How To Get From Ipoh To The Cameron Highlands Easily

Ipoh to Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands Bus Times

Catching the bus from Ipoh to the Cameron Highlands is quick and painless. To an extent that is… read on to find out why 🙂

The bus station in Ipoh where you catch the bus to Tanah Rata or Brinchang in the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia can be found just around the corner from the Ipoh KTM Train Station.

In reality, you could arrive in Ipoh on the train and then walk about 500m to the bus station and then catch the bus to the Cameron Highlands.

Arriving in Ipoh on the bus from elsewhere takes you further afield, the  Medan Gopeng bus station.

Map of Ipoh showing the KTM train station, bus station to the Cameron Highlands and Medan Gopeng bus station.

The bus leaves Ipoh to the Cameron Highlands four times per day, 8:00am, 11:00am, 3:00pm and 6:00pm at a cost of RM 16.80 per adult and RM 12.60 per child, one way. There is no real need to pre-book your tickets unless it will be a Malaysian holiday (it is always a Malaysian holiday!)

As per most Malaysian buses, there are no toilets on board, if necessary, the bus driver can pull over for you, ask nicely. The bus itself is very clean and comfortable, seats recline and if you are lucky, they may play a video for entertainment however it isn't really necessary as the bus ride only takes 2 hours.

We strongly suggest you ask for seat 1, 2, or 3 on the bus up to the Cameron Highlands. The roads are extremely windy, going up and down and around hills constantly. Sitting in the front row of the bus helps with any sort of motion sickness as you can see exactly what is coming up in front of you.

Behind each seat, in the magazine holder, there should be plastic bags. No, these are not for rubbish, but for people to throw up in if need be. The bus driver also has more bags near the seat, generally on a hook for ease of grabbing.

Apart from the constant motion sickness feeling, the bus ride up to Tanah Rata through Brinchang in the Cameron Highlands was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, we did not take any photos as we were constantly dealing with motion sickness.

The bus stations in both Birchang and Tanah Rata are right in the centre of the towns, so it is very easy to get off the bus and walk to accommodation easily.

In short:
Ipoh to the Cameron HIghlands Bus:
Leaves at 8:00am, 11:00pm, 3:00pm and 6:00pm
From: The bus station 500m around the corner from the  Majestic KTM train station.
Travel Time: 2 hours of motion sickness up and down and around hills and valleys.
Cost: $16.80 per adult, $12.60 per child.

To view our posts written about Ipoh, Malaysia, click here.
To view our posts written about the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia click here.

19 thoughts on “How To Get From Ipoh To The Cameron Highlands Easily

    1. You can no longer get a bus direct from Ipoh bus station to Cameron Highlands. You have to get a local bus T30a or T30b, every half hour or so during the day from there to Amanjaya terminal on outskirts of Ipoh. If you are coming from KL it is easier and cheaper to get a bus direct from there to Tanah Rata

  1. thank you so much for all this info! we are about to head to Malaysia and your blog is so helpful for planning the rest of our travels

    1. More than welcome! We hope you have a fabulous time in Malaysia. The strawberry shakes are pretty good up in the Cameron Highlands. Oh, and the tea. How could I forget the tea!

  2. Hi Tanya! Thank you for this information! I was trying to find this in google and bumped in to your site accidentally. I have now bookmarked your site and will be reading more for my future travels….and by the way I am also an IT person working in a bank trying to escape and trade my current life for a rewarding experience on the road.

  3. are there any bus services from the new bus terminal in ipoh Amanjaya to Cameron Highlands ?

    1. Yes. The buses now leave from amanjaya, not from the terminal near the train station. This changed in Jun 2015.
      If you go to the bus terminal near the center and buy the ticket they’ll give you a free trip to amanjaya. But this trip takes a while cause the buses leave infrequently. So you have get there early, maybe an hour to be safe.

  4. Thank you! This post is super helpful for us as we plan our travels in the Cameron Highlands area. I’m definitely popping motion sickness pills before I get on these buses!

  5. great information we are going to Ipoh tomorrow and I was wondering how to get to the Cameron Highlands

  6. Hi Andrew & Tanya – Thanks much for the post its very useful , however we need to travel from IPOH to Cameron Highlands after 7:00 PM is there any transport available and is it safe ?
    Thanks again

    1. We don’t know about travel in the evening unfortunately.

      Given the winding roads there is an element of risk but bear in mind that buses trek back and forth along this route many times a day without incident.

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