Singapore-Johor Bus: Singapore to Muar (柔佛.麻坡) via Larkin Sentral

Going to Muar from Singapore? A direct long-distance bus ticket from Singapore to Muar, in Johor of West Malaysia, may cost around S$20 or more (one-way). This is the easiest option if you want to avoid hassles and do not mind paying the higher fares, including the return trip, in Singapore Dollars.

If you want to be adventurous, enjoy some flexibility in managing your travel time or wish to make the trip to Muar, or Malacca, at your own leisure pace, consider using the local transport system. Aside from gaining exposure to travelling around West Malaysia like a local, you may be surprised how much money you can save on each trip too, and more so if you travel beyond Johor Bahru frequently.

In this article, we will discuss how to get to Muar from Singapore and also getting from Muar to nearby cities / towns.

Singapore to Larkin Sentral

Larkin Sentral, the intercity bus terminal of Johor Bahru, is where you will need to get to before going further to any states in West Malaysia from Singapore. Aside from having intercity buses to other states beyond Johor, like Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang, etc, Larkin Sentral also has buses to all 10 districts of Johor, including Kulai, Pontian, Batu Pahat, Kluang, Muar, Mersing (for Pulau Tioman), etc.

The first step to travelling beyond Johor Bahru will be to get to Larkin Sentral from Singapore, read:
SG-Johor Bus: Singapore to Larkin Sentral (Bus Terminal) in Johor Bahru

Getting to Muar

After alighting at Larkin Sentral, proceed to the centralised ticketing counters inside the bus terminal and get an intercity bus ticket to Muar. Choose your preferred bus company and the desired departure time / type of bus. A ticket to Muar starts from RM16.70 (one-way) plus relevant fees and a boarding pass will be issued.

Alternatively, pre-book your ticket online via any authorised apps (Easybook, BusOnlineTicket, redBus, etc) from authorised app stores or at larkinsentral.my. Ensure that a boarding pass (a QR code, after paying RM1) is issued with your ticket, otherwise, you will need to queue at the “Boarding Pass” counters (10~14) to get your boarding pass after paying RM2 (another RM1 for handling fee).

Advise: The journey to Muar is about 2.5 to 3 hours and very often, the buses are non-stop, so make sure to visit the washroom before boarding the bus. During the journey, control water intake by sipping water to wet the mouth instead of drinking mouthfuls of water. Dehydrate immediately on arrival at the bus terminal in Muar.

Terminal Bentayan Muar

On reaching Muar, the bus will stop at Terminal Bentayan Muar (Bentayan Bus Terminal), which is an express bus terminal for intercity bus services. Domestic / stage buses within Muar, and to Tangkak and Segamat, operate from Maharani Bus Terminal some 600 metres further down Jalan Maharani.

If you have a preferred date and time to return to Johor Bahru, get your return ticket at the manned counters before leaving the terminal. Or use any of the online booking apps to book your return ticket at least one hour before the intended time of departure. During peak travel seasons, it is advisable to pre-book your return ticket.

The express bus terminal is within easy walking distance to Pekan Muar, the main town or business area of Muar. The pre-war town has couple of shopping malls, tons of food outlets, shops, etc. There is also a “Muar Food Street” or “Glutton Street” (麻坡贪食街) along Jalan Haji Abu with many food stalls selling local delicacies. And the giant murals on the walls are too large to miss!

Visit busonlineticket.com, easybook.com or redbus.my for latest schedules, bus fares and journey durations.

Getting Back from Muar

To return to Singapore, head back to Terminal Bentayan Muar and purchase the ticket to Larkin Sentral or pre-book via any booking apps. There is no extra fees for the return trip — at the time of writing.

After reaching Larkin Sentral, change to SBS Transit 170 or Causeway Link CWL to JB CIQ. Use Singapore Johor Express (SJE) if heading towards Queen Street — it is faster.

Read: SG-Johor Bus: Singapore to Larkin Sentral (Bus Terminal) in Johor Bahru

It cost around S$11+ (two-way) to use local transports as compared to S$40+ (two-way) from Singapore to Muar and return (excluding fares of cross-border buses).

Between Muar & Malacca

Malacca is about 1 hour from Muar by express bus and the fare is around RM5 for a 30-seater between Muar’s Bentayan Bus Terminal and Melaka Sentral. With this piece of information, you can plan a trip to visit both Meleka Old Town and Muar Town or stay in one of the two towns and make a day-trip to the other town — this is the kind of flexibility that I enjoy on my travels.

In unfortunate circumstances that you are not able to get a bus ticket from Melaka Sentral to Larkin Sentral / Singapore, especially during peak periods, such as school holidays or long weekends, you can always get a ticket to Muar / Kluang and then to Larkin Sentral / Singapore using other bus services. From Kluang, there are train services too.

Between Muar & Batu Pahat

Batu Pahat is also about 1 hour from Muar by express bus. The fare is around RM5.20.

Note that most of the express buses that service the route between Batu Pahat and Muar are part of a longer route between Kuala Lumpur TBS and Pontian District. During peak hours, traffic congestions in Kuala Lumpur may affect the arrival time of buses at Muar — if you plan to connect to another bus in Batu Pahat, make sure it is at least 2~3 hours in-between.

Similarly, apart from Muar direct to Larkin Sentral (3 hour), there is also an option to travel to Batu Pahat from Muar (1 hour) and from Batu Pahat to Larkin Sentral (2.5 hours), excluding waiting time at Batu Pahat.

Between Muar & Kluang

There are no direct long-distance bus services between Muar and Kluang, and also Yong Peng (part of Batu Pahat District) in between.

Alternatively, travel from Muar to Batu Pahat using express bus services and switch to domestic bus services between Batu Pahat, Air Hitam and Kluang and also between Batu Pahat and Yong Peng, or vice versas. See link below for more information.

Next:

Johor Buses: Local Buses Between Kulai, Air Hitam, Kluang, Batu Pahat & Yong Peng in Central Johor