How to get from Johor Bahru to Melaka? Well, we recommend utilizing Malaysia’s public transport system to save money for this journey (especially if you don’t have your own wheels).
As you may have already heard, Melaka is one of Malaysia’s prime tourist destinations. Tourists tend to visit Melaka for a broad range of reasons, but probably the main reason is to explore the UNESCO listed historic region of the city. Recently we booked a flight to Johor Bahru (try Momondo or BookingBuddy), visited the city and then we travelled to Melaka. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to get from Johor to Melaka by bus:
1. Depending on where your hotel is in Johor your first step will be to make your way to JB Larkin Bus Terminal. JB Larkin Bus Terminal is the Johor’s main bus terminal and it is located roughly 5 km outside of the city.
The most convenient way to get JB Larkin Bus Terminal from central Johor is by taxi. This of course will cost significantly more than travelling by bus. During our trip we opted against taking a taxi. Instead we hopped on a public bus directly in front of Johor Bahru City Square to JB Larkin Station.
2. Expect to pay under 2 RM (roughly $0.75 USD) to get to JB Larkin Station from downtown Johor Bahru using public bus. The trip took us approximately 10 minutes with no traffic, but this could vary significantly depending on the traffic.
3. If you didn’t book your bus ticket from Johor to Melaka online, then your next step will be to purchase a ticket from one of the desks at JB Larkin terminal.
During our trip, it was very busy and quite hectic at JB Larkin, so expect the same during peak times.
4. Expect to pay anywhere from 21 RM (roughly $6.50 USD) to 30 RM (roughly $9.00 USD) for the bus ticket from Johor to Melaka. If you have the time browse around to see the most convenient time for your trip.
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5. Once you purchase your ticket from Johor to Melaka then proceed to your bus departure gate at JB Larkin Terminal.
During our experience, it was straightforward to find the correct gate. However, the gate was changed to an adjacent one and no announcement was made. Lesson learned, be sure to ask one of the bus company operators prior to boarding a bus to Melaka.
6. The bus ride from Johor to Melaka Sentral took us approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes under typical driving conditions. Your travel time could be more or less and this will ultimately depend on whether you travel at a peak period or early in the morning/late at night.
7. During our experience the bus we travelled on did not stop for a toilet break, so be sure to go before your bus departs Larkin Station en route to Melaka Sentral.
8. Most buses from Johor will terminate at Melaka Sentral Station. Most tourists that arrive at Melaka Sentral then proceed to Jonker Walk – the prime tourist area of Melaka.  For a comprehensive overview on how to get from Melaka Sentral to Jonker walk click here.
9. We recommend booking a hotel in Melaka well before you arrive due to the high demand for the top accommodation choices. Try to find a room in the vicinity of Jonker Walk or Dutch Square to maximize your accessibility to the top attractions in Melaka.
Accommodation Information – Staying in Melaka
Where did we stay in Melaka?
Our main priority while searching for a room in Melaka was staying close to Jonker Walk, without staying on the street itself. In other words, we wanted to stay a few hundred meters away from the main road without spending a fortune.
Eventually, we decided to stay at Kawan Kawan Guesthouse. We don’t have a direct affiliation with this, or any property in Melaka. Â Therefore, our opinion is an unbiased one. It turned out to be a nice budget choice in Melaka. Â It’s located a couple streets from Jonker Walk (about a 5 minute walk). Â The staff were pretty laid back and friendly.
It could get a bit loud at night because some of the walls are thin between rooms, however. At the time of writing it had a score of 7.8/10 based on 225 verified guest reviews. We consider this score to be a fairly accurate representation of this property.
How to find the cheapest rooms in Melaka?
Melaka is often regarded as a small town by tourists. Â But it sure offers a wide selection of accommodation choices even if it isn’t as big as Kuala Lumpur.
Many of the best hotels in the vicinity of Jonker Walk get filled up early, so try to use a large provider such as www.agoda.com or www.booking.com to get the widest choice with the best prices.  If you’re a budget traveler consider using a hotel-price comparison website such as www.hotelscombined.com. It might save you some serious time and cash. To save you some valuable time:
Top Rated Properties in Melaka (Malacca) Based on Verified Guest Reviews
Important: Mobile Users must swipe from left to right to see entire table.
| Star/Budget Range | Guest Rating: Hotel Provider 1 | Guest Rating: Hotel Provider 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agoda (Malacca/Melaka) | Booking.com (Malacca/Melaka) | ||
| 5 stars/Luxury | Casa del Rio Melaka Hotel – 8.9/10 | The Majestic Malacca Hotel – 9.0/10 | |
| 4stars/Comfort | The Rucksack Caratel – 8.3/10 | Heeren Palm Suites – 8.8/10 | |
| 3 stars/Mid-range | Heeren Palm Suite – 8.8/10 | The Pillohouzzzee – 9.2/10 | |
| 2 star/ Budget | The One Vacation Home – 9.3/10 | Fantasy Hotel – 8.6/10 | |
| 1 star/ Strict Budget | D’Laksamana – 8.5/10 | Olive Flashpackers – 8.3/10 | |
| Compare all room prices in Melaka using www.agoda.com | Compare all room prices in Melaka using www.booking.com |
Criteria:
- Properties rated based on ‘overall’ review scores from each respective website’s verified guests.
- Minimum of 50 verified guest reviews required to be considered eligible for comparison.
- All star ratings and verified guest review scores are tallied at the time of writing, and therefore, are subject to change.
Flight Information – Getting to Melaka
What is the closest airport to Melaka?
Melaka has an airport but it doesn’t really have many options for tourists flying there. Malindo Airlines has recently opened up a few flights to Melaka. Â Typically, tourists book their flight from international destinations to either Singapore or Kuala Lumpur before making it to Melaka.
So if flights to Melaka are not too popular then how should you get there from Kuala Lumpur?
Once you see all the sites in Kuala Lumpur you can either take a direct bus from Kuala Lumpur or the KTM (Komuter Train). Â We have visited Melaka using both methods. Â Either way, expect it to take 2 hours from Kuala Lumpur. We clearly outline how to get from KL to Melaka in this article.
What’s the best way to find the cheapest flights to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, or Johor Bahru?
Regardless of which of these airports you are flying to/from, I would suggest using a flight comparison website that will allow you to search hundreds of flights from various sites at the same time.  We used two different price comparison sites for this trip: BookingBuddy  and Momondo for this trip. If you haven’t booked your flights yet to Malaysia then you can use the link below to compare prices:
COMPARE FLIGHT PRICES – Momondo
COMPARE FLIGHT PRICES – BookingBuddy
You can also use the Search Box below to compare many hotels across prominent hotel booking platforms:
neat and clear trip advice . Thank a lot.
Thanks, taking maiden trip with both children… It will be an exploration too!
Thanks a lot, it’s very helpful, clear & self explanatory, much appreciated.
very helpful , precise and easy to read
Helpful info. I am planning to explore Melaka from Johor Bahru. Just a day trip.
Excellent info, really appreciate this!