Most things to do near JB CIQ are within walking distance or a short Grab ride of the checkpoint. Top picks are the Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and Jalan Dhoby heritage streets (about 15 minutes’ walk), the Old Chinese Temple on Jalan Trus (1870s), the Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple, City Square mall (linked to the CIQ), the Pasar Karat night market and the Royal Abu Bakar Museum. Add food, a massage and a grocery run, and many Singaporeans fill a whole weekend without leaving the city centre.
For many Singaporeans, “going to JB” means crossing the Causeway, walking out of the CIQ and spending a day or two in the old city. That routine is set to get easier once the RTS Link starts service, targeted for February 2027, with a roughly 5-minute ride from Woodlands North to Bukit Chagar. This guide covers the things to do near JB CIQ on a typical weekend: heritage, food, shopping, wellness and easy half-day trips. It also explains why this visitor traffic matters to people who own, or plan to own, a home in JB city centre. For a resident’s view of the same area, see our guide to living in JB and working in Singapore.
Things to do near JB CIQ: a quick list
The JB city centre around the CIQ is compact. Most heritage sites, food streets and malls are within a 5 to 20 minute walk, or a short ride if it is hot or raining.
| Place | What it is | Best time | Getting there from CIQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johor Bahru City Square | Mall with fashion, electronics and local food | Any time; good on arrival | Linked to the checkpoint, short walk |
| Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and Jalan Dhoby | Heritage shophouses, cafes, bakeries, street art | Morning to late afternoon | About 15 min walk |
| Old Chinese Temple, Jalan Trus | One of JB’s oldest structures, dating to the 1870s | Morning (about 7:30am to 5:30pm) | Walk, near the heritage streets |
| Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple | Hindu temple decorated with about 300,000 glass pieces | Daytime | Short ride, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak area |
| Royal Abu Bakar Museum (Istana Besar) | Palace built in 1866, royal artefacts and history | Daytime | Short ride towards the Straits |
| Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque | Hilltop mosque completed in 1900, Victorian and Moorish style | Morning, outside prayer times | Short ride along the waterfront |
| Pasar Karat, Jalan Segget | Night flea market with second-hand goods and buskers | From 8pm | Walk |
| Medan Selera Meldrum Walk | Night food street: char kway teow, satay, oyster omelette | Evening | Walk |
Getting to the JB CIQ from Singapore
Today most weekend visitors cross by bus or car. From 2027 the RTS Link adds a fast rail option that ends right in the city centre.
- Cross-border bus: services from Woodlands, Kranji and Queen Street drop passengers at the CIQ for about S$2.20–3 one way. You clear Singapore immigration, re-board, then clear Malaysian immigration at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar and walk straight into the city.
- Driving: tolls are about S$3.20 one way at Woodlands, and a Singapore car needs an activated Vehicle Entry Permit for Malaysia. Singapore-registered cars must fill up with RON97 in Malaysia. Parking in the city centre is easy to find, but weekend traffic at the Causeway can be heavy.
- RTS Link: targeted to start passenger service in February 2027. Trains will run about every 3.6 minutes at peak, taking about 5 minutes from Woodlands North to Bukit Chagar, with customs clearance at both ends. The fare has not been announced; see our RTS Link explainer.
Whichever way you come, you arrive within walking distance of everything in this guide. That is a big part of why the CIQ area is the default weekend base.
Heritage walks: Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Jalan Dhoby and the temples
The best free thing to do near the CIQ is to walk the old town. The heritage streets, temples and street art are about 15 minutes on foot from the checkpoint.
Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and Jalan Dhoby
These two streets, named after the Chinese community leader Tan Hiok Nee, are lined with restored shophouses. They now hold independent cafes, vintage shops, art spaces and old bakeries. Murals by local artists cover walls and back lanes, especially the alley behind Masjid India. Local favourites include Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory, known for its banana cake, and Hainanese-style cafes. The Chinese Heritage Museum nearby covers four floors of Chinese migration history in Johor, with English signage.
Old Chinese Temple on Jalan Trus
The Johor Bahru Old Chinese Temple dates back to the 1870s and is one of the oldest structures in the city, now surrounded by modern towers. It is the centre of JB’s annual Chingay “Parade of Deities” in the first lunar month, one of the biggest street festivals in the state. It is generally open from early morning to late afternoon.
The Glass Temple
The Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple, off Jalan Tun Abdul Razak near the Bukit Chagar area, is covered in about 300,000 pieces of coloured glass. It is listed in the Malaysia Book of Records as the country’s first glass temple, and it is a favourite photo stop for first-time visitors.
Royal JB: the palace museum and the state mosque
A short ride west along the waterfront takes you to royal Johor. The Istana Besar, built in 1866 as the Sultan’s official residence, houses the Royal Abu Bakar Museum, with royal artefacts, costumes and documents that tell the story of modern Johor. Nearby, the Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque, completed in 1900, stands on a hill overlooking the Straits of Johor. It blends Victorian and Moorish architecture. Visitors should dress modestly and come outside prayer times. Mornings are best for photos and fewer crowds.
Food: what Singaporean visitors eat near the CIQ
Food is the main reason many Singaporeans cross on weekends. Hawker meals in JB cost about S$4–8 compared with S$6–12 in Singapore, according to ShopBack’s 2026 comparison.
A typical food plan near the CIQ looks like this:
- Breakfast: kopi and toast or dim sum at an old-town kopitiam around the heritage streets.
- Lunch: Hainanese, Nyonya or Malay dishes along Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and Jalan Dhoby.
- Afternoon: a heritage bakery stop for banana cake or buns to take home.
