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Yogyakarta

If Jakarta is Java’s financial and industrial powerhouse, Yogyakarta is its soul. Central to the island’s artistic and intellectual heritage, Yogyakarta (pronounced ‘Jogjakarta’ and called Yogya, 'Jogja', for short) is where the Javanese language is at its purest, the arts at their brightest and its traditions at their most visible.

Fiercely independent and protective of its customs – and still headed by a sultan, whose kraton (walled city palace) remains the hub of traditional life – contemporary Yogya is nevertheless a huge urban centre (the entire metropolitan area is home to over 3.3 million) complete with malls, fast-food chains and traffic jams, even as it remains a stronghold of batik, gamelan and ritual.

Put it all together and you have Indonesia's coolest, most liveable and lovable city, with street art, galleries, coffee shops and abundant cultural attractions. It's also a perfect base for visiting Indonesia’s most important archaeological sites, Borobudur and Prambanan.

Explore Yogyakarta

Kraton
Beside the southern alun-alun (main square), Yogya's enormous kraton (palace) is the cultural and political heart of this fascinating city. Effectively a…
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Taman Sari
This once-splendid pleasure park of palaces, pools and waterways, built between 1758 and 1765, functioned as the playground of the sultan and his…
Sono-Budoyo Museum
This treasure chest is one of the best museums in Yogya. It is only small but is home to a first-class collection of Javanese art, including wayang kulit…
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Affandi Museum
One of Indonesia’s most celebrated artists, Affandi (1907–90) lived and worked in a wonderfully quirky self-designed riverside studio, about 6km east of…
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Kota Gede
In 1582, Kota Gede was made the first capital of the Mataram kingdom, the founder of which, Panembahan Senopati, is buried in a tomb here. Today, the area…
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Tombs of Mataram Kotagede
The 16th-century founder of the Mataram kingdom, Panembahan Senopati, is buried in the small graveyard of an old mosque located in the suburb of Kota Gede…
P
Pasar Beringharjo
Yogya’s main market is a lively and fascinating place to visit. Batik, catering for tourist tastes and mostly of the inexpensive batik cap (stamped batik)…
K
Kedai Kebun Forum
This fun, bohemian space is a key haunt for Yogya's arts community. The gallery curates mixed-media exhibitions and hosts pop-up shops, film screenings…
J
Jogja National Museum
Yogyakarta's premier contemporary art gallery is located within a brutalist concrete block that was built as an art faculty back in the 1950s. Today it…

Kraton
Beside the southern alun-alun (main square), Yogya's enormous kraton (palace) is the cultural and political heart of this fascinating city. Effectively a…
T
Taman Sari
This once-splendid pleasure park of palaces, pools and waterways, built between 1758 and 1765, functioned as the playground of the sultan and his…
Sono-Budoyo Museum
This treasure chest is one of the best museums in Yogya. It is only small but is home to a first-class collection of Javanese art, including wayang kulit…
A
Affandi Museum
One of Indonesia’s most celebrated artists, Affandi (1907–90) lived and worked in a wonderfully quirky self-designed riverside studio, about 6km east of…
K
Kota Gede
In 1582, Kota Gede was made the first capital of the Mataram kingdom, the founder of which, Panembahan Senopati, is buried in a tomb here. Today, the area…
T
Tombs of Mataram Kotagede
The 16th-century founder of the Mataram kingdom, Panembahan Senopati, is buried in the small graveyard of an old mosque located in the suburb of Kota Gede…
P
Pasar Beringharjo
Yogya’s main market is a lively and fascinating place to visit. Batik, catering for tourist tastes and mostly of the inexpensive batik cap (stamped batik)…
K
Kedai Kebun Forum
This fun, bohemian space is a key haunt for Yogya's arts community. The gallery curates mixed-media exhibitions and hosts pop-up shops, film screenings…
J
Jogja National Museum
Yogyakarta's premier contemporary art gallery is located within a brutalist concrete block that was built as an art faculty back in the 1950s. Today it…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Yogyakarta.

See
Kraton
Beside the southern alun-alun (main square), Yogya's enormous kraton (palace) is the cultural and political heart of this fascinating city. Effectively a…
See
Taman Sari
This once-splendid pleasure park of palaces, pools and waterways, built between 1758 and 1765, functioned as the playground of the sultan and his…
See
Sono-Budoyo Museum
This treasure chest is one of the best museums in Yogya. It is only small but is home to a first-class collection of Javanese art, including wayang kulit…
See
Affandi Museum
One of Indonesia’s most celebrated artists, Affandi (1907–90) lived and worked in a wonderfully quirky self-designed riverside studio, about 6km east of…
See
Kota Gede
In 1582, Kota Gede was made the first capital of the Mataram kingdom, the founder of which, Panembahan Senopati, is buried in a tomb here. Today, the area…
See
Tombs of Mataram Kotagede
The 16th-century founder of the Mataram kingdom, Panembahan Senopati, is buried in the small graveyard of an old mosque located in the suburb of Kota Gede…
See
Pasar Beringharjo
Yogya’s main market is a lively and fascinating place to visit. Batik, catering for tourist tastes and mostly of the inexpensive batik cap (stamped batik)…
See
Kedai Kebun Forum
This fun, bohemian space is a key haunt for Yogya's arts community. The gallery curates mixed-media exhibitions and hosts pop-up shops, film screenings…
See
Jogja National Museum
Yogyakarta's premier contemporary art gallery is located within a brutalist concrete block that was built as an art faculty back in the 1950s. Today it…

Guidebooks

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