Yogyakarta travel guide — 9 top things to do in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Yogyakarta is one of the famous tourist destinations in Indonesia, bearing cultural and artistic features of Java island’s residents. Especially, you just need a day to explore the city’s main features. Now, let’s discover top ten Yogyakarta tourist attractions.

1. Watch sunrise at Borobudur temple

Unsure where to start your journey?. Let start a fantastic day in Yogyakarta by exploring the largest Buddhist temple in the world. This is also a famous tourist destination in Indonesia.

Enjoy the atmosphere in the early morning at the hillside, admire the magnificent beauty of Merapi and Merbabu volcanoes as well as beholding the massive buildings around certainly will not disappoint you.

2. Visit the primeval forest in the cave

Formed thousands of years ago after a large slip, Jomblang Cave is a rare natural wonder of Yogyakarta. With a depth of over 60 meters, it’s hard for you to imagine having a flora at the bottom of the cave.

Giant trees, ferns, and fungi that live here almost keep their wild as never been affected by the human.

You should go through this cave, cross a dark tunnel that about 250m in length to get to Grubug Cave.

Coming here, you will get a chance to behold the sunlight shining down through the mouth of the cave and the entire illuminated stalactites. Remember to bring your camera to capture this amazing phenomenon, the best time for you to come is from 10 am to 12 am.

3. Enjoy the traditional food

After returning from the trip to explore the cave, take a break and enjoy a hearty lunch. Yogyakarta has a reputation for its very unusual cuisine compared to other areas of Indonesia.

Don’t forget to try the dish named Gudeg – Yogyakarta jackfruit stew. This dish is often served with rice, eggs, tofu, prawn crackers and chicken.

4. Visit Taman Sari Water Castle

As a gift from the Portuguese to the royal, the water castle of Taman Sari used to be the place where the King of Yogyakarta and his imperial concubine relax.

Taman Sari Water Castle consists of many lakes and artificial islands. Let go along the main corridor to get to the tower of the palace where offers you an opportunity to admire the whole scene of the city, or visiting Tajug – a system of underground tunnels.

5. Admire the art of Batik

The residents of Yogyakarta are wildly known as skilled craftsmen, so you will easily find the art making workshops.

Batik art which is formed in the region of South East Asian countries and focus on the use of wax, dye and a variety of materials of different fabrics. You yourself can paint on the fabric by using the tool called tjanting.

6. Take part in outdoor activities at sea

Located 25km from the city, Parangtritis beach is the nearest beach of Yogyakarta from the center. Come and experience a special type of black sand formed from volcanic ash that will not let you disappointed. Fun and active activities such as terrain riding, horse riding or even sand skiing are what are waiting for you here.

Not far from the beach is Pasir Gumuk dune – a perfect spot for shooting and sand skiing. If you do not like the beach, just go to the pool and enjoy your space. This is also an ideal place to take photographs of sunset in Yogyakarta you should not miss.

7. Walk around the South Square at night

Yogyakarta has two large squares, North and South. For tourists, South Square is a more reasonable choice as art activities, buskers or street food stalls start in the evening.

Moreover, you can engage in a spiritual activity with the locals. Having your eyes blindfolded and go between two banyan trees. Local people said that if you can get through banyan trees easily, your future will be very bright, otherwise … this is a fun activity after all.

8. Watch performance art

If you are into the art, don’t miss on Ramayana. The dancers will perform a dance to tell you about an ancient legend of the Hindu – the story of Rama and Sita. This is an outdoor performance with more than 200 participants.

9. Stay at 5-star hotel

One of the best on the list of Yogyakarta hotels is 5-star hotel – Phoenix. It used to be a mansion, inspired by the of East – West culture and you will feel extremely excited when spending a night here.

As the most vibrant city of Java, Yogyakarta is definitely a must for you to tick off on your bucket list. Do not hesitate to book your flight and head over to Yogyakarta to have remarkable 24 hours.

Further information

Best time to visit Yogyakarta

The climate in Yogyakarta can be classified as tropical wet and dry kinds with the climate being highly influenced on the monsoon. The annual average temperature is 26 degree Celsius with very little variations throughout the year.

Rainy Season: The months of November to March receive large volumes of rainfall at almost all times. The weather becomes very humid as a result of constant precipitation and the warm temperatures.

Dry Season: April to October is the dry period with the months of July and August hardly getting any rainfall. In contrast to the rest of the year, this period receives minimum amount of precipitation. The weather is warm but at least not humid, and thus is comfortable.
It is best time to visit Yogyakarta during the dry season months of April to October. Because of the low precipitation levels, it is very comfortable and convenient to sightsee outdoors without the rain playing a spoilsport. This period is also the peak season and thus expect a lot of people in all touristy spots.

Yogyakarta experiences tropical climate and has two distinct seasons – dry and wet. The best time to visit Yogyakarta is during the dry season, from July to September. Throughout the year, the climate is hot and humid. The average temperature varies between a minimum of 26°C and a maximum of 29°C.

During the wet season, from October till June, the average temperature varies between a minimum of 22°C and a maximum of 31°C. The city receives heavy rains during this season. During December and January, the city gets average rainfall of 350 mm. These are the wettest months. This is not the ideal time to visit Yogyakarta.

The dry season in Yogyakarta stretches from July till September. The average temperature varies between a minimum of 25°C and a maximum of 33°C. At this time, the city receives low rainfall. This is the peak season in Yogyakarta to explore its scenic beauty.

Accommodation

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