How to get from Singapore to Malacca

Why visit Malacca?

Dubbed the “Historic State,” Malacca is the oldest town in Malaysia. It was once the home of the earliest Malay sultanates — whose reign was abolished by the Portuguese in the 1500s, and then later on by the Dutch and the British. Their colonial imprints still remain in some of Malacca’s oldest buildings.

Apart from the beautiful architecture, what we love about this old town is its diverse range of people. Its strategic location made Malacca a popular trade centre for centuries. And even now, you will find the descendants of those traders here — people with a mix of Malay, Arabian, Indian, Chinese, and European descent still reside in Malacca.

Crossing the border: What you can’t bring into Malaysia

You don’t have anything to fill out when entering Malaysia. Most nationalities are allowed to travel from Singapore to Malacca without a visa. Seems a bit lax, doesn’t it?

But don’t be too overconfident, especially with what you try to bring in to the country. They are not very forgiving to those who are caught with any of their prohibited items. See the list below:

• More than 1-litre of liquor
• Even a few grams over the 225g-limit of tobacco per person (that’s around 200 cigarettes)
• Over 3 new wearable items and 1 new pair of shoes
• More than 1 electric or battery-operated personal hygiene equipment
• Pornographic materials
• Unlicensed weapons, counterfeit bills or coins and illegal drugs. These can lead not just to huge fines but even the death penalty!

For more details, visit Malaysia’s Customs Department website.

The bus is the only suitable way for travelers to cross the distance of 240 kilometers (149 miles) from Singapore to Malacca. The journey takes around 3 hours 35 minutes to 6 hours 20 minutes, and ticket prices start from 95 MYR ($22).

Luxury Coach Service offers one daily trip from Singapore to Malacca daily. This bus departs from Concorde Hotel along Orchard Road in Singapore city centre at 08:00 every morning. It arrives in Malacca after around 3 hours 35 minutes to 6 hours 20 minutes.

They have five drop-off points in the colonial town: Swiss Garden Hotel, Casa del Rio Hotel, Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, Hatten Hotel, and The Straits Hotel. You can just choose which one is nearest to your destination.

We highly recommend booking a ticket beforehand via BookAway to secure a seat. A ticket costs 95 MYR ($22) for a bus ride from Singapore to Malacca.

Immigration Checkpoints

Your bus from Singapore to Malacca makes two stops for customs and immigration checks – first at Woodlands Checkpoint (Singapore) and then at Johor Bahru across the border in Malaysia. You can expect the first stop around 40 minutes into your bus journey.

For both checkpoints, you’ll have to get off your bus and have your passport stamped and your luggage checked. Make sure to go back to your bus as soon as you’re done because they only have a 20-minute waiting time unless it’s busy at the checkpoint.

After the 2nd checkpoint, you can rest easy for around 3.5 hours until your bus arrives in Malacca.

Golden Mile Tower

Express 27

Melaka Sentral

08:30

6h 12m

14:42

20:01

6h 12m

02:13

StarMart

From 95 MYR ($22)

Compare prices

• 24/7 customer support

95 MYR ($22)

08:30

6h 12m

14:42

Check on BookAway

• 24/7 customer support

110 MYR ($26)

20:01

6h 12m

02:13

Check on BookAway

Golden Mile Tower

Express 27

Makhota Medical Centre

08:30

6h 8m

14:38

20:01

6h 8m

02:09

StarMart

95 MYR ($22)

Compare prices

• 24/7 customer support

95 MYR ($22)

08:30

6h 8m

14:38

Check on BookAway

• 24/7 customer support

110 MYR ($26)

20:01

6h 8m

02:09

Check on BookAway