Yogyakarta is a city located in the centre of the island of Java in Indonesia. It has a rich centre where you can learn about the art of puppet making and batik painting. On the outskirts you’ll find ancient temples to rival Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. This three day Yogyakarta itinerary is a great start to introduce you to the best the city has to offer.
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Day 1 : Borobudur Area
For your first day in Yogyarkarta, take a trip to the Borobudor a temple with UNESCO World Heritage status. If you feel confident driving, I recommend hiring a scooter for the day so you can make a few stops at other attractions too. If not, click here to look at tour options.
Borobudur Temple
Borobudur is just over a one hour drive from the centre of Yogyakarta. When you reach the temple, you’ll have to weave through a maze of stalls and cafes before reaching the ticket office. I recommend opting for the full ticket to go up to the temple, rather than just exploring the grounds. With the full ticket, you’ll join a guided tour which is available in English. The tour shares the history of the temple, the story of its abandonment and re-discovery, then you will have time to explore and take in the view from the top.
Bukit Rhema Gereja Merpati Putih – Chicken Church
The next stop is a short drive away. Bukit Rhema Gereja Merpati Putih is more simply known as the Chicken Church and its easy to see why when you arrive. The entire building is built in the shape of a dove but it does look a little more like a chicken. It was designed as a place of worship for all faiths but has become a tourist attraction due to its quirky design but inside and out. It’s well worth taking a tour of the place! You can even go up to the top and look at the view through the bird’s beak!
Pottery Pak Poyo Workshop
Just 5-10 minutes drive from the Church, you’ll find a pottery workshop hidden away in a rural village. If you are looking to pick up some handmade crafts on your trip, this is a great place to stop!
Mendut Buddhist Monastery
Last stop before heading back to Yogyakarta is the Mendut Buddhist Monastery. The temple is over 1000 years old and still in use today.
Jl. Prawirotaman Street
Once you are back in the city, explore Jl. Prawirotaman street for dinner options. This is a popular tourist spot with lots of bars, restaurants and cafes. If you are looking for good vegetarian food around here I recommend Black Forest Cafe and Via Via.
Day 2: Yogyakarta Centre
Your second day will revolve around the centre of Yogyakarta. Depending on where you are staying and how much you want to walk, you may not need a moped for this day, you may manage on foot.
Taman Sari
Taman Sari was once a ‘pleasure palace’ of the Sultan, over 250 years ago. The ruins are now open to tourists to explore the courtyards and pools
Classic Wayang
A short walk from Taman Sari, you’ll find workshops and stores displaying traditional wayang puppets. Classic Wayang is a one such studio. Wayang puppets can be wooden and three dimensional or flat shapes created from animal hide. These are used with light to cast shadows to create characters and tell a story.
Grand Palace – Keraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat
Similar to Taman Sari, this palace was built in the 18th century but this palace is still in use today. Yogyakarta is the only city in Indonesia still ruled by a monarchy. Inside the palace, you’ll find courtyards, halls and exhibits. There are also regular performances of traditional puppetry, dance and poetry – check the timings of these before you go to see what you are able to catch.
Batik Painting
In the afternoon, try out a batik painting workshop. Batik is a fabric colouring technique in which wax is carefully placed on fabric in areas not intended to be coloured. The fabric is painted or soaked in dye before the wax is melted off. Batik techniques are used in various cultures but it has a strong history in Java so worth trying while in Yogyakarta! We went to a workshop at Batik Seno – a great little studio where we had lots of support and freedom to be creative, we were also given little gifts whilst also being able to take home our Batik cloths.
Day 3: Prambanan
For your final day in Yogyakarta, it’s time to hop on the moped and see some more temples.
Prambanan Temple
Prambanan is a 1000 year old Hindu Temple which also has UNESCO world heritage status. There are also several other temples worth visiting whilst in the area. These are:
- Plaosan Lor Temple
- Kerton Ratu Boko
- Tebing Breksi
Where to stay in Yogyakarta
There are several hotels and hostels around Jl. Prawirotaman as well as lots of bars and restaurants making it a popular area for tourists. We stayed here at the Adhisthana Hotel – I’d highly recommend it!
How to get to Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is easily accessible by train and plane. If you’re tying in this trip with one to Bali, Yogyakarta is only 1.5 hours away by plane.
When to visit Yogyakarta
The temperature is fairly steady across the year, around 25-30 degrees celsius. Rainfall however, varies greatly. Visit between June and August for dry season. We visited mid April and had some clear days but some days had super heavy rain, which made it particularly difficult to get out and about on a moped. We still managed to see all the sights we wanted to though!
More Things to do in Yogyakarta
If you have more than three days to explore, here are more things to do in Yogyakarta.
- Indonesian Cooking Class
- Taman Pelangi – a park with lots of lights and illuminated sculptures – best to visit after dark.
- Mie Lethek Garuda Noodle Factory – 30 minute drive south of Yogyakarta
- Kedung Pedut Waterfall – 1 hour drive west of Yogyakarta
- Jomblang Cave – sinkhole cave with a photogenic beam of light. 1.5 hour drive south east of Yogyakarta.
- Pindul Cave – cave near Jomblang Cave with a river running through, boat tours available.
- Bukit Paralayang Watugupit – scenic hilltop viewpoint overlooking the ocean. 45 minutes south of Yogyakarta.