Ipoh Cave Temples | Perak

Ipoh cave temples in Perak are an indispensable part of Ipoh. Just like how strawberry farms are to Cameron Highlands!

The structure of these temples is unique as they are partially built into limestone hills which are the critical geographical highlight of Ipoh besides the Kinta River!

And apart from the cave temples, some caves are open to the public for visits! Check them out the next time you travel to Ipoh, Perak!

Perak Cave Temple

Perhaps the most popular one of all Ipoh’s cave temples! Perak Cave Temple is majestic right from your first look at it! Its symmetrical architecture and interior staircase make it look like a grand Chinese-style mansion!

Perak Cave Temple

Once inside, you can admire the stone formations that are the interior walls of the temple and the beautiful paintings that hang on them! And if you can gather the energy, you can climb to the very top of the temple, where you get a lovely view of Ipoh city below!

Things You Should Know!

Location 📍 Jln. Kuala Kangsar, Kawasan Perindustrian Tasek, 31400 Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours 🕘 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Entrance Fee 💵 Free

Travel Tip 🛕

  • The stairs to the hilltop pavilion (and hillside pavilions) are behind the temple’s main altar.
  • The stairs are quite steep. Do be careful if you bring your kids!

Kek Lok Tong Ipoh

Next on the list is Kek Lok Tong. It is similar to the one in Penang, but Ipoh’s Kek Lok Tong looks completely different. It is less flashy than the other temples in Ipoh!

Kek Lok Tong Ipoh

The modest outer appearance belies a luxurious cavern with benches and Buddhist and Taoist statues! It’s significantly more chill in the cave than outside. There’s a total of 12 acres in the whole compound. Complete with a well-maintained garden at the back of the temple!

Things You Should Know!

Location 📍 Pesiaran Sepakat 3, Taman Endah Jaya, 31350 Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours 🕘 7:00 am to 5:00 pm

Entrance Fee 💵 Free but donations are welcome

Travel Tip 🛕

  • The garden is best enjoyed in the cool of the early morning or in the late evenings.
  • Free parking
  • Wheelchair-friendly
  • You can buy fish food to feed the fish in the pond.

Sam Poh Tong Temple

Somewhere along a secluded road in Gunung Rapat and roughly 5 to 6km from Ipoh Old Town. Sam Poh Tong temple sits quietly, backed against a limestone hill.

Sam Poh Tong Temple

A beautifully landscaped garden with a fish pond will catch your eye first, followed by a white marble entrance! You can go through the temple via a natural tunnel that leads out to the back, where there is an incredible up-close view of the limestone hill and a tortoise pond!

Things You Should Know!

Location 📍 Kampung Gunung Rapat, 31350 Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours 🕘 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

Entrance Fee 💵 Free, but a donation is welcome

Travel Tip 🛕

  • You can buy fresh vegetables and fruit from a made-shift counter inside the temple to feed the tortoises at the back!

Ling Sen Tong Temple

If you’re visiting Sam Poh Tong, you will pass by Ling Sen Tong Temple first! And this one’s hard to miss with its typical bright Taoist colours!

Ling Sen Tong Temple

The temple is small compared to its sizeable open-air courtyard with statues and murals of various Taoist religious figures, including the Goddess Kuan Yin, the main deity here, and characters from Chinese folklore!

There is a pond and a garden with an enormous reclining Buddha too. Combine a visit to Ling Sen Tong Temple together with a visit to Sam Poh Tong!

Things You Should Know!

Location 📍 31350 Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours 🕘 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

Entrance Fee 💵 Free, but a donation is welcome

Travel Tip 🛕

  • There’s parking space inside the temple compound.

Guanyin Cave

More than 100 years old, Kwan Yin Tong is 10 minutes drive away from the previous two cave temples! There are around 70 or so Goddess Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) here and a pond that is made to resemble a Japanese wishing fountain with stepping stones to cross to the other side.

