Things to do · Jakarta · Indonesia
18 best things to do in Jakarta
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Rantemario, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Jakarta are National Monument (Monas), Istiqlal Mosque and Fatahillah Square and Jakarta History Museum. Of the 18 picks below, 8 are free, 5 work on a rainy day and 8 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- National Monument (Monas)
- Free sights
- 8
- Good on a rainy day
- Wayang Museum
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Monument (Monas) | Merdeka Square | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Istiqlal Mosque | Merdeka Square | 1 hour | Free |
| Fatahillah Square and Jakarta History Museum | Kota Tua and Glodok | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Jakarta Cathedral | Merdeka Square | 45 minutes | Free |
| Wayang Museum | Kota Tua and Glodok | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Sunda Kelapa harbour | Kota Tua and Glodok | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| National Museum of Indonesia | Merdeka Square | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Glodok and Petak Sembilan | Kota Tua and Glodok | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
| Museum MACAN | West Jakarta | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Taman Mini Indonesia Indah | East Jakarta | Half a day | Low cost |
| Ancol Dreamland | Ancol | Full day | Mid-priced |
| Ragunan Zoo | South Jakarta | Half a day | Low cost |
| Textile Museum | West Jakarta | 1–2 hours | Low cost |
| Sunday Car Free Day on Sudirman–Thamrin | Thamrin and Bundaran HI | 2 hours | Free |
| Setu Babakan Betawi village | South Jakarta | 2 hours | Free |
| National Gallery of Indonesia | Merdeka Square | 1 hour | Free |
| Jalan Surabaya antiques market | Menteng and Cikini | 1 hour | Free |
| M Bloc Space | Blok M | 1–2 hours | Free |
The 18 best things to do
Landmark · Merdeka Square
1.National Monument (Monas)
The 132-metre obelisk topped by a gilded flame stands in the centre of Merdeka Square, a vast park of lawns and deer. A diorama museum in the base tells Indonesia's history, and a lift climbs to an observation platform overlooking the city.
Arrive early for the lift, which has limited capacity and long queues by late morning, and avoid the midday heat on the open square.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- History
- Kids
Religious site · Merdeka Square
2.Istiqlal Mosque
Opened in 1978 and designed by the Christian architect Friedrich Silaban, Istiqlal is the national mosque and one of the largest in Southeast Asia, with a vast prayer hall under a 45-metre dome. Volunteers lead free tours for visitors outside prayer times.
Wear long trousers or a long skirt and covered shoulders; robes are lent at the entrance, and shoes are left at the door.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- History
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Historic site · Kota Tua and Glodok
3.Fatahillah Square and Jakarta History Museum
The cobbled square at the heart of old Batavia is framed by the 1710 city hall, now the Jakarta History Museum, with Dutch furniture, maps and the dungeons beneath. Vendors rent brightly painted bicycles with matching hats for rides around the square.
Come in the late afternoon when the heat eases and locals arrive, then eat at the colonial-era Café Batavia on the square.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Kids
Religious site · Merdeka Square
4.Jakarta Cathedral
Completed in 1901, the neo-Gothic Catholic cathedral faces Istiqlal Mosque across the road, a pairing often cited as a symbol of religious harmony. Its upstairs museum displays colonial-era religious objects.
Visit it straight after Istiqlal; the two are a two-minute walk apart.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Free
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Museum · Kota Tua and Glodok
5.Wayang Museum
Housed in a Dutch building on Fatahillah Square, the museum displays thousands of shadow puppets (wayang kulit), wooden rod puppets (wayang golek) and masks from across Indonesia and beyond. Puppet performances are held on some weekends.
Ask at the entrance whether a performance is scheduled during your visit.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
- History
Waterfront · Kota Tua and Glodok
6.Sunda Kelapa harbour
Jakarta's old port still shelters rows of wooden pinisi schooners loading timber and cement by hand. Nearby, the Maritime Museum occupies Dutch East India Company warehouses, and the old Syahbandar watchtower once controlled ship traffic.
Visit early in the morning, when loading is underway and the light is soft; local boatmen offer short rowing trips between the hulls.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
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Museum · Merdeka Square
7.National Museum of Indonesia
Known as Museum Gajah for the bronze elephant outside, the national museum holds Hindu-Buddhist statues, Javanese bronzes, ceramics and ethnographic collections from across the archipelago. It reopened in 2024 after restoration work.
Start with the stone statuary in the courtyard of the original building, then the treasure room of gold regalia.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
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Neighbourhood · Kota Tua and Glodok
8.Glodok and Petak Sembilan
Jakarta's Chinatown packs wet markets, herbal shops and food stalls into the lanes of Petak Sembilan. Vihara Dharma Bhakti, founded in 1650 and restored after a fire, is among the oldest Chinese temples in the city, and Gang Gloria is a narrow alley of old-style food stalls.
