Highlights & Hidden Gems of Malacca

• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Want to see the best of Malacca? We got you covered. But as you can expect from a Withlocals experience, the real excitement is its hidden gems. Join your favorite local and get a feeling of the city's real vibe on a tour that has it all, so you can say: I experienced the real Malacca!

Destination

Malacca, Malaysia

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Melayu, 中文

Included

• Private Guide
• Ticket to the Observation Deck of the Shore Sky Tower
• Local Drink or Snack
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to Attractions other than mentioned

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 3 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at In front of the museum - Malacca to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. City Highlights

   See from The Shore Sky Tower, Dutch Square, St. Paul's Church, and other landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots in town so you can get the perfect overview of what makes Malacca so unique

4. Hidden Gems

   Along the way, your local host will show you treasures hidden in plain sight that only the locals know about. Get to know the city through a different perspective, the local way, and discover places and stories that not many tourists experience

5. Magical Storytelling

   Behind every landmark and every stop, there’s a story, and your local host is ready to tell it all. Get ready to listen to incredible stories, one-of-a-kind insights, and fun facts only a knowledgeable local would know!

6. Special Treat

   Follow your host to one of their favorite eateries for a snack or a drink beloved by the locals. Take a break and catch up with your new local friend and get the answers to all your travel questions

7. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Adrian

(About local Joseph)

7 March 2025

We gad a fabulous few hours with Joseph - managing to see so much. He is both knowledgeable and very passionate about the Malacca culture . Thank you - we both really enjoyed it and would highly recommend Our Morning with Joseph

k.luedemann

(About local Joseph)

28 February 2025

Mit Joseph hat es viel Spass gemacht. Wir haben eine Menge über Malakka erfahren und einen äußerst sympathischen Guide. Sehr gerne empfehlen wir ihn weiter! Tour mit Joseph

louisekdennis

(About local Joseph)

24 February 2025

Joseph is a true asset to your company. He had a thorough knowledge of Melaka and its wonderful history. We learnt and experienced a lot. Thoroughly recommended. Josephbis a Gem

Dr. Andreas🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Joseph)

11 February 2025

What an interesting town with so much history Joesph helped us find all of it in a mixture of culture & experiences and individual wishes Whst a wonderful Malecca

Matthew🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Vanessa)

27 January 2025

Vivian was an absolutely delightful guide. About Melaka's history and culture, she was smart, informative, and accessible. Most impressive was her ability to match our energy. She talked just the right amount, let us wander just the right amount, give us food and drink choices at just the right times, and left us feeling like we had made a friend. Highly recommended! A delightful tour with a delightful person

Sarah🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Joseph)

19 January 2025

Great tour around the main sites of Melaka. Joseph is a very interesting guide. We did a cycle tour along the river and went to the Villa Sentosa. It was very enjoyable. We really enjoyed Joseph’s tour Melaka tour

Siobhan

(About local Joseph)

18 January 2025

We loved our walking tour around Malacca with Joseph. He was super knowledgeable and also a lovely guy. Throughly recommend! Very informative and insightful tour

Meaghan

(About local Jason )

18 January 2025

From the moment we met Jason we knew we were in for something completely different - we just let Jason immerse us in the local culture and food - we went and tasted things I would never had been gain to do and was so pleasantly surprised. Thank you so much Jason for making our stay the Melaka a treat 😊“The Local Way”

Daniel🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Vanessa)

13 January 2025

Vanessa took us on a lovely tour of many of the sights around Melaka. We started with the major sights and taught us all about the history of the city. We then went on to see more of the hidden gems of the back streets. Showing us street art, explaining its meanings and then taking use to a lovely cafe. It was also lovely to chat to Vanessa about her life and ours back home. She spoke great English and obviously a very clever young lady. Thank you for a great tour and the highlight of our time in Melaka. A veriety of sights in Melaka with Vanessa

CHIN GANG DENNIS

(About local Joseph)

4 January 2025

The tour was awesome. Joseph has made our 3 hour Malacca historical tour a memorable experience. He is knowledgeable and the routes he brought us illustrated the diversity of culture and religion. It is heartwarming to learn that in such a small town different communities live together harmoniously for centuries. Joseph is patient and will pay attention to our needs and requests along the way. We have a terrific Kopi session at one of the old coffee shop that brought memories of my childhood.

