Ultimate Yogyakarta Itinerary: Must-See Temples, Culture & Hidden Gems

Wondering what to do if you only have two days in Yogyakarta? This amazing city is the heart of Java’s history and heritage, home to the breathtaking Borobudur and Prambanan temples, beautiful palaces and thriving culture. From ancient wonders to bustling markets and hidden gems, this Yogyakarta itinerary will help you experience the very best of Yogyakarta in just 2 days.

I visited Yogyakarta in August 2024 and I absolutely loved it! I’ll talk you through how to make the most of your two days in Yogyakarta, including how to get to and from the city. I’ll also dive into what you need to know to visit the temples – it’s not as straightforward as just rocking up!

Key takeaways

• Two days is the minimum amount of time you should spend in Yogyakarta
• The most cost effective way to visit Borobudur and Prambanan is on the same day – either via a guided tour or by hiring a driver. 
• You need to organise your tickets to Borobudur in advance, as the earlier (and therefore cooler) timeslots book out quickly. A guided tour might be be able to provide tickets even if the official website is sold out. 
• There’s lots to see in the centre of Yogyakarta as well, including the Javanese Royal Palace

Is Yogyakarta worth visiting

I absolutely loved this small, busy city. Apart from the obvious draw of two Unesco World Heritage Sites nearby, there’s plenty to do in the city itself. It’s a haven of Javanese history, and you could spend a lot of time not only visiting the Kraton (the Royal Palace) but also the various museums dotted around the city. 

Yogyakarta also has a thriving middle class, which means there’s lots of good coffee shops and restaurants to keep you well fed. Finally, I had a glorious spa experience in Yogya – so there’s plenty of opportunity to rest as well. 

How long should I spend in Yogyakarta

I’ve set this blog up to give you two days in Yogyakarta, but I spent five days in the city. I loved the chill vibe and plethora of coffee shops for working in. My opinion is that two full days is the absolute minimum you need to really enjoy the city.

If you want to stay longer, you could do one temple on each day, making for a more relaxed schedule. There are also plenty of museums to visit, and you can also get great spa experiences. 

A note on names

Yogyakarta is also spelt Jogyakarta, and shortened to both Yogya and Jogya.

The reasons for this are complex, but my understanding is that the difference in spelling dates to the period of Dutch colonial rule. Jogyakarta became more ppoular during the colonial period as it reflected the way it was translated at the time. However, as the colonial period came to an end, the original Yogyakarta became popular agian as it better reflected the original Javanese pronunciation and spelling. Both are used today, as Jogyakarta still better reflects current pronunciation. 

I’ve used these interchangeably throughout, and want to note that the history behind this more complex than I could ever convey here. 

Your 2 day Yogyakarta Itinerary

Day 1: Explore Yogyakarta’s cultural heart with the Sultan’s Palace, Taman Sari, Malioboro Street, and a relaxing evening.

Day 1 of your two day Yogyakarta itinerary is your chance to really get to know Jogya itself. Assuming you’ve arrived the night before (or overnight via the night trains), I would start bright and early before the heat of the day. 

Stop 1: Kraton

Ticket cost: $1.50 per person (note that ticketing information comes from other tour guides and may change. There is no official source that I can find).

Guided tour: $3 for group (when I visited in August 2024)

History of Yogyakarta and the Kraton

Yogyakarta is as a ‘Special Region’ or Sultanate within Indonesia. This means it’s the only part of the country still ruled by a Sultan. The Yogya Sultanate was formed in 1755 and survived throughout the years of Dutch colonisation. The Sultanate was supportive of the Indonesian fight for independence following the Second World War and even briefly became the Indonesian capital while Jakarta was held by the Dutch. In recognition of this support, the region was given special recognition in 1950 to retain it’s Sultan. 

The current Sultan still lives in the Kraton palace in central Yogyakarta, which should be your first stop of the day. Construction started in 1755 for the first Sultan, but much of the palace was destroyed due to an earthquake in 1876. It was rebuilt by Sultan Hamengkubuwono VIII in the early 20th century and the Palace still plays an important ceremonial role today.

Your visit

The main part of the Kraton was closed for renovation when I visited in August 2024, but there was still plenty to visit. This did lead to me being taken to a Batik workshop by a friendly helper on the palace doors – not quite a scam as I didn’t pay anything, but he was definitely on commission. If you don’t fancy the Batik workshop, don’t fall for this and head to the rest of the palace instead. 

