I had never heard of Yogyakarta until I started planning a trip to Indonesia. And when I started researching, I quickly became fascinated with this cultural city with easy access to Prambanan and Borobudur, two extremely important Indonesian temples.
On our recent trip to Indonesia, we spent nearly 4 full days in Yogyakarta and although we didn’t get to do everything we had planned, I feel that 2 full days would be plenty, and I’d add a day in Solo, which we didn’t do.
Read on to learn about Yogyakarta, Indonesia – getting there, getting around, where to stay, where to eat, and what to expect.
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What to Expect
If this is your first stop in Indonesia, read my 10 tips for planning a trip to Indonesia.
Yogyakarta, or Yogya for short, is Java’s cultural center. It is still ruled by a sultan, whose kraton (palace) is the center of traditional city life. Yogya is also filled with street art, galleries, and chic cafes.
It is a busy, bustling city but most sights of interest are found in and around the kraton and along Jl. Malioboro, the main street.
Yogya is also the perfect base from which to explore nearby Borobudur and Prambanan temples.
In addition to all of this pleasant sounding stuff, be prepared to be constantly harassed by people trying to earn some sort of commission by taking you to batik shops (“student art exhibition”, “official government store”). Many of them pretend to be tour guides or friendly locals offering help. They will tell you that whatever you are looking for is closed (it probably isn’t) and offer to take you to see batik instead, often not giving you much of a choice.
The other nuisance is that every single idle becak driver and some other drivers will offer you a ride as soon as you’re within 5 feet of them. Even when they see you turn down 20 of their friends first.
You’ll also find yourself having the same weird conversation over and over. It might start with you turning town a becak ride, smiling politely at someone, glaring angrily at someone, paying for a bottle of water, or any number of other ways, but the conversation starts when they say “where are you from?” and then, assuming you live in the United States like me, you respond “USA,” and then they respond “Obama!” and then they go back to trying to sell you something. I didn’t think to see what would happen if you respond with a different country.
It is worth noting that this is a primarily Muslim area of Indonesia and people are generally dressed quite conservatively. That said, no one seems to be paying too much attention to how others are dressed. If you plan to visit the kraton, men are expected to have knees and shoulders covered but there didn’t seem to be any rules for women. Similarly, if you plan to visit any religious sites, both men and women will be expected to cover shoulders and knees.
Getting to Yogyakarta
The new Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) has connections to other airports in Indonesia as well as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. It is located about 45 km outside of the city center.
There is also Giwangan Bus Terminal 5km from the city center which has connections to various destinations around Java and also Bali.
Yogyakarta Train Station (Tugu Station) is a good option for long-distance destinations.
Getting Around Yogyakarta
From the airport, you’ll most likely want to take the train to the city center. After exiting the airport, simply follow the signs to the train station. You will purchase your ticket at the station. It costs less than $2 USD and takes about 40 minutes to get to Yogyakarta Central Station which is located near the city center. If your hotel isn’t super close, you can get a taxi to take you the rest of the way.
Alternatively, you could take a taxi or bus from the airport, but expect it to take more than twice as much time as the train.
The most common options for getting around once you’ve made it into town are going to be:
- On foot. The main attractions within Yogya are fairly walkable.
- Becak (bicycle rickshaws) can be a fun way to get around. Don’t negotiate an hourly rate; instead negotiate a price for a trip. A short A to B trip costs about 20,000-30,000 IDR.
- Andong (horse-drawn carts) are also popular in Yogya. Again, don’t negotiate an hourly rate; instead negotiate a price for a trip.
- Bicycles can also be rented from many hotels. Make sure to always keep them locked up.
- Hire a driver with a car for the day.
- Taxis – Bluebird Taxis have a reputation of being honest compared to others and we found then extremely convenient to use, similar to Uber. Insist on using the meter. If the driver offers to wait at your destination outside of the city center, consider it for up to ~$5 USD/hour so you don’t have to worry about finding another taxi when you’re ready to leave. If you’re paying cash, keep plenty of change handy as drivers often won’t be able to provide change.
- Rideshare services (Grab, or Gojek.) – Make sure to verify if they’ll be coming on a motorbike or car if you have a preference.
- Rent a motorcycle (International driver’s license required).
- Trans Jogja buses are also a good option for getting to Borobudur and Prambanan. The main bus terminal is Condong Catur.
Where to Stay in Yogyakarta
We stayed at eL Hotel Yogyakarta Malioboro, which was a great location. It looked like a fancy hotel and felt as though they modeled it after a fancy hotel they saw in a movie but didn’t quite understand how it was supposed to work. But they did have a fantastic breakfast buffet that even included a chocolate fountain one day.
Beyond that, if you want to be able to explore the city, I recommend staying near the kraton or Jl. Malioboro. Find a hotel that’s in your price range and has the amenities you want.
Where to Eat in Yogyakarta
- Street food vendors in Yogyakarta outside Pasar Beringharjo and around Jalan Malioboro are well known for their sate, ayam goreng, and all kinds of desserts.
- Gadri Resto in Yogyakarta is technically located within the residence of a prince. Get the nasi campur or any rice and chicken dish.
- Warung Brongkos Handayani is famous for its Nasi brongkos, a specialty of Yogyakarta that resembles a stew with rice.
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