Go around Chinese New Year for red lanterns and temple crowds, or any morning for the busiest market scenes.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
Gallery · West Jakarta
1.Museum MACAN
Indonesia's first international museum of modern and contemporary art shows rotating exhibitions of Indonesian and international artists in a converted tower in Kebon Jeruk, with an interactive children's art space.
Check the exhibition calendar before going, and book a timed slot for the children's space at weekends.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Popular exhibitions sell timed tickets online; weekends can sell out.
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
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Theme park · East Jakarta
2.Taman Mini Indonesia Indah
A large culture park with traditional houses representing Indonesia's provinces around a lake laid out as a map of the archipelago, plus museums, gardens, temples and a cable car. It was revitalised and reopened in 2023.
Rent a bicycle or use the shuttle buses; the park is far too big to walk in the heat.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
- History
Theme park · Ancol
3.Ancol Dreamland
A seafront leisure complex in North Jakarta with the Dunia Fantasi (Dufan) amusement park, SeaWorld Ancol aquarium, a water park and promenades along the bay.
Visit on a weekday; public holidays and weekends bring very long queues.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
Zoo · South Jakarta
4.Ragunan Zoo
A large, shady zoo in South Jakarta with Indonesian wildlife including Komodo dragons and orangutans, and the Schmutzer Primate Centre for gorillas and other primates.
Go on a weekday morning; at weekends the zoo is very crowded with local families.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Museum · West Jakarta
5.Textile Museum
Set in a 19th-century villa, the museum displays batik, ikat and songket from across Indonesia and runs short batik-making workshops in its studio.
Book a batik workshop to try the wax-resist technique and take your piece home.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
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Experience · Thamrin and Bundaran HI
6.Sunday Car Free Day on Sudirman–Thamrin
Every Sunday morning the main Sudirman–Thamrin avenue closes to traffic, and thousands of Jakartans walk, cycle, jog and dance around the Selamat Datang Monument at Bundaran HI, with snack vendors along the way.
Arrive by about 7am, before the heat, and walk from Bundaran HI towards Sudirman.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Active
- Kids
Neighbourhood · South Jakarta
7.Setu Babakan Betawi village
A lakeside village in South Jakarta preserved as a centre of Betawi culture, the city's indigenous heritage, with traditional houses, a small museum, music and dance performances at weekends and stalls selling Betawi snacks such as kerak telor.
Go on a weekend afternoon for performances, and combine it with a meal of soto Betawi.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Food
- Off the beaten path
Gallery · Merdeka Square
8.National Gallery of Indonesia
On the east side of Merdeka Square, the gallery shows modern Indonesian art, including works by Raden Saleh and Affandi, plus temporary exhibitions in colonial buildings.
Combine it with Istiqlal and the Cathedral, both a short walk north.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
Market · Menteng and Cikini
9.Jalan Surabaya antiques market
A row of small stalls along Jalan Surabaya in Menteng selling old suitcases, brass lamps, vinyl records, wayang puppets and colonial-era curios, many of them reproductions.
Bargain firmly, and treat 'antique' labels with scepticism.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Free
- Off the beaten path
Neighbourhood · Blok M
10.M Bloc Space
A creative hub in former state-mint staff housing next to the Blok M MRT station, with independent shops, coffee bars, food stalls and a small live-music venue. It is busiest in the evenings and at weekends.
Come after dark, when the courtyard fills with young Jakartans and music venues open.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- After dark
- Free
- Shopping
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Wayang Museum, National Museum of Indonesia, Museum MACAN and Textile Museum |
| History | National Monument (Monas), Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta Cathedral and Fatahillah Square and Jakarta History Museum |
| Views | National Monument (Monas) |
| Outdoors and nature | Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Ancol Dreamland, Ragunan Zoo and Sunday Car Free Day on Sudirman–Thamrin |
| Food and markets | Glodok and Petak Sembilan, Setu Babakan Betawi village, Jalan Surabaya antiques market and M Bloc Space |
| After dark | M Bloc Space |
| With children | National Monument (Monas), Fatahillah Square and Jakarta History Museum, Wayang Museum and Museum MACAN |
| On a rainy day | Wayang Museum, National Museum of Indonesia, Museum MACAN and Textile Museum |
What to book ahead
- Museum MACAN: Popular exhibitions sell timed tickets online; weekends can sell out.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Jakarta?
National Monument (Monas). The 132-metre obelisk topped by a gilded flame stands in the centre of Merdeka Square, a vast park of lawns and deer.
+What can you do for free in Jakarta?
Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta Cathedral, Glodok and Petak Sembilan, Sunday Car Free Day on Sudirman–Thamrin and Setu Babakan Betawi village. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Jakarta when it rains?
Head indoors to Wayang Museum, National Museum of Indonesia, Museum MACAN and Textile Museum.
+What is there to do in Jakarta at night?
M Bloc Space are best after dark.