As a historical and cultural city, Yogyakarta offers a lot to do and is one of the most visited cities in all of Indonesia.
Thanks to its diverse surroundings, however, fans of beach activities and hiking in particular will also find something to enjoy.
To get to know the whole Yogyakarta region, we recommend spending at least 5 full days here.
Temples
By far the most important reason to visit Yogyakarta is of course the 2 important temples located here; the Hindu Prambanan and the Buddhist Borobudur.
Find the cheapest flights to Yogyakarta
While Borobudur is located outside the city and takes about 60-90 minutes to get here by bus, Prambanan is much closer to Yogyakarta and can be reached in 30-60 minutes by local bus.
We describe both sights in detail in the mini-guides:
Architecture and monuments
Even after seeing the famous temples, you won't get bored in the city. We also describe other monuments in Jogja in more detail, just click on the name of the place.
You can find the Sultan's Palace Keraton Yogyakarta, then Kotagede, the capital of the ancient Islamic kingdom of Mataram, the Tugu Monument or perhaps the Dutch fortress and today the Benteng Vredeburg Museum.
Our personal favourites were the Tamansari Water Palace right in the city centre and the breathtaking ruins of Ratu Boko Palace with its breathtaking sunset views.
Shopping
Souvenirs for friends and relatives can be found anywhere along the main avenue of Jalan Malioboro and at the most famous landmarks, there's much more than that to shop for in Yogyakarta.
Traditional Indonesian fabrics called batik can be bought in shops dedicated to them in many places in the city; a large concentration of these shops can be found on the main street and its immediate surroundings.
Book a hotel in Yogyakarta now
Market lovers certainly must not miss the Beringharjo Market right in the heart of the city.
Ramayana Ballet Prambanan performance
Watch a fascinating performance of traditional Javanese ballet and visit the Ramayana Ballet Amphitheatre.
It is at this theatre that you have the unique opportunity to watch over 2,000-year-old Hindu dance against the backdrop of the beautifully lit Prambanan Hindu Temple.
It is only from this open-air stage that you will see the nightly Prambanan, which is otherwise impossible to see from this western side.
A normal Ramayana Ballet performance lasts about 2.5 hours including intermission and starts at 7:30pm.
Where to buy tickets?
You must buy tickets online through one of the official sales channels.
The well-known website traveloka.com will allow the most transparent purchase.
Performances take place roughly every other day.
Ticket prices vary depending on the location of the seats. The cheapest are at 150 000 idr and the most expensive in the VIP box are 450 000 idr.
How to get to the theatre?
Ramayana Ballet Stage is located directly opposite Prambanan Temple about 17 km east of downtown Yogyakarta.
It is easy to get to the start of the performance by public transport bus line 1A for 3 600 idr (only electronic cards can be used to pay - see Transport section).
There are no buses after the end of the performance and the most secure option is the Grab or Gojek mobile apps.
Merapi Jeep Lava Tour
Riding an open-top jeep on the slopes of the Merapi volcano is one of the most popular adrenaline activities in Yogyakarta.
All rides start at the tourist village of Kaliurang on the border of Merapi National Park, but if you buy the tour online in advance, the price includes a drop-off from several points in central Yogyakarta.
What to expect from the tour?
While the description from some agencies may make it seem like you'll be riding a jeep almost to the top of Merapi, you won't actually get anywhere near it.
Much of Mount Merapi is closed to all movement due to volcanic activity.
Take the jeep to the lava field on the eastern slopes of Merapi (roughly this area - see map).
The whole ride usually takes 90-120 minutes.
Prices and where to book
There are dozens of different companies in Yogyakarta organising Lava Tour Merapi. However, prices vary only minimally.
The usual price is 330 000 idr. Below we attach examples of agencies:
Tour times
The vast majority of Lava Tours take place in the morning.
Approximate times are as follows:
- 7:30am - pick up at the agreed location in Yogyakarta and transfer by minibus to the base.
- 8:30 - pre-trip briefing
- 9:00 - start of tour
- 11:00 - end of tour and minibus transfer to Yogyakarta
- 12:00 - arrival in Yogyakarta
What to take with you?
We strongly recommend wearing older clothes that you won't mind getting dirty or damaged. The same applies to shoes.
Along the way you will pass through many water fords and muddy sections.
Mountain hiking
Jogja lies entirely at the foot of the monumental nearly 3,000 meter high Merapi volcano. Unfortunately, it has been closed to tourists since 2018 due to incessant volcanic activity.
However, you need not despair, as just a little further on, Mount Merbabu rises to a height of 3,145 metres. Click on the name to find out all the information you need, such as the need to book online, how much a ticket costs and how difficult the climb to the top is.
Beaches and swimming
Yogyakarta certainly can't compare to, say, Bali when it comes to beaches, but there are beautiful coastlines and long, flat beaches nearby.
For example, the town of Parangtritis is well known for its 4 km long wide beach with black volcanic sand. However, swimming is not recommended here due to the large waves and especially the strong currents, so you can enjoy mainly relaxing, resting and sunbathing.
Slightly further away (about 90 minutes by car from Yogyakarta) are Ngobaran and Ngrenehan beaches, where you can enjoy the contrast of sandy beach and sharp rocks.
Fishermen will catch you all sorts of seafood for dinner, you can see locals picking seagrass at low tide and at Ngrenehan you can even swim in the beautiful lagoon.
There are also interesting and photogenic caves in the area, and various Yogyakarta travel agencies offer day and multi-day trips to the area.
However, the best accessible beach of this sparsely populated and very photogenic coastline is Pantai Baron, which can also be reached by DAMRI buses.
