Yogyakarta popularly known as Jogja is a city for culinary, culture, and art lovers. It’s situated in the south-central part of the island of Java. People usually spend 2 or 3 nights in Jogja in between their Java island adventures.
There are many things to explore inside and beyond the city centre. If you’re planning to explore just Jogja itself, this article is definitely for you. Me and my friends spent 3 days and 2 nights in Jogja just to unwind while exploring the essence of this city. I’m aware that 3D2N sounds like a very short trip for people to follow but you’re free to take some of the recommendations and include them in your itinerary because hey, some of the places are worth visiting.
In this article, I’ll share our rough spending, places we went, stayed and a little bit of experiences in Jogja.
Flight: Kuala Lumpur (KUL) – Yogyakarta (YIA)
We flew AirAsia flights between Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) and Yogyakarta International Airport Kulon Progo (YIA). The flight duration is 2 hours 40 minutes. Please be aware that there are two airports in Jogja. Make sure you check where your airline is flying to.
During non-peak season, AirAsia return flights are typically priced around RM600 without baggage and other add-ons.
Accommodation
We stayed at Aloha Hotel Yogyakarta. Since we will go out most of the times, we opted for something decent like this hotel. The room is comfortably equipped with functioned AC, bottled mineral water, and other simple room amenities.
The location is also strategic, as it’s not far from the main landmarks. It is located in Jl. Prawirotaman, which is considered one of the hippiest streets in Jogja where you can find several cafes, bars, hotels, and restaurants. Simply put, it’s an area for foreign travellers.
Transportation
Since we were a group of four, we decided to get around with e-hailing rides because we mostly visit multiple locations and prefer to spend a longer time at each place and they are not too far from the city centre. Only one day we rented a bike to roam around the city and between the neighbourhoods easily.
Bike rental (one day): IDR 200K
If you’re in a big group and wish to venture to various places outside of Jogja city centre, hiring a private driver or renting a car would be an ideal option.
Day 1
We took an early morning flight to Jogja. Once we arrived at the airport, we thought we could easily take the Airport Railink (KA Bandara in Indonesian language) but there were specific train departure times, and required to book train tickets through a website. If you wish to take the train, below are some important details for you to keep in mind.
Where to book online? Here
What is the duration? 39 minutes
Price? IDR20K/person (via Wates) / IDR50K/person (Express, no stop in Wates)
Can I book via walk-in/machine? Yes, you can purchase for the same-day ticket. Book your ticket in advance via the website because seats often get sold out early, especially during peak seasons.
If you wish to go to the city via e-hailing ride, the journey will take approximately 1 hour – 1 hour 30 minutes depending on time while the cost is IDR200K between the airport to the city.
Pasar Beringharjo
When I searched “where should i shop in jogja?” the search result showed Beringharjo Market as one of the lists. We went there but we didn’t fully go through because it was too crowded. I saw lots of vendors selling a variety of local items from clothes to souvenirs. They got quite nice designs too with decent quality. Price is typically for domestic and international tourists. You may bargain for better prices.
Malioboro
We spent our evening in this area. If it’s your first time, you need to at least walk around and feel the vibe here. It was vibrant with people donning traditional costumes roaming around the streets and street buskers. There are also various shops selling souvenirs, clothes, delicacies and more.
Loko Café
To me, Loko Café is just an ordinary café with decent offerings but what made it stand out is its location, which is situated next to a train railway. It allows you to enjoy your drink or dessert while witnessing trains passing by right next to you. It’s quite an aesthetic spot for photo/video.
Lesehean Terang Bulan at Teras Malioboro 2
For dinner, we opted for a cheaper and delicious option.. Lesehan Terang Bulan at Teras Malioboro. There are shops selling souvenirs and spaces to enjoy food and drinks. Visitors will sit on the floor covered with traditional mats and enjoy their food on a low table. It gave us an eating-at-home vibe. Most of them will recommend fried chicken, fried burung dara, and fried duck paired with spicy sambal.. is a yummy combo!
Day 2
Second day we got up quite early because we aimed to visit several spots that are beyond Jogja city centre.
