The Malacca River Walk is a path than runs on both sides of the Malacca river in the historic centre of Melaka city in West Malaysia.
Riverside walk in MelakaThe Malacca River Walk is open all the time every day of the year and there is no admission charge.
About Malacca River Walk
The Malacca River Walk starts from the north side of the Tam Kim Seng Bridge.
Tan Kim Seng Bridge over the Malacca RiverThe Tam Kim Seng Bridge is very close to major tourist attractions in Melaka such as Dutch Square and Bastion Middleburg, which is a restored section of the defensive wall that surrounded the city centre when Melaka was under the control of Dutch colonialists. The Tam Kim Seng Bridge connects this popular part of Melaka city to Jalan Hang Jebat, where the Jonker Street Night Market takes places every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Bastion Middleburg overlooking the Malacca RiverMalacca River Cruises also depart from just to the south of the Tam Kim Seng Bridge. A 45 minutes river journey costs 30 MYR for adults and 25 MYR for children aged 2 to 12. River cruises travel 9 km in total on the round trip. Most people walking along the river will only go for a maximum of 2.5 km before returning home. It gets very hot in Melaka during the day which is why travelling in a boat is a popular option as opposed to walking.
Cruise boat on the Malacca RiverThe advantage of choosing to do the Malacca River Walk on foot is that there are lots of places to explore on the way. In particular the Malacca River Walk is very popular in the early evening because there are lots of bars and restaurants lining the river for the first 1 km north from the Tam Kim Seng Bridge. For visitors who are able to afford it, there are also lots of hotels you can stay which are located on the river front.
Bars, restaurants and hotels on the Malacca RiverThe most popular part of the Malacca River Walk is a 300 metres stretch of the path on the western side of the river from the Tam Kim Seng Bridge.
Street art on the Jalan Tukang Besi by the Malacca RiverOne of the first attractions you come to walking along the western side of Malacca River Walk is the Jalan Tukang Besi, which is side street with lots of great wall murals. This is a popular spot for people to take photographs of themselves and their companions.
Church of St Francis Xavier seen from the Malacca RiverA short way further along from the Jalan Tukang Besi on your right you see the imposing facade of the Church of St. Francis Xavier, which is a large Catholic church built in the middle of the 19th Century.
Chan Koon Cheng Bridge over the Malacca RiverThere are lots are bridges which you pass by on the Malacca River Walk, the first of which after the Tam Kim Seng Bridge is the Chan Koon Cheng Bridge which connects Melaka’s Little India district to its China Town.
Colourful houses on the Malacca RiverFar fewer tourists venture beyond the Chan Koon Cheng Bridge on the Malacca River Walk. There are less restaurants and bars, but there are lots of buildings colourfully decorated in creative wall murals. This part of the city houses the Kampung Morten, which is an old Malay community. Some of the wall murals in this area are very interesting as they depict the history and legends of Melaka.
Kampung Jawa Bridge over the Malacca RiverThe Malacca River Walk continues for several more kilometres from the Kampung Morten settlement, with progressive fewer points of interest on route. The further you walk the fewer the historic buildings there are and the more the banks of the river are occupied by modern developments.
Location of Malacca River Walk
- The southern end of the Malacca River Walk is near Jonker Street.
