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Capital and largest city of East Java, Indonesia
Photo: Ya, saya inBaliTimur, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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. Complementing Jakarta, its larger brother on the western side of the same island, it sits close enough geographically to be exposed to Javanese culture, while large enough to hold a multicultural identity.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
The Red Bridge
This red bridge plays a big role in Surabaya's history; not for the bridge itself, but for the Dutch colonial era commercial area which lies in northern part of the city surrounding this bridge. The area is also known as Old Surabaya. See one of the best preserved Dutch colonial quarters in Indonesia.
Jembatan Suramadu
Also known as the Surabaya-Madura Bridge, is a cable-stayed bridge which connects Surabaya on the island of Java and the town of Bangkalan on the island of Madura. The bridge has been open for the public since 2009.
Heroes monument
A monument dedicated to the fallen heroes of Surabaya during the Independence war of 1945-49. Adjacent to the monument area is Museum Sepuluh Nopember, named after the declaration of war against the Dutch colony on November 10, 1945. There are uniforms, pictures, dioramas and a large collection of World Was II era weapons (pistols, rifles, machine guns and a mortar). Most of the information is available in Indonesian and English.
A monument on Surabaya's seafront dedicated to the service of the Indonesian Navy.
A Soviet-built submarine display which served in the Indonesian Navy since 1962. Launched in 1952, and since her decommissioning in 1990 has been preserved as a monument. The body/hull was slightly cut for stairs & door for easier public entrance & viewing. Beside the monument there is a building where a short film about the history of the submarine can be viewed. You also can see the Suroboyo monument near the river.
A press monument.
Dr. Adhyatma Health Museum
A museum built in the 1990s oriented towards the history of health & medicinal treatment in Indonesia, from the depiction of health in traditional cultures to the evolution of remedy methods.
Modern and contemporary art museum
Holdings collected from 1952 to 2009. Opened in 2009, and named after collector Rudi Isbandi. Address: Karangwismo I/10, Surabaya.
Loka Jaya Çrana Navy Museum
Established in 1969, the museum contains various displays related to the Indonesian Navy since the revolution era, including ships and amphibious tanks and a planetarium.
A museum of the creator of the Indonesian national anthem.
An education museum.
A history of Surabaya museum.
A national hero museum, H.O.S. Tjokroaminoto was an Indonesian nationalist. He became one of the leaders of the Sarekat Dagang Islam (Islamic Trade Union).
A national hero museum, Soetomo was a doctor, politician, and National Hero of Indonesia.
A movie museum.
An ethnography museum.
A Bank museum. Bank of Java (Dutch: De Javasche Bank, DJB), which had been created in 1828 to serve the financial needs of the Dutch East Indies.
A sports museum.
A cancer museum.
The colonial-era residence of the Governor of East Java. You can watch Reog dance, a vigorous traditional dance at the nearby 'Balai Pemuda' (Youth Hall- one historical building in Surabaya). It is not open to public.
Situated in "old Surabaya"‚ this stately Dutch colonial-style compound was built in 1862 and is now a preserved historical site. Once a top tourist destination in Surabaya, the building has been closed since the pandemic.
The oldest Catholic church in Surabaya. Beautiful glass panels and serene surroundings.
Excellent example of an older Chinese Southeast Asian temple, built in the early 19th century. Numerous old wooden carvings and statues from around the region. Just ask a bicycle to bring you to "Jalan Coklat" (Chocolate street) and you'll see a bright red temple building. Afterwards, walk westward then north through some of the city's numerous examples of old colonial commercial architecture.
A huge mosque with a tower which is equipped with an elevator so that visitors can see Surabaya from top of the tower, 65 m (195 ft) above ground level.
Built in 1421 by Sunan Ampel, this is the oldest mosque in East Java. In the left side of the mosque there is a well that is believed to be the auspicious well, typically used by believers to strengthen a pledge or oath. Sunan Ampel's tomb complex is located in the area.
A small but impressively detailed modern mosque, built circa 2001 and named after Zheng He, the Chinese Muslim (of distant Turmenistani-heritage!) admiral who led the Ming Dynasty treasure fleets on their seven voyages through the South China Sea to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and East Africa. Beautiful Chinese architecture, and a large outdoor model of one of the ancient Chinese treasure vessels. About 10 minutes walk from Surabaya City Hall, or 5 minutes by becak.
Seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Surabaya, established on 15 February 1928 as the Apostolic Prefecture of Surabaya from the Apostolic Vicariate of Batavia, promoted on 16 October 1941 as Apostolic Vicariate of Surabaya, promoted on 3 January 1961 as the Diocese of Surabaya, and renamed as such 22 August 1973. The local area apparently includes 150,457 (4.4%) Catholics.
Confucian temple and former Chinese school built by Chinese immigrants in 1882. Look out for the 聲教南暨 plaque in the main prayer hall, which was presented to the temple by Emperor Guangxu of China in 1906.
In west Surabaya (CitraLand). There are many food stalls and bazaars at night where you can find a lot of good food. It gets very crowded at night and it's a place for a lot of young people to hang out. There is a food market, and close to G-Walk you'll also find some bars. G-Walk is located between Pakuwon Super Mall and Ciputra Golf.