Kirsti🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Joseph)

3 January 2025

I had a wonderful personalized tour with Joseph. He was easily contactable, flexible when I had to reschedule the date, and adapted the tour for my ankle injury. The itinerary included the historical sites, must try snacks, showing me some of the last traditional handmade shops, a lovely tea and toast break, cycling down alleyways and the riverfront, and ended at the Baba Nyonya heritage museum which I highly recommend. I feel I got a real sense of Melacca and learnt a lot along the way. I'd definitely recommend to do this tour to anyone coming to this lovely city. Malacca magic

Barbara🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Vanessa)

30 December 2024

Vanessa accompanied me in the history of Melakka und the multicultural background. She told about the various Chinese, Indian but also Portuguese, Danish, English influences that make up the current social structure and the characters who influenced the city's history. Vanessa also pointed out the historical and cultural connections. Very interesting! Moreover, she made me try several local specialities in very special places. The gems of Melakka. Vanessa was very flexible and attentive to my every wish. The 3-hour tour flew by in a flash. The gems of Melakka

xxxxxx

(About local Joseph)

26 December 2024

Karol

(About local Vanessa)

21 December 2024

We enjoyed our private city tour with Vanessa. She gave us a real feel for the city -its history and culture - and took us down some interesting back streets which we would never have found ourselves. Vanessa was also really helpful in providing tips about further places to eat and to visit and kept in touch with us after the tour. Interesting toir wurh a helpful guide

Michael🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Vanessa)

5 December 2024

Vanessa is an impressive person. She is a practicing criminal lawyer, former parliamentary attaché, and very involved in the Malacca and broader Malaysian communities. She provided a completely bespoke tour to meet our compressed schedule. We were interested in the rich history of Malacca as a trading port over centuries, with traders from China, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Britain (among others) passing through, and all leaving traces we can see today. We would highly recommend Vanessa for those seeking a cultural/historical experience, accompanied by some pit stops for local food and drink. Local Knowlegde, high flexibility

Matei🇺🇸 United States

(About local Joseph)

13 November 2024

Joseph took me on both the food and historical tours of Melaka on back to back days. He was knowledgeable, had fun little pop-quiz questions about the sites we visited along the way and was easy to share stories with. He was gracious with his time as well and spent an extra 30 minutes with me on each tour, never felt rushed. He also answered questions on where to get certain foods, souvenirs and which neighborhoods to visit outside of the scope of his tour. I would recommend doing the bike portion of the tour if you are comfortable with biking through a city environment. You can get out and see more. For example we saw an artisan in Morten Village who made miniature houses from different regions of Malaysia, definitely a highlight. Really enjoyed Joseph's tour in many ways, would highly recommend.Great historical and food tour with Joseph

Olga🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Joseph)

11 November 2024

A perfect combination of exciting stories, breathtaking views, yummy food and meeting nice people along the Malacca exploration with Joseph. I especially appreciate that the tour had a personal touch, so that you not only see Malacca (and Malaysia) through someone's eyes, but also learn something about yourself through the city exploration. A big thank you, Joseph!My best guided tour experience so far

Claudia

(About local Joseph)

9 November 2024

Joseph is a really knowledgeable and patient guide. Our tour ran well overtime as we kept asking question and Joseph truly helped us to get a better understanding of the city and its culture.Excellent local knowledge

Betsy

(About local Joseph)

7 November 2024

Joseph was a fantastic guide in every way. Having grown up not far from Malaka, he was extremely knowledgeable and explained to us extensive aspects of the history and culture of the city as well as of Malaysia. We were delighted that he even offered to lend us bicycles so that he could guide us to areas of the city not easily accessible by foot. We can't speak highly enough of him and of the Withlocals network of guides. An amazing way to explore Malaka!

