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Capital and largest city of Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Photo: Gunawan Kartapranata, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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Vredeburg Fort
A Dutch fort in front of Gedung Agung (the President's Palace). A great example of Dutch colonial architecture. A few military items are presented, including a twin cannon. Closed for renovation until May 2024 by Indonesian Heritage Agency.
The Dutch officials' residential area has some heritage homes, a colonial style church, monastery (Gereja Kotabaru), and a stadium (Stadion Kridosono).
The capital of the ancient Islamic Mataram kingdom. The tomb of its first king, Panembahan Senopati, is here in the royal graveyard. Before independence, Kotagede was Jogja's economic centre, as it had the largest market and was home to many wealthy batik merchants. Some of the older buildings have been modernised or replaced with newer buildings, but Kotagede remains a prime example of Javanese architecture and city structure. Check out the local silver handicrafts.
A downtown landmark. Built by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono VI, the spire was originally a sphere representing the universe. During the colonial era, the spire was replaced with a golden cylinder.
Alun-alun utara
Built for training the Sultan's army, it was opened to the public during the reign of Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX. Now used for the quarterly Garebeg parade held in the months of Maulud, Besar and Sawal, according to the Javanese calendar. In the parade, the Sultan's servants carry huge cone-shaped offerings to the alun-alun. After the parade, attendees scramble to get a scrap of the offering as it is believed to bring good luck. Prior to the month of Maulud, a popular public fair is held here for 30 days, offers many kinds of goods from traditional handicrafts to Chinese ceramics. A snack associated with the fair is the doughnut-like galundeng. On weekend or holiday nights, pedal cars decorated with lights (gowes) can be hired to make a circuit of the square.
A calm and elegant example of Javanese heritage with two separate entrances; the Main Court (Pagilaran and Siti Hinggil) and the Residence. The Main Court showcases the grandeur of the Sultan's monarchy, while the Residence is more homely, showcasing the royal family's luxurious lifestyle. There are regular free performances of music and dance. Check out the times when you arrive in Yogajakarta. (Every Sunday at 11:00 as of Oct 2015). There are three gamelans in the palace, and the pavilion nearest the entrance houses one of them. If it is being played, feel free to take a seat and enjoy it for a while. Residence museum has both Indonesian and English texts, and AC. Temporary exhibition Mar-Aug 2024 on Abhimantra or life rites of passage (part where no photo allowed). Small exhibition on the history of tea in Indonesia too (Indonesian text only). Without guide, no map or sign to help explore the larger grounds.
Museum Kereta
Houses the Sultan's horse-drawn carriages, including two beautiful carriages imported from the Netherlands and known as Golden Carriages (kereta kencana).
Taman Sari
This is a partly-ruined complex built as a pleasure garden by the first Sultan in 1765. One of the bathing pools was dedicated to the sultan's harem, and he had a tower overlooking the area so he could take his pick. Towards the back is the original entrance to the pools, a small dock connected to a long-since-vanished river; a bit of snooping beyond this entrance will get you to a back street, where one can visit a fascinating network of tunnels and rooms, including an Escher-like series of interlacing staircases over what looks like a disused well.
One of the oldest and largest mosques in Yogyakarta. Located on the west of Alun-alun Utara, this mosque was where the Sultan performs his religious rites and ceremonies.
Museum Sonobudoyo
Many Javanese artefacts like wayang puppets, masks, statues, textiles, weapons, and a full set of gamelan instruments. Worth a visit if you have some extra time in Yogya, or you are interested in studying Javanese culture. Wayang kulit performances are given every Tuesday night 20:00-21:30, accompanied by gamelan. Museum has both Indonesian and English texts.
A medical museum was built in 1922.
Museum Batik Yogyakarta
A batik museum was built in 1979.
A cultural institute set up by the Kompas Gramedia publishing and media group. Branches in Jogja, Jakarta, Solo and Bali. Art exhibitions, movies, book discussions.
Fine art and modern art exhibitions, book discussions and performances.
Art exhibitions, movies, book discussions, performances, library.
Modern art gallery exhibiting avant garde artworks.
Kedai Kebun Forum
Art space managed by artists including gallery, performance space, bookstore and restaurant. Art exhibitions, performances, book discussions. Has accommodation for rent.
daily classes
Yogyakarta City Library
Yogyakarta Language Hall
Unlike most of the other university libraries in the city, this one is open to the general public. The collection is mostly about the social sciences.
Angkringan Lik Man
Famous for its small rice packets (sego kucing). Drink kopi joss, strong Javanese coffee heated by dropping a piece of glowing charcoal into it.
