Overview
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1. Malioboro Street
Malioboro street is the most famous and bustling street in Yogyakarta city. Here, you find plenty of nice bars, shops and delicious food in different restaurants and street food stalls. It is the perfect place to shop, eat, hunt for souvenirs and chat with the locals!
You can stroll through the street yourself or join an interesting walking or cycling tour through the city with a local tour guide.
Activities
Discover the city during a city tour or join a cooking class!
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2. Prambanan
Prambanan is a beautiful Hindu Temple, dating from the 9th century. It is the biggest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia and the second-largest in South East Asia, after Angkor Wat in Cambodia. On the whole site of Prambanan, there were originally 240 big and small temples, with 3 main temples, dedicated to the most important Hindu gods: Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. With 47 meters, Shiva’s shrine is the highest and maybe even the most beautiful one of those three.
From the center of Yogyakarta, it is about a 45 minute drive to the Prambanan temple. The easiest way visit Prambanan is by joining a tour and combine it with a visit to the Borobudur. It is one of the most famous things to do in Yogyakarta.
Note: Due to the updated opening hours to preserve the temple, it is no longer possible to visit Prambanan during sunrise or sunset. Alternatively, you can watch the sunrise over the Borobudur Temple from Setumbu hill.
Practical
Adult: 387.500 IDR ($25)
Prambanan - Borobudur package: $45
Daily: 6.30am - 5.30pm
Note that on Monday, you can only visit the park around the temple, because the temple itself is closed for maintenance.
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3. Borobudur
Unlike Prambanan, Borobudur is not a Hindu temple but a Buddhist temple. It is even the largest Buddhist temple in the world. The temples is decorated with originally 504 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa, that people often refer to as ‘bells’.
From the center of Yogyakarta, it is about a 1-1,5 hour drive to the Borobudur temple. The easiest way visit Borobudur is by joining a tour and combine it with a visit to the Borobudur.
Note: Due to the updated opening hours to preserve the temple, it is no longer possible to watch sunrise or sunset at Borobudur. Alternatively, you can watch the sunrise over the temple from Setumbu Hill.
Practical
Adult: 375.000 IDR ($24)
Borobudur - Prambanan combined ticket: $45
These tickets are only valid to visit the area around the temple. If you want to get on the structure, you have to buy a different ticket of $30.
Daily: 06.30am - 4.30pm
The Temple structure is closed on Monday for maintenance purposes.
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4. Jomblang Cave
Not far from Yogyakarta, you have the chance to visit a cave in a way you might have never done before. In the Jomblang cave, also known as the Goa Jomblang, you are lowered around 60 meters down into a cave on a rope. Inside the cave, you can experience another unique and magical phenomenon: the ‘Ray of Light’. It’s a big beam of morning light shining in through a massive hole, creating this mesmerizing ‘spotlight’ effect. It is definitely one of the most fun things to do in the Yogyakarta region.
The best way to visit the Jomblang Cave is by joining a complete organized tour from the city that includes transportation.
Practical
You can only visit the Jomblang cave on a guided group tour. The price of the tour is 500.000 IDR per person.
Because you can only see the ray of light at one certain time, there's only one tour per day at 09.30am
5. Taman Sari - Water Castle
Another must-see in Yogyakarta is Taman Sari. It was formerly a bathing complex and is also called the water castle. It is located just a 10-minute drive from the famous Malioboro street.
Taman Sari also includes an underground mosque: the Sumur Gumuling. Unfortunately, this is permanently closed and no longer accessible to public. Rumor has it that they closed the mosque because the place was said to be bewitched, after several students who visited the mosque became possessed.
Practical
Entrance fee: 25.000 IDR
Daily: 09:00 am - 03:00 pm
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How to get to Yogyakarta
You can reach Yogyakarta in almost any way. It has a train station, an international airport and highways leading to the city. Depending on where you are coming form, you can get to Yogyakarta either by train, by air or by bus.
By train
There is a good train connection to Yogyakarta from major cities such as Jakarta, Malang and Surabaya. The train network on Java is amazing and the trains are comfortable, fast, clean and relatively cheap. We highly recommend taking the train of you are coming from another city on Java. You can book your train tickets in advance online.
By bus
Another option to reach Yogyakarta, when you are already on Java, is by bus. If you can, we recommend that you take the train, because it is much smoother and more pleasant to travel. If you have no other option, you can find and book buses on 12Go.Asia.
By air
Yogyakarta has an international airport, with direct flights from for example Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumper or Bali. The airport is located 47km outside Yogyakarta and it takes around 1,5 to 2 hours to reach the center. You can find the best flight deals on Trip.com or Skyscanner.
How to get around
Depending on the places you want to visit, the best ways to get around Yogyakarta are to rent a scooter, use Grab or Gojek, hire a private driver or join an organized tour.
Prices for a scooter rental vary between 60,000 IDR to 80,000 IDR for 24 hours.
Tickets
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Where to stay in Yogyakarta
Yogayakarta offers different kinds of accommodations, such as hotels, hostels and guesthouses for every budget. We’d recommend you to stay close to the bustling Malioboro streets, close to all the bars, shops and restaurants.
Hotels
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Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta
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Win-Win for everyone
Did you know that, if you buy or book something through our links, we receive a small commission?
However, you still pay the same and therefore have no extra costs! So a win-win for everyone. This way, we can continue to add even more travel inspiration and tips to this blog for your next adventure. Thanks a lot!
