In the old town called Kota Tua you will find several museums, enjoy colonial Dutch architecture and in the main square you will be able to watch Indonesian and other regional tourists enjoying a ride on colourful rented bicycles with wide straw hats from the many local cafes.
The old town is also known as Oud Batavia or Kota Lama.
What will you discover in Kota Tua?
The historical part of Old Jakarta is quite small and actually includes only a few streets north of Jakarta Kota Station.
In these streets, typical 17th century colonial houses with clean white facades remain from the days when Batavia (Jakarta's name at the time) was the headquarters of the Dutch colonial trade.
- Jakarta History Museum - housed in the 1710 Dutch Governorate building on the main square of Taman Fatahillah
- Open 9:00-15:00 (closed on Mondays)
- Indonesian National Bank Museum - housed in a lavish building directly across from the railway station, this museum charts the history of banking in Indonesia in an interesting way
- Café Batavia - Jakarta's most famous café and restaurant is right on Taman Fatahillah Square and the 1834 building breathes in a time of romantic history, an atmosphere so rare in today's busy and hectic Jakarta
Hotels in Kota Tua
Accommodation in old Jakarta is ideal for travelers who don't much need the bustling atmosphere of big cities. Kota Tua is one of the few relatively quiet places in Jakarta.
Connections to the centre are good and relatively fast.
There is only one large international hotel in Kota Tua:
There are two well rated hostels near the station with prices starting from 15 usd per night.
How to get there
Although Kota Tua is located between Jakarta's main city centre, the district is very accessible by public transport.
The main transfer hub is at Jakarta Kota Station.
- Suburban train line B - runs every 8-15 minutes to Gambir station, Istiqlal Mosque, the Cathedral (Juanda station) or Manggarai station
- Bus line 1 - runs every 3-5 minutes to Monas Monument, the modern centre (BNI City, Dukuh Atas, Sudirman) and further south to Blok M
- Bus line 12 - runs every 8-15 minutes to, for example, Kemayoran
- Bus line 3H - goes to the west of Jakarta
What to see around
Discover all the places to see in Jakarta.
