Concubine Lane
Concubine Lane
3.5
About
As the name suggests, a famous tycoon gifted this lane to one of his concubines over a hundred years ago. While the area used to be rife with vices, today it is teeming with famous Ipoh eateries and coffee shops, cool cafes, and dessert houses. It has also been given a modern makeover by street artists, who have painted walls murals that capture the area's history. They're great photo spots, too. The lane gets quite busy on the weekends—visit on weekday mornings when it’s quieter but note that some stalls might be closed. If you stay till night, you can see the lanterns come on and illuminate the lane in red. – Tripadvisor
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Top ways to experience Concubine Lane
See what other travellers are saying
  • Ricky S
    Bandung, Indonesia360 contributions
    Must see in Ipoh
    Concubine Lane is a very famous tourist spot in Ipoh. Very crowded with tourists from everywhere, who are sightseeing and shopping for some street food, white coffee powder, as well as other trinkets and souvenirs to bring along. Nearby there are hawker centre, variety of shops, etc. It's within walking distance from the railway station and located in the heart of the city along the heritage trail. A great place to look around when you are in town.
    Visited December 2019
    Written 6 February 2020
  • JustUstwoguys
    Auckland Central, New Zealand201 contributions
    Vibrant street life.
    Enjoyed looking around at this old style part of Malaysia, was very crowded but still a good place to visit. Some interesting shops and of course street art. Local musicians playing in the street was also an added touch.
    Visited August 2022
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 24 September 2022
  • Chanwengcheong
    Cyberjaya, Malaysia462 contributions
    Blast from the Past
    The entire area of several Blocks turned into a memory lane of sorts. Filled with tourists, not uncommon but we felt it was a bit too commercialised. Ipoh folks would have preferred it to be a bit more nonchalant and to remain a nomenclature for sure. But you can’t stop the crowds. When it’s quiet on a weekday with ample time and space to walk around, it’s good to get lost, sit, breathe and take in the sights and sounds. Lots of restaurant around to fill your stomach when it’s due.
    Visited November 2019
    Travelled with family
    Written 28 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

3.5
760 reviews
Excellent
122
Very good
300
Average
263
Poor
60
Terrible
15

chengmmm
Vancouver, Canada3 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Over rated tourist attraction. Things were pricey and nothing special. $15 ringgit for a small cup of durian ice-cream.
Written 25 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John C
4 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
Interesting history but as an experience VERY underwhelming. Not sure what all the fuss is about. Lots of the same old tourists trapping vendors which are not cheap.
Written 22 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

N0blesse0blige
Toronto, Canada5 contributions
Jul 2023
BEWARE of the fresh watermelon juice vendor in Concubine Lane. We were naive and did not ask the price for the watermelon juice at this stall. I had just purchased coconut water across the lane for $7 ringgits so did was anticipating that the juice at this stall would be around the same price or at the very highest, no more than double ($14 or $15 ringgits). When the juice was made and it was time to pay, we were told it was $30 ringgits!!!

I believe the vendors were aware we were foreigners and perhaps quoted a much higher price. I have friends and relatives in Malaysia and they confirmed that the price was outrageous and unheard of. Long story short - inquire about the price prior to purchasing from this stall!

The lane itself is quaint and takes up a block with typical tourist vendors.
Written 10 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Vthc4
Singapore, Singapore310 contributions
Jun 2023 • Friends
While the 2nd Concubine lane is worth a visit for first timers, it has little to attract a repeat visit. It’s short and narrow. One hardly notices the history of the street while browsing to the vendors there. However, there is a good coconut refreshment shop selling coconut water, shake and ice cream that is worth visiting to rest one’s tired feet. Plenty of eateries within a stone’s throw from the 2nd Concubine lane.
Written 1 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ian A
Penang Island, Malaysia63 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
A quirky little stumble! Ipoh is one of those places that might not crop up on the SE-Asia worldly-traveler places to visit, but it definitely has a few places that make for a neat stop for a few hours. Concubine Lane is one of those such places. It is fairly busy, but the hustle and bustle seem to give it a bit of charm that make weaving in and out of various stores, offering souvenirs, some tasty treats and a variety of experiences, a pleasant way to spend half an hour or so. If you had a limited time in the area, or were looking for the best things to do in Malaysia, you wouldn't really venture to Ipoh and so you wouldn't make it to Concubine Lane, but if you live within a few hours and want to see somewhere a bit different that is similar to Georgetown, Penang, but with much less tourists, then it's worth a stop.

We spent a couple of hours in Ipoh in between Penang and The Cameron Highlands. Concubine Lane added to the experience, but we are unlikely to venture this way a second time.
Written 9 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

FrancisTLim
Penang Island, Malaysia176 contributions
Oct 2022
Oct2022. There are eateries and souvenir shops on both sides of this lane. This lane is only about 100m long so walk slowly and enjoy the view of the old buildings and the various businesses here. FrancisTLim.
Written 24 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chandran S
2 contributions
Feb 2023
The price of the food around the Concubine Lane is expensive. I bought 3 slices of "Sengkuang Calit" for RM10.

Besides that the price of basic banana leaf meal was RM12 pe pax which is higher than the price in KL.
Written 20 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sze Wei
Kulai, Malaysia166 contributions
Feb 2023 • Family
Gotta be fascinating if Muslim can play 4 wives, legendary miners playing 3 wives and above is quite the humanity feat i must say.😄😆🤜🤛Anyway on the touristy side of things, its quite vibey with so many souvenir shops and snack shops. Also it has quite a lot of mural drawings like the famous Penang street. Mining maybe history today but revisiting it in historical scope will never be least interesting for generations. Long live tin mines.
Written 17 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GAN L
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia8,719 contributions
Feb 2023 • Friends
There are 3 lanes and the most visited is the 2nd concubine lane. There are many souvenir shops at this lane. Gone are the glory days when the rich tin miner towkay located his wife and mistresses at the different lanes.
Written 1 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ZettyZing
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia46 contributions
Nov 2022 • Family
One of Ipoh’s trademark 👍🏻 good place to shop some souvenir. A lot of small cafe around so food are not a problem.

However the lane are a bit narrow, try to avoid going there during peak hours or holidays etc.

Parking are difficult as around the area are packed.
Written 15 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 685
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

CONCUBINE LANE: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Concubine Lane

We recommend booking Concubine Lane tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 28 Concubine Lane tours on Tripadvisor

According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Concubine Lane: See all Concubine Lane experiences on Tripadvisor