Things to Do in Muar: Mosques, Murals & Mount Ledang

Muar is best known for its food, but the town also rewards a slower visit: a 1930s riverside mosque, colonial-era government buildings, mural lanes, a sunset seafront and, within an hour’s drive, Johor’s highest mountain, a fabric-shopping town and a moving Emergency-era museum. Muar sits on Johor’s west coast at the mouth of the Muar River, about 175 km from Woodlands, so it works as a long day trip or a relaxed overnight stay. This guide covers the sights between meals. For the eating itself, see our Muar food trail.

Muar at a glance

Muar’s official name is Bandar Maharani, the “Empress Town”, named by Maharaja Abu Bakar of Johor after his consort. In 2012 Sultan Ibrahim formally declared it the royal town of Johor, which is why Johor Tourism now calls it Bandar Maharani Diraja. The old town is compact and flat, with most of the heritage sights within a short walk of the river. The outlying attractions, from Gunung Ledang to Bukit Kepong, are spread across the countryside and really need a car.

Things to do in Muar town

Sultan Ibrahim Jamek Mosque

Muar’s most photographed building stands on the riverbank in the town centre. Work began in 1925 and the mosque opened in 1930. Originally called Masjid Maharani, it was renamed in 1984. Its design mixes colonial architecture with Islamic details: classical columns, tall arched windows and a four-storey minaret that looks more like a lighthouse than a typical minaret. Across the river at Tanjung Agas, the newer Masjid Sultan Ismail was built in 2002 in a matching style, so the two mosques face each other across the water.

Visitors can admire the exterior at any time. If you would like to go inside, dress modestly, remove your shoes and avoid prayer times, especially Friday midday prayers. The light is softest in the late afternoon, which is also the best time to photograph it from the riverside.

A heritage walk through the old town

Muar’s royal-town status has helped keep much of its older architecture standing. A loose walking loop from the mosque takes in:

• Bangunan Sultan Abu Bakar on Jalan Petri, a grand government building completed in 1921 that still houses the Muar District Office. It served as an administrative centre during the Japanese occupation.
• The old customs building by the river, dating from 1909, with its tiered clock tower.
• Nan Hai Fei Lai Temple on Jalan Maharani, built in 1913 and regarded as the oldest Chinese temple in Muar.
• Muar High School on Jalan Meriam, founded in 1902, with its main building dating from 1914.
• Pre-war shophouse rows around Jalan Maharani and the streets behind the river, many still home to family businesses.

Government buildings and the school are working premises, so view them from outside. Temples generally welcome respectful visitors.

Murals and street art

Muar has joined the Malaysian street-art trend. Maharani Mural Lane, a back lane in the town centre, is lined with murals about Johor’s heritage and is listed on the official Visit Johor 2026 site. Other murals are scattered around the old town, including well-known pieces near Jalan Arab and Jalan Yahya. Murals fade and get repainted, so treat any list you find online as a starting point and enjoy stumbling across new ones.

Tanjung Emas and the river cruise

Dataran Tanjung Emas is the riverside square and park where the Muar River meets the Strait of Malacca. It is where the royal-town declaration was signed in 2012, and in the evening it fills with families walking, cycling and watching the boats. A short river cruise has operated from the jetty here, passing the mosque, the old government buildings and the Sultan Ismail Bridge. It does not run every day, so check with the jetty or the Muar District Office before planning around it.

Tanjung Ketapang seafront

A little further along the coast, Tanjung Ketapang is a seafront park with a waterside walk, popular with locals at sunset. It is a place for a stroll and a sea breeze rather than a swim. Keep food and plastic bags out of sight: the resident monkeys are bold.

Muar’s bridges

Two bridges frame the town. The Sultan Ismail Bridge, opened in the 1960s, replaced the old ferry across the river. Upstream, the cable-stayed Muar Second Bridge, opened in 2004 as part of the Muar Bypass, is one of the town’s modern landmarks and looks best lit up at night.

