Surrounded by lush paddy fields, dense forests and picturesque mountains, Jogjakarta is a fascinating city to explore. It is rich in history and culture which dates back to the eighteenth century, and its magnificent palaces, temples and shrines are testament to that. Another highlight is exploring the local markets and avenues milling with people and picking up art and craft lovingly created by Javanese craftsmen and painters. Jogjakarta is clearly a place to experience rich culture and savour a traditional way of life.

Jogjakarta is the cultural hub of the region boasting traditional dance and music second to none.

For Jogjakarta highlights in this region rich in culture and steeped in history check our Jogjakarta destination guide below. Make sure you take the time to plan you stay through booking a Jogjakarta hotel and picking some of the Jogjakarta tours available. If you plan to extend your travels beyond Jogjakarta then the Indonesian destination guide will be of help as well the guides to other popular destinations in Indonesia including Jakarta, Aceh and Manado, Komodo & Lesser Sunda Islands.

Things to See & Do in Jogjakarta

Jogjakarta's Dutch colonial histoary goes back to the 18^th century. Pakubuwono II ruled the Muslim Mataram kingdom in the early part of the 18^th century. When he died, the Dutch fanned a dispute between his son and brother over the succession. In their quest for colonisation, the Dutch believed in following a ‘divide and rule' policy.

Subsequently the kingdom was divided into two regions. The Surakarta Hadiningrat kingdom was ruled by Sunan Pakubuwono III and the Nyayogyakarta Hadiningrat kingdom was ruled by Sultan Hamengku Buwono I. Sultan Hamengku Buwono I was the founder of the long line of Sultans who still live in the Kraton or the palace and are patrons of Javanese culture. The Nyayogyakarta Hadiningrat kingdom later came to be known as Yogyakarta or Jogjakarta. The palace and other buildings from this era are some of the main tourist attractions in Jogjakarta.

Follow the links below or scroll further down the page to find some of the major Jogjakarta tourist attractions:

Tugu Monument
Benteng Vredeburg
Kotagede
Imogiri
Kotabaru
The Sultan's Square
Kraton Complex
Masjid Gede Kauman
Museum Dirgantara (Aircraft Museum)
Museum Sonobudoyo
Museum Kekayon
Candi (Ancient Temples)

Tugu Monument

This famous landmark is located in the city centre. Commissioned by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono VI, the top of the Tugu monument was originally a sphere representing the universe. This was later replaced by a golden cylinder during the colonial rule.

Benteng Vredeburg

Benteng Vredeburg is a Dutch fort situated in front of the President's palace, which is known as the Gedung Agung. It is a fine example of Dutch architecture. Here you can still see some war and combat equipment such as a massive twin cannon.

Kotagede

Kotagede was the capital of the ancient Muslim Mataram kingdom. The tomb of the first king of the Mataram kingdom, Panembahan Senopati, is located here. Before achieving independence, Kotagede was the principal economic hub of Jogjakarta. Wealthy batik merchants lived here and conducted business in the marketplace. Although many new buildings have come up, the city still retains its original Javanese architecture and layout. The silver handicrafts made by local craftsmen are worth a look.

Imogiri

Imogiri is the final resting place of the Jogjakarta and Surakarta royal lineage. Although the graveyard suffered damage in the 2006 earthquake, it has been restored and reopened.

Kotabaru

This area is best known as the erstwhile residential colony of Dutch officials. A few heritage homes still stand here along with the church and the Gereja Kotabaru or the monastery, and a stadium known as Stadion Kridosono.

The Sultan's Square

The northern Sultan's Grounds or Alun-alun utara was the training ground for the Sultan's army and hence not open to the public. During the reign of Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, it was opened to the public. Today the quarterly parade or Garebeg is held in the months of Maulud, Besar and Sawal. A special feature of this parade is that the Sultan's servants carry massive conical-shaped offerings to Alun-alun utara and once the parade ends, the people rush to pick up pieces of the offering, which is believed to be lucky.

Before the month of Maulud, Alun-alun utara hosts a public fair for 30 days. People throng to this fair to buy wares that range from traditional handicrafts to Chinese melamine tableware. Food-wise, you can enjoy the sumptuously filling galundeng or deep fried doughnut.

