The third day of our Indonesian tour will be dedicated to the famous temples of Borobudur and Prambanan, located near Yogyakarta. Here is our itinerary for the day.
Which temple to visit BOROBUDUR or PRAMBANAN?
The first monument is Buddhist, and the second is Hindu . Both are worth discovering as they are majestic, imposing, and truly beautiful.
I had planned the whole day with our guide to be able to take the time and take advantage of all the nooks and crannies and meet great people there. And I did well because we were able to reach out to people, question them, take an interest in their culture ... Schoolchildren even came to meet us and made us participate in an investigation which ended in laughter and souvenir photos.
The atmosphere at both sites was great. These places are certainly spiritual places but also places where tourists rub shoulders with Javanese and can thus share good times with them.
How to visit the temples of BOROBUDUR and PRAMBANAN in 1 day?
If you wish to visit both sites ( Borubudur and Prambanan ), you can do so in one day. I recommend purchasing the "combined" ticket for €35, which covers both visits. The most convenient option is to visit the first temple in the morning and then the other in the afternoon.
How to go from Yogyakarta to BOROBUDUR and PRAMBANAN?
I had chosen the simplest and most practical solution: a private driver!
But I was able to find out and many local agencies in Yogyakarta offer bus tours that go like this:
- Departure from Yogyakarta to the Mendut temple
- After half an hour we set off again to the temple of Borobudur
- 2 hour free time
- Then drive to the temples of Prambanan with a visit of about 1h30
- And finally back to Yogyakarta
Prices vary from 10 to 15 Euros per excursion (entrance tickets are not included).
VISIT OF THE BOROBUDUR SITE
Located 42 km from Yogyakarta , it is the iconic monument of Java. It struck me as immense, gigantic, and harmonious. It is a place for contemplation, prayer, and Buddhist meditation. These bell-like structures are actually stupas. Inside each one is a Buddha statue.
Practical information: at the entrance to Borobudur , with the price of the ticket you are entitled to bottles of water – remember to ask for them because it is very very hot :).
To visit this site, it is strongly recommended to take advantage of the comments of a guide for the historical narrative, the explanations concerning the architecture and for the anecdotes or other stories.
The atmosphere on site is rather noisy, agitated, lively because many tourists and school classes meet there. But the site is so big that we still manage to find a little corner without anyone to really enjoy this spiritual and grandiose place.
Plan a minimum of 1h30 for the visit.
VISIT TO THE TEMPLES OF PRAMBANAN
Located 17 km northeast of Yogyakarta, this complex of Hindu temples was built around the same time as Borobudur (around the 10th century). At that time, Buddhists ruled in South Java while Hindus ruled in the North, but in perfect harmony and tolerance…
To visit this site, it is also strongly recommended to take advantage of the comments of a guide for the historical account, the explanations concerning the architecture and for the anecdotes or other stories.
I found just as much pleasure and curiosity visiting Prambanan as Borobudur . These temples are so different and interesting that you shouldn't miss one!
Plan a minimum of 1h30 for the visit.
Read more on my DAY 4 article:
Hello,
I am also thinking of taking a private driver to visit these temples.
Is there a company you recommend or is it easy to find from hotels?
Thank you
Geoffrey
Hello Geoffrey,
For our tour, we had the pleasure of being accompanied by Muhammad Firdaus (a French-speaking guide) and a private driver. I highly recommend contacting Muhammad first: fmuhammad993@yahoo.fr
It was invaluable to us in particular for the visits and trips to JAVA (Borobudur and Prambanan temples, Bromo and Ijen volcanoes).