Johor Bahru family itinerary: 2-day and 3-day plans built around opening hours
A JB weekend with children usually goes wrong on timing. Johor Zoo is shut on Tuesdays. Legoland's Theme Park is shut on Wednesdays until 18 November. Our check-in opens at 3pm, long after an early border crossing. These are the plans we give our own guests, with every opening time and price dated.
Updated 8 October 2026 · CCSHomestay Malaysia
Pick your side of JB first
Johor Bahru has two crossings from Singapore and they lead to two different weekends. The Tuas Second Link brings you to Medini and Legoland. The Woodlands Causeway brings you to the city centre, KSL City Mall and Mid Valley Southkey. Sleep on one side and spend both days on the other, and you will drive across town twice a day with tired children in the back.
| Base | Crossing | The weekend it suits | Our apartments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medini | Tuas Second Link | Legoland Theme Park, Water Park and SEA LIFE | 6 units, 5 to 7 guests |
| KSL City Mall | Woodlands Causeway | Mall downstairs, the Dinosaur Alive water park, the old town and the zoo | 3 units, 5 to 10 guests |
| Southkey | Woodlands Causeway | Mid Valley Southkey for bowling, films and food | 2 units, 6 to 7 guests |
With two days, choose one side and stay on it. With three, do two nights in Medini and finish in the city on the way home.
The days that break a plan
Check this table against your dates before you book anything. A Tuesday and Wednesday trip in October or November needs a different order from a Saturday and Sunday one.
| Place | Open | Closed or limited |
|---|---|---|
| Legoland Theme Park | October: Mon and Tue 10am to 5pm, Thu 11am to 8pm, Fri and Sat 10am to 9pm, Sun 10am to 6pm | Closed every Wednesday from 7 October to 18 November 2026 |
| Legoland Water Park | 10am to 6pm | Closed every Tuesday from 13 October to 1 December 2026 |
| SEA LIFE Malaysia | 10am to 6pm daily, last entry 5pm | None listed |
| Johor Zoo | 9am to 6pm, Wednesday to Monday | Closed on Tuesdays |
| Johor Zoo night safari | 8pm to 11pm, last entry 10pm | Friday to Sunday, plus public and school holidays |
| Dinosaur Alive water park, KSL | 9am to 7pm daily | None listed |
| KSL City Mall and Mid Valley Southkey | 10am to 10pm daily | KSL's street night market is Mondays only, about 5pm to 10pm |
| Hiap Joo Bakery, old town | 7.30am to 5pm daily | Expect a queue for the banana cake |
Legoland's hours come from its own calendar, read on 7 October 2026. From November the Theme Park is listed at 10am to 6pm on the days it opens, so the late Friday and Saturday nights in the plans below are an October thing. The weekday detail is in our Legoland Malaysia family guide.
Two days in the city: Saturday and Sunday
Base yourself at KSL City Mall or Southkey and cross at Woodlands.
Saturday
- Morning, old town. You cannot check in until 3pm, so start with a walk. Hiap Joo Bakery at 13 Jalan Tan Hiok Nee opens at 7.30am and sells its banana cake at RM13 for a box of ten slices. The queue is for that cake. Buy one box for the apartment and one for the drive home.
- From 10am, Mid Valley Southkey. The Travel Intern's guide, updated on 6 October 2026, puts the mall a 15-minute drive from Woodlands Checkpoint. On Level 4 it lists Supreme Cosmic Bowl from RM35 a game and the VR+ Zone from RM10 a person. GSC cinema tickets on Level 3M start at RM22. Have lunch here. Parking rates, the J15 bus from JB Sentral and what each floor has for children are in our Mid Valley Southkey guide.
- 3pm, check in. Unpack and let the small ones sleep. A nap now buys you the evening.
- 8pm, Johor Zoo night safari. The zoo shuts at 6pm and reopens from 8pm to 11pm, Friday to Sunday, with last entry at 10pm. A report dated 2 April 2026 gives RM10 for a Malaysian adult and RM5 for a child. It gives no night price for non-Malaysians, so ask at the counter.
