Indonesia in depth · South Kalimantan

Banjarmasin: 10 places for floating markets, rivers and the Meratus hills

Traders paddling fruit-laden boats at dawn, a riverside promenade at dusk, monkeys on a river island, hand-dyed cloth, diamond fields and bamboo rafts in the hills - Banjarmasin is the river city of Borneo, where the water is the main street. Plan it with a map and a free trip planner on WhatsApp.

Plan my trip for freeSee hotels in Banjarmasin
Top 10 placesMapSample tripsTrip plannerPractical tips
📷 Midori · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
10must-see placesFloating markets, history, crafts, hills
2great rivers meet hereThe Barito and the Martapura shape the city
90+hotels to choose fromFrom guesthouses to city hotels
Freetrip planning on WhatsAppTell us your dates, we suggest a plan

Where everything is

Tap a number to see the place. Distances are rough driving times from the city centre.

  1. 1Lok Baintan Floating Marketabout 1-1.5 hrs by road or boat
  2. 2Kuin Floating Market (Muara Kuin)about 20-30 min from the centre
  3. 3Siring Sungai Martapura & Menara Pandangin the city centre
  4. 4Pulau Kembang (Monkey Island)short boat ride across the Barito, about 30-45 min from the centre
  5. 5Sultan Suriansyah Mosque & Royal Tombabout 20-30 min from the centre, near the Kuin market
  6. 7Museum Wasaka & the Banjar Houseabout 10 min from the centre
  7. 8Loksado & Meratus Mountainsroughly 4 hrs each way by road
  8. 9Cempaka Diamond Fields & Martapura Gem Marketabout 1-1.5 hrs from the centre
  9. 10Banjar food: soto Banjar, ketupat Kandangan & nasi itikin the city centre

Map © OpenStreetMap contributors

The 10 places not to miss

Chosen for first-time and returning visitors. Add the ones you like to your trip - we turn them into a plan.

Lok Baintan Floating Market#01Floating marketMartapura River, Banjar

Lok Baintan Floating Market

Traders, mostly women in wide hats, paddle small wooden boats loaded with fruit, vegetables and local cakes, and sell to each other and to visitors boat to boat on the river. It feels like a village market that simply happens on water.

  • ⏱ 3-4 hours with the boat ride
  • 🚗 about 1-1.5 hrs by road or boat
  • 🌅 Around dawn
Our tipIt is at its best around dawn, so expect a very early start; by mid-morning it is usually quiet. Which mornings are busiest can change, so we check for your dates and arrange the small boat (klotok) the day before.
📷 Midori · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Kuin Floating Market (Muara Kuin)#02Floating marketMuara Kuin

Kuin Floating Market (Muara Kuin)

The market closest to the city, where the Kuin River meets the wide Barito. Boats gather in the first light to trade produce, fish and snacks, and you can hop on a klotok to drift between them and sip hot coffee from a passing boat.

  • ⏱ 2-3 hours
  • 🚗 about 20-30 min from the centre
  • 🌅 Around dawn
Our tipBe on the water around sunrise; it thins out as the morning goes on. The river is busy with working boats, so wear the life jacket offered, keep bags dry and bring a light rain layer.
📷 Harri J from Doha الدوحة, Qatar · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Siring Sungai Martapura & Menara Pandang#03Riverfront walkCity centre

Siring Sungai Martapura & Menara Pandang

The city's riverside promenade along the Martapura, with paths, small stages, stalls and a viewing tower called Menara Pandang. In the evening locals stroll here, and short boat rides leave from the bank.

  • ⏱ 1-2 hours
  • 🚗 in the city centre
  • 🌅 Late afternoon to evening
Our tipA relaxed first-evening walk after arriving. Whether the tower is open to climb varies, so we check; otherwise enjoy the promenade and the city lights on the water.
📷 Astari28 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Pulau Kembang (Monkey Island)#04River islandBarito River

Pulau Kembang (Monkey Island)

A small, leafy island in the Barito River where a troop of long-tailed macaques lives. Locals visit a little shrine here, and the island is often combined with the Kuin floating market in the same boat trip.

