Yogyakarta Travel Guide

Planning a vacation is one of the best parts of traveling from doing a research on the destinations you wish to visit during your vacation, to booking your flights and accommodations and also counting down the days left until you can get away from the stressful day-to-day life. Not only is the whole process exciting, it is also crucial. For a better experience, it’s important to have your itinerary figured out long before your departure. For those looking for a complete Yogyakarta travel guide, below is a list of a few recommendations of the many attractions in Yogyakarta for you to consider.

Visit the temples

Visiting Yogyakarta without checking out one of the spectacular temples may very well be a huge loss. Which is why temple visits is the first suggestion for this Yogyakarta travel guide. While there are many temples in Yogyakarta, three of the main temples that attract many local as well as foreign tourists are:

1. Borobudur Temple

Prepare to be awed by the largest Buddhist structure in the world and one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Built around the 750 AD during the Sailendra Dynasty rule in the form of three dimensional Mandala that symbolizes Buddhist teachings and cosmology. Open every day of the week from 6 AM until 5 PM, with an entrance as much as Rp 30.000 for domestic tourists and Rp 12.500 for children, $20 for foreign tourists and $10 for children, you may explore the reliefs for as long as your heart desires.

2. Ratu Boko Temple

This archaeological site is a thing of beauty – built on a plateau and located just 3 kilometers from Lara Jonggrang own Prambanan temple. This temple may not be as massive and intricate as Borobudur and Prambanan as it is not a religious site, but still worth a visit for those who would like to witness a fortified palace complex that once belonged to the kings of Mataram Kingdom. To get the best experience, try to visit during sunset. By purchasing a Ratu Boko Sunset ticket for Rp 70.000 (domestic tourist) or Rp 110.000 (foreign tourist), you may explore the temple and be mesmerized by the beauty of a sunset in the temple from 3 PM until 5.30 PM.

3. Prambanan Temple

Unlike Borobudur, this tall and jagged temple belonged to Sanjaya Dynasty and is known as a Hinduist structure. Built around 850 AD to honor the Trimurti (Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma, and Lord Krishna), this temple was originally a complex of about 240 temples – unfortunately, a large part of the complex has been looted and damaged due to age and natural disasters. However, the last two factors do not affect its magnificence. Open every day from 6 AM to 5 PM, you can explore the religious site for Rp 35.000 and Rp 20.000 for children. Wish to watch the ever so popular Ramayana Ballet? With tickets starting at Rp 125.000 you may watch the Ballet and be mesmerized by the Prambanan view at night.

Keraton Yogyakarta

Next on Yogyakarta travel guide is this Javanese architecture that was built by Prince Mangkubumi – Keraton, which means Palace in English, serves as the King’s residence as well as a cultural center that consists of a museum with a large number of artifacts that belong to the Sultanate and Gamelan traditional music on display. Located 50 meters from the infamous Jalan Malioboro, it’s not hard to find this palace. Divided into seven different buildings: the Kamandhungan Ler, Kamagangan, Siti Hinggil Ler, Kedhaton, Siti Hinggil Kidul, Sri Manganti, and Kamandhungan Kidul; this palace truly is a great destination for those who wish to experience and get to know more about the Javanese culture.

Open everyday of the week from 8 AM to 2 PM, and 8 AM to 12 PM on Friday, those who are interested only have to purchase an entrance ticket for Rp 5,000 for locals and Rp 15,000 for foreign tourists. Not only that, for those who are interested in Javanese shows, there is a traditional leather puppet (referred to as wayang) show on Saturday, ballet performance on Sunday, Macapat show on Friday, and puppet (Wayang Golek Menak) show on Thursday.

Cave-tubing in Pindul Cave

Are you someone who is into an active lifestyle and always ready for an adventure? Pindul Cave (or Goa Pindul, in Indonesian) is the perfect destination for you. Located in Bejiharjo village, Gunung Kidul, Pindul is a cave that was formed by karst and adjoins seven other caves with a river flowing underneath. Not only is Pindul cave a beautiful place, it also makes for a great place to relax while you bask in the beauty of the cave in your raft. There is no special requirement or preparation needed, all you have to do is pay the entrance fee of Rp 35.000 and the organizer will have you sorted out.