Jakarta

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Jakarta Scyscrappers from GBK, Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia

Rumah Betawi TMII, Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia

Thamrin dari Hotel Take's (cropped), Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia

Bundaran Hotel Indonesia (2025) (cropped), Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia

About Jakarta

Jakarta is Indonesia at full volume: a sprawling capital of more than ten million people where Dutch colonial warehouses, glass towers, street-food carts and gridlocked toll roads all share the same humid air. It can be overwhelming at first, but its museums, mosques, old harbor and food make it far more rewarding than its reputation suggests.

The city began as the port of Sunda Kelapa and became Batavia, headquarters of the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century. That history survives in Kota Tua, the old town around Fatahillah Square. After independence, Jakarta gained grand national landmarks such as the National Monument and Istiqlal Mosque, while the native Betawi culture lives on in its music, food and the village of Setu Babakan.

The MRT, TransJakarta buses and commuter trains make getting around easier than it once was. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is the main gateway, and boats leave from the north coast for the Thousand Islands. Start early in the day to beat both the heat and the traffic.

Best seasonMay-September, the drier months

Ideal stay2-3 days

ArrivingSoekarno-Hatta International Airport; airport train to the city

Jakarta Has So Much to Discover: 12 Highlights

Landmarks 1

National Monument Jakarta

Rising 132 metres from Merdeka Square, the obelisk known as Monas symbolizes Indonesia's fight for independence and is topped by a...

History 2

Kota Tua Jakarta

The old town of Batavia centers on Fatahillah Square, framed by the former city hall, now the Jakarta History Museum, along with t...

Sunda Kelapa Harbour

The original port that gave rise to Jakarta still berths traditional wooden pinisi schooners, which load and unload cargo by hand...

Temples and Shrines 2

Istiqlal Mosque

Opened in 1978 to mark Indonesian independence, Istiqlal is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, with a vast prayer hall under a...

Jakarta Cathedral

Directly across the street from Istiqlal Mosque, this neo-Gothic Catholic cathedral was completed in 1901, with slender spires of...

Museums 1

National Museum of Indonesia

Known locally as the Elephant Museum for the bronze elephant statue given by King Chulalongkorn of Siam in 1871, this is the count...

Family 1

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah

This large park in East Jakarta brings the whole archipelago together, with traditional houses representing Indonesia's provinces,...

Beaches 1

Thousand Islands Jakarta

Despite the name, the Thousand Islands are a chain of around a hundred small islands stretching north into the Java Sea, all part...

Wildlife 1

Ragunan Zoo

In the leafy south of the city, Ragunan is one of the oldest zoos in Asia, with a large collection of Indonesian animals such as S...

Neighborhoods 2

Glodok Chinatown

Jakarta's old Chinatown is a dense web of markets, shophouses and food stalls around Petak Sembilan, where the Vihara Dharma Bhakt...

Setu Babakan

Around a lake in South Jakarta, Setu Babakan is a village preserving the culture of the Betawi, the native people of Jakarta. Trad...

Entertainment 1

Ancol Dreamland

Stretching along the north shore of Jakarta Bay, Ancol is a large seaside recreation area with the Dunia Fantasi amusement park, a...

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