Things to Do in Yogyakarta

Just outside Yogyakarta, the Imogiri Kings Cemetery (Pajimatan Girirejo Imogiri) is the final resting place of the rulers of the Muslim kingdoms of Mataram, Yogyakarta, and Surakarta. Also called the Imogiri Royal Cemetery, the 17th-century site is well worth the effort involved in visiting—including dressing up in Javanese court costume.

While it’s possible to visit Imogiri independently, most visitors join an Imogiri Kings Cemetery tour not only for the convenience of round-trip transportation and the cultural insights of a guide, but also for help with dressing up in the appropriate costume. A typical Imogiri guide explains the symbolism that lies behind the cemetery architecture, tells you how the three kingdoms came to be, and shows you some significant resting places. A guide might also introduce you to the abdi dalem, or cemetery guardians, and translate as they speak with you about their lives. It’s best to hire a guide in Yogyakarta, though if you speak Indonesian and want to visit on your own, the guardians will be happy to introduce the site to you directly.

Imogiri Kings Cemetery is about 11 miles (17 kilometers) from the Sultan’s Palace (Kraton) in Yogyakarta. Getting there by public transport is fiddly: catch a city bus to the Giwangan Terminal and then, if your Indonesian is good enough, pick up a bemo minibus. Given the logistical and cultural complexities, many visitors opt to join a tour.

The graves open to the public three times a week, on Monday morning (generally the quietest time), Friday afternoon, and Sunday morning. Imogiri is closed during the Muslim month of Ramadan. Three times a year, on 1 and 8 Sawal and 10 Bulan Besar per the Javanese calendar, they open for special ceremonies; guides and Yogyakarta Tourist Information can advise when these fall.

Sultan Agung Hanyokrokusumo, king of the Islamic Mataram Kingdom, built the Imogiri Kings Cemetery for himself and his regal descendants in 1632. Per a civil war treaty dating from 1755, Mataram’s heirs now rule over two separate sultanates (Muslim kingdoms): the cities of Yogyakarta and Surakarta, also known as Solo. Therefore, today, the cemetery is home to kings, queens, and royal descendants from three separate kingdoms.

The name Tamansari literally means “garden park” and visitors will find the lush grounds—complete with water fountains and reflecting pools—are just that. A quiet respite from the hustle of city streets, Water Castle is the site of a former royal garden and once served as a workshop, meditation center and even a political hiding place. 

The bountiful grounds are edged with well-kept gardens, lush foliage and brightly colored flowers. An artificial lake, bathing complex, tiny islands and open pools are just part of the features that make Tamansari a destination for travelers seeking urban escape. The buildings on site are all connected via a network of underwater passageways, some of which are still accessible to visitors. 

Jakarta might be Java’s financial hub, but Yogyakarta is the island’s artistic and cultural heart. Home to about half a million people, Yogyakarta, or “Yogya” for short, serves as the jumping off point for excursions to Java’s most important archeological sites, Prambanan and Borobudur. As such, the city’s packed with hotels, restaurants, cafes and shops.

As one of Indonesia’s oldest cities, Yogya offers plentiful historical buildings, monuments and temples worthy of exploration. At the heart of it all is the Kraton Complex, a Javanese palace complex where the sultan still lives. Originally built in 1790, many of the structures now house museum collections, including gifts from foreign dignitaries, family heirlooms, old photographs and the sultan’s horse-drawn carriages.

Visitors interested in Yogya’s religious heritage will find half a dozen ancient temples in and around the city. It’s also an excellent destination for experiencing traditional Javanese dance, puppetry and music.

This unique cave was caused by a geological shift that created a massive sinkhole that stretches some 300 vertical feet below the surface. Travelers who wish to explore the rocky crags and impressive natural light shows this destination is famous for must navigate a well-worn path using a single rope line, which may prove challenging for some. Not for the faint of heart, visitors must wear coveralls, boots, a helmet and headlamp on their journey into Jomblang. 

While vegetation above ground is mostly barren and dotted with hardwood trees, adventurers will find lush green landscapes and fertile fields visible from one of the cave’s most popular vantage points, which makes this trip a truly memorable experience. Those in the know recommend hiring an expert guide since the descent can be rather technical, and local operators will also be able to point out rock, crystal and fauna to interested travelers. 

Plaosan Temple (also referred to as Plaosan Complex) is a Buddhist temple site situated around a kilometer from the revered Hindu temple, Prambanan, and around 20 kilometers from Yogyakarta city center. 

Plaosan Temple was built in the 9th century. The site spans some 2000 square meters and, rather uniquely, features two main temple structures – the North Plaosan Temple and the South Plaosan Temple, both of which have a number of buildings, stupas, and shrines surrounding them. Each temple shares common features, including a gate, a middle courtyard surrounded by a wall, and a guardian statue known as Dwarapala. The outer walls of the temples are adorned with carvings of divinities and other figures, including that of a Khmer prince, identified by his crown.