Be prepared to wait up to two hours! Tip: if you think that fried noodles go well with beer, you can grab a Bintang at the nearby Tante Lies restaurant.
Popular Gudeg stall. A complete dish consists of: warm rice, shredded chicken, brown hard-boiled egg, gudeg, areh sauce, and the hot & spicy sambal goreng krecek.
Serving good quality milk, coffee & tea at affordable prices, near Masangin and the Taman Sari complex.
A very small restaurant with meat and vegetarian options and owned by a very friendly woman. Has a delicious soup, noodles, mushrooms, vegetables, meatballs and cilantro for Rp9,000.
Great, cheap food including a smorgasbord where you choose what you like and then the cashier estimates a price. Tasty and cheap. Also ice desserts and fruit shakes.
Specialising in sambal, the Indonesian delicacy of spicy, hot chilli infused sauce. Also, Indonesian-style beef ribs.
This well-known restaurant is Pak Soleh's family business and is now operated by his son. They only serve Yogyakarta-style beef soup as their main menu, which has a spicy taste from ginger.
Famous for their traditional Jepara flavours (only warung in Jogjakarta that serves Jepara food), this modern-furnished warung is run by friendly locals. Speciality includes "pecil pari" (spicy stingray), "bothok tahu" (tofu in papaya leaf) and "sayur lodeh" (jackfruit soup).
A local tent (tenda) restaurant specialising in grilled food, with a good variety of sambals (chili) to choose from, yet with good prices.
serves delicious pempek and kakap meat ball soup.
Javanese restaurant with traditional food like jamu godhog (Indonesia's herbal recipe).
Special Yogyakarta and Jawa Tengah delicacies. Famous here are nasi timlo and nasi liwet.
Soto Kadipiro Pusat
Originating from Palembang, deep-fried fish cake and served with sour soy sauce. There are many varieties of empek-empek: kapal selam (means submarine) comes with boiled eggs inside, adaaan/bulat has a garlic taste, while lenggang is an empek-empek omelette.
Javanese style soft-fried noodles. Don't miss the popular wedang bajigur, a local beverages made from warm coconut milk with subtle ginger flavour and garnished with diced coconut and kolang-kaling. Local kroncong street quartet often performs in the area.
Grilled beef satay served with lontongs (rice cake), peanut sauce and thin curry soup.
A mie ayam (chicken noodles) with thick gravy sauce.
Easy Groovy Restaurant & Bar
A beautiful restaurant & bar on a lively spot with a nice terrace. serving tasty Mexican, Indonesian and Western dishes in a comfortable and warm atmosphere. Also a great place to sit on the terrace to enjoy a drink. Happy Hour until 19:00 discount on beers, wine and cocktails. Wifi is free of charge. Live Music on the weekends from 8:30pm.
Many kinds of local Indonesian foods: Nasi kebuli, nasi merah, soto betawi, sate buntel, mushroom satay and also dessert-like pancakes, and ice creams. It has a garden with lots of bamboo trees and other plants. The waiters use wireless gadgets to serve their customers in order to maintain a 'paperless' order system.
An eating place in Jalan Sagan (in front of Toko Sagan Baru) offering rice, seasoned porridge, gudeg, areh sauce, sambal goreng krecek, complete with chicken and brown hard-boiled egg.
A more lavish variety of Gudeg, served with thicker sauce, and more expensive as well.
Javanese cuisine with a modern twist. Tasty food in a nice setting, yet not expensive.
Peranakan food restaurant, a fusion of Indonesian, Chinese and Dutch cuisine. Their speciality is grilled fish, sour ribs soup and candlenut chicken.
Local home cooking in the familiarity of a typical Kampung house.
Despite the name, this is not a noodle restaurant, but rather a Chinese restaurant. Don't expect authentic Chinese food, but rather Indonesian-Chinese. The wonton is really good though, and they also serve beer! If you find yourself craving Chinese food in Jogja, this is one of the few places you can go to.
A nice Chinese food family restaurant. Serves delicious and fresh Chinese dishes such as: fried rice, fried noodle, tofu, fresh capjay and vegetables. In Pathuk area, 5 minutes from Malioboro. With friendly service and wallet-friendly prices.
A famous shrimp and sea food restaurant located on the outskirts of the city, specifically Jamur, Minggir, Sleman. Very delicious fried shrimp served fresh from the ponds in the still relatively untouched village. Should not be confused with the nearby Mang Engking, also a shrimp restaurant with an ill-earned reputation for dirty food.
Japanese restaurant that also serves shabu-shabu (Japanese hot pot).
Chinese-Indonesian dishes with kraton-style atmosphere.