  • ⏱ 1-1.5 hours
  • 🚗 short boat ride across the Barito, about 30-45 min from the centre
  • 🌅 Morning
Our tipKeep food, bottles and loose items hidden - the monkeys are bold and will grab them. Do not feed them or touch them. For wild proboscis monkeys ask us about Pulau Kaget, a separate boat trip.
📷 Muhammad.ikhsan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Sultan Suriansyah Mosque & Royal Tomb#05Oldest mosqueKuin Utara

Sultan Suriansyah Mosque & Royal Tomb

A wooden mosque with a tiered roof in the Banjar style, widely regarded as the oldest in Kalimantan and tied by tradition to the 1500s. Nearby lies the tomb of Sultan Suriansyah, the first Banjar ruler to embrace Islam.

  • ⏱ 1 hour
  • 🚗 about 20-30 min from the centre, near the Kuin market
  • 🌅 Morning
Our tipBoth are places of worship and respect: dress modestly, speak softly and ask before photographing people. Visiting times around prayers can differ, so we check. It pairs easily with the Kuin market after sunrise.
📷 Tim WikiBarakat - WikiBanua · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Kampung Sasirangan#06Local craftSeberang Masjid

Kampung Sasirangan

The home of sasirangan, the Banjar cloth made by stitching or tying patterns and dyeing it in bold colours. Small workshops and shops show how the patterns are made, and the cloth is said to have once been linked to healing ceremonies.

  • ⏱ 1-1.5 hours
  • 🚗 about 10-15 min from the centre
  • 🌅 Morning to mid-afternoon
Our tipWorkshops are small and dyeing may not be happening every day, so we check ahead if you want to see it. Ask whether a piece is hand-made or printed - prices differ a lot.
📷 Ezagren (bicara / talk) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Museum Wasaka & the Banjar House#07Local historyKampung Kembang Kuning

Museum Wasaka & the Banjar House

A small museum in a building styled on a traditional Banjar house, telling the story of South Kalimantan's struggle for independence in the 1940s and showing old objects. It is a good way to see how Banjar houses look and are built.

  • ⏱ 1 hour
  • 🚗 about 10 min from the centre
  • 🌅 Morning
Our tipOpening days can be limited, so we check them before you go. Exhibition labels are mostly in Indonesian - a guide helps bring the stories to life.
📷 Jaelani58 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Loksado & Meratus Mountains#08Bamboo raftingHulu Sungai Selatan

Loksado & Meratus Mountains

A green valley in the Meratus Mountains where visitors ride bamboo rafts down a clear river between forested slopes. Villages of the Dayak Meratus people, suspension bridges and waterfalls are close by.

  • ⏱ Full day, long
  • 🚗 roughly 4 hrs each way by road
  • 🌅 Morning, dry season
Our tipRafting depends on the river level, which can be too high after heavy rain or too low in a very dry spell - we check for your dates and use local rafters. It is a long day, so many visitors sleep a night nearby. Ask before photographing villagers.
📷 Toni Sitania · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Cempaka Diamond Fields & Martapura Gem Market#09Diamonds & gemsCempaka & Martapura

Cempaka Diamond Fields & Martapura Gem Market

South Kalimantan is known for diamonds. At Cempaka, near Martapura, miners still sift gravel by hand in open pits looking for rough stones. The nearby town of Martapura is famous for its gem and jewellery shops.