Restored in 2005 after landslides destroyed it and rebuilt a second time in 2018, hillside Selogriyo Temple (Candi Selogriyo) is an atmospheric and rarely visited Hindu temple dating back to the 9th century. The rice-field views are especially scenic, while the water from its fountain is said to heal disease and impart eternal youth.

There is a token charge for visiting Selogriyo Temple, which is the same for both foreigners and Indonesians. For many, the walk through mountainous rice-field landscapes is a big part of the attraction of a temple visit. Some Borobudur tours include a stop here, particularly bicycle tours, for the beauty of the ride up more than for the temple itself. Many visitors find the temple’s emptiness the perfect counterpoint to the busyness of Borobudur and Prambanan.

Selogriyo Temple stands about an hour’s drive north of Borobudur—20 miles (32 kilometers), with a walk 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) from the nearest car parking. There is effectively no public transport, so most visitors choose to drive, join a tour, or even join a bicycle tour that includes Borobudur.

Selogriyo is rarely busy, but the walk through the rice fields can become uncomfortably hot during the middle of the day. If possible, visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon to beat the heat. As with elsewhere on Java, avoid travel during the Lebaran holiday period at the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, when roads are choked with traffic.

As you walk, or cycle, to Selogriyo Temple, meet Javanese villagers working in their rice fields. Rice cultivation is labor-intensive and time-consuming: you might see them ploughing, planting seeds, spreading out young seedlings, harvesting rice, or preparing their terraces for a new crop. Small wonder that the Indonesian language contains at least four distinct words for “rice”.

A couple of miles (3.5 kilometers) from the UNESCO World Heritage–listed temple of Borobudur, the charming Mendut Temple (Candi Mendut) features an attached working Buddhist monastery. Built in the early 9th century, the temple and the village that houses it are the starting point for the annual Waisak (Buddha day) celebrations.

There is a tiny admission charge to Mendut Temple (Candi Mendut), which also covers admission to Pawon Temple (Candi Pawon), another small temple related to majestic Borobudur. It’s perfectly possible to visit all three temples independently, but many prefer the seamless transportation of a tour or private driver, perhaps with the historic insights of a private guide.

Most Mendut tours bundle this temple with others in the Yogyakarta area: particularly Borobudur and Pawon. Some combine Borobudur, Mendut, and Pawon with the Prambanan complex, which is a lot to take in over a single day. Mendut is also a popular stop on multi-day tours of Yogyakarta and its environs. 

The best way to reach Mendut Temple independently is by traveling from Yogyakarta to Borobudur then walking or taking a taxi. The 25-mile (40-kilometer) journey from Yogyakarta to Borobudur takes around two hours by bus from the Jombor or Giwangan terminals. Many prefer the ease of an organized tour that starts and finishes at their door and covers off temples such as Pawon and Borobudur, or the comfort of a private driver.

Candi Mendut comes into its own on Waisak (Buddha’s birthday), which falls around May each year on a date set by the lunar calendar—that’s also when the temple is very busy. Assuming you’re combining Mendut with Borobudur, try to avoid weekends and Indonesian public holidays, which is when the Borobudur crowds are at their most hectic. 

Although the Buddhist Sailendra dynasty that built Borobudur and Mendut is long gone, Indonesia boasts a diverse selection of Buddhist traditions. Waisak, a holiday that celebrates Buddha’s birthday, is an official holiday for all of Indonesia. Prayers and processions start from Candi Mendut and progress to Borobudur, and both the temple and the monastery come alive in spectacular fashion. 

Pawon Temple is a Buddhist temple situated at the midway point between the Borobudur and Mendut temples, approximately 40 kilometers from the city of Yogyakarta. It features a square-shaped, tiered roof adorned with small stupas and ratnas, which is hidden among the houses that surround it.

This slender temple structure sits on a rectangular platform and features a chamber inside with vents. Architecturally, Pawon Temple is similar to the temples Borobudur and Mendut, with its mix of classic Javanese Hindu and Indian art symbols. Notably, there are reliefs of the Kalpataru tree (the tree of life), as well as of mythical birds and human figures, on the temple’s outer walls.

Kota Gede is a historic suburb within the city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It was once the capital of Mataram and is home to an ancient mosque that holds the remains of the first sultan, Panembahan Senopati. Senopati’s graveyard can be found in the grounds of the mosque, which is located to the south of the neighborhood’s central market.

Kota Gede is made up of a labyrinth of narrow streets, lined with mosaic-tiled houses that were once home to the upper-class. The neighborhood is also known for being the main hub for the city’s silver industry; Jalan Kemasan is the main street leading into town and this is lined with silver shops, where everything from handmade bowls to modern jewelry are made, bought, and sold.