Serves French and Mediterranean dishes. Open all day, serving breakfast before midday. Sells espresso and has a wide range of fresh juices available. Also includes a small specialty shop with imported goods and fresh baked bread and pastries. Best croissants in Jogja.
Hotel INNA Garuda, Jl. Malioboro 60. DJs and live music.
In Sheraton Hotel complex area (there's a tunnel connecting the club). Entrance fee around Rp35,000-100,000, depends on the event. Full set DJs. Music ranges from trance, house, to dubstep. The drinks are genuine, but are pretty pricey. Have a weekly discount night called Monday Madness 50% off. Usually they have free drinks from 22:00-02:00 on the last Thursday of every month with a fee of Rp100,000/person.
Cosy beanbags in a lush garden or sitting under grape pergola. Offers shisha as well for Rp75,000. Live music Th-Sa nights from 21:00. Free plunge pool, billiard table & wifi.
Across the street from Setia Kawans alley, clean, friendly European owner, bar facilities, A/C rooms and fan rooms. Each room has a private bathroom with shower, western toilet and sink. Credit cards accepted.
A small hotel with clean and comfortable rooms, traditionally designed. All rooms have a private bathroom attached. Rooms with a balcony are available.
Air-con 4/8 bed dorms with own/outside bathroom. Free WiFi and breakfast.
Neat hotel run by students of the vocational high school next door so all the income benefits the school. The beds are big and cozy, and it's in a great part of town, near the center but quiet. The student staff are wonderful and there are hot showers and Wi-Fi in all rooms. In a fairly conservative Muslim part of town - couples will not be able to share a room unless they are married, even same sex friends sharing a room can be problematic.
Very friendly and welcoming place to stay near Jl Malioboro. Includes breakfast.
Clean and tidy with various options to suit the budget traveller including 4-person rooms.
Very clean rooms, nicely decorated and a good atmosphere, rooms with shared or own bathroom. From Rp100,000 (negotiable).
Quiet place deep in the back alleys of Sosrowijayan. Friendly owner will make you a nice breakfast. Small but cozy roof terrace. Rooms are clean with attached bathroom. Good WiFi.
Renovated, clean place. Make sure to insist on getting a receipt and keeping it for the duration of your stay in the city.
5 rooms with fan and attached bathroom, 4 rooms with fan and separate bathroom. Free WiFi.
Small hostel in the city center, walking distance to Malioboro, Museums, Sultan Palace, Water Castle. Free WiFi.
Artistic hotel down one of the two main alleyways close to the train station. Clean, comfortable, and imaginatively decorated rooms without windows (think Dali meets Indonesia). Down the street is the owner's restaurant, offering a variety of Indonesian and vegetarian meals for cheap. If you stay at the rooftop be quiet, otherwise you may be kicked out without warning. Often full.
Not really a hostel, feels like home. Managed by Indonesian travellers knowledgeable about the needs of other travellers. Serves awesome local breakfast. They change the breakfast menu daily. In the quiet part of the city center. Close to train station. Free Wi-Fi, drinking water, tea and coffee. You can also use their kitchen to cook.
A lovely traditional Javanese house with internal courtyards. Clean rooms, laid back atmosphere, free coffee and tea.
Fan single and double rooms with common bathrooms.
Clean rooms with fan or A/C arranged around a garden filled with the sounds of birdsong and running water. TV, pleasant, attentive and helpful staff. Free WiFi, water, tea and coffee.
Has fan and A/C single/double rooms all with own bathrooms and TV. (All prices are negotiable). The family-run Parakesit GH has the lowest cost rooms in Jl Prawirotaman 1.
Fan and A/C rooms with own bathrooms. Credit cards accepted.
Tranquil with a serene touch, beautiful garden and art gallery space away from the hustle of Jl Malioboro. Twelve rooms with bathroom facilities, air conditioning/fan, and breakfast.
Fan double rooms with own bathrooms.
Some rooms have A/C and/or ensuite bathroom; every room is different, but all are clean and comfortable. WiFi is available. Breakfast is served at the guesthouse. Restaurant and tour agency nearby.
Doubles and singles with swimming pool and terraces.
OstiC hostel
AC, wifi, towel, shared toilet/shower with toilet paper and toilet gun, dorm bed curtain, water refill, fridge, pool table, small swimming pool. Activities book and tours including Borobudur, Prambanan, and Jomblang cave.
travahouse
A vacation house in the centre of Yogyakarta City. Private house with 3 bedrooms with a cute pool. Available for rent daily.
Prawirotaman's most modern establishment, clean white sheets, fluffy doonas and AC. Each room has a unique decor and colour scheme. Also has a coffee house, a library, and restaurant.