Kraton Complex

Sri Sultan's palace is also known as Kraton and the complex comprises the main palace, the Sultan's residence, two large grounds and a huge servants' residential complex. The main attractions within Kraton are below:

Kraton Jogjakarta

This charming yet quiet building has two sections - the main court called Pagilaran and Siti Hinggil; and the royal residence. While the main court displays royal pageantry, the residence is homely yet luxurious in keeping with the ostentatious royal lifestyle.

Sultan's Carriage Museum (Museum Kereta)

This museum showcases the Sultan's majestic carriages. Two of them have been imported from the Netherlands and are called kereta kencana or golden carts, given their resplendent form.

Taman Sari

Tama Sari is also called waterkasteel or water castle in Dutch. It was built by the first Sultan in 1765 as a pleasure garden. History has it that one of the bathing pools was exclusively used by his harem. He would watch the pool from the tower and select his pick. Guides are available to show you around though their fee is separate from the entrance fee. This castle is open daily from 9 am to 3 pm.

Siti Hinggil Selatan

This palace is not as opulent as the others and is seldom used for very formal occasions. You can, however, catch shadow puppetry performances during weekends.

Alun-Alun (Sultan's ground)

The Sultan's two grounds are Alun-alun utara and Alun-alun selatan distinguished as the northern and southern grounds. If you are fortunate, you can witness the Gerebeg Malaud parade during the birthday celebrations of Prophet Mohammad.

Masjid Gede Kauman

This is one of the oldest and biggest mosques in the city. It lies west of Alun-alun utara and was the place of worship for the Sultans. Many of their ceremonies and religious rites were performed here. It is advisable for people of other faiths to get advice from the mosque authorities regarding what rules to observe and what kind of clothing to wear before visiting the mosque.

Museum Dirgantara (Aircraft Museum)

This aircraft museum showcases many aircraft from World War II such as the MIG-15 to MIG-21 series, Badger bomber, P-51 Mustang, Auster MkII, F-86 Sabre, Lavochkin LA-11, A6M5 Zero, T-33 Bird, and many more.

Museum Sonobudoyo

This archaeology museum has many fascinating Javanese artefacts such as wayang puppets, statues, masks, textiles, weapons and traditional gamelan instruments. This is definitely worth a visit if you have time and are interested in Javanese history and culture.

Museum Kekayon

This delightful puppet museum has beautiful Javanese style gardens surrounding the building. You can explore ten sections to enjoy a range of unique wayang puppets from numerous parts of Indonesia.

Candi (Ancient Temples)

Candi or ancient temples were constructed between the 7th and 9th centuries as places of worship for Buddhists and Hindus. They were painstakingly built with volcanic and river stones. You will often find their walls intricately carved with stories about gods and goddesses as the main characters of the depiction.

There are many candi located in and around Jogjakarta. Borobudur is a famous candi in Magelang near Jogjakarta. Prambanan is another well-regarded candi located at the border of Jogjakarta and Central Java.

Candi Sambisari

Candi Sambisari is a unique candi that is 6 metres below the ground level. It consists of one main candi and three supporting ones called perwara. Inside the candi, you will find lingga and yoni, the symbols of the male and female sexual organs respectively. The candi walls depict three statues, Ganesha on the east side, Agastya on the south side, and Dewi Durga on the north side. The theme of the temple suggests that it was built to worship incarnations of Siva.

Candi Kalasan

About 2 km west of Prambanan and 14 km east of Jogjakarta stands Candi Kalasan. You can also approach it from Prambanan-Jogjakarta main road and the temple lies south of the road. It is the most ancient Buddhist temple in Jogjakarta and was constructed by Rakai Panangkaran of the Sanjaya dynasty in 778 AD. Though he was a Hindu, he built this Buddhist temple to reflect solidarity and peaceful co-existence between people of different faiths. The relief work here is clearly the most striking in Jogjakarta. The wall is made of white cement called bajralepa. The temple was constructed to worship Dewi Tara or goddess Tara. There used to be a bronze statue of Boddhisatva inside the temple but it is not seen there any more.

Prambanan Temple

Prambanan temple is a handsome building constructed in the 10th century during the rule of King Rakai Pikatan and King Rakai Balitung. The temple stands at a lofty 47 metres, five metres higher than the Borobudur temple. It earmarks the magnificent victory of Hinduism in Java. This temple is located just 17 km from the city centre and stands amidst a serene park.

Jogjakarta Destination Guide