Pantai Kenjeran
A beach with black sand. There is also a bridge and water fountain show in the evening.
Mangrove Wonorejo Ecotourism
About 30 min boat to seaside with bamboo bridges and shelters. good for picnic and chill. Expect wait for boat depending on conditions.
Plays every Saturday at 3pm. Feel free to join!
This golf course is located in the elite housing area in West Surabaya. This course has 18 holes, designed by Jack Nicklaus II.
This course is built in hilly terrain and is the oldest course in town, built in 1898, with the crypt of the last Dutch Governor on it.
18 holes, inside Graha Famili real estate site, near the Bukit Darmo Golf.
Found within Citraland Estate.
For beginners, try this golf course instead within Pakuwon Estate - an 18-hole par 3 course; the 'back nine' are quite challenging.
Located about an hour drive south, towards Malang.
Also located about an hour drive south.
This 9-hole Par 3 course can be found on the estate of Petrokimia Gresik in Gresik.
Local bakery chain.
Serves Pecel (traditional Javanese salad with peanut sauce).
Notable rujak cingur.
Lontong balap is made of lontong (compressed rice cake wrapped in a banana leaf), tauge (bean sprouts), fried tofu, lentho (fried mashed beans), fried shallots, petis (black coloured shrimp paste sauce), and sweet soy sauce. It served with sate kerang (clam satay).
Serves Sate Klopo (beef satay with grated coconut). Small dining area, filled with smoke from the satay grill.
Serves rawon (dark beef soup). You may try the local Surabaya iced drink es sinom.
Serves tahu tek or tahu telor (tofu dish with peanut and shrimp paste sauce).
Offers delicious all day dining in a relaxed setting with a view that gives to pool.
Local grilled chicken and seafood.
A modern and chic kitchen, serving "new-age" cuisine and pastries. Open for brunch until late night for supper and cocktails.
Best known vegetarian restaurant in stylish decor. Pan Asian, Chinese and Indonesian cuisine.
Italian-owned restaurant, wood-fired pizza, hand-made pastas. Family-style, good prices. Italian, English and Indonesian speakers.
The menu features fresh seafood, premium fish and various Cantonese dishes. Has a private room suitable for a business meeting or family gathering.
Java Paragon Hotel
On the 21st floor with a good view of the city lights. Regional and international beverages, snacks, and pastries. Cozy and stylish.
Comfortable place to enjoy wine, and premium cigars from Indonesia, Cuba, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Drinking of spirits in a club environment.
Cheap beer, great outdoor setting. Nice regulars that are ex-pats and Indonesian. Arak Bali (an Indonesian vodka-like spirit), cocktails, coffee, tenderloin steak, and nachos.
Since 1930, one of the oldest ice cream stalls in Surabaya.
Clean room and familiar service. Serves good coffee, hot chocolatte, and tea all day long. Free 24-hr internet connection through wifi.
Air-con, cable TV, free WiFi, bath, breakfast.
Worn rooms with air-con and cold water including decent Indonesian breakfast.
Clean, quiet and friendly. Hot water, WiFi in rooms. Tea, coffee available in the morning, hot water all day. No breakfast included, but menu available. Refrigerator available.
A classic old Dutch colonial era hotel. Mostly for backpackers and family stays. Single, double, or triple spacious rooms. Only fan, but not so hot due to the high ceilings. Breakfast with hot tea. At night, this street becomes a night market where you can find cheap goods and food.
Air-con, WiFi. No dorm, only private rooms.
air condition mixed dorm. free breakfast and wifi. has lockers and a shared lounge/TV area. clean bathrooms.
126 rooms of 2 CEO Suites, 5 family suites of 2 bedrooms and 119 Executive Suites.
Darmo. A variety of restaurants, business organisations, banks, shopping malls, entertainment and international schools are provided in the Darmo commercial area. The Central Business District of Surabaya (Jalan Basuki Rachmat) is a short drive away and access to other regions of the city is easy with the major toll roads and highway nearby.
Good discounts online for advance bookings.
Located in the city centre.
Nice bungalows, on cobblestone roads, some with attached garages.
Nice resort hotel with outdoor hallways. Pool with abundant plants and waterslide. From US$50.
Dim Sum, Japanese & Chinese food.
Located next to Tunjungan Plaza. Convenient to mall and mall's food court.
Conventional business hotel close to Surabaya Plaza. Convenient for Gubeng Railway Station, but maintenance of rooms can be spotty.
Big pool, nice restaurant. Might get a room with a view of the canal.
An opulent colonial-era boutique hotel that was built as the Hotel Oranje by the Lucas Martin Sarkies, the son of Martin Sarkies of the Sarkies Brothers (who founded Penang's E&O, Singapore's Raffles and Yangon's Strand Hotel), in 1910. Good service and staff. From US$70, although local travel agents may get better prices.
Close to golf courses in Darmo area. Pool with abundant plants and waterslide.
Previously known as Hyatt Regency
Conventional business hotel. Indonesian President stays here.
The property is equipped with one and two bedroom apartments and a one bedroom penthouse. Courier services are available on request.
