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Yogyakarta

Indonesia Travel Guide

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Overview

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.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Dwarapala guardian statue at Donopratono gate of the Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, the palace of the Yogyakarta Sultanate, Central Java, Indonesia, January 14, 2018

    Kraton

    Yogyakarta

    Beside the southern alun-alun (main square), Yogya's enormous kraton (palace) is the cultural and political heart of this fascinating city. Effectively a…

  • Taman Sari

    Taman Sari

    Yogyakarta

    This once-splendid pleasure park of palaces, pools and waterways, built between 1758 and 1765, functioned as the playground of the sultan and his…

  • Entrance to Sonobudoyo Museum, Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia

    Sono-Budoyo Museum

    Yogyakarta

    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…

  • Affandi Museum

    Affandi Museum

    Yogyakarta

    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…

  • Kota Gede

    Kota Gede

    Yogyakarta

    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…

  • Pagelaran Pavilion

    Pagelaran Pavilion

    Yogyakarta

    Due to a schism in the ruling royal family, there is a small portion of the kraton, overlooking the northern alun-alun, that is walled off from the main…

  • Tombs of Mataram Kotagede

    Tombs of Mataram Kotagede

    Yogyakarta

    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…

  • Pasar Beringharjo

    Pasar Beringharjo

    Yogyakarta

    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)…

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Planning Tools

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Best Things to Do

Vibrant Yogyakarta is celebrated as the cultural and artistic capital of Java. Here are the top things to do in this thrilling Indonesian city.

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