Muker is one of a number of small villages in the upper part of Swaledale.  It is very popular with visitors both for its attractiveness as a village and for the various activities and facilities for which it is well known.  These include its Silver Band, its wildflower meadows in early summer and its annual Show in September.  It has a very well-known pub, The Farmers Arms, a well-regarded teashop, an historic church, a shop specialising in local wool products (Swaledale Woollens) and an art and crafts gallery (The Old School Gallery) which includes displays of local artists.  There is a range of different types of  accommodation with several houses and farms offering bed and breakfast alongside a number of holiday cottages and a camping and caravan site.

The village and the Silver Band have featured on a number of tv programmes and films and was on the route of the famous 2014 Tour de France.  It is a very popular centre for walking and cycling.