FROM BOROBUDUR TO PRAMBANAN IN ONE DAY BY BIKE!
June 24, 2024
Here is an funny way to reach the Yogyakarta Borobudur and Pramabanan temples: a Borobudur to Prambanan tour by bike!
Here are some useful tips to help you make the most of your visit to Borobudur Temple, the world’s largest Buddhist temple!
Borobudur Temple is the largest Buddhist monument in the world, making it one of the most famous Buddhist temples visited by tourists.
Located on the island of Java, this extraordinary site is definitely worth a visit if you are planning a trip to Indonesia.
Here is some useful information to help you plan your visit to Borobudur Temple!
Visiting Borobudur Temple is an essential experience if you want to gain a true understanding of Indonesian culture and immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Buddhism.
Located on the island of Java near Yogyakarta, we recommend stopping there to visit Borobudur Temple and the Prambanan temple complex if you’re planning a trip to Indonesia.
During our stay in Yogyakarta, we spent a morning visiting this extraordinary place, and in this article, we’ll provide some useful tips and information to help you plan your visit.
Are you planning a holiday to Indonesia and looking for a 15-day itinerary suggestion? Here’s our suggested itinerary, which takes in Java, Bali and Nusa Penida, and even the Gili Islands!
This monument was built between 780 and 840 by the Sailendra royal dynasty, which ruled the island of Java and was at the height of its wealth at that time. The purpose of this building was to create a temple to glorify the Buddha and a place of pilgrimage for the people to detach themselves from material possessions and ascend to Nirvana.
The temple was abandoned between the 10th and 15th centuries, due to both the advent of Islamic culture and a series of natural disasters that caused the population to leave the area.
The monument, now overgrown with earth and vegetation over the years, was discovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles and fully excavated in 1835.
The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which has contributed to various restoration efforts over the years.
View from the temple
Number of visitors: > 3,000,000/year
Size: 123x123x35 m
Number of Buddha statues: 504
Number of stupas (inverted bells containing a Buddha statue): 72
Area: > 2,500 square meters
Borobudur Temple is located on the island of Java, just over 40 km northwest of the city of Yogyakarta.
The most convenient way to reach Yogyakarta is to take an international flight to Jakarta, followed by a domestic flight to Yogyakarta Airport.
From there, you can take public transport or a private car to the temple.
If you opt for public transport, Trans Jogja buses connect Yogyakarta to the Jombor terminus and stop at the temple. From there, you will need to take a local bus to Borobudur. Unfortunately, Yogyakarta’s public transport system is not very efficient; routes and schedules are limited and not always adhered to. For this reason, we recommend opting for a private car.
As traffic in Indonesia can be extremely chaotic, we recommend taking a Blue Bird taxi, unless you are visiting the temple as part of an organised tour.
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Here is an funny way to reach the Yogyakarta Borobudur and Pramabanan temples: a Borobudur to Prambanan tour by bike!
Due to the heavy traffic in Yogyakarta, delays are commonplace, so we recommend leaving at least an hour and a half before your scheduled visit.
If you’re feeling brave and want to test your driving skills against Indonesian drivers, take the road connecting Yogyakarta to the city of Semarang, which leads to the temple. Turn left after Muntilan onto Mayor Kusen/Raya Borobudur Road.
There is a large car park near the complex where you can park for just 8,000 rupiah (about 50 cents).
🛕 BUY HERE a Borobudur Temple tour with transfer
🌄 BUY HERE a sunrise tour of Borobudur, trekking on Mount Merapi, and a visit to Prambanan
Since access is limited, we recommend that you purchase tickets in advance through the official online site found at this link.
Two types of tickets are available:
Tickets can only be purchased from one week before the day of your visit, so we recommend that you make a note to remember to make your purchase as availability is limited.
Of course, we recommend that you purchase the ticket including access to the temple and the climb (be prepared that it’s a lot of steps!), as this will give you a full view of the history and significance of this place. Access to the temple is allowed only in the company of a guide, who will accompany you and reveal many secrets of Borobudur.
We advise you to favor the earliest available times in the morning or late afternoon as from late morning there is the greatest influx of tourists, as well as very high temperatures.
Entrance to Borobudur temple
Buddhist ceremony at Borobudur temple
Stairway to the temple
We recommend arriving a little early for your visit to Borobudur to allow time for waiting in line at the ticket office to validate your ticket and pick up the required sandals for entering the temple. Also, if you have some time on your hands, you can take advantage of it to take a nice walk around the park surrounding the temple and make a few photo stops.
At the ticket office, you will receive a number corresponding to your guide, which you should follow throughout the tour. Keep in mind that the guided tour inside the temple lasts at least an hour and a half. Therefore, plan to spend at least two to three hours to visit the entire complex at a leisurely pace.
You will visit the Borobudur temple by climbing to the top, with a climb that will take you to the summit: in fact, this is the path of ascent towards Nirvana, represented on the various terraces of the temple.
Borobudur is divided into 3 sections representing the three spheres of passage for attaining Nirvana:
Stupas of the last terrace
Details of the bas-reliefs
Buddha statues in the Kamadhatu level
To enter the temple, it is mandatory to wear the special woven straw sandals available at a booth located after the park entrance. These sandals are included in the cost of the ticket and can be kept as souvenirs.
Inside the park and temple, photography is allowed, while bringing food and bringing animals is prohibited. Although it is not an official rule, it is advisable to wear appropriate clothing for the place, avoiding shorts and tops that are too short: it is advisable to opt for knee-length shorts and a short-sleeved T-shirt.
Access to the temple is allowed only in the company of local guides.
Although Borobudur is about an hour and a half away, we recommend staying in Yogyakarta. This is because there are no large population centres near the temple and it’s more convenient to stay in the city centre in the evening, where there are restaurants and bars. We chose this option and were able to spend our time in Yogyakarta taking an evening tour to sample the Java’s street food.
Alternatively, there are various resorts and hotels near the temple where you can opt for half-board accommodation, meaning you won’t need to travel for dinner (the roads are dark at night, so driving in this area isn’t ideal). These accommodation options are also affordable and offer excellent service.
💰Low budget: Yuwono Hotel
💰💰Medium budget: Grand Rohan Roja ⭐ Trip To Try Choice
💰💰💰💰No limits: Melia Purosani Yogyakarta
As we have already mentioned, we recommend that you take advantage of the earliest available time slots for your visit, so as to avoid the large crowds that there are during the middle hours of the day. Also, keep in mind that Java can be very hot, especially in summer, and the days can be very muggy.
For this reason, we recommend that you wear a hat to shield your head from the sun, as there is very little shade in the complex and temple, and that you bring water with you to hydrate.
Consider devoting at least two hours to the visit, and don’t miss the entrance to the temple accompanied by a guide; it is an essential experience in order to fully understand the spirit and history of Borobudur.
Be careful on the way out: the route is conditional and you will have to pass through endless bazaars and street vendors who might get a bit pushy and take advantage of you if you are not familiar with the local currency. Be very careful with backpacks and bags as you pass through this area.
We hope we have provided you with useful information for planning your visit to Borobudur. We had the privilege of visiting it with a wonderful bicycle tour that took us from Borobudur to the Prambanan temple complex with the Viavia Jogja agency and it was an amazing experience.
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