Must-see attractions in Jakarta

  • Museum Nasional

    Merdeka Square & Central Jakarta

    The National Museum is the best of its kind in Indonesia and an essential visit. The enormous collection begins around an open courtyard of the 1862…

  • Indonesia, Jakarta, Merdeka Square, National Monument Monas

    Merdeka Square

    Merdeka Square & Central Jakarta

    It is here that Jakartans come to take a breather from the traffic. The figurative centre of Jakarta, Merdeka Square (merdeka means independence) is…

  • Taman Fatahillah

    Jakarta

    Kota’s central cobblestone square, surrounded by imposing Dutch colonial buildings, is Jakarta's most attractive location and a popular gathering spot for…

  • Museum Layang-Layang

    South Jakarta

    Families will love Jakarta's kite museum, located in a quiet backstreet in Pondok Labu, South Jakarta. Inside a traditional Indonesian house, complete…

  • Galeri Nasional

    Merdeka Square & Central Jakarta

    Over 1700 works of art by foreign and Indonesian artists are part of the National Gallery collection. While only a few works are on display at any time,…

  • Museum Bank Indonesia

    Jakarta

    This museum presents an engaging and easily consumed history of Indonesia from a loosely financial perspective, in a grand, expertly restored,…

  • Museum Macan

    Jakarta

    Opened in late 2017, Museum Macan is Indonesia's first modern and contemporary art museum and an exciting cultural development for the city. It was built…

  • Jin De Yuan

    Jakarta

    This large Chinese Buddhist temple compound dates from 1755 and is one of the most atmospheric and important in the city. The main structure has an…

  • RUCI Art Space exterior.

    RUCI Art Space & Cafe

    South Jakarta

    RUCI Art Space has become a favourite on the city's burgeoning art scene. Occupying an industrial space in the hip neighbourhood of Senopati, the gallery…

  • Taman Mini Indonesia Indah

    Jakarta

    This 100-hectare park has full-scale traditional houses for each of Indonesia's provinces, with displays of regional handicrafts and clothing, and even a…

  • Museum Sejarah at Taman Fatahillah (Fatahillah Square).

    Jakarta History Museum

    Jakarta

    The Jakarta History Museum is housed in the old town hall of Batavia, a stately whitewashed Dutch colonial structure that was once the epicentre of an…

  • Ancol Luar Biasa

    Jakarta

    On Jakarta's bayfront, the people’s ‘Dreamland’ is a landscaped recreation complex popular with families. It has worn amusement rides, and sporting and…

  • Monumen Nasional

    Merdeka Square & Central Jakarta

    Ingloriously dubbed ‘Sukarno’s final erection’, the 132m-high National Monument (aka Monas), which rises into the shroud of smog and towers over Merdeka…

  • Marrionette puppets in Museum Wayang.

    Museum Wayang

    Jakarta

    This puppet museum has one of the best collections of wayang (flat wooden puppets) in Java and its dusty cabinets are full of a multitude of intricate,…

  • Jakarta War Cemetery

    South Jakarta

    During WWII, thousands of people were made prisoners of war and killed in and around Jakarta. Early victories by the Japanese killed scores of troops from…

  • Museum Perumusan Naskah Proklamasi

    Jakarta

    This atmospheric mansion saw historic events as Indonesia proclaimed its independence at the end of WWII. It was the home of the Japanese naval commander…

  • Museum Bahari

    Jakarta

    Near Jakarta's historic port are several 17th-century VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie; the Dutch East India Company) warehouses that comprise the…

  • Masjid Istiqlal

    Merdeka Square & Central Jakarta

    The striking, modernist Masjid Istiqlal is adorned by patterned geometric grates on the windows. Completed in 1978, it's the largest mosque in Southeast…

  • Museum Bank Mandiri

    Jakarta

    One of two bank museums within a block of each other might have you scratching your head, but it's worthwhile popping in to explore the behind-the-scenes…