Top tip: Don’t head to the ‘main gate’ if you take a Grab or Gojek, as this is the closed area. Head to the entrance by Rotowijayan Mosque instead. 

The part of the palace that’s still open is beautiful, and very interesting. It’s definitely worth hiring a guide to take you around. Our guide was from the Sultan’s Guard, dressed in his ceremonial uniform and toting his arsenic covered blade. 

I hopped on a tour with two other travellers and it cost us 50k ($3) for the tour. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and filled us in on the Sultan and his daughters, all of whom have married commoners. It was a really good way to understand the unique way Yogyakarta fits into Java and Indonesia as a whole. 

Stop 2: Taman Sari, the Water Palace

Ticket cost: $1.50 per person (note that ticketing information comes from Tripadvisor and may change. There is no official source that I can find).

Guide for tour: $6 for group (when I visited in August 2024)

Once you’ve taken in the history of the Kraton, it’s time to head to Taman Sari, the Water Palace or Water Castle. Built around 1759, by the same Sultan who built the Kraton, the palace was intended as a place to rest and retreat. As soon as you enter you can see why. It’s an Instagram-perfect site with multiple pools and places to pause for reflection (though it’s unlikely you’ll be doing any of that given the number of visitors). Make sure you take your camera and selfie stick, as the site is absolutely gorgeous.

While the original site is huge, with around 59 buildings, only the bathing complex is visitable today. After the reign of the first Sultan, maintenance of the site became sporadic due to the complexity of the water features. The Palace fell out of use after damage from an earthquake in 1867, and was eventually occupied by squatters. Since the 1970s, efforts have been made to restore the site, but only the bathing complex has been fully restored. 

I didn’t pay for a guide at Taman Sari as 100k felt steep, especially compared to the Kraton. But if you are a group, it would definitely be worth it to understand the history of the site. 

Taman Sari is about a 15 minute walk from the Kraton. If it’s too hot to walk, you can also take a becak (the local tuktuks), with plenty waiting outside, or hop in a Grab.

Lunch break: Roaster and Bear

Once you’ve walked around the Kraton and Tama Sari, you’ll be ready for a break and food! Get a Grab to one of Yogyakarta’s most unique restaurants, Roaster and Bear. 

This western-style restaurant is located in a hotel near the top of Malioboro, your next stop. It has an excellent menu with a wide variety of delicious and beautifully presented Western and Asian dishes. However, the real draw is the BEARS. 

I found this restaurant on various Yogya guides well in advance of my trip. Their two giant bears feature heavily in their social media presence, and once you’re in the restaurant you’re free to take selfies with them (as lots of people were when I was there). The restaurant is also beautifully decorated with a bear theme, and you can even order a bear-themed coffee. 

Stop 3: Malioboro

Once you’ve spent enough time with the bears, head to Malioboro street. This is the thriving main street in Yogya with a variety of shops including a medium sized mall. Walk down the street to Beringharjo Market at the far end. Originally an open air trading space, the permanent market building was built in 1926. 

This huge market is absolutely not what I was expecting – it’s not touristy at all, but rather an insight into how people in Yogya shop. There’s a huge variety of items on sale and it’s worth taking a quick walk around to marvel at everything available. 

Stop 4: Relaxation

Your second day in Yogya is going to be busy, so take this opportunity to relax before an early start tomorrow. There are a lots of options to relax in Yogya:

• Spend time by the pool – lots of hotels and even hostels in Yogya have pools, so this is a great opportunity to chill out in a beautiful spot
• Head to one of the many coffee shops on Jalan Prawirotaman, the main tourist street. Some of my favourites were Ministry of Coffee (great coffee and ultra-modern chill out vibes), Opera (incredible pastries) and Adam’s Coffee and Pastry (good for working)
• Try a delicious gelato at Tempo Gelato – a hugely popular spot with young Yogyans, who flock there in the evenings
• Get a massage or spa treatment – there are so many on offer! I went with a full spa experience at Saarah Day Spa and can thoroughly recommend it, but it is at the higher end of the price range. Shop around if you want a cheaper alternative

Alternatively, if you fancy a more active evening, head down to Alun-Alun to check out the famous neon cars!

Day 2: Visit Borobudur and Prambanan, two of Java’s most iconic temples, while making the most of your time with local experiences

Today is the big day! My recommendation for a 2 day Yogyakarta itinerary is to combine Borobudur Temple and Prambanan Temple into one big day trip, as it works out more cost-effective to have a driver/join a tour than to do them separately.

