Exploring new places is always a fun and charming thing to do. If you love knowing about new places and want to visit more cities in Malaysia in your leisure time, Johor would be a pretty good place for you to explore a whole new territory.
The state, Johor, has lots of surprises waiting for the people who love to travel once in a while. You will find various things to do and enjoy in this amazing state of Malaysia. Among all those interesting things, we are going to talk about the best things to do in Johor to give you an idea of what thrill is waiting for you there.
About Johor
Johor is a state in the Southern part of Malaysia, and this state connects Malaysia and Singapore together. It is a State with several suburbs, industrial parks, waterfronts, and rainforests. It represents excellent attractiveness and offers so many fun activities to its visitors.
This place was built at the time of the British Colonial Period. There are so many historical, religious, architectural beauty established here and there throughout the city.
If you are enthusiastic about Johor Bahru, the Capital city of Johor, you can also read our article The Best 21 Things to do in Johor Bahru to make your trip more fascinating.
20 Best Things to Do in Johor
1. A night out at Permaisuri Zarith Sofiah Opera House
Permaisuri Opera House is the first and foremost opera house located in Johor Bahru. If you’re a lover of musical events, you must not miss it because Sofiah opera house offers an endless number of spectacular musical events and art exhibitions.
It has a mesmerising architectural view both from the outside and inside with a vicious ground. A perfect place to get out from all the tensions and feel every bit of music in your veins.
Location: Tanjung puteri, Johor Bahru
2. Amigos Horse Riding
Riding on horseback sounds quite fancy, right? Amigos Horse Riding can add a new, daunting experience to your life. Not only you will love riding a horse, but also you will be able to see lots of greenish views along with a river view throughout your whole ride.
There is no need to feel anxious about the ride because the trainer will guide you in the details about the riding. The trail out there would be mostly flat, so it is pretty safe. A day on horseback will take you to a whole different world.
Location: Pasir Gudang, Johor Darul Takzim, 81707 Pasir Gudang, Johor.
Hour: 07:00 am – 07:00 pm
Fees: Subject of your choice
3. The Listering-blue Lagoon at Kangkar Pulai
Blue Lagoon giving you any specific idea about the place or not? Well, you might have a guess—a lake with almost unbelievably bluish water in it. If you are interested in hiking and love to appreciate the vastness of nature, this lake view is a must-visit area for you.
There are different routes you can take to the lagoon. You can have your own guide if you like. Hiking is not that tough and challenging here, so you will be able to pass the trial easily and in a short period of time. The sun gets pretty hot in the afternoon time, so try to avoid visiting at that time.
Location: Kulai, Johor.
Note: The place is temporarily closed.
4. Enjoy the City Views from All the Above at Skyscape
Skyscape is the first aerial attraction of Johor Bahru city. It is the most suitable place to visit if you want to see the full-length city view from up high. Almost 150m high from the ground, you will be able to enjoy some fun activities, including VR games, LED tunnel, interactive floor games, mini theatre to watch movies.
The glass-floored sky bridge will give a chill through your body. You can scroll around the bridge while enjoying an expansive city view. If you have a fear of height, either you can avoid it or face your fear through a visit to Skyscape. A thrilling day is awaiting you.
Location: Level 34, Menara JLand Johor Bahru City Centre, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, 80000 Johor Bahru.
Hour: Sunday – Friday: 09:30 am – 04:30 pm
5. Mount Pulai and Pulai Waterfall
Mount Pulai is one of the most popular recreational and hiking spots in Johor. It is 654m tall and has several paths for going up the hill. Some of the paths can be stiff, so be careful when you are at the trial.
Hiking through nature will add so much fun and excitement to your travel diary. You can also relax in water at Pulai Waterfall if you are tired of hiking and want just to sit and relax your body for a moment.
Though visitors are restricted from going up to the summit, several viewing spots around the summit are unblocked and provide amazing views. You can even enjoy a campsite near the waterfall if you want to stay away from the crowd and have some peaceful time on your own.
Location: Gunung Pulai Recreational Forest, 81000, Johor Bahru.
6. Zenxin Organic Park
Zenxin Organic Park is the first organic park in Malaysia. Food is life, right? Healthy eating habits play a significant part in our life. People who love farming and are interested in gathering knowledge about plants and farming processes will have a fantastic insight by visiting Zenxin Organic Park.
They provide a restaurant, recreational activities, flower nursery, organic shop, animal feeding, and other facilities. Visitors can walk through the whole park. They can take help from a guide too. They even provide cooking workshops opportunities with their fresh harvest—an educational visit at its best.
Children can learn so many things from the place that would enrich their health and life throughout their whole life. You will feel connected both with nature and plants and trees by being at the park.
Location: 47A & 47B Batu 9, Jalan Batu Pahat, 86000 Kluang, Johor
Hour: Thursday – Tuesday: 08:00 am – 05:00 pm
7. Blue Ice Skating Rink
Do you love winter? A day full of fun and entertainment with a winter vibe will be worthy of your time. Blue Ice-Skating Rink offers skating and other family entertainment activities for their visitors. This is one of most leading Skating rings in Malaysia.