Sunday
- 9am, Dinosaur Alive at KSL. The water park on Level 7 of the KSL Hotel & Resort opens an hour before the mall. It is RM30 a person from age 3, and under-3s are free. Guests in our KSL units can be in the water at 9am and still make the 12pm check-out.
- 12pm, check out and eat. Lunch in the mall, then load the car.
- Afternoon, the zoo by day. Skip this if you went last night. The zoo is at Jalan Gertak Merah and stays open until 6pm. The published daytime prices are RM10 for a Malaysian adult, RM5 for a child or senior and RM30 for a non-Malaysian of any age, with children under 5 free.
- Then the Causeway. We do not print a crossing time because it changes by the hour. Check live traffic before you leave the car park.
More on the mall itself, the J100 bus from JB Sentral and parking at RM2.20 an hour is in our KSL City Mall guide.
Two days at Legoland: Saturday and Sunday
Base yourself in Medini and cross at Tuas.
Saturday
- 10am, Theme Park. Go straight to the gate with the car still packed. Parking is RM10 per entry. A day ticket allows one entry only, so do not plan to leave for a 3pm check-in and come back. Stay inside, take a long air-conditioned lunch around 1pm, and check in with us when you come out. Tell us your arrival time when you book.
- Evening. In October the Theme Park runs to 9pm on Saturdays, with last entry at 8pm. From November it closes at 6pm, which leaves time for dinner near the apartment.
Sunday
- Before 12pm. Cook breakfast in the apartment, because outside food is not allowed into the parks. Check out by 12pm.
- Water Park, then SEA LIFE. Both run 10am to 6pm. Do the slides first and keep the aquarium for last. It is indoors and cool, and last entry is 5pm.
Theme Park tickets start at RM205 for an adult and RM175 for a child or senior, and under-3s are free. Before you buy a combination ticket for a two-day plan, read on the ticket page how many days it covers.
Three days, both sides: Friday to Sunday
- Friday. Cross at Tuas after lunch and check in at Medini from 3pm. In October the Theme Park is open until 9pm on Fridays, and Legoland sells evening tickets from RM55. That is a cheap first look for children who cannot wait until morning.
- Saturday. A full day in the Theme Park, gate at 10am.
- Sunday. Check out by 12pm and drive to the city. Choose one stop: the zoo, open until 6pm, or Dinosaur Alive at KSL, open until 7pm. Then leave by the Causeway, which is the crossing on the city side.
If the Water Park matters more to your children than the zoo, swap Sunday. Do the Water Park and SEA LIFE in Medini and go home through Tuas.
What the tickets add up to
These sums are for two adults and two children aged 5 to 11, using the prices above. Food, fuel, tolls and the apartment are extra.
| Ticket | Malaysian family | Visiting family |
|---|---|---|
| Johor Zoo, daytime | RM30 | RM120 |
| Dinosaur Alive, KSL | RM120 | RM120 |
| Hiap Joo banana cake, one box | RM13 | RM13 |
| City weekend, tickets and cake | RM163 | RM253 |
| Legoland Theme Park, one day | from RM760 | from RM760 |
| Legoland parking, one entry | RM10 | RM10 |
| Legoland day, tickets and parking | from RM770 | from RM770 |
A day at Legoland costs three times the tickets for a whole city weekend, and nearer five times for a Malaysian family. That is the real choice on a budget, and the city plan is not the poorer trip. Children under 8 often get more from a zoo, a water slide and a bowling lane than from a long queue in the sun.
If you drive in from Singapore
A Singapore-registered car needs the Malaysian VEP RFID tag before it enters. Under the JPJ scheme the tag costs RM10 and lasts five years, and enforcement began on 1 July 2025 with a RM300 compound. Each entry also carries a RM20 road charge, paid with a Touch 'n Go card, so load the card before you leave home. Use Tuas for Medini and Woodlands for KSL and Southkey.
