Malacca Self-Guided Day Trip from Singapore by VIP Minivan (Drive-thru border)

Malacca is a small and easily-walkable UNESCO World Heritage Site just hours away from Singapore, but visiting on a big bus can mean standing-in-line for an extended time at the notoriously busy Singapore-Malaysia border, and unnecessary stops. This full-day self-guided tour offers the best of both worlds, with round-trip transport by a VIP minivan (using the drive-through lane at the border), admission tickets to the scenic Malacca River Cruise and Malacca Tower, plus plenty of free time to take in the sights that interest you most.

Begin with an early morning pickup at your Singapore hotel. Then, relax into the leather seats of the VIP minivan as your driver crosses the Singapore-Malaysia border using the drive-through lane, so that you 

do not have to get off to stand-in-line at the notoriously busy bus clearance halls.

Depending on traffic conditions, you will arrive at Malacca city around lunch-time, and the VIP minivan will drop you off at the Malacca River Cruise boarding point. You may walk to the nearby Halia Cafe for lunch at own expense, or proceed immediately for the cruise. 

The cruise takes about 45 minutes (round-trip). Sail past prominent Malacca landmarks such as the

Flor De La Mar Replica (Portuguese ship that sunk in 1511),

Middleburg Bastion (with cannons facing the river),

Dutch Square (with bright terracotta-red colonial buildings),

Church of St. Francis Xavier, shophouses with beautiful mural paintings of local cultures and early people, 

Kampung Morten (a traditional Malay village with houses built on stilts with wooden walls and tin roof), and mangrove trees.

The cruise will then bring you back to the initial boarding point. Next, you may ask your VIP minivan driver for a Malacca walking map for further self-exploration of the nearby Dutch Square (with easy pathways connecting to Jonker Walking Street, A'Famosa Fort and St. Paul's Church).

Finally after 3 hours around Malacca, head back to Malacca River Cruise boarding point to find your driver who will bring you to

Malacca Tower for more breath-taking views of Malacca, before you head back to Singapore with a drop-off at your hotel.