Melaka River Cruise
Sungai Melaka
A 45-minute boat trip through the Old Town, passing murals on old shophouses, the Malay stilt village of Kampung Morten and a Dutch windmill. Seeing the city lit up at night is Melaka’s most romantic way to experience it.
The Melaka River was once the trade lifeline of the Malacca Sultanate and the colonial era. After restoration in the 2000s, it became the city’s leisure corridor. Cruise boats depart from Muara Pier near the Red Dutch Square (beside the Cheng Ho Cultural Museum), sail upstream to Taman Rempah Pier and turn back. The round trip covers about 9 km and takes 45 minutes. Along the way you pass murals on old shophouses at the end of Jonker Street, the back doors of Peranakan mansions on Heeren Street, the traditional Malay stilt houses of Kampung Morten, a Dutch windmill, a small Ferris wheel and a riverside bar street. The boat offers commentary in both English and Malay. Adult fares for foreign tourists are about RM 30 and children RM 25. Tickets can be bought on the spot or booked online. Operating hours are 09:00–23:30, with a boat usually departing every 30 minutes, or as soon as it is full. For sightseeing, daytime cruises show the murals and villages more clearly, while the nighttime light show, with shophouses and bridges all lit up, is especially recommended between 19:00 and 21:00. If you prefer not to take a boat, you can walk along the Melaka River Walk from the Red Square to Kampung Morten in about 30 minutes. Note: queues of 30–60 minutes are common on weekend and holiday evenings. The boat has no canopy, so bring sun protection for daytime trips. Water levels sometimes affect departures.
Opening hours
09:00–23:30
Nearby sights
- Cheng Ho Cultural Museum
- Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple
- Kampung Kling Mosque
- Dutch Square (Stadthuys)
- Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum
- St. Francis Xavier's Church
- Jonker Street
- Cheng Hoon Teng Temple