Java is one of my favourite islands in Indonesia. It has so much to offer, from amazing volcanoes, beautiful beaches, surfing, stunning tea fields and country sides, epic waterfalls and much more. It’s an island that will allow you to experience a variety of amazing things to do in Indonesia, all in one epic island! We spent 10 days in Java, so I thought it would be perfect for me to write a 10 day Java Itinerary to help you plan your adventures.
So let’s get to it!
Interactive map of our Java itinerary
Jakarta is actually the capital of Indonesia, and it’s a great place to start your Java adventures. Since it’s the capital, flights from all over the world are possible here. Plus I actually think Jakarta is a good place to start as you can pick up a sim card, and stock up on any last minute items you may need. The shopping is amazing in Jakarta!
You’ll only be flying “into” Jakarta, you won’t need to return. You can check Skyscanner for the best flights.
Where to stay: Pop! Hotel
It’s super easy to get to Bandung from Jakarta.
You’ll be pleased to hear that Java has a very very well established train network, so getting through the whole country is easy, cheap and super convenient. As far as trains go, they are modern, comfortable and clean! (much better than the trains I experienced in India).
We left from Gambir station in Jakarta and it took around 3.5 hours to Bandung, costing around 100,000 IDR (approx $7).
Bandung is very different to Jakarta. It’s located in West Java, but really the charm in Bandung is once you get out of the main city and head to the highlands where it’s a colder climate which means it’s got some unique and amazing sights.
Bandung offers beautiful tea fields, an active volcano that you can literally drive up to…..(awesome!), a pretty cool floating market, flower gardens and much much more. It’s the perfect place to rent a moped and just explore the stunning countryside of Java. There are also some really cool “glamping” spots in Bandung, which I didn’t know about before I visited, otherwise I would have stayed in one of those, so now that you know, take full advantage!
I’ve done a whole guide on great things to do in Bandung.
2 nights is sufficient to see Bandung, but you’ll probably have to choose between seeing the north or south, if you want both, you may need another night. However, I think north Bandung offers you more.
Next up, it’s time to visit probably the most famous backpacker destination in Java, Yogyakarta, also known as Jogjakarta.
You can get to Yogyakarta from Bandung via train, but it does take around 8 hours. I actually found the journey to be quite pleasant, and we just watched movies and relaxed. Now we did our train journey in the day time, so we “lost” a day of sightseeing as such, but that’s included in the itinerary, however you can get an overnight train if you wish. The train costs around 260,000 IDR (approx $19)
Another option is to fly from Bandung to Yogyakarta, which will be more expensive than the train, but it’s actually quite cheap for an internal flight, so if you are short on time, that is another option.
Yogyakarta is one of my favourite places in all of Java. It’s bursting with amazing things to see, and you’ll need a whole day just to dedicate time to seeing the amazing temples: Borobudur temple and Prambanan temple. I suggest you do a sunrise tour at the former and visiting the latter in the evening. In between you can check out some of the other sights in Yogyakarta city centre.
You’ll definitely need another day (or more) to explore the countryside of Yogyakarta. Once you rent a moped and drive outwards you’ll discover stunning views, amazing rice paddies, beautiful mountains, beaches and so much more.
Read my guide on the best things to do in Yogyakarta for more inspiration.
Malang is the final stop on our 10 day Java itinerary. Malang is located in East Java and it’s my favorite place to visit in Java. It was amazing.
Getting to Malang again is very easy from Yogyakarta by train. It takes around 7 hours and costs around 165,000 IDR (approx $12). You can either do an early morning train like Brad and I did, or do an overnight train (although I’m not 100% sure they’re possible!)
When you get to Malang you’re going to be super busy! You can visit the amazing Jodpian rainbow village, and other city centre sights, but what you really want to do is rent a moped and drive to the amazing waterfalls that surround the city.
A full day is needed to explore Tumpak Sewu Waterfall, and there are many other small waterfalls, tea fields and flower gardens to the east of Malang which require a full day of sightseeing, and then you’re going to want to do an epic Mount Bromo sunrise tour.
If you only do one thing when you go to Malang, the Mount Bromo sunrise tour should be it, trust me. You can book your tour from Malang right here!
Read Also: Ultimate Guide On The Best Things To Do In Malang
Total: 9 nights= 10 days in Java!
You may need to incorporate a few overnight trains into your 10 day Java itinerary, but Bradley and I managed to see it all in this time frame too, so you can too. We were exhausted by the end of it, but it was amazing to get to see and experience so many amazing things on the island of Java.
Based on our itinerary you can fly out of Malang to your home destination, or even get a train to the city of Surabaya and fly from there.
If you’re only looking for a 7 day Java Itinerary, then add on a Mount Ijen tour too which is known for the famous “blue crater”, this requires typically an overnight tour to visit this, so I would only suggest this if you’ve got time for 2 weeks in Java.
I’ve actually done a post on getting around Indonesia which will help you plan your Java itinerary. However what I will discuss some of your best options for Java below:
I hope you’ve found this 10 day Java Itinerary useful and hopefully it will help you plan your trip! If you’ve got any questions then please drop me a comment below.
Read Also: 26 Best Things To Do In Java
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