Must-see attractions in Melaka

  • The Stadthuys and clocktower in Town Square.

    Stadthuys

    Melaka City

    This former town hall and governor's residence dates to the 1650s and is believed to be the oldest Dutch building in the East. It functioned as State…

  • Dutch Square

    Melaka City

    The focal point of the Unesco Heritage zone, this attractive and elegant square is surrounded by Dutch-era buildings that have been painted crimson, shady…

  • Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum

    Melaka City

    Touring this traditional Baba-Nonya (Peranakan) townhouse transports you to a time when women peered at guests through decorative partitions and every…

  • History & Ethnography Museums Complex

    Melaka City

    The ground floor of the Stadthuys houses Melaka's most interesting museum, which focuses on the city's fascinating history and ethnography. Exhibits…

  • Singapore, Singapore - January 17, 2016 : Maritime Museum in Malacca City, Malaysia; Shutterstock ID 498671809; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Gillmroe; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online-Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: 65050/ Online Design /LaurenGillmore/POI

    Maritime Museum & Naval Museum

    Melaka City

    Embark on a voyage through Melaka's maritime history at these linked museums, all covered by the one ticket. The most enjoyable of the Maritime Museum's…

  • Strait mosque during sunset; Shutterstock ID 184811996; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Gillmroe; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online-Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: 65050/ Online Design /LaurenGillmore/POI

    Masjid Selat Melaka

    Melaka City

    Especially beautiful at morning or dusk, this gold-domed mosque overlooks the Strait of Melaka from its shoreside perch on an artificial island a short…

  • MALACCA, MALAYSIA - DECEMBER 23: Tourists visit Cheng Hoon Teng Temple at Malacca city on Dec 23, 2013 in Malacca, Malaysia. Malacca has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008.; Shutterstock ID 175419539; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Gillmroe; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online-Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: 65050/ Online Design /LaurenGillmore/POI

    Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

    Melaka City

    Malaysia's oldest still-operating Chinese temple, constructed in 1673, remains a central place of worship for the Buddhist and Taoist communities here. It…

  • MALACCA, MALAYSIA - MAY 19: A view of Christ Church & Dutch Square on May 19, 2012 in Malacca, Malaysia. It was built in 1753 by Dutch & is the oldest 18th century Protestant church in Malaysia.; Shutterstock ID 111271517; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Gillmroe; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online-Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: 65050/ Online Design /LaurenGillmore/POI

    Christ Church

    Melaka City

    Built in 1753 from laterite bricks brought from Zeeland in Holland, this eye-catching cherry-pink church is one of the most photographed and imposing…

  • Kamping Hulu Mosque, Melaka, Malaysia

    Masjid Kampung Hulu

    Melaka City

    The oldest functioning mosque in Malaysia was, surprisingly, commissioned by the Dutch in 1728. The mosque is made up of predominantly Javanese…

  • Bukit China

    Melaka City

    More than 12,500 graves, including about 20 Muslim tombs, cover the 25 grassy hectares of serene 'Chinese Hill'. In the middle of the 15th century, the…

  • Masjid Kampung Kling

    Melaka City

    Originally dating back to 1748, the 19th-century rebuild of the mosque you see today mingles several styles. Its multi-tiered meru roof (a stacked form…

  • Melaka Botanical Garden

    Melaka

    A good place for an easy ramble, this lush green enclave is part jungle and part landscaped park with paved trails along which you can walk, cycle or ride…

  • Sky Tower Malacca

    Melaka City

    Starting on the 43rd floor of the Shore complex and going up to the building's roof, this is – at 153m – Melaka City's highest viewpoint. The panorama of…

  • St Francis' Institution Melaka

    Melaka City

    Originally founded in 1880 and once named St Mary's School, this charming, red-roofed Roman Catholic school is worth a visit to explore its pleasant…

  • Muzium Pulau Besar

    Melaka

    This small but informative museum illustrates the island's culture, history and spiritual significance, in particular its role as a rest point and source…

  • Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple

    Melaka City

    One of the first Hindu temples built in Malaysia, this temple was constructed in 1781 on a plot donated by the religiously tolerant Dutch and dedicated to…

  • St. Paul's Church, Malacca, Malaysia

    St Paul's Church

    Melaka City

    The evocative and sublime ruin of St Paul's Church crowns the summit of Bukit St Paul overlooking central Melaka. Steep stairs from Jln Kota or Jln Chang…

  • Ruins of fort, Porta de Santiago.

