How To Do A Self-Guided Ipoh Heritage Walk
If you go by the official Ipoh Heritage Walk, there are a total of 30 stops. And all have stone markers so that you can identify them from far away.
The markers contain some background about each building with translations in both Malay and English.
Most of the landmarks are walking distance from each other. But since you will be exposed to the elements during this walk, you should plan your route according to what you want to see the most.
The suggestions below are based on our own experience exploring this trail on foot.
Where To Start The Trail
For those that came to Ipoh via train, you can very well start from the Ipoh Railway Station as it is one of the landmarks identified on the Ipoh Heritage Walk.
Moreover, there are many other landmarks close to it.
You could also start at the Tourist Information Center.
How To Complete The Trail (And Not Get A Heatstroke)
Walking the entire trail will likely take you a good portion of your day. If you’re just going for the main landmarks, expect to take 1 to 2 hours.
And you’ll be sweating buckets by the end of it.
Be sure to have comfortable walking shoes and bring an umbrella and water bottle.
We recommend focusing your walking in the areas that have a high concentration of landmarks. And then taking public transport to landmarks that are further away.
These include the:
- Royal Ipoh Club
- Church of St. John The Divine
- St. Michael’s Institution
- Town Padang Mosque
- F.M.S. Bar & Restaurant
Note: F.M.S. Bar & Restaurant is not a bad place to have lunch on a hot day. It is fully air conditioned, and the food is expensive, but good.
Highlights Of The Trail
For evidence of Neo-Classical architecture, don’t miss the Ipoh Railway Station.
Close to this building are other prime examples like the Town Hall (currently under maintenance) and the High Court.
An example of Neo-Renaissance architecture:
The current HSBC building in Ipoh Old Town also used to be known as the Hongkong And Shanghai Bank. It doesn’t have the claim as the tallest building in town anymore, but it was at one point.
Other banks to check out include the OCBC bank branch close to the Birch Memorial Clock Tower and the Mercantile Bank (currently for sale) with its Art Deco styling.
Another building with a similar exterior (Art Deco) is the S.P.H. De Silva Building.
Besides these, we recommend having a look at Concubine Lane, Market Lane, and Hale Lane. If you can, plan your route to coincide with a guided tour at Han Chin Pet Soo Museum – pre-bookings are required.
Transport Options
Thankfully, you don’t have to solely rely on legwork to get you through the Ipoh Heritage Walk.
There are electric scooters you can rent in Ipoh Old Town – there are some immediately to the side of the Tourist Information Centre.
And Grab (e-hailing service) is widely available in this part of the city.
Taxis can be found at the train station. Your hotel might be able to call one up for you too.
But if you prefer to have a local show you around Ipoh Old Town Instead, you can WhatsApp us (Explore Ipoh) for private tours. or
Conclusion
While the Ipoh Heritage Walk will take you to the most famous landmarks in Ipoh Old Town, there are other interesting stops that are not mentioned on the official trail too.
You could also do street art hunting at the same time. Although most of them are at Mural Art’s Lane.
If you have time, we do recommend a visit to 22 Hale Street Gallery. For photographers, you might like to see the buildings that share the same row with Sarang Paloh Heritage Stay & Event Hall – which is currently a nice boutique hotel.
