7 days in the island of Java
If you’re planning a trip to Indonesia, you really won’t want to miss a visit to the island of Java. In this article, we bring you a detailed itinerary to help you get the most from a seven-day stay in Java, and to make sure you don’t miss a thing — from the capital, Jakarta, to the island’s temples and most important volcanoes.
We begin our Java itinerary in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia and our gateway to the island. From there, we tour the island from west to east, visiting the essential highlights of this wonderful island in South-East Asia.
Itinerary day 1
22:00 - ...
A night out in Jakarta
If you still have the energy, there’s nothing like a taste of Jakarta’s nightlife, with a visit to one of its great nightclubs. Try any of those in the city’s business district, which has a safer and more international environment than other areas of the city.
19:00 - 21:00
Skye Bar
We can spend the rest of the evening at one of the city’s most famous bars: the Skye Bar on the top floor of the BCA Tower. This is a perfect place to admire the sunset over Jakarta.
15:00 - 18:00
Kota Tua
From the market, a walk of about an hour brings us to Kota Tua, the ancient city that is home to vestiges of the Dutch Empire (which the island was once part of).
13:00 - 14:00
Pasar Baru Market
After the mosque, we walk on to the nearby market of Pasar Baru, where we can enjoy looking around the stalls and take advantage of the break in our tour to have lunch.
12:30 - 13:00
Istiqlal Mosque
Just a few minutes later, we arrive at Istiqlal Mosque, the sixth largest mosque in the world, able to hold 200,000 pilgrims. It was built in 1978. It is no surprise to learn that we are in the country with the greatest number of Muslims in the world.
10:30 - 12:30
National Museum of Indonesia
Without leaving the square, our second stop of the day is the National Museum of Indonesia, an interesting cultural institution that brings together the historic, archaeological and ethnological aspects of Indonesia in its collections of over 140,000 artefacts. A good introduction to this country.
10:00 - 10:30
Merdeka Square and the National Monument
Our day begins at an immediately recognisable Jakarta meeting point — the vast Merdeka square, one of the largest squares in the world, covering one square kilometre. In the centre stands the National Monument, or Monas, the 132-metre-tall obelisk and symbol of the country’s independence. The monument is open to the public, and you can go up to the top.
Itinerary day 2
20:00
Transfer to Yogyakarta
During the evening, we travel to the city of Yogyakarta, in the heart of the island, ready to continue our tour of Java. A good option is to make the journey by night train arriving in Yogyakarta, the country’s cultural capital, the following morning.
10:00 - 18:00
Tour of the island of Tidung and return to Jakarta
We have a choice of several tours to explore the Thousand Islands. One of the most popular is the tour that includes a visit to the island of Tidung, and which takes between 5 and 6 hours. This is a great opportunity to see a few of the beaches in this part of the Java Sea. After our excursion, we return to Jakarta.
Itinerary day 3
20:30 - 22:00
Dinner at The House of Raminten
A visit to the House of Raminten, one of Yogyakarta’s not-to-be-missed restaurants.
18:30 - 20:00
Streets of Malioboro and Sosrowijayan
We return to the centre for a stroll along two of the city’s most popular streets, Malioboro and Sosrowijayan, which are lively and full of entertainment spots.
16:00 - 18:00
Gembira Loka Zoo
We begin the afternoon with a visit to Yogyakarta’s famous zoo for our first encounter with Java’s flora and fauna. Here we can admire species such as Komodo Dragons, orangutans and African penguins.
14:00 - 15:30
Beringharjo Market
We continue our tour around the centre of Yogyakarta, until we arrive at Beringharjo market. We can take the opportunity to have lunch here.
12:00 - 13:30
Water Castle and the underground mosque
After the palace, we can take the opportunity to visit the gardens, the so-called Water Castle, and the underground mosque.
9:30 - 12:00
The Sultan’s Palace
We begin our tour of Yogyakarta with a visit to the city’s most important building, the Sultan’s Palace (a royal residence in a country that is actually a republic).
Itinerary day 4
15:00 - 18:00
Return to Yogyakarta and transfer to Borobudur
In the afternoon, we return to Yogyakarta, and immediately travel to the area close to the temple of Borobudur. We will spend the night here, so that we can see the city’s famous sunrise the following day.
07:00 - 12:00
Prambanan Temple
We travel to the Temple of Prambanan, located about 20 kilometres from Yogyakarta.
We recommend that you visit the amazing Prambanan Temple early in the morning in order to avoid the crowds and the heat. This is Indonesia’s largest temple, and comprises 240 different buildings. Set aside the whole morning to explore it thoroughly.
Itinerary day 5
14:00 - 22:00
Return to Yogyakarta and transfer to the Mount Bromo area
Return to Yogyakarta after our visit to Borobudur. For the next stage of our tour, Mount Bromo, we need to make another transfer. Usually, visitors travel in a vehicle to Cemoro Lawang, the closest village to Mount Bromo, and spend the night there, starting the excursion to Mount Bromo early next morning.
07:00 - 14:00
Borobudur Temple
Get up early (before dawn) to watch the sun rise from Borobudur temple.
Visit to Borobudur temple, the world’s greatest Buddhist temple, the largest temple built in honour of Buddha, and the place where he was believed to have been buried.
In the vicinity of Borobudur, there are several minor temples worth visiting, such as Candi Mendut and Candi Pawon.
Itinerary day 6
10:00 - 16:00
Transfer to Banyuwangi
After our ascent of Mount Bromo, we begin another long transfer journey to admire one of Earth’s most magical volcanoes, Kawah Ijen. To do so, we travel to the city of Banyuwangi, on Java’s eastern coast. It is worth arriving early to get some rest, as we will enjoy the spectacular sight of Mount Ijen at night.
03:00 - 10:00
Mount Bromo
One of the great attractions of this volcano is its sunrise. To see it, you need to set out at around 3.00 a.m., before dawn.
Itinerary day 7
12:00 - 14:00
Return to Banyuwangi
Return to Banyuwangi to conclude our week on the island of Java. From this city, we can take the first return flight or continue our travels on to Bali on one of the ferries that connect the islands.
01:00 - 10:00
Kawah Ijen
To enjoy the ‘blue fire’ that lights up Mount Ijen, we will visit the volcano at night. The journey from Banyuwangi takes an hour and a half.