Balinese-style garden courtyard and swimming pool, good clean rooms.
formerly Inna Garuda
Established in 1908. 240 rooms are furnished in classic but modern elegance & face Jl Malioboro.
A blend of traditional Javanese and Balinese style with western facilities.
Near to Jl Malioboro. Cozy, affordable, close to 3-star class.
Accor group-an ex Mercure hotel
144 rooms and suites, each with a balcony. A fusion of Asian and European decor. Restaurant, wine bar and terrace bar overlooking an open courtyard. Swimming pool, day spa and modern conferencing facilities.
Four-star hotel.
Two luxurious villas in the centre of the town, just south of the Kraton area. Both are of a traditional Javanese style with private swimming pools and a 200-m² garden.
A 5-star hotel with two upscale restaurants and a polished lounge, plus an outdoor pool with a poolside bar. There’s also a spa, a gym and a boutique.
Well-known shopping street very popular with domestic and international tourists alike. Stretching from Tugu train station in the north to the alun-alun in the south, it is 2 km long and home to hundreds of shops and street stalls offering all kinds of handicrafts. The street is partly pedestrianised and no motorbike parking is allowed. Motorbikes can be parked in the Abu Bakar Ali area from where there are two free shuttle buses to Malioboro.
Chocolate factory.
This handicraft shop opens its door for business in 1954 and still operating today. It offers a large selection of Javanese handicrafts such as wayang kulit (leather puppet), wayang golek (wooden puppet), batik, keris, silverware, sculptures, and traditional outfits.
Offers funny contemporary t-shirts and souvenirs that revolves around Yogyakarta people's culture.
Shadow puppets, masks, carvings, and more at fixed prices that are lower than in the market.
Huge souvenir shop specializing in batik, art, jewellery, and more. Has every souvenir you could imagine at fixed prices.
Mirota Batik
The large family-owned store offers plenty of handicrafts, not only from Yogyakarta but also from all parts of Indonesia.
A reputable batik painting shop with a large selection and fair prices, and you can usually watch an artist there demonstrating the fascinating and meticulous technique.
Beringharjo Market
The largest traditional market in town. The vendors sell many kinds of goods, ranging from basic household items (vegetables, fruit, meat) to many kinds of handicrafts. Haggle furiously.
Ngasem market
It used to be a market that sold fowls. In 2010, it was relocated to Pasar Satwa dan Tanaman Hias Yogyakarta (PASTHY) Dongkelan, and now Ngasem market sells daily goods, traditional snacks and souvenirs.
Yogyakarta's premier shopping mall for shopping in hassle-free, air-con comfort. Features a large Matahari department store, a Hero supermarket (B1F), a Periplus book store with a good English selection (B1F), and all the usual suspects of Western and Indonesian fast food (McDonald's, Pizza Hut, KFC, EsTeler 77, etc.) Home to the largest Dagadu outlet.
A compact mall anchored by Matahari department store. The food court at the basement is popular among the youths. Features many interesting restaurant including KFC, McDonald's Express, Thai Express, Bakso Gress (Chinese meatballs served with noodles), Mie Nusantara, Bee's (Japanese Bento), Es Teler 77, and Cheers Cup (assortments of fresh drinks).
Big department store. The least expensive A/C supermarket in Jogja.
Toko Progo
Has operated since 1968.
By train
By bus
Small shuttle buses called travel ply the routes from Semarang and Solo. One such service is Joglosemar (Jogja-Solo-Semarang), Rp45,000 from Semarang, and Rp25,000 from Solo.
By bus
Medium and small buses are the main public transport in Yogyakarta.
By car or motorbike
There are several car and motorbike rental agencies just outside Tugu Station, on the street that runs east-west just south of the station.
By taxi
Yogyakarta's taxis are metered and most drivers are trustworthy. All taxis have a flagfall of Rp7,000 for the first kilometre and then Rp4,250 for every subsequent kilometre.
By ojek
Motorcycle taxis are widespread. They usually gather at designated spots (pangkalan), where you will haggle your way to a ride.
By ride-hailing
You can request car or motorbike rides with ride-hailing apps such as Gojek, Grab and Maxim.
By becak
Three-wheeled pedal-powered trishaws or pedicabs, known as becak (BAY-cha'), can be found in most parts of Yogyakarta, for shortish journeys (remember there is some poor guy pedalling away behind…
By andong
The two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage is still found in Jogja.
On foot
As in the rest of Indonesia, walking in Jogja is probably one of the least convenient and least popular ways of transport, with two remarkable exceptions:
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Yogyakarta · Regional · JOG
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