Skating lovers or even Sportif people will cherish the experience of skating on ice. If you are a beginner, you can sign up for their various specialised program such as Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Ice Hockey. A day in this fun and exciting place can help you to overcome all your exhaustion and tiredness.
Location: 3F-30 Paradigm Mall Johor, Jalan Bertingkat Skudai,812000, Johor Bahru.
Hour: Daily, 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
8. Buy Discounted Luxury Goods At Johor Premium Outlets
Good outfits always make your day shiny and cheer your mood up even when you are feeling low, right? Shopping at a discounted rate is even more fun and attractive when you will be able to buy branded kinds of stuff.
Johor Premium Outlets provides more than 100 branded retail stores for their customers. Various renowned brands like Gucci, Furla, Victorious Secret, Armani, Nike, Ralph Lauren, etc., have their retail store at Johor Premium Outlets.
Why miss a great opportunity like this? A new collection of your favourite branded goods will be the best treat that you can give yourself. People who are addicted to shopping should never miss this chance. You can also try some delicious food items from their restaurants while you are shopping there.
Location: Jalan Premium Outlets, Bandar Indahpura, 81000 Kulai, Johor
Hour: Daily, 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
9. An Evening at Pasar Karat
Pasar Karat is a well-known night flea market in Johor. Are you into collecting unique antique and vintage stuff? Then this flea market in the open sky is the place you need to visit. They provide a wide variety of products for their customers at a cheap rate.
You will get to experience various unique pieces before your eyes which you had never seen before in your life. It is better to keep in mind that some of the quality of their products might not be that good as they are pretty cheap.
Even if you do not have any plan to buy anything, still browsing through the market can give you a fun, interesting experience as you will get to see various unique and attractive collections. Try their food items as well while walking by the market.
Location: 26, 20, Jalan Segget, Bandar Johor Bahru.
Hour: Daily, 06:00 pm – 02:00 am
10. Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club
A well-renowned golf club is situated in the heart of Horizon Hill. Whether a professional or an amateur at golfing, you would be amazed by the beautiful structural design of the club.
The club was built by an Australian architecture named Ross Watson. This 18 hole golf course is pretty intensely challenging for even a professional. They also provide 5-star facilities like tennis courts, gymnasium, swimming pool, ballroom and so on.
A day at this country club can help you ease your mind from all the pressures and tensions. Golfing is more fun and enjoyable with more people around, so you can visit the club with your friends and close ones who are interested enough to have a visit there.
Location: 1, Jalan Eka Bandar Nusajaya, 79100, Johor Bahru
Hour: Daily, 06:30 am – 08:00 pm
11. Kota Tinggi Firefly Park
Kota Tinggi Firefly Park can give anyone an insanely miraculous experience once in a lifetime. You will forget about the existence of everything for a while while you are there.
A riverbank that is a home for thousands of fireflies sparkling like a galaxy right in front of you. They also breed those fireflies as they are the essence of your nature, and we should take proper care of them. A ride in the river at night with the unbelievably green-yellowish lights surrounding the whole area will give you a feeling of the galaxy.
You will feel like you are in a dream. You can also light up a paper lantern with your loved one while you are visiting the park. An extraordinary journey that no one should miss out on.
Location: Jalan Kota Tinggi, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor Bahru.
Hour: Daily, 01:00 pm – 11:00 pm
12. Dirt Biking at Tristan Park
Cannot live without adventure? Love to ride to wheelers? Then you will be delighted after visiting Tristan Park. Riding on a handsome classical bike into the dirt track will give you all the fun, adventurous chill through your body that you were looking for.
It will be more fun if you go with your family or friends. They will provide you instructor to guide you from the beginning to the end of your journey. They have rental services for their visitors, including riding jerseys, pants, boots, helmets, etc.
It can be tricky to ride through muddy roads, so make sure to be careful enough while you are on your bike. Apart from that, It would be an exciting experience you must add to your travel destination.
Location: 11, 21, Jalan Kekabu 7, Taman Desa Cemerlang, 81800 Ulu Tiram, Johor.
13. Walk Along Jalan Tan Hiok Nee
The Jalan Tan Hiok Nee Street is an incredible place where tourists can see the old hawkers of Johor. Walking along the street in the surrounding area will give you a taste of the old hawkers. There are stalls that are present from the 1950s.
For an immersive experience of Jalan Hiok Nee, you will require around 2 hours to enjoy the food. Start your visit from the east of the road from the Sang Heng shop, which is the oldest shop in this street. Their heritage Kway Tew soup, and mee peow have been the same since then and is worth a try.
