oddly, both June and July used to be very hot in Ipoh. But at this time of the year in 2023, the weather became cooler with more frequent rain spells. The maximum temperature starts decreasing from 34°C to 33°C.
Note: Durian season starts tapering towards the end of August. But in 2023, we can still see a few durian right until November
There are many public holidays between July to September. And all are considered significant so expect crowds of local tourists if you plan to visit Ipoh during a week that coincides with any of these holidays.
Public holidays between Jul to Sep 2024:
- Awal Muharram – 7 to 8 July 2024
- Merdeka – 31 August 2024
- Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday – 16 September 2024
- Malaysia Day – 16 September 2024
Singapore schools will have a break between 31 Aug to 8 September. And school holidays (Term 2 Holidays) for Malaysian schools will begin from 13 September to 21 September 2024.
You might want to avoid these weeks if you can. Especially if you’re thinking of going to Cameron Highlands too.
End Of The Year (Oct To Dec)
It rains almost every day between October and November 2023. And usually in the evening. October had big storms, heavy rain, and floods in the outskirts of Ipoh.
Some days are completely overcast but these are the days that making sightseeing on foot in Ipoh Old Town bearable. Storms seem to lose their severity in November with lighter rain spells that are almost daily.
We think this pattern of cooler weather will likely continue for December.
There are 3 major holidays between Oct to December. There’s Deepavali – the biggest Indian festival that is celebrated in Malaysia. And we get a day off for the Perak Sultan’s birthday on 1 November too.
Halloween is not widely celebrated in Malaysia. So, the next big holiday is Christmas. School holidays (Term 3 Holidays) in Malaysia will be from 20 to 28 Dec, 2024. Moreover, Singaporean schools will have a break between 16 Nov to 31 Dec.
Expect popular local destinations like Cameron Highlands and Penang to be very crowded during this time.
Public holidays between Oct to Dec 2024:
- Deepavali – 31 October 2024
- Sultan Of Perak’s Birthday – 1 November 2024
- Christmas Day – 25 December 2024
Conclusion
We think the best time to visit Ipoh is in January (before CNY) as well as early November. There are fewer crowds (no public holidays and school holidays), and the weather is cooler. You could go in October but expect a lot of rain.
Note: Mid July is great if you want to try durian while you are in Ipoh and avoid crowds too.
And unless you want to be in Ipoh for the Hari Raya festivities and bazaars, we would advise avoid the middle of the year close to June. This is because both Singaporean and Malaysian schools will be off.
Going by 2023 weather, it’s also probably going to be much hotter between March and June 2024.
We would avoid September and December too since there are school holidays for both Malaysia and Singapore.
Haven’t planned your itinerary yet? You might also want to take a look at the transport options in Ipoh if you don’t have a car.
Or you can book a private tour with Explore Ipoh via WhatsApp. We also do day tours from Ipoh to Cameron Highlands.
Resources:
- https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/press-releases/20230807-school-terms-and-holidays-for-2024
- https://publicholidays.com.my/perak/2024-dates/
- https://publicholidays.com.my/school-holidays/
- https://weatherspark.com/h/y/149094/2023/Historical-Weather-during-2023-at-Sultan-Azlan-Shah-Airport-Malaysia
Related: How To Get From Singapore To Ipoh?