Guanyin Cave

The main chamber utilises the natural formation of Guanyin Cave, and only the floor has been tiled up. It’s all too easy to miss the stairs just by the side of the temple. These lead to a platform with a giant Buddha statue in a seated position.

Things You Should Know!

Location 📍 Lot 21606, Batu 4 1/2, Jalan Gopeng, 31350 Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours 🕘 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

Entrance Fee 💵 Free

Travel Tip 🛕

  • This temple is bustling with activity on the 15th night of Chinese New Year – Chap Goh Mei or Chinese Valentines’ Day.

Dong Hua Cave Temple (东华洞)

You will have to climb up to this red temple that looks like it is embedded into the face of a limestone hill. You can even see this temple from afar. The steep climb up is worth the panoramic views (and exercise), especially in the early morning when it’s not that hot yet!

Dong Hua Cave Temple

And you can only see the impressive 100-year-old massive stalactite hanging from the cave’s ceiling from inside the temple! Hardly any tourists come here so you’ll get to enjoy the serenity alone.

Things You Should Know!

Location 📍 Lot 26006, Hala Perindustrian 1, Taman Bistari, 31400 Ipoh, Perak

Opening Hours 🕘 Closes at 5:00 pm every day

Entrance Fee 💵 Free

Travel Tip 🛕

  • Be very careful when you are going up the stairs. There are around 150 steps!

Tambun Cave (Gua Tambun)

They are hidden from view behind an army base. Tambun cave is one of Ipoh’s best-kept secrets!

Tambun Cave

It takes some effort to find the place and reach the prehistoric cave drawings on the cliffside of a limestone hill. So be prepared to look out for it! The paintings are well over a thousand years old. Many of them are pretty faded. But you should be able to see them pretty clearly!

Things You Should Know!

Location 📍 31400 Tambun, Perak

Opening Hours 🕘 8:00 am to 5:30 pm

Entrance Fee 💵 Free

Travel Tip 🛕

  • Don’t come here late in the day. As there are no lights along the path.
  • A lot of mosquitoes and monkeys here
  • Track is quite rundown
  • This place isn’t suitable for elders
  • You might have to ask for permission to enter
  • Sometimes, the place is locked up

Tempurung Cave

Better known as Gua Tempurung. This astounding geographical marvel lies south of Ipoh in Gopeng. To explore the cave, you can choose from four tours as visitors aren’t allowed in on their own!

Tempurung Cave

Things You Should Know!

Location 📍 Pusat Pelancongan Gua Tempurung, 31600 Gopeng, Perak

Opening Hours 🕘 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Travel Tip 🛕

  • Tours 3 and 4 will involve wading through the underground river.
  • Tours 3 and 4 will require a minimum of 8 pax.
  • If you’re driving to Ipoh from Kuala Lumpur, you can detour here first at the Gopeng Interchange.

There are some of the Gua Tempurung tours that you can check out!

Tour 1 | Golden FlowstoneTour 2 | Top of the WorldTour 3 | Top of the World and Short River AdventureTour 4 | Grand Tour
Duration: 40 minutesDuration: 1 hour 45 minutesDuration: 2 hours 30 minutesDuration: 3 hours 30 minutes
Timings: From 9:00 am to 4:00 pmTimings: From 9:00 am. The last tour starts at 3:00 pmTimings: From 9:00 am. The last tour begins at 12:00 noonTimings: From 9:00 am. The last tour begins at 11:00 am
This is a dry walk along concrete pathways and steel staircases like the Golden Flowstone cavern (Platform 3). Plenty of viewing galleries to admire the fantastic rock formations. Rated as Easy. No guide is required.This is also a dry walk but covers all five domes (up to Platform 5). More strenuous with many more steps to climb. It is rated as Slightly Strenuous. No guide is required.Participants will get wet as part of the return journey involves wading in the underground river. It is rated as Exciting and Challenging. This is a ranger-guided tour.This tour covers all five caverns and the eastern side of the cave facing the North-South Expressway. The return journey is by an underground river. It was rated as Challenging and Strenuous. This is a ranger-guided tour.

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