    Porta de Santiago

    Melaka City

    Most visitors pause for a photo here before hiking to the ruined church on Bukit St Paul. Porta de Santiago was built as a Portuguese fortress in 1511;…

  • Traditional houses at Villa Sentosa.

    Villa Sentosa

    Melaka City

    The highlight of visiting the charming Malay village of Kampung Morten is this living museum within a 1920s kampung (village) house. Visitors (or rather,…

  • Medan Portugis

    Melaka City

    Roughly 3km east of Dutch Square, this seaside square populated by seafood restaurants is the focal point of Melaka City’s Eurasian community. Many of the…

  • 8 Heeren Street

    Melaka City

    This 18th-century, Dutch-period residential house was restored as a model conservation project. A guide is on hand to explain the features and history…

  • Prison Museum

    Melaka City

    Fixing an unflinching gaze on Malaysian prisons, past and present, this museum occupies – naturally enough – a former prison. There is interesting detail…

  • Poh San Teng Temple

    Melaka City

    If you're heading up to Bukit China to check out the old graves, it's hard to resist stepping inside this temple at the hill's base. 'Precious Hill Temple…

  • Melaka Zoo

    Melaka

    Melaka's zoo has been going for more than 50 years and is home to more than 200 species of animal, from tigers and lions to less ferocious critters like…

  • Zheng He Duo Yun Xuan

    Melaka City

    A Shanghai-based auction house has funded this impressive gallery split between two large converted warehouses facing the Melaka River and entered from…

  • Menara Taming Sari

    Melaka City

    Melaka's revolving viewing deck looks worryingly like a theme-park ride without the seat belts. Luckily, this is a leisurely thrill ride and one with air…

  • Melaka Malay Sultanate Water Wheel

    Melaka City

    In 2006, work on the Menara Taming Sari revolving tower uncovered another part of the city's fortress walls. The revolving tower was relocated further…

  • Cheng Ho Cultural Museum

    Melaka City

    The impressive exploits of Chinese-Muslim seafarer Cheng Ho (Zheng He) are celebrated through this museum's dioramas and maritime miscellany. The Ming…

  • Taman Mini Malaysia

    Melaka

    This open-air museum exhibits traditional houses from all 13 Malaysian states. Visitors can tiptoe through a long-roofed fishing house from Perlis and…

  • Sultanate Palace

    Melaka City

    This wooden replica of the palace of Sultan Mansur Shah, who ruled Melaka from 1456 to 1477, houses an open-air cultural museum and lovely gardens. The…

  • Chetti Museum

    Melaka City

    This small museum is a community effort with a collection of artefacts, including antique cendol (shaved-ice dessert with green noodles, syrups, fruit and…

  • St Peter's Church

    Melaka City

    This is the oldest functioning Roman Catholic church in Malaysia, built in 1710 by descendants of early Portuguese settlers. It's quite an elegant picture…

  • Proclamation of Independence Memorial

    Melaka City

    Centuries of Melaka's history are explained within this handsome 1912 mansion that used to house the Malacca Club, a one-time social hub of British…

  • Sri Subramaniam Thuropathai Amman Alayam

    Melaka City

    A huge gopuram (tower), as elaborate and pink as a tiered wedding cake, erupts from this temple. Few visitors come here, but if you shed your shoes you…

  • Melaka Butterfly & Reptile Sanctuary

    Melaka

    This is your chance to get up close and personal with more than 20 species of butterflies as well as a collection of exotic creepy-crawlies, snakes and…

  • Melaka Bird Park

    Melaka

    This bird park, which is a short drive from Melaka Botanical Garden, allows you to view a a variety of local and international bird species and get a bird…

  • Shore Oceanarium

    Melaka City

    This aquarium on the 2nd floor of The Shore Shopping Gallery jazzes up the usual fish-in-tanks viewing experience with 3D movies and visual effects in its…

  • Jonker Walk World Heritage Park

    Melaka City

    Take a break from Chinatown's bustle in this tiny park dominated by the vastly exaggerated muscleman statue of Dr Gan Boon Leong, the founding father of…

  • Hang Kasturi's Tomb

    Melaka City

    This mausoleum off Jonker St pays homage to famous warrior Hang Kasturi, even though there is no historical evidence that this is actually his final…