  • ⏱ Half day
  • 🚗 about 1-1.5 hrs from the centre
  • 🌅 Morning
Our tipLook and enjoy first; if you want to buy, ask for a written receipt and compare shops, because quality and price vary widely. Mining areas can be muddy and active sites are not always open to visitors, so we check.
📷 Ilham Mufti Laksono · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Banjar food: soto Banjar, ketupat Kandangan & nasi itik#10FoodCity centre

Banjar food: soto Banjar, ketupat Kandangan & nasi itik

Soto Banjar is a clear, spiced chicken soup with rice cake or vermicelli and a fragrant broth. Ketupat Kandangan is rice cake in a coconut-milk sauce with fish, and nasi itik is rice with duck. Try the sweet traditional cakes (wadai) too.

  • ⏱ 2 hours
  • 🚗 in the city centre
  • 🌅 Morning and evening
Our tipMost places are halal. Many food stalls open early and sell out by late morning, so go for breakfast. Ketupat Kandangan is named after a town in the Meratus direction, so it is easy to eat on the way to Loksado.
📷 Midori · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Sample trips

Starting points we adjust to your dates, budget and hotel choice. Prices depend on the hotel and season, so we quote them for you.

Most popular
River city classic3 days / 2 nights

Floating market, mosque & riverfront

👥 First visit, couples, culture lovers

  • Dawn klotok trip to the Kuin floating market
  • Sultan Suriansyah Mosque and royal tomb
  • Kampung Sasirangan and Museum Wasaka
  • Evening at the Siring and a Banjar dinner

🏨 City-centre hotel near the river

PriceOn requestWe quote today's hotel rates for your dates
Markets, monkeys & gems3 days / 2 nights

Lok Baintan, Pulau Kembang & Martapura

👥 Families, friends, photographers

  • Early boat trip to the Lok Baintan floating market
  • Pulau Kembang monkey island
  • Cempaka diamond fields and Martapura gem market
  • Banjar food tasting

🏨 Hotel in Banjarmasin

PriceOn requestWe quote today's hotel rates for your dates
Meratus adventure4 days / 3 nights

Banjarmasin city and bamboo rafting in Loksado

👥 Active travellers, groups of friends

  • One day in the city: Kuin market and the Siring
  • Private car with driver towards the Meratus Mountains
  • Bamboo rafting at Loksado (river level permitting)
  • Ketupat Kandangan on the way, a village walk

🏨 City hotel plus a simple guesthouse near Loksado

PriceOn requestWe quote today's hotel rates for your dates
Free trip planner

Plan your Banjarmasin trip

Pick the places, your dates and the kind of hotel you like. We reply on WhatsApp with a suggested plan and today's prices - no obligation.

  • Real hotel rates for your dates
  • Car with driver and guides arranged on request
  • English or Bahasa Indonesia
Places to include

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Practical tips

Getting there

Syamsudin Noor Airport (BDJ) is in Banjarbaru, roughly 40-60 minutes by car from central Banjarmasin, with direct flights from Jakarta, Surabaya and a few other cities (Jakarta takes roughly two hours). Some travellers also arrive by road from Balikpapan or other parts of Kalimantan, but those drives are long.

Best time

The drier months, roughly May to September, are usually the most comfortable for boats, the Meratus hills and rafting. It is hot and humid all year, and heavy rain can raise river levels, so we check conditions for your dates. Floating markets are best at dawn, so plan early mornings and an easy afternoon.

Respect & dress

The Banjar are mostly Muslim: cover shoulders and knees at mosques and tombs, remove shoes where asked, and ask before photographing people, especially women traders and villagers in the hills. Most food is halal and prayer rooms are easy to find. Use sun protection on the water and carry insect repellent.

Getting around

In the city use ride-hailing apps or taxis, and hire a klotok boat with a boatman for the markets - always wear the life jacket. Lok Baintan, Martapura, Cempaka and Loksado are spread out, so a car with driver is the easiest way to combine them; Loksado is best with an early start.

Opening hours, tickets, access and rules change (for example visitor quotas, volcano or sea conditions and closures) - we check them for your dates. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each picture; map: OpenStreetMap. Last checked 10 October 2026.

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