Anchored by SOGO, Matahari, and Hero. The largest in central Surabaya, with six interconnected buildings (TP 1 - TP 6) selling everything. Good selection of restaurants on the top floors and the basement. Enjoy yourself at Stingers, a game area near the food court, or Timezone, a popular arcade.
Anchored by SOGO, Centro, Ranch Market 99, Cinema XXI and more than 400 shops selling well known brands such as Mango, Guess, Marks and Spencer, LaSenza, Sephora, Nine West, The Body Shop, L'Occitane, Mothercare and many more. There are two Food Courts, one completely dedicated to the best local Indonesian food and an International Food Court plus The Dining Town which gathers many fine-dining restaurants on one exclusive floor. The largest mall in the eastern part of Surabaya, with two interconnected buildings lavishly finished throughout with marble floors and stainless steel finishes.
Pakuwon Mall is anchored by Sogo, Lotemart, while Supermall is anchored by Matahari, Hypermart, ACE. The largest mall in Indonesia with 18 hectares. Pakuwon mall contains the exclusive part of the mall and SPI is middle while PTC caters the lower market of the mall. PTC has an area that sells pets.
locally abbreviated to Sutos
Anchored by Foodmart. A shopping mall with the largest cinema studio in Surabaya. Open until midnight.
Next to Grand City Convention and Exhibition Hall. The luxurious mall in Surabaya.
Anchored by Transmart. Full glass façade and the first golf-view mall in Surabaya.
The longest escalator in Surabaya.
Clothes for the whole family. Open 10:00-21:00.
Anchored by Hartani. A large, indoor Chinese and local market, selling food, clothes, jewellery, catering to Chinese locals. You can bargain here. Loads of DVDs, excellent food court (from 12:00), featuring excellent vegetarian cuisine among at least 40 other choices.
Cito
Anchored by Matahari and Hypermart.
Anchored by Matahari and Superindo. One of the oldest shopping malls in town. Beside Delta Plaza is the Monkasel (Monumen Kapal Selam) or the Submarine Monument.
Anchored by Matahari, Hypermart, ACE and Index. Another medium size shopping mall in Surabaya.
Anchored by Carrefour (be warned: dismal cheese selection, long queues) and Cahaya. A variety of jewellery stores so if you want to buy jewellery you definitely have to go to this place. The food court is terrible unless you would like yet another "special" Indonesian dish (check out Pasar Atom's, instead). Will be opening soon CGV cinemas.
Anchored by Carrefour.
Anchored by Giant. A shopping mall situated in Southern Surabaya.
DTC
Despite its name, the building is actually more famous as the place to shop for mobile phones. Beware of pickpockets. Locals often refer to it as 'World Telephone Center'.
Dismall place to shop for computers, software and computer peripherals.
A place specialising in weddings and jewellery.
Heritage souvenirs specialist. Reference books about old Surabaya, miniatures of Suramadu Bridge and KRI Pasopati Submarine which is done with a high level of detail. Heritage buildings on T-shirts such as the lindeteves-stokvis & Haven Kantoor building. You can enquire about a special heritage tour to Surabaya old kampong and heritage building.
Eclectic souvenir shop with the theme of Surabaya on many of its products.
Around this market you'll find shops selling bandeng asap (smoked milk fish) and kerupuk (local chips). Also known as the largest electronic spare part market in Indonesia (level 2 and above).
A large colourful Arab market, and a definite highlight of the city. You are able to find unique food here. An excellent place to shop for hats, imported dates, perfumes, water pipes and tobacco, a Quran for that special someone, etc. Dress reasonably conservatively and be friendly. Most people are very warm and it is perfectly safe in the day time, but you can meet the odd person who is less than warmly welcoming to westerners. It is probably best not to amble down too many alleys here at night.
A small local food market.
By train
The national rail operator Kereta Api Indonesia(KAI) runs multiple daily trains from Jakarta (from Rp 890,000 in 2026) and several other cities in Java, with both daytime and overnight services…
By boat
The main harbour is Tanjung Perak, at the northern end of Jl. Perak Timur road is about 4 km north of downtown.
By bus
Surabaya has frequent bus connections from all parts of East Java and from major cities in other parts of Java and beyond.
By car
Surabaya is well connected from a few of Java island's large cities, thanks to the Trans-Java toll road.5 hours from Malang.
By becak
Becak (cycle rickshaw) are a traditional form of transportation in Surabaya.
By ride-hailing
Ride-hailing is one of the most efficient ways to get around Surabaya. All apps provide upfront pricing, so no haggling is required. Most support English-language interfaces.
By train
Commuter city trains are extremely limited, serving some parts of Surabaya and Sidoarjo.
By bus
Surabaya's municipal bus system consists of the city-run Suroboyo Bus and the central government-run Trans Semanggi Suroboyo.
By minibus
Bemos (public minibus) in Surabaya are called bemo or lin. They are plentiful in Surabaya and routes are distinguished by their color.
By car
There are many car rental companies. To rent a car with a driver for one day might cost Rp 250,000-500,000, depending on the type of car and the length of the trip.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Surabaya · International · SUB
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