When it rains
Afternoon rain in Johor often arrives fast and leaves just as fast. Keep one indoor stop in each day and move it forward when the sky turns. In Medini that is SEA LIFE. At KSL it is the Funtopia play area on Level 1 or a film at GSC on Level 2. At Southkey it is the bowling lanes, the VR+ Zone or the cinema.
Where to stay
All eleven of our apartments are whole units, so one family or two can stay together under one roof. The Medini units take 5 to 7 guests, the KSL units 5 to 10, and the Southkey units 6 to 7. Photos and bed layouts for each one are on the stays page.
Tell us your dates
Send your dates, the number of adults and children, and which plan you like. We will suggest the unit on the right side of JB and confirm the rate on WhatsApp before anything is booked.
WhatsApp +60 17-718 1779Questions families ask about a JB weekend
How many days do you need in Johor Bahru with kids?
Two days cover one side of the city. Stay in Medini for Legoland, or stay in the city centre for Johor Zoo, KSL City Mall and Mid Valley Southkey. Three days let you do both, with two nights in Medini and the last afternoon in the city before you cross home at Woodlands.
Is Johor Zoo open every day?
No. Johor Zoo is open 9am to 6pm from Wednesday to Monday and is closed on Tuesdays, according to a report dated 2 April 2026. The night safari runs 8pm to 11pm with last entry at 10pm, from Friday to Sunday and on public and school holidays.
How much is Johor Zoo for Singaporeans and other visitors?
The published daytime price for a non-Malaysian visitor is RM30 a person at any age. Malaysians pay RM10 for an adult and RM5 for a child or senior, and children under 5 enter free. A visiting family of two adults and two school-age children pays RM120. Klook's page says tickets are sold at the zoo's counters.
Is Legoland Malaysia open on Wednesdays?
Not the Theme Park, for now. Legoland's calendar, read on 7 October 2026, shows the Theme Park closed every Wednesday from 7 October to 18 November 2026 and the Water Park closed every Tuesday from 13 October to 1 December 2026. SEA LIFE opens every day from 10am to 6pm.
Should a family stay in Medini or in JB city centre?
Stay where you will spend most of your hours. Medini is the Tuas Second Link side and suits a trip built on Legoland. KSL City Mall and Southkey are on the Woodlands Causeway side and suit shopping, food, the zoo and the old town. CCSHomestay has six apartments in Medini, three at KSL and two at Southkey.
What can we do in JB before the 3pm check-in?
Plenty opens early. Hiap Joo Bakery on Jalan Tan Hiok Nee opens at 7.30am, Johor Zoo and the Dinosaur Alive water park at KSL open at 9am. KSL City Mall and Mid Valley Southkey open at 10am, and so does Legoland on most days. Plan the morning near where you will sleep and check in when the apartment is ready from 3pm.
What is there to do in Johor Bahru with children when it rains?
Keep one indoor stop in each day. In Medini that is SEA LIFE, which is air-conditioned. At KSL City Mall it is the Funtopia play area on Level 1 or a film at GSC on Level 2. At Mid Valley Southkey it is bowling or the VR+ Zone on Level 4, or the cinema on Level 3M.
Legoland hours, closed days, ticket and parking prices are from Legoland Malaysia's calendar and help pages, read between 2 and 7 October 2026. KSL City Mall and Dinosaur Alive details are from the KSL City and KSL Hotel & Resort websites on 5 October 2026. Mid Valley Southkey's hours are from the mall's website on 8 October 2026, and its activity prices and drive time from The Travel Intern's guide updated 6 October 2026. Johor Zoo hours and night safari details are from a Sethlui report of 2 April 2026, daytime prices from TheSmartLocal's guide updated 14 October 2024, and Klook's zoo page still showed RM10 and RM30 for adults on 8 October 2026. Hiap Joo's hours and price are from Eatbook, 10 June 2026. Prices and hours change, so confirm before you travel. CCSHomestay Malaysia is not affiliated with any of the attractions named here.