Though not quite as large as nearby Borobudur, the ancient Hindu temples that make up the impressive Prambanan are spectacular in their own right. Built by the Mataram Kingdom in Central Java around 860 CE, the first temples here were meant to honor Lord Shiva. While many of the later temples erected on this site fell to ruins in an earthquake curing the 16th century, Prambanan still attracts visitors from across the globe seeking to experience walking through one of the Hindu religion’s most prized sites. 

Prambanan is divided into three main zones, which include an outer open space, a middle zone housing rows of 224 identical shrines, and an inner zone where eight temples and small shrines dedicated to gods are located. 

Around two hours’ drive from Yogyakarta, Sadranan Beach is one of the stars of Gunung Kidul’s coastline. Here you can swim, catch some rays, canoe, snorkel, or enjoy a stand-up paddleboarding session amid golden sands, clear waters, simple restaurants, and some of the best coral in this part of Java. You can also camp overnight.

There’s a nominal fee to enter Sadranan Beach, with other small charges for parking and camping. The “warung” eateries on the beach peddle water and simple meals—noodles, rice, and fresh fish—and you can also rent kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and snorkel gear by the hour. If you want to spend the night, you’ll need to bring your own camping accoutrements. 

Relatively few tours visit Sadranan Beach, and those that do treat it as a fun break on an adventure tour from Yogyakarta.

Sadranan Beach is located 37 miles (60 kilometers) from Yogyakarta, and the drive takes about two hours. Be aware that traffic is even more gridlocked on weekends, and the driving in Indonesia is not for the faint-hearted. However, public transport isn’t really an option unless you speak Indonesian and are planning to camp overnight.

Sadranan Beach is one of the most popular snorkeling destinations for the bustling university city of Yogyakarta. On weekends and Indonesian public holidays, the beach can get unpleasantly crowded, with traffic even slower than normal. As with many Indonesian beaches, garbage in the water can be an issue during wet season; for the most pristine experience, visit between July and September.

While not known for its beaches, Java can deliver. G-Land, on Grajagan Bay, east Java, is a world-class surf break with golden sands to match; the Karimunjawa Archipelago, off the north coast, offers a welter of white-sand islands ripe for exploring. In addition to Sadranan, other beaches near Yogyakarta include Kukup, Parangtritis, and Pok Tunggal.

Built in the 15th century, this ancient temple sits atop the rolling hills of Gunung Lawu, some 900 meters above the Solo plain. It’s a destination for travelers looking to venture into an unfamiliar world where mysterious fertility cults once practiced sacred rituals and ornate carvings and life-like statues prove unlike those in Java’s more traditional Hindu and Buddhist temples. 

Visitors will find three statues of turtles upon entering Sukuh, as well as a giant phallus that reiterates the temple’s focus on birth and sexuality. The ground’s central pyramid is the tallest of the three located on site. While typical Hindu gods, like Ganesha, are stationed around the site, relief work, carvings and statues at Sukuh more often depict intercourse and genitalia, making it a truly unique stop on a tour of typically more conservative temples.

One of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, Mt. Merapi’s name literally means “mountain of red fire.” The mountain, which looms over Borobudur, occupies a sacred place in the hearts and minds of many Javanese. When it’s not closed or partially closed due to volcanic activity, Merapi also makes for a spectacular volcano hike or climb.

Volcanologists closely monitor Merapi’s activity levels and, if necessary, will close the mountain to visitors. But when the 9,613-foot (2,930-meter) Gunung (Mount) Merapi is open, hiking is the most popular way to experience it. Hiking tours typically include door-to-door round-trip transfers from Yogyakarta, mountain guiding, food, and drink.

Five-hour treks to the summit and the crater rim, which include challenging features such as volcanic scree, happen at night so hikers see the sunrise and the sensational view—Merapi protrudes 4,449 feet (1,356 meters) from the surrounding highlands. More leisurely daytime hikes along the slopes typically focus on the local flora and fauna. Jeep tours of the lower slopes are also available.

Most Merapi hikes begin in the village of Selo, about 47 miles (75 kilometers) from Yogyakarta (or the airport); the drive can take between 90 minutes and three hours. As there is no practical public transportation and a guide comes in handy on the mountain, most travelers opt for an organized Mt. Merapi volcano climb from Yogyakarta.

While it can rain on Java year-round, hikers should visit Merapi during the dry season (April until September). On a clear night with a full moon, the climb and views are spectacular. During rainy season (roughly October to March), the weather is cold, the path is slippery, sulphur in the air becomes unusually oppressive, and it’s impossible to see the view. 

With around 130 active volcanoes, it’s unsurprising that Indonesia’s hundreds of ethnic groups have developed their own beliefs around these fiery mountains. Mt. Merapi is just one of a wealth of sacred volcanoes. Others include Mt. Agung on Bali, Mt. Bromo in central Java, and Mt. Rinjani on Lombok.