For couples · Yogyakarta · Indonesia
Romantic things to do in Yogyakarta
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Romance in Yogyakarta comes from sunrises and sunsets over ancient temples, dance performances under the stars and quiet hotels with pools and gardens. Couples tend to stay in Kraton and Taman Sari.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 4
- Area for couples
- Kraton and Taman Sari
- Best months
- May
Romantic ideas
1.Sunset at Ratu Boko
Watch the sun go down from the hilltop gateway with Prambanan below.
2.Ramayana Ballet under the stars
See the open-air performance with the floodlit Prambanan towers behind the stage.
3.Sunrise near Borobudur
Watch the sun rise over the volcanoes from a hill near Borobudur such as Punthuk Setumbu.
4.Batik class for two
