In the middle of Java lies Yogyakarta, or Jogja as it’s more commonly referred to. This city is a favorite of both locals and travelers alike because of its unique blend of history, art, and tradition. If you are traveling to Java, Yogyakarta is an absolute must-visit. In this post, we’ll share our three days Yogyakarta Itinerary, covering all the highlights of the city, and give you some inspiration for what to visit if you decide to stay longer (which we definitely recommend)!

Day 1: Arrive in Yogyakarta → Check-in → Malioboro street → Ramayana Ballet

Day 2: Kraton Palace → Taman Sari → Prambanan

Day 3: Borobudur → Chicken Temple → Train to Malang

Day 1

The first day of this itinerary is a relaxed travel day, in which you’ll arrive at your hotel, get a first glimpse of the city and some traditional Javanese culture. Except for the Ramayana Ballet, which really was one of the highlights of our trip, we propose you save your energy for the next two days in which we’ll visit 2 of the biggest temple complexes in Asia.

Train to Yogyakarta

Assuming you travel, like us, from Bandung to Yogyakarta, you have a 6-hour train ride ahead of you. Wake up early to catch the 7:40 train to Yogyakarta. While it’s a long ride, you’ll have beautiful views during your journey as you’ll be passing mountains, rice fields, and traditional Javanese houses.

💡 Tip: If you are travelling in the high-season and have limited time, we definitely recommend that you pre-book your train tickets.

Malioboro Street

You will arrive in Yogyakarta at around 14:00. Check in to your hotel and head to the renowned Malioboro street to grab a bite. This street is known for its lively atmosphere and many hip cafes, giving you a first glimpse of the vibrant Yogyakarta.

Explore the Kauman district

If you’re feeling tired, this is the time to head back to your hotel and rest a bit. However, if you’re up to explore Yogyakarta a bit, we recommend checking out the Kauman district as this is close by the Malioboro street. Visit the Yogyakarta palace, the Grand Mosque, or spend some time at one of Yogyakarta’s museums.

Ramayana Ballet

When the sun starts to set, you can make your way to Ramayana Ballet Purawisata to watch a traditional Javanese dance. This show features traditional dance, intricate Javanese costumes, live Gamelan music, and a spectacular firework show, making it a must see on any Java-Itinerary.

It was really interesting to experience how different the music and the way of dancing is compared to Western styles. We felt so immersed in the Javanese culture, and found this truly a perfect way to conclude our first day in Yogyakarta.

You can book tickets for just the show, or tickets that also include a traditional Javanese buffet beforehand.

To give you some backstory: The Ramayana Ballet retells the epic Hindu story of the Ramayana. It follows the journey of Prince Rama and his wife Sita. When Sita gets abducted by the giant king Ravana, Rama starts his quest to rescue her.

💡Tip: At the entrance there are free pamphlets in a variety of languages that tell the full story so you can follow along during the show.

Day 2

Kraton Palace

For your second day, start with a visit to the Kraton Palace, also known as the Sultan’s Palace, which is the heart of Yogyakarta’s rich Javanese culture and history. Walk around and soak in the intricate architecture. If you like, you can visit the museum inside the palace to learn more about the history of the Yogyakarta Sultanate and its royal traditions.

Taman Sari

After leaving the palace, make your way to Taman Sari, a picturesque palace located just a short distance away. Taman Sari, which translates to “Water Castle,” is a unique and historically significant site. It served as a retreat and bathing place for the royal family in the 18th century. Check out the underground mosque and the elaborate bathing complex, which was once hidden behind high walls.

Prambanan

Grab something to eat, because now that you have seen the main sites in Yogyakarta, you’ll need some energy to explore the beautiful Prambanan temple complex. The Prambanan temple complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s renowned for its stunning Hindu temples. The complex consists of several temples, with the central ones dedicated to the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

Visiting Prambanan

When: Daily from 06:30–17:00
Price: 355.000 IDR
How to get there: The quickest way to visit Prambanan is by car/taxi, but there are also bus rides available.

💡Tip: The two main temples in Yogyakarta are Prambanan and Borobudur, if you visit them both within 2 days, you can save money by buying a combi-ticket for 625.000 IDR instead of two separate tickets for Prambanan and Borobudur.

You can enter most of the temples, just don’t bump your head to the ceiling!

Day 3

Borobudur

Start your day with a visit to Borobudur, one of the most iconic and spiritually significant Buddhist temples in the world. The tempel complex is located about an hour’s drive from Yogyakarta. Upon arriving at Borobudur you’ll see massive, bell-shaped stupa’s with intricate reliefs that tell the story of Buddhist cosmology and the life of Buddha.

Visiting Borobudur

When: Daily from 06:30–16:30
Price: 387.500 IDR (or from Tuesday to Sunday – 500.000 IDR if you want to go all the way up)
How to get there: The quickest way to visit Borobudur is by car/taxi, but there are also bus rides available.

While Borobudur is certainly a sight to behold, but compared to Prambanan it fell a bit flat. Especially if you do not go up, you can only really walk around the temple complex. Whereas with Prambanan there are many smaller temples, which you can all go in and explore. If you only have time or budget for one temple complex, we recommend skipping Borobudur.

Once you’ve had a good look around the temple complex, you can head to the vantage point for a new perspective of the temple. Compared to Prambanan, Borobudur seemed noticeably more touristy. Exiting the site proved to be a challenge as we had to navigate through a labyrinth of vendor stalls first, which consumed nearly half an hour of our time.

Bukit Rhema

After Borobudur, head to the lesser known, but one of our favorite temples during our indonesia travels: Bukit Rhema, or the “Chicken Church”. This unusually shaped church resembles a hen to most onlookers, although the builder intended it to be the shape of a dove.

The building was erected during the 1990s by Daniel Alamsjah, who claimed to have been inspired by God to build a prayer house through a dream he had in 1989. The church is meant to welcome followers of any religion for prayer or meditation.

For a small fee you can head inside and get a tour of the building. This is definitely worth it. There is a viewpoint on top of the head of the dove, and in the back of the dove there is a small cafe where you can enjoy some local Indonesian food.

Visiting Bukit Rhema

When: Daily from 06:00–18:00
Price: 25.000 IDR, free guided tour and a snack included
How to get there: 15 minutes drive from Borobudur by car/taxi.

In the late afternoon, you can head back to Yogyakarta and make your way to the train station for your next destination: Malang.