Day trips from Muar

Gunung Ledang National Park

At 1,276 m, Gunung Ledang (also known as Mount Ophir) is the highest peak in Johor and the setting of the legend of the Puteri Gunung Ledang. It lies in Tangkak district, roughly an hour’s drive from Muar town. The area is a national park managed by the Johor National Parks Corporation (PTNJ), with two sides of interest for visitors:

• The summit climb. According to PTNJ, a hiking permit and a licensed guide are compulsory, daily climber numbers are capped, and you should book at least a month ahead. Climbing is usually not allowed in December and January during the monsoon.
• The waterfall area at Sagil. PTNJ took over the waterfall park from a private operator in 2022, and it reopened in July 2023 after upgrading. It is the easier option for families who want a cool dip and forest scenery without the climb.

Check the latest permit rules, fees and opening days on the Johor National Parks website before you go.

Tangkak, Johor’s fabric town

About 28 km from Muar, Tangkak is nicknamed “Syurga Kain” (fabric heaven) by Johor Tourism, with dozens of textile shops along Jalan Payamas. Shoppers come for baju kurung fabric, batik, lace and curtain material, and the street gets especially busy in the weeks before Hari Raya. It pairs naturally with Gunung Ledang on the same day.

Bukit Kepong Emergency Gallery

Inland along the Muar River, around 59 km from town, Bukit Kepong is where communist insurgents attacked a small wooden police station before dawn on 23 February 1950, during the Malayan Emergency. Most of the policemen defending it were killed, along with family members. The Galeri Darurat Bukit Kepong, run by the Royal Malaysia Police, opened in 2017 on the site of the original station, with three floors of Emergency-era exhibits and armoured vehicles outside. It is a sobering but worthwhile stop for older children and history lovers. Confirm opening days before making the drive.

Parit Jawa and the coast

South of town, the fishing village of Parit Jawa has a busy fish market and seafront restaurants. It is mainly a food stop, so we cover it in the food trail, but it makes a pleasant coastal detour on the way back towards Singapore.

Sample plans for Muar

Plan	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
Town and heritage day	Arrive for breakfast, heritage walk from the mosque	Murals, rest, Tanjung Emas	Sunset at Tanjung Ketapang, drive home
Mountain and fabric day	Gunung Ledang waterfall area	Fabric shopping in Tangkak	Dinner in Muar, drive home
Overnight stay	Day 1: town sights and river	Day 2: Bukit Kepong gallery	Parit Jawa on the way south

Practical tips

• Start early. Midday heat is intense on the open riverside. Do your walking in the morning and late afternoon.
• Dress for the mosque and temples. Carry a light layer to cover shoulders and knees.
• Bring ringgit cash for parking, small shops and fabric bargaining, although QR payment is now common in town.
• Book Gunung Ledang climbs well ahead. The permit, guide and daily limits mean you cannot simply turn up for the summit.
• Weekends and Hari Raya weeks bring crowds to Tangkak and the waterfall. Weekdays are quieter.
• Check opening days for the river cruise and the Bukit Kepong gallery the day before.

Why a car makes Muar easier

The old town is walkable, but almost everything else on this list is spread out: Tangkak and Gunung Ledang lie inland to the north, Bukit Kepong is deep in the countryside along the river, and Parit Jawa is on the coast to the south. Long-distance buses reach Muar’s Bentayan terminal, but they will not get you between these stops.

With a private car from Singapore to Muar, Luxway SGMY collects your group from home, keeps everyone seated through immigration at both checkpoints and drives you from sight to sight. Fares start from SGD 220 one way for a Toyota Innova, per car, with tolls, checkpoint fees, fuel and parking included, and the price is the same in both directions. If you want the car with you all day, our Day Trip Service keeps the car and driver for 8, 10 or 12 hours. For other ideas, see our Singapore–Malaysia day trip ideas.

Plan your Muar trip

Tell us your pick-up address, date, group size and the places on your list, and we will suggest a start time and route. Read how booking works or Whatsapp us for a written quote. No deposit, and you pay the driver on the day.

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Last updated: 14 October 2026