Breakfast at Pasar Ngasem
We went here for breakfast while observing the local activities at the market was the best decision we made. I enjoyed my quick stroll around the market as I had the opportunity to see & capture their routines. Pasar Ngasem has been operating since 1908, which made it one of the historical places in Jogja. You could also try some of the popular dishes in Jogja like kuih carabikang, nasi rames, soto, and more.
Studio Gamplong Alam
Studio Gamplong Alam is located approximately 40 minutes from Jogja city centre. It’s quite a distance to go here but trust me the trip is worth it if you’re into classic buildings, film shooting locations and … taking aesthetic photos. For me, a walk at Studio Gamplong Alam is like walking in Indonesian cities in the past. It also gained popularity since it became a filming location for several films like Sultan Agung: The Untold Love Story (2018), Habibie and Ainun 3 (2019), and Bumi Manusia (2019).
Highlights: Classic trem ride, Bumi Manusia Museum, and Habibie & Ainun Museum.
We spent roughly 3 hours here for unlimited nice photos and videos. It’s quite humid and hot here. Make sure to stay hydrated throughout your visit.
Lunch at Yammie Ketandan
Back in Jogja city. What’s for lunch? We went for simple noodle dishes at Yammie Ketandan. It’s a small restaurant serving a rustic environment with vintage decorations. The soup was so tasty, the noodles were homemade and the drinks were refreshing too. Their main menu is priced from IDR 17K to IDR 30K. Come early because their food sold out quite fast.
Pronosutan View Kulon Progo
Pronosutan View is one of the alternative tourism attractions in Kulon Progo Regency. It offers breathtaking 360-degree paddy field views owned by the locals and authorities here. We went here mainly to enjoy the sunset views. It took us around 1 hour from Jogja city. Make sure to plan your journey if you wish to catch sunrise/sunset views from here. Drone owners, don’t miss out this place!
Activities: chill at coffee shops, rent a bike/scooter to roam around the field, take unlimited photos and videos.
Dinner Bebek Goreng Hj Slamet
They said it’s the best fried and grilled duck in Indonesia. I’ve tasted it. It’s delicious but to claim it as the best one in Indonesia, I’m not sure (we need to taste more bebeks in Indonesia before we verify the claim). The sambals were spicy but you can request for a less or mild spicy. If you want to play safe and avoid disappointment, look for Bebek Goreng Hj Slamet. They have different branches in Indonesia, even in Jogja.
Day 3
It’s our third (and last) day in Jogja. We decided to explore some places in the city by bike since we still have plenty of time. Our flight is in the evening.
We rented a bike for one day at one of the café along the Jl Prawirotaman. Rental rate is IDR 200k/day (roughly RM60).
Breakfast at Soto Pak Parno
Soto Pak Parno is not for those who’re looking for an instagrammable spot. If you just want to enjoy delicious food, this place is for you especially for soto lovers. Their soto soup was excellent even there were lot of fats, the soup still stay light and clear. One thing I wish from them is to improve the cleanliness of their premise. With the cheap price, we were able to enjoy such delicious soto. They are usually busy in the morning, expect some waiting time/queue. It’s popular among locals, sometimes you’ll see cyclist eating here too.
Most people recommended pisang goreng, soto daging sapi (request fat as topping if it’s available), tempeh goreng.
Toko Buku Natan
Those who are into books or bookstores, you have to drop by at Toko Buku Natan in Kotagede area. Interestingly, this bookstore is located within Natan Royal Heritage museum that showcases a variety of Javanese historical collections from architecture, cultural and others. After you’re done browsing some interesting books, you can wander around and go inside the museum (there’s an entrance fee for this) and relax at their café while reading the books you’ve purchased from Toko Buku Natan.
After that, we went back to our hotel area to return the motorcycle and booked an e-hailing ride to train station. We decided to go airport by train, which is cheaper and faster. That’s all for my sweet and short Yogyakarta itinerary. Will I come again? Definitely YES!
In case you wanna see some Jogja contents on our Instagram profiles, you may check our profiles @pojiegraphy, @neysaassila, @kmlzm and @instagramzar.