  • Istana Merdeka

    Merdeka Square & Central Jakarta

    The presidential palace (one of six in Indonesia) stands to the north of Merdeka Square. It was built in 1879 and was Sukarno's official residence during…

  • Candra Naya

    Jakarta

    Sandwiched in-between a Starbucks and modern Novotel hotel is this impressive 18th-century grand residence. The restored structure has a traditional…

  • Taman Suropati

    Jakarta

    A village green surrounded by mansions, this area is a preservation zone for the colonial bungalows. Many really qualify as mansions and have the art-deco…

  • Monumen Irian Jaya Pembebasan

    Merdeka Square & Central Jakarta

    The twin towers of this monument with a dodgy provenance soar over grassy Lapangan Banteng and are topped by a sculpture of a man breaking his chains. It…

  • Museum Tekstil

    Jakarta

    Very much a worthwhile visit if you've any interest in weaving and fabrics, this museum houses a collection of around 2000 precious textiles, including…

  • Syahbandar Menara

    Jakarta

    Just before the entrance to the maritime museum is an atmospheric harbourmaster watchtower, built in 1839 to sight and direct traffic to the port. Views…

  • Dunia Fantasi

    Jakarta

    This fun park has bumper cars, a giant swing ride, a Ferris-style wheel, spinning tea cups, a Hello Kitty adventure, an Ice Age Arctic Adventure ride and…

  • Jembatan Kota Intan

    Jakarta

    At the northern end of Kali Besar is the last remaining Dutch drawbridge. Built in 1628, it was originally called Hoenderpasarbrug (Chicken Market Bridge)…

  • Petak Sembilan Market

    Jakarta

    Be sure to wander down the narrow Kemenangan Market/Petak Sembilan Market off Jl Pancoran, lined with atmospheric temples and crooked houses with red…

  • Museum Seni Rupa Dan Keramik

    Jakarta

    Built between 1866 and 1870, the former Palace of Justice building is now a fine arts museum. It houses a vast collection of historic Indonesian and…

  • Atlantis Water Adventure

    Jakarta

    Yes, like everything else at Ancol Luar Biasa, it’s big! This water-park complex has eight separate areas, including a wave pool, water slides and a slide…

  • Kampung Bali

    Jakarta

    Literally in the shadow of the rarefied upscale world of the Grand Indonesia and Plaza Indonesia malls, this kampung (traditional neighbourhood) is…

  • Sunda Kelapa

    Jakarta

    A kilometre north of Taman Fatahillah, the old port of Sunda Kelapa still sees the magnificent Makassar schooners (pinisi). In some respects the dock…

  • Kali Besar

    Jakarta

    The Kali Besar is an 18th-century canal built along the Ciliwung River, connecting the port to the old city of Batavia. It once thrived with commerce, and…

  • Taman Proklamasi

    Jakarta

    Indonesia's independence was proclaimed on 17 August 1945 at the former home of Sukarno, which stood on the site of this large public square at Jl…

  • Gedung Pancasila

    Merdeka Square & Central Jakarta

    Gedung Pancasila is an imposing neoclassical building built in 1830 as the Dutch army commander’s residence. It later became the meeting hall of the…

  • Welcome Monument

    Jakarta

    Set in the centre of a fountain on one of central Jakarta's most prominent alun-aluns (public squares) is the Salamat Datang, or Welcome Monument. Built…

  • Gereja Sion

    Jakarta

    Dating from 1695, this is the oldest remaining church in Jakarta. Also known as Gereja Portugis (Portuguese Church), it was built just outside the old…

  • Toko Merah

    Jakarta

    One of the more impressive buildings in Kota is the red-tiled facade of Toko Merah (or 'Red Shop'), which dates back to 1730. It was once the home of…

  • VOC Galangan

    Jakarta

    You can still see vestiges of the 18th-century Dutch shipyards and warehouses that stood on this site. The main building dates to 1628 and has been…

  • SDN Menteng 1 School

    Jakarta

    Barack Obama attended this government-run elementary school from 1969 to 1971. It's in a fairly posh neighbourhood and is known as the school of choice…

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