- Dinner: char kway teow, satay and oyster omelette at Medan Selera Meldrum Walk, or a sit-down seafood dinner. A mid-range dinner for two costs about S$15–30 against S$35–70 in Singapore.
Shopping and wellness: malls, massages and the grocery run
After food, the weekend usually involves a mall, a massage or hair appointment, and a grocery run. All of these are easy near the CIQ.
City Square is linked to the checkpoint and is the first stop for many visitors. KOMTAR JBCC is nearby, and R&F Mall sits on the waterfront east of the CIQ. Our guide to the upcoming Causewayz Square mall covers the ~90,000 sq ft retail podium planned next to Bukit Chagar. ShopBack estimates that a haircut costs about S$12–25 in JB against S$40–90 in Singapore, and that a 60–90 minute massage costs about S$27–55 against S$70–150. Grocery staples are about 30–45% cheaper. For a full breakdown, see our cost of living JB vs Singapore guide.
One practical point: travellers returning to Singapore after less than 48 hours have a GST import relief of S$100, and there is no duty-free liquor concession for arrivals from Malaysia. Plan your shopping bags accordingly.
Evenings: Pasar Karat and the night food scene
JB’s old town comes alive after dark, and the evening is when many Singaporean visitors stay on rather than rushing home.
Pasar Karat, on Jalan Segget, is a night flea market that starts from around 8pm. Stalls sell second-hand clothing, antiques, collectibles and odds and ends at low prices, and street buskers add to the atmosphere. A few minutes away, Medan Selera Meldrum Walk is a lively night food street known for char kway teow, satay, nasi lemak and oyster omelette. Together they make an easy, low-cost evening within walking distance of the CIQ. If you stay overnight, crossing back the next morning lets you skip the evening queue at the Causeway.
A sample JB weekend near the CIQ
Here is a simple two-day plan that keeps you within easy reach of the checkpoint.
Day 1: old town and night market
- Cross early and grab breakfast near the heritage streets.
- Walk Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and Jalan Dhoby, then visit the Old Chinese Temple and the Chinese Heritage Museum.
- Lunch in the old town, then a massage or a haircut in the afternoon.
- Dinner at Meldrum Walk, then browse Pasar Karat from 8pm.
Day 2: royal JB and the waterfront
- Morning at the Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque (outside prayer times) and the Royal Abu Bakar Museum.
- Photo stop at the Glass Temple.
- Lunch and mall time at City Square or R&F Mall, then a grocery run.
- Cross back in the late afternoon, ideally avoiding the evening peak.
Easy half-day trips from JB city centre
If you have more time, a few popular spots are a short drive beyond the city centre.
- Danga Bay: a seaside promenade with restaurants and weekend markets, good at sunset.
- Puteri Harbour: a marina boardwalk in Iskandar Puteri.
- Legoland Malaysia Resort: a family theme park and water park.
- Johor Premium Outlets: branded outlet shopping, further out towards Kulai.
- Hutan Bandar MBJB: a city forest with walking paths and a lake, open daytime.
These are best done by car or Grab. For a weekend focused on food and heritage, the city centre is usually enough.
Day trip or overnight stay?
A meal, a mall and a grocery run fit easily into a day trip. If you want the heritage streets, the night market and the royal sights, staying one night is far more relaxing.
Staying overnight lets you see the old town by day, Pasar Karat and Meldrum Walk by night, and the mosque and museum the next morning before an off-peak crossing home. Families travelling with children or older relatives also benefit: plan outdoor sights for the morning, move into air-conditioned malls after lunch, and use Grab for short hops. It is also why some Singaporean families who visit often end up buying a unit near the CIQ, renting it out most of the time and using it as their own weekend base.
Practical tips for a smooth JB weekend
A little planning makes a JB weekend near the CIQ far more relaxing.
- Time your crossing: early morning and mid-afternoon crossings are usually calmer than Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons.
- Carry some cash: most malls and cafes take cards and e-wallets, but night markets and small hawker stalls often prefer cash.
- Use ride-hailing for short hops: the Glass Temple, the palace museum and the mosque are easy Grab rides from the old town.
- Dress for temples and mosques: cover shoulders and knees, and check visiting hours before you go.
- Know your customs allowance: keep receipts and declare goods above your GST relief when you return.
Why weekend visitors matter to JB city-centre property
Steady weekend visitor traffic from Singapore is one of the reasons JB city centre has stayed lively, and historically it has supported demand for well-located short-stay and serviced apartments near the CIQ.
Visitors want what residents want: to be close to the checkpoint, the food streets and the malls. That makes homes within walking distance of the CIQ and the RTS Link a natural fit for own-stay buyers who like this lifestyle, and for investors who want flexible rental options. Causewayz Square, about 600 m from the CIQ and about 800 m from the RTS Bukit Chagar station, is planned with a hospitality operator for its Axis tower and a retail podium. A pedestrian link to the CIQ and RTS has been proposed by the developer. See our shortlist of condos near the JB RTS for other options, and the RTS Link opening date guide for the latest timeline.
Short-stay rules and building by-laws vary by project and local authority, so check what each development permits before you plan an Airbnb-style strategy. Interested in owning a base near the CIQ? WhatsApp us for the latest SPA price list.
Sources
- Johor Bahru Old Chinese Temple, Wikipedia
- TheSmartLocal: Jalan Dhoby and Jalan Tan Hiok Nee guide
- The Sun: Things to do in Johor
- EasyParcel: Top places in Johor Bahru for Singapore travellers
- St Giles: Free things to do in Johor Bahru
- ShopBack: Johor Bahru vs Singapore shopping 2026
- Singapore Customs: Duty-free concession and GST relief
This guide is general information, not financial advice.