I looked into whether it would be viable to do them on separate days to have a more relaxed schedule, but it worked out much more expensive. You’ll need an early start to fit everything in, given driving times, but it’s worth it. 

Note: both Borobudur and Prambanan are religious sites. You should dress modestly or bring cover-ups for both. 

What to know before you visit Borobudur Temple

Ticket cost: $25 per person

Guided tour: included

Planning your visit to Borobudur is more complex than you might expect. The temple limits visitors to protect the structure. This means either booking your ticket in advance via the official site, or finding a guide/tour operator who has tickets available at short notice.

You have to book tickets for a specific timeslot and tickets includes an official Borobudur guide. There are two types of tickets:

• Ground tickets
• Tickets to climb to the top.

You want the tickets to the top, as exploring the grounds alone does not give you the same understanding of the history of Borobudur, but these sell out more quickly. If you’re worried about the climb, I talk about it in more detail below. 

I took a shared tour with Jogya Private Tour 87  – he had tickets for the 9.30am slot when the official website only had 2.30pm tickets. I would also recommend his tour company in general – our driver was on time, friendly and navigated the complex ticketing processes for us seamlessly. 

If you are buying your own tickets, it’s definitely a case of the sooner the better. Tickets are available on the official website, but prices may change over time   

Stop 1: Borobudur Temple

You can take Grab or Gojek to the site, which is about 1.15 hours from central Jogya. However,  I recommend hiring a driver for the day (which you can do via Grab) or taking a tour. 

History of Borobudur

Built in the 8th century, Borobudur is an imposing monument emerging dramatically from the landscape. It is the world’s largest Buddhist temple and one of Southeast Asia’s greatest architectural and archaeological wonders. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. 

Our guide mentioned that Borobudur was abandoned after a volcanic eruption. However, other sources suggest the decline of Hindu kingdoms in Java led to its desertion. Either way, the British coloniser Stamford Raffles ‘rediscovered’ Borobudur in the 1800s, and brought it back to the attention of the world. A team of Dutch archaeologists originally restored the site in 1907-11, and there was a further restoration in the 1980s. 

Pre-visit process

Access is strictly controlled, as in the past over-tourism has threatened to harm the structure. When you arrive and go through the ticketing process you will be given a token with your tour number on it. Our guide went through the ticketing process for us, which I was extremely grateful for as it was crowded and confusing – this is one reason I recommend having a guide for the day. 

Next is the shoe area, to collect the sandals that everyone visiting the monument must wear to avoid damaging the structure. There is the opportunity to swap if your size doesn’t fit, and you get a bag for your own shoes. 

Once you’ve got suitable shoes, you go to a seating area to wait for your timeslot. Once your timeslot arrives, staff will call out each tour group by number. You’ll join your allocated guide and group of around 20 people. Your guide will walk you down towards the temple, explaining some of the history as you go. 

Top Tip: As you’re walking, you’ll be offered the chance to rent umbrellas for 20k ($1.20) to shield you from the sun. I highly recommend this, as even at 9.30am the heat was fierce, and there is limited shade in the temple. 

Your visit

Your guide will walk with you as you ascend Borobudur, stopping at different levels to explain the history, and tell some of the stories depicted in the stone carvings. 

I was really worried about how difficult it would be to climb the structure, particularly in the heat. However, while the steps are strenuous, you will take it slowly and ascend the levels over a period of time, as your guide tells you about each level. This makes it suitable for people at most fitness levels. 

Once you’re at the highest level open to the public, you get free time to walk around. While the visit felt very crowded at the lower levels, once we got to this point it was really clear how much they’d limited the number of visitors, as it was easy to take pictures without other people. The results are stunning – it’s a beautiful monument. 

Everyone has to descend by a certain time, as the next timeslot will arrive at the monument. You then walk back to your car/driver – be aware that not only is this a long walk, it’s through a seemingly-never ending alleyway of tourist stalls. Every time I thought it was over, there were more. Just brace yourself, you’ll get to the end eventually. 

Stop 2: Choose Between Loewak Coffee or the Chicken Temple

Different tours offer different options for the journey between Borobudur and Prambanan, which is about a 1.5 hour drive. Some tours offer the opportunity to visit the surreal chicken temple, but we decided to try the famous Loewak Coffee.  If you are taking a guided tour, you should decide which option you prefer in advance and talk to your tour provider. 

Loewak coffee, known in the west as Civet Poop Coffee and in Vietnam as Weasel Coffee, is the most expensive coffee in the world. Created from beans eaten, digested and then pooped out by civets, the process takes much longer than ordinary coffee harvesting. 

I thoroughly enjoyed our trip for loewak coffee, and learning about how it’s made. We had the opportunity to try the coffee and to buy coffee to take away. While the visit is an obvious tourist trap, it was a nice break from the crowds in what was otherwise a busy day. 

Stop 3: Lunch near Prambanan

If you’re on a guided tour/with a driver, you will go for lunch before visiting Prambanan. If you’re organising the day yourself, I highly recommend stopping at this point. There are a number of restaurants around Prambanan to choose from. 

Stop 4: Prambanan Temple

While Prambanan is less well known than Borobudur, it’s defintely worth visiting as part of your Jogya itinerary. I absolutely loved the Prambanan temples, probably more than Borobudur. While Borobudur is one tall structure, Prambanan is a series of temples stretching across the landscape. 

History of Prambanan

Built in the 9th century, it is the largest temple complex dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia. The three largest temples are dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, and depict the Hindu epic Ramayana. It was originally 240 structures – today, only a fraction of those survive. The temples collapsed in the 11th century due to earthquakes, volcanoes and changes in political power, and were rediscovered by the Dutch East India Company in the 18th century. 

However, archaeologists are rebuilding them at the rate of one temple per year. While I can’t find any sources to prove it, our guide was adamant that this work was being done by local archeologists, which would be amazing. As a dedicated history buff, one of my favourite things at Prambanan was seeing the rebuilt temples and understanding the complex jigsaw required to achieve this. 

Your visit

Ticket cost: $25

Guided tour: $9 for group (possibly negotiable)

Prambanan is much easier to visit than Borobudur, with straightforward access. You can buy tickets in advance at the same website as Borobudur or your tour provider may include these as part of your tour price. Note that ticket prices may increase over time. 

As there is no guided tour included in the ticket, I recommend contracting a guide within the temple. Our tour driver helped us with this, and it was well worth it to understand the history and complex symbolism of the site.

Our guide took us to the three main temples, taking us inside the largest and explaining the meaning of the statues hidden within. This led to one of the highlights of my entire trip so far – he encouraged me and the other lady on my tour to touch a statue for fertility, and we both flat out refused, to much laughter. He also took us to the best spots to get people-free photos. 

Like Borobudur, the exit route from Prambanan is lengthy. I thought we’d avoided the vendors, as the initial walk is through the beautiful grounds, where there are coffee and ice cream spots. However, just before the car park there is the same lengthy row of vendors, so again, brace yourself. 

Stop 5: Dinner

Once you’ve finished your visit to Prambanan, it’s time for another lengthy drive back to central Yogyakarta. The drive is around 50 minutes, but could be longer depending on rush hour traffic. Unfortunately, Borobudur and Prambanan are on opposite sides of the city, so there is no avoiding having to drive for significant parts of your day.

Having started our trip at 7.30am, we arrived back in Yogya around 5.30pm. Once you’re back, you’ll most likely want a chilled out evening to recover from such a busy day. I recommend heading to Jalan Prawirotaman for dinner. There are excellent restaurants up and down this street:

• Via Via – excellent healthy food with lots of veggie and vegan options
• Mediterranea – while I didn’t visit, so many people recommended this place
• Ministry of Coffee – if you just want something quick, their Mie Goreng was excellent

Alternative Itineraries in Yogya

Borobudur sunrise

One of the most popular things to do in Yogya is to visit Borobudur for sunrise. I’m far too lazy to get up this early, but it’s on offer in lots of places.

It involves heading to a sunrise spot near the temple, rather than the temple itself, for sunrise. You’ll then visit the temple itself afterwards. If you choose this option, make sure to check what time slot the tour company has for Borobudur entrance, to ensure you avoid waiting around for hours. 

Mount Merapi

Indonesia’s most active volcano is another popular destination near Yogya, although not as busy as Mount Bromo on the other side of Java. Trip options include visiting for sunrise, or to see the lava.

It can be combined into a (very busy) day trip to the two temples, or done on its own. There are many companies offering visits either by jeep or hiking, depending on your preferences. 

Cultural tours

Via Via offer a number of cultural tours around Yogya, including to local villages They offer alternative routes to Borobudur and Prambanan, particularly by motorbike. This is a great way to see a different side of Yogya, including more of the local community. They offer biking hiking and food tours, and are committted to sustainable, community based tourism. 

Ramayana Ballet

One of the most popular activities in Yogya is to see the Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan. Sadly this wasn’t on when I was in Yogya, but if your trip coincides with a show, it’s highly recommended. Tickets start at $9 if you visit independently – you will need to factor in transport on top of this. You can also join a guided tour. 

You can also see traditional Ramayana Ballet in the city centre, near Malioboro.

How to get around in Yogyakarta

Like most cities in Asia, Yogya is not the most walkable. Pavements are rarely in good condition (if they exist) and many of the sites in this itinerary are spread out around the city. 

The easiest way to get aruond in Jogya is to use Grab or Gojek. These apps are like Uber in Europe or America. Grab is common across southeast Asia, while Gojek is the Indonsian alterntive. Both are easy to download and use, and very popular in the city, which means minimal wait times. 

There are also lots of tuktuks available in Yogya. If you want to use one of these, agree your fare in advance, and remember to negotiate!

How to get to Yogyakarta

One of the best things about Jogyakarta is how well connected iti is to the rest of Java. 

Air

I arrived by plane from Sumatra into Yogyakarta International (YIA), the new airport. Flights are available from destinations including Bali, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, as well as Jakarta.

YIA is modern and clean, and there is a train into central Yogya. This train should be booked ahead at peak times – it can get full.

You can also drive into central Yogya from the airport – it’s about 1 hour and costs around 100k ($6) for a private car. I chose this option as my flight arrived relatively late, and as a solo female traveller I prefer private transfers when I’m arriving to new cities in the dark. 

Train

Java has excellent train services across the island. The trains are modern and punctual, though different routes have slightly newer trains compared to others. For example, the trains from Jakarta to Yogya are more modern than the trains from Yogya to Malang. There are two main classes, Executive, with bigger and more comfortable seats, and Economy. 

While the trains are modern and user friendly, they are not super straightforward to book if you have a foreign bank account. After a lot of research, I booked my ticket via Tiket and had no problems. Ticket costs:

• Jakarta to Yogya – 6-8 hours, c.$32 for Executive Class or $21 for Economy
• Malang to Yogya – 6 hours, c.$28 for Executive or $16 for Economy 

Many people arrive in Yogya via train from Jakarta. While I didn’t take this train, I met other travellers who did, and I heard only good things.

I took the train in the opposite direction, from Yogya to Malang, where I visited Mount Bromo. It was comfortable and punctual (at least in the Executive Class, which is worth paying for). 

Bus

There is also a strong bus network in Java. Buses are available between:

• Yogya and Jakarta – c.11 hours, $16 for an Executive bus
• Yogya and Malang – 8/9 hours, $15 for an Executive bus

However, given how cheap, reliable and comfortable the train is, I would recommend taking the train unless you are really committed to budget travelling. Not only are journeys quicker, they avoid any dangerous driving or tired drivers. 

Where to stay in Yogyakarta

Most hotels are around Jalan Prawirotaman, the main backpacker street in Yogya. I’d advise staying around here, as it’s near a plethora of restaurants and coffee shops, as well as tour options. 

I stayed at Otu Hostel. The rooms were basic but had everything I needed. The staff at this hostel were amazing – so friendly and helpful. The location is also great – down quiet backstreets but just off Jalan Prawirotaman. But the cherry on top is the pool – a beautiful spot to rest and relax, with bean bag chairs offering you a comfortable place to sit. I can’t recommend Otu highly enough.

If you’re looking for an alternative, many of the major hotel chains have hotels in Yogya, including the Sheraton and Hyatt. A more expensive/ high-end hostel option is Snooze, which has a huge number of positive reviews and is near the Kraton.

However, I recommend staying near Jalan Prawirotaman, the main backpacker/tourist street. Yogya is not super pedestrian-friendly, and staying in this area means you can go out for dinner without needing to take a taxi. If this sounds like the right option for you, try the Aloha Hotel, which has a score of 9.1 with over one thousand reviews.

Your 2 day Yogyakarta itinerary is the perfect mix of history, culture and adventure—just the way I love to travel. Whether you’re exploring ancient temples, wandering through market at Malioboro, or sipping Javanese coffee in a tucked-away café, Yogyakarta is an experience that stays with you. Have questions or your own travel tips to share? Drop a comment below or follow along on Pinterest for more expert Southeast Asia travel guides. Happy exploring!