After that, you will find old-school cafes like Hua Mui, herbal stalls, local bakeries with fresh-baked goods like Salahuddin Bakery, and Hiap Joo Bakery, and restaurants like restoran IT Roo. Some of the must-try items at the Jalan Tak Hiok Nee are Hainese coffee, IT Roo’s Chicken Chop, and lamb-filled curry puffs from Salahuddin
14. Tour of Istana Besar
The Istana Besar tour is a must while in Johor. Istana Besar or the grand palace of the royal residence of the King of Johor. The palace has Anglo-Malay architecture with a contrast of Malay architecture with a distinctive blue roof.
The Istana Besar tour will show you the used artifacts, royal residency’s heirlooms, and history of the royal family. The Istana Besar was opened to the public as a museum in 1982. You will enjoy walking around and visiting the impressive collection of heirlooms in the Grand Palace.
Location:
107, Jalan Tun Dr Ismail, Taman Istana
Entry Fee: 21MYR
Opening Hours: 9:00AM to 5:00PM
15. Visit Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque
Visit Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque which was constructed in the 18th Century and is named after the premier planner of modern Johor. The Sultan Abu Bakar is the state mosque of Malaysia. It was constructed during 1892 to 1900.
The historical building is situated on Ledang Hill, and the architecture of the mosque was created by Tuan Haji Mohamad bin Haji Arif bin Haji Punak (Haji Siwek). The architecture of the mosque has reference of Victorian architecture, and the four sides of the mosque has four high-storyed minarets.
The main prayer hall has a five-ridge roof and a walkway along the three sides. It’s a must-visit for any tourists. Visit the beautiful wall mouldings outside of the building and feel the greatness and beauty of the place.
Location: Jalan Gertak Merah, Masjid Sultan Abu Bakar, 80000 Johor Bahru
16. Enjoy at Legoland
The Legoland-themed park in Johor is one of the fun attractions for the children and has over 40 fun activities and attractions. In Legoland, there are eight zones to explore like building with lego, water park areas, and theme-park rides. Visit the Lego City, Miniland, Ninjago world, and sea aquarium to enjoy various rides and activities. The lego wave pool is children’s favorite for water rides and more.
You have to reserve your tickets for Legoland priorly to front their official website. In the Lego theme park, you will enjoy action-packed rides and fascinating lego workshops. There are also rides for children including driving cars, lego driving airports, and hop on the Legoland express which shows around the main attractions of the theme park.
Opening Hours: 10 AM to 8 PM
Ticket Fee: Only for the theme park the fee is RM 199 for adults and RM 169 for children or seniors. For the aquarium and theme park package the fee is RM 219 for seniors or children and RM 279 for adults. And, for the theme parks, aquariums, and water parks, the tickets are RM 279 for seniors/ children and RM339 for adults.
17. Visit Johor Ancient Chinese Temple
The Johor ancient Chinese temple is a local Chinese temple that was established in the 1870s founded by Tan Hiok Nee, head of the Ngee Heng Company. This is the oldest temple in the city and the oldest structure in Johor Bahru.
The temple is in between modern skyscrapers, and it is the symbol of unity among five Chinese ethnic groups including Teochew, Hoklo, Cantonese, Hakka, and Hainanese people. The temple is worth a visit for tourists and has a greater understanding of the Chinese community in the city.
Location: Lot 653, Jalan Trus, Bandar Johor Bahru
Opening Hours: 7AM to 5PM ( from Monday to Saturday)
18. Enjoy Street Food on Medan Selera Meldrum Street
The Medan Selera Meldrum street downtown Johor Bahru is a great place in the town to go for a fulfilling snacking. Medan Selera Meldrum Street is just 5-minute walk away front the city centre. The Street is filled with the sound of sizzling, clanking, and smell of pungent spices and aromatics.
The tastiest things that you must try at the Medan Selera Meldrum street, is the chicken satay, fried carrot cakes, kway tew and nasi kampur.
19. Night Strolling at Danga Bay
Enjoy a fun and eclectic nightlife at DangaBay. You can enjoy the sunset on Johor Bahru’s scenic waterfront. The strolling area lights up on nightfall and is the best place for a laidback promenade. There are also seafood stalls that you can buy seafoods and enjoy. The Danga bay theme-park is a cool place for a late night walk or date.
Here are some of the places that as a tourist, after catching the sunset, you must visit. Go to the free to public infinity pool, as well as to enjoy the royal garden and the theme park.
20. Desaru beach visit
Just an hour’s drive from Johor Bahru, Desaru beach is in Kota Ningi town. The Desaru beach is known for its beach resorts where you can enjoy spas, beach views, beach rides, and spend a beautiful day. Enjoy sunsets and great food at Desaru beach.
Enjoy the breezy beach lined by casuarina trees on the South China Sea. The beach is stretched for 25 km and there are a lot of enjoyable activities like swimming, boating, and fishing.
Exploring new places is not just about having fun, getting away from your worries. It also provides us with the path of unlimited mystery and knowledge. Travelling helps to see the world and life from a whole new perspective which can help anyone to find their inner self.
There are so many fun-loving things to do in Johor that will be worthy of your time and money. So, start exploring new things and discover yourself.