Island and region in Indonesia
Photo: via Wikimedia Commons, Copyrighted free use
One of the most densely populated regions on earth, including the massive urban sprawl of Jakarta and the university city of Bandung in the mountains. Still, there are extensive natural areas of impassable rainforest, as well as many active volcanoes and secluded beaches.
Charming Yogyakarta and significant ancient temples.
Indonesia's second city Surabaya and stunning volcanic scenery.
By ferry
There are two high-frequency ferry routes to Java, operated by ASDP.
By bus
The main form of long-distance transport, vast armadas of buses cross the island and connect every city and mountain hamlet.
By train
Java has an excellent and affordable train network, with services connecting the capital city of Jakarta with many other destinations on the island.
By road
Java's toll roads or Trans Jawa are built nearly to Western standards, with dual grade-separated lanes in both directions and elevated interchanges.
By plane
Flying is a good option for travelling larger distances in Java. The route from Jakarta in the west to Surabaya in the east is one of the busiest flight routes in the world.g.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Yogyakarta · International · YIA
Loading places around the airport…
Jakarta is Indonesia's capital and largest city, with about 10 million inhabitants, and a total 41.9 million in Greater Jakarta on the Java island, making it the largest city in Southeast Asia and, by some measures, the largest city in the world. Dubbed The Big Durian, an equivalent to New York's Big Apple, its concrete jungle, traffic frenzy, and hot polluted air may tempt you to skip the city as fast as possible, but what awaits inside will change your perspective!

Bandung is the capital city of West Java province, and the third largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta and Surabaya. Nicknamed Parijs van Java (Paris of Java) by the Dutch for its resemblance to Paris and European atmosphere back in colonial times, it is locally called Kota Kembang, literally meaning the Flowery City because Bandung had a lot of flowers in the colonial era and republic era up to the early 1960s.
Bogor is a city in the Bogor Raya region of Western Java, Indonesia. With almost a million inhabitants, modern Bogor is the 6th largest city of Jabodetabek (Greater Jakarta metropolitan area) and the 14th nationwide.
nicknamed the 'city of shrimps' at the Java Sea coast, with four sultan palaces.
Malang is the second largest city in East Java with a rapidly growing population of about 887,000 in the city (2017), and 2.8 million in the urban area. Modern-day Malang, although significantly urbanised, has retained much of its historical character, remains vibrant and is regarded as by far the most attractive large city in the East Java region.
Semarang is the capital of Central Java province in Indonesia. It is a bustling, growing mid-sized city with a population of almost 1.7 million in 2020.
For solo travel, see Travelling alone. Solo the short name for Surakarta, is a major city in Central Java.
Surabaya (Surabaya Javanese: ꦯꦸꦫꦧꦪ Suroboyo) is a city on the eastern side of the island of Java and is the capital of the East Java province of Indonesia. It is the second largest city in the country with over 10 million inhabitants in its metropolitan area.
Yogyakarta — despite the official spelling, the name is usually pronounced and not uncommonly written Jogjakarta or just Jogja (JOG-jah) — is a major tourist destination in Java, Indonesia. It is the capital of Yogyakarta Special Region, to the south of Central Java province.

beautiful beach, gateway to Krakatoa volcano
savannah grasslands which will make you think you are in Africa
spectacular volcanic scenery, home of the Tenggerese
the largest ancient Buddhist temple, a serious contender for the world's eighth wonder
the best and most complete rainforest area in Java, near Bogor
A dormant volcano which straddles the border between Central Java and East Java. A hike to the peak (3,265 m) takes 7 hours.
ancient Hindu temple
turtles come to lay their eggs virtually every night of the year
a national park with unspoiled jungles, white sand beaches, corals and the last examples of the Javanese rhinoceros; need permit to enter
Articles and travel topics about Java and Indonesia.
First-time Bali itinerary covering Ubud rice terraces, Uluwatu sea cliffs, Canggu surf breaks, and Nusa Penida boat trips with practical transport advice.
6 min read
Realistic Bali travel budget breakdown covering private pool villas, local warung dining, daily private driver costs, and beach club spending.
6 min read
Compare Bali and Phuket across beaches, food scenes, culture, nightlife, accommodation costs, and transit to pick the best Southeast Asian holiday.
6 min read
The Great Post Road (Indonesian: Jalan Raya Pos, Dutch: De Grote Postweg) is one of the main roads of Java island. It spans from its west coast at Anyer to Panarukan at the east.
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.