Things to do in Central Java

Find and book activities, attractions and tours

Photo provided by Dan Holz
Photo provided by Dan Holz
Prambanan Temple featuring building ruins and heritage architecture
Photo provided by Dan Holz
Photo provided by Dan Holz
Photo provided by Dan Holz
Photo provided by Dan Holz
Prambanan

Most popular activities in Central Java

Tours & day trips

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Yogyakarta: Borobudur sunrise(guarantee climb up)& Prambanan

Yogyakarta: Borobudur sunrise(guarantee climb up)& Prambanan

Activity duration is 10 hours
10.0 out of 10 with 1 review
Free cancellation available
Price is ￥3,562 per adult
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Adventure & outdoor

See all 39 activities
Merapi Volcano and Great Temples Tour

Merapi Volcano and Great Temples Tour

Activity duration is 12 hours
Free cancellation available
Price is ￥9,581 per traveler*
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Classes & workshops

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Batik & Pottery Making at Borobudur Village

Batik & Pottery Making at Borobudur Village

Activity duration is 3 hours
Free cancellation available
Price is ￥6,338 per adult*
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Shows & concerts

See all 7 activities
Yogyakarta: Ramayana Ballet Performance with Optional Dinner

Yogyakarta: Ramayana Ballet Performance with Optional Dinner

Activity duration is 2 hours
Free cancellation available
Price is ￥4,017 per adult
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Water activities

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Yogyakarta River Cave Tubing at Pindul Cave - Join Tour

Yogyakarta River Cave Tubing at Pindul Cave - Join Tour

Activity duration is 6 hours
Price is ￥7,370 per traveler
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What to do in Central Java

Discover the most popular places to visit in Central Java

Borobudur Temple

Borobudur Temple

Join the other pilgrims visiting one of the world’s largest Buddhist temples for its profound meaning and spectacular architecture.

Borobudur Temple
Batu Pandang, Dieng, Indonesia. BEAUTIFUL! Great, easy, hike up, and then lots of picture spots. Free entry.

Dieng Plateau

Learn about the local history of Dieng when you take a trip to Dieng Plateau. Discover the area's sunrises and hot springs.

Dieng Plateau
Gunung Merbabu National Park

Mount Merbabu National Park

Hike to the summit of a volcanic peak, spot myriad birdlife and enjoy breathtaking panoramas of Central Java’s lush countryside.

Mount Merbabu National Park
Java

Candi Pawon

Visit this temple to discover a tiny gem of ancient architectural perfection. The origins of this historic site remain a mystery that fascinates archaeologists.

Candi Pawon

Simpang Lima Park

Explore the great outdoors at Simpang Lima Park, a lovely green space in Semarang. While you're in the area, find time to visit its shops.

Simpang Lima Park

Diponegoro University

Take a campus tour or just explore the area of Diponegoro University, during your travels in Tembalang. While you're in the area, wander around Chinatown.

Diponegoro University

Paragon City Mall Semarang

During your visit to Semarang, you can enjoy retail therapy at Paragon City Mall Semarang. Amble around the area's marina or visit its temples.

Paragon City Mall Semarang

UMS

Learn about the local history of Kartosuro when you spend time at UMS.

UMS

Universitas Sebelas Maret

Explore the campus of Universitas Sebelas Maret, during your trip to Surakarta. Take in the musical theater in this culturally rich area.

Universitas Sebelas Maret

Discover the most popular landmarks and neighborhoods in Central Java

At the museum no photos are allowed which is really unfortunate as it was well worth the visit and the guided tour is definitely not to be missed. In the museum there are even Batik made from the Dutch era which depicts stories like Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White! I enjoyed the tour v much and at the end of the tour we were brought to this room where the artisan were working on hand drawn batik. Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia for anyone interested in learning more about the process of batik making. Firstly, a cloth is washed, soaked and beaten with a large mallet. Patterns are drawn with pencil and later redrawn using hot wax, usually made from a mixture of paraffin or bees wax, sometimes mixed with plant resins, which functions as a dye-resist. The wax can be applied with a variety of tools. A pen-like instrument called a canting (IPA: [tʃantiŋ], sometimes spelled with old Dutch orthography tjanting) is the most common. A canting is made from a small copper reservoir with a spout on a wooden handle. The reservoir holds the resist which flows through the spout, creating dots and lines as it moves. For larger patterns, a stiff brush may be used. Alternatively, a copper block stamp called a cap (IPA: [tʃap]; old spelling tjap) is used to cover large areas more efficiently. After the cloth is dry, the resist is removed by scraping or boiling the cloth. The areas treated with resist keep their original color; when the resist is removed the contrast between the dyed and undyed areas forms the pattern. This process is repeated as many times as the number of colors desired. The most traditional type of batik, called batik tulis

Solo City Centre

4.5/5(6 area reviews)

You'll enjoy the museums and zoo in Solo City Centre. You might want to make time for a stop at Solo Paragon Lifestyle Mall or Keprabon Park.

Solo City Centre
At the museum no photos are allowed which is really unfortunate as it was well worth the visit and the guided tour is definitely not to be missed. In the museum there are even Batik made from the Dutch era which depicts stories like Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White! I enjoyed the tour v much and at the end of the tour we were brought to this room where the artisan were working on hand drawn batik. Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia for anyone interested in learning more about the process of batik making. Firstly, a cloth is washed, soaked and beaten with a large mallet. Patterns are drawn with pencil and later redrawn using hot wax, usually made from a mixture of paraffin or bees wax, sometimes mixed with plant resins, which functions as a dye-resist. The wax can be applied with a variety of tools. A pen-like instrument called a canting (IPA: [tʃantiŋ], sometimes spelled with old Dutch orthography tjanting) is the most common. A canting is made from a small copper reservoir with a spout on a wooden handle. The reservoir holds the resist which flows through the spout, creating dots and lines as it moves. For larger patterns, a stiff brush may be used. Alternatively, a copper block stamp called a cap (IPA: [tʃap]; old spelling tjap) is used to cover large areas more efficiently. After the cloth is dry, the resist is removed by scraping or boiling the cloth. The areas treated with resist keep their original color; when the resist is removed the contrast between the dyed and undyed areas forms the pattern. This process is repeated as many times as the number of colors desired. The most traditional type of batik, called batik tulis

Banjarsari

While visiting Banjarsari, you might make a stop by sights like Solo Paragon Lifestyle Mall and Balekambang City Park.

Banjarsari
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Semarang Old Town

Visitors to Semarang Old Town enjoy its shopping, and if you want to do some exploring, Kota Lama Semarang is worth a stop.

Semarang Old Town
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Banyumanik

If you're spending some time in Banyumanik, Transmart Setiabudi Semarang and Pagoda Avalokitesvara are top sights worth seeing.

Banyumanik
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Candisari

While Candisari might not have many sights to explore, venturing just a little farther will lead you to top things to see and do like Simpang Lima Park and Ciputra Mall Semarang.

Candisari
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Chinatown

Though Chinatown might not have many top sights, you can venture to the surrounding area to see attractions like Kota Lama Semarang and Paragon City Mall Semarang.

Chinatown

Popular day trips from Central Java

Central Java which includes general coastal views as well as an individual femail

Semarang

Photo by Sharrie Shaw

Surakarta

Magelang

Magelang

Borobudur Temple

Borobudur

Photo by Apple Widasmara

Ungaran

Getasan

Getasan

Prambanan

Prambanan

Photo by Rivette Alunen 💋

Klaten