Getting around Jogjakarta by trishaw or horse cart may seen as a tour in itself, but for more organised tours to get the most out of the enriching culture take a look at our Jogjakarta tour guide. For more information on getting to Indonesia checkout our Indonesia transportation guide.
Jogjakarta Transportation Guide
Getting to Jogjakarta
By Plane
Adisucipto International Airport in Jogjakarta is a small albeit busy airport used primarily for domestic flying. Located 8 km east of Jogjakarta, you can board an hourly 50-minute Garuda service to Jakarta or Denpasar. Various other domestic operators connect Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi. You can catch an international flight to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore on AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines and Garuda Indonesia.
At the arrivals hall, you'll find an ATM, a taxi stand, and a tourist information desk. Incidentally, Jogjakarta is the only airport in Indonesia that is connected by rail. Visitors can take the Prambanan Ekspres regional train from Kutoarjo (west of Jogjakarta) or Palur (just east of Surakarta) to the airport and back. These trains service many stations in between.
By Bus
Giwangan is the main bus terminal in Jogjakarta and is 4 km southeast of the city centre. From here, you can embark on a 9-hour journey to Jakarta, 6-hour journey to Bandung and an 8-hour journey to Surabaya. Since March 2008, a new bus station inside the airport has been servicing the Trans Jogia Busway System. This service stops at many locations making the airport commute quite convenient.
By Train
The main station at Jogjakarta is commonly known as Tugu station. From here you can take trains to Jakarta, a trip that takes 7-12 hours. Out of the many services on offer, the Argo-class trains - Argo Lawu and Argo Dwipangga - are the fastest and most comfortable. The Taksaka service is just as good. Both these services take 7-8 hours to reach Jakarta. They offer both overnight and daytime services. You can enjoy some picturesque mountainous scenery between Kroya and Prupuk when the line passes through the Javanese mountains.
For a scenic route, take the Argo Wilis or Lodaya express trains, which ply to and from Bandung during the day. Sit back and soak in the lush paddy landscapes set against the mountains. Two overnight services, Lodaya and Turangga, run from Surabaya regularly. You can even take the Sancaka service to Surabaya, which departs in the morning and afternoon everyday. Prambanan Ekspres trains connect Jogjakarta and Solo. Surprisingly, despite its name, this service does not stop at Prambanan station.
Getting Around Jogjakarta
As it is not a huge city transportation in Jogjakarta is not very expensive.
By Taxi
Taxis in Jogjakarta are metered and you can trust most taxi drivers. Flagfall costs Rp 5,000 and trips around the town centre should not cost you more than Rp 15,000.
By Trishaw
Found in most parts here, this mode of Jakarta transportation is a three-wheeled pedalled vehicle, known as becak locally. It's best to haggle over the fare before travelling. Also, understand clearly whether the fare is for a one way or round (pulang) trip, and whether the driver needs to wait for you until you finish your work.
By Horse Cart
Traditional horse carriages known as andong or dokar are available outside the train station, Mal Malioboro and the Kraton. Most of the andong ply the traditional route from Jalan Malioboro to Kraton making it that much more quaint and reminiscent of the times gone by. Although a round trip costs around Rp 20,000, they would typically charge about Rp 30,000 but they may agree to less too. Andongs can seat 5 adult passengers comfortably.
By Bus
Buses are the main mode of transport in Jogjakarta and buses vary in size from small to medium. The two kinds of buses here are the regular and the patas. TransJogia or pata buses operate from 6 am to 10 pm and stop at designated stops only. They are air-conditioned and safer. You can buy trip cards, which are more economical on the whole. Pata buses service six routes.
Regular buses usually operate from 6 am to 5 pm though longer routes might operate until 9 pm. A single trip costs Rp 2,000, irrespective of the distance travelled. You can download illustrated bus route maps from the Jogjakarta transportation agency featured on the official Jogjakarta website.