Tania🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Vanessa)

24 September 2024

I knew the history of malacca beter than our guide Vanessa. A lot of useless information and not at all enjoyable. I would not recommend this experience.Horrible

Tim🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Jason )

9 September 2024

I recently had the pleasure of experiencing a private tour of Malacca with Jason as our guide, and it was absolutely unforgettable! From the outset, Jason was incredibly friendly and genuine, instantly putting us at ease. His deep knowledge of Malacca’s history was clear, and he shared fascinating stories that brought the city’s rich past to life. What made this tour special was the perfect blend of historical exploration and cultural interaction. Jason took us to various historical sites but also made sure to introduce us to local businesses, from charming cafes to jewelry shops and even traditional lantern makers. These interactions gave us a real feel for the local culture, and Jason’s thoughtful approach allowed us to appreciate both the old and new sides of Malacca. Throughout the tour, Jason was patient and accommodating, especially when we wanted to stop frequently for photos. His professionalism ensured we had a relaxed experience at our own pace. One of the highlights was discovering Jason’s passion for vinyl collecting—something we, as music fans, really connected with. He even shared stories about his own vinyl-themed bar, which made the tour feel even more personal and unique. By the end of the tour, we didn’t just leave with a deeper appreciation for Malacca’s history and culture; we also felt like we’d made new friends, including Jason and the locals we met on our tour. It was an enriching experience that we’d eagerly repeat on our next visit to Malacca. Highly recommend this private tour for anyone seeking an authentic, personal touch to their Malacca adventure!Amazing wholesome experience

sacha🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Joseph)

18 August 2024

We had a superb tour with Joseph - he was very knowledgeable about all the history of Malacca and told us about things we would never have known if we had just walked on our own . He showed us hidden streets as well as the main attractions and some places we would not have found Execellenr guide in Malacca

Tara

(About local Joseph)

15 August 2024

Joseph crafted a well-thought tour through Melaka. His thoughtfulness started with making a suggestion to have it later in the day to beat some of the heat. I enjoyed being at St Paul's in the evening seeing it lit in the night and also with less crowds. He shared fascinating history, weaving it into our walk through the town. He took us to a local eatery with tasty authentic food. Really appreciate his flexibility and accommodating our last minute booking. A fascinating and enjoyable tour of Melaka

Nicholas🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Vanessa)

31 May 2024

Ben

(About local Joseph)

24 April 2024

Joseph is a friendly, knowledgeable person and speaks perfect English. He knows a lot of interesting people around town, from artists to street food vendors, in places you would never find yourself. We asked him to combine his food and heritage tours for us and he created an almost 7-hour tour for us, with more food than we could eat, stops at fascinating craftsmen, a comprehensive show-and-tell of the city's past, including a river cruise. We loved every minute of it and really enjoyed his company. Thank you Joseph, you made our day! Ben and ConnyAmazing Guide, Amazing Tour

Nuno🇵🇹 Portugal

(About local Joseph)

3 April 2024

Christine🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Joseph)

19 March 2024

We really enjoyed our walking tour with Joseph - he was patient, informative and engaging - we saw lots that we wouldn’t have found on our own. Thanks Joseph for making our time in Melaka special.Fabulous Tour

Sarah

(About local Joseph)

9 February 2024

We enjoyed an insightful tour with Joseph. Joseph was a charming, thoughtful, obliging and knowledgeable man. We learned the origins of Malacca, how it got its name, and how it came to be. We particularly enjoyed the panoramic, roof top views of the city and some of the places we visited with Joseph. We went off the beaten track just off Jonker street, and met some of the local trades specialists. Malacca with Joseph

Karla 🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Joseph)

28 January 2024

Joseph was a great guide to show us around Malacca. We learned a lot about the history of Malacca and the people living here. He als took us to some very typical authentic little places where we tasted the local food and we ended the tour with a dessert: the best Cendol! Thank you Joseph!Interesting private tour

Gina

(About local Vanessa)

13 February 2025

We had a 3h Foodtour with Vanessa and we enjoyed it a lot! We had typically Malaysian Food and drinks plus a nice Tour of Malacca and its highlights incl. some history facts! Thank you Vannessa for your time and your recommendations, we had a great time! Thank you for teh experience

Juliet

(About local Vanessa)

12 February 2025

Vanessa was interesting and fun and gave us a wonderful tour, taking in the sights and visiting out of the way places to eat. We thoroughly enjoyed her company and wish her well.Inciteful tour

Alison🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Joseph)

1 February 2025

As our hotel was a little bit out of the centre Joseph was kind enough to pick us up from our hotel and drive us to the start, which was a big help in the Melaka heat. The tour was informative and Joseph did a great job bringing to life the history of the city. Would highly recommend.Informative and helpful

Alison🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Joseph)

1 February 2025

Although it was Chinese New Year holiday, Joseph had planned ahead and found an authentic Chinese restaurant to take us too - which was in fact his own local but we had to go by car - the food was amazing. He was careful to understand what we liked and level of spice we could eat - which is everything and so we enjoyed a full meal of Sambal Red Snapper, Bok Choi, Chinese Pork Rib and rice. We then drove to Jonker Street where we got to try various local snacks and drinks at the Night Market. Throughout Joseph explained what the food was but also some of the history of the buildings. By the end we had to pass on the last food option as we were so full!!!Excellent food with excellent guide

Noby

(About local Joseph)

28 January 2025

Amazing experience with Joseph on a food tour of Melaka. Before hand, I asked if we could tweak the tour with a future special requests. Joseph went above and beyond to accommodate them and took me to some truly amazing places that I could never have found by myself. He has intimate local knowledge and took me to some true heritage places of Melaka. Would definitely recommend!Above and beyond

Katharina

(About local Joseph)

28 January 2025

We had only three tastings and a Tea. We expected 10 tastings, Like it was described. We recommend, you asked your Guide about a Food plan for this evening.We are very disappointed. We we're still hungry after this tasting. 4 tastings only, Not good

Anna🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Joseph)

17 January 2025

An informative and interesting tour with authentic local foods. Made us more confident in what to order for the rest of our Malaysia trip. Thanks JosephRecommended tour

Denise🇿🇦 South Africa

(About local Vanessa)

29 December 2024

We had a great experience doing a walking food tour incorporating some historical features, with Vanessa. Vanessa loves het culture and the authentic dishes and drinks only to be found in Melaka. She understood our need to be introduced to authentic dishes, which tasted delicious and gave us a good story to remember and tell. Good food, good company - what can be better. Thank you Vanessa, we loved our food experience with you!!!Vanessa is the best!!!

Philippa🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Joseph)

24 November 2024

We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Joseph. He taught us a lot about the history of Malacca and was fun and considerate. Would highly recommend Malacca

Tilo

(About local Vanessa)

13 November 2024

Vanessa is a very friendly and great tour guide. It was great fun to explore the old town of Malacca with her. We would highly recommend a tour with her.Anytime again

Claudia

(About local Joseph)

9 November 2024

This is more than a food tour! Joseph goes to the places he loves do you really get off the beaten path! The food we had was all delicious and we were the only tourists around. We really recommend it!Best food tour in Malacca

Glenn🇲🇾 Malaysia

(About local Joseph)

5 November 2024

Joseph made the food tour interesting with all his cultural insights. we were stuffed by the end of the tour, and had a great time. Thanks Joseph!Enjoyable Food Tour

Prue🇲🇾 Malaysia

(About local Joseph)

16 October 2024

We learned about food, culture, more food, local politics, more food. It was great! We hada great time with Joseph

Deborah🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Vanessa)

28 September 2024

Before the start of the evening Vanessa dropped me a message to welcome me and my family to confirm our evening and where to find her in the city. Vanessa had allowed me to add 2 more people last minute to the booking without complaint. When we finally met her that evening, she was welcoming and so gracious, in particularly my mother in law who was worried about the evening as she was experiencing some walking difficulties. Vanessa, immediately built into the evening several stops to ensure that everyone was comfortable with the pace of the evening. Vanessa shared her own experience of growing up and intertwined this with the history of the city. Her personal experiences of all really brought the evening alive. She checked with us what type of food we ate and found us a restaurant with lots of options to eat which was not easy mid week as quite a few restaurants were closed. Vanessa shared her insights to so many different aspects of the city as we wondered across town like the locals. At the end we all took a group selfie and Vanessa gave us loads of advice on where to eat whilst we were in town plus even where to buy shoes when we got to KL! We took her advice and my sister purchased a couple of really really nice shoes for only £30 in total! Thank you Vanessa for a wonderful experience.An evening with Vanessa

Diya

(About local Vanessa)

28 September 2024

It was a great pleasure to interact with Vanessa. She is very knowledgeable and passionate about Malacca's history. So we left the city with a greater appreciation and understanding of it's past. She was able to customize the tour to our requirements. She was flexible and ensured that the pace of walking suited me and my mother. Despite the humid weather she was cheerful and upbeat throughout the tour. As she also conducts food tours, she was able to provide good recommendations for places to eat. Cheerful and knowledgeable guide.

Björn🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Joseph)

26 September 2024

We were a large group (10) from overseas to join Joseph on two tours! The team enjoyed Josephs impressive knowledge of Melaka's history and how he took us to places we would never have discovered on our own. The tours added a lot of value to our outing, we really wouldn't have wanted to miss them!

Björn🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Vanessa)

26 September 2024

Vanessa did two afternoon tours with our team of 11 from all around Asia. The team enjoyed her clear and structured explanations and how she was able to accommodate our schedule. It really added a lot of Value to our Melaka trip!Vanessa knows her town & how to do a tour!

Carrie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Joseph)

23 September 2024

Joseph was a phenomenal tour guide. He clearly has a passion for Malaka and Malaysia, and that translates to the restaurants/ stalls/ shops he showcases, the history he shares, and the general energy he brings to the tour. He catered the experience to the two of us, and set a pace that let us roam some of the side streets of Malaka/ get a sample of off-the-beaten-path cuisine while also ensuring we didn't overheat. Amazing food tour, excellent tour guide

Mark🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Vanessa)

4 September 2024

We organised two tours with Vanessa while staying in Melaka, and found her to be a professional, courteous, enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. Firstly, we undertook a foodie tour, exploring the many facets of Melakan cuisine, but were also able to explore the old city and ready get underneath the skin of the place - finding the interesting, the obscure and the hidden. A warning, bring your appetite for all that you will be able to eat! The following day we undertook a city highlights tour, which Vanessa was flexible enough on the fly to change up, so we didn’t cover anything we’d already seen. Vanessa treats her role as a guide as much more than a job, and happily engaged in conversation about all manner of things, which made spending the time with her over two days very enjoyable. She comes with our high recommendation.A great insight into Melaka with Vanessa

Lim🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Joseph)

1 September 2024

Joseph is a friendly and professionsal guide. He has rich knowledge about the history of Melaka and could explain the history or story behind every single historical building. He also brought us to see and visit those shop owners who are running the old traditional trades such as the making of peranakan beaded shoes and chinese lanterns. Overall, the trip was fun, enriching and interesting. An interesting walking tour

christian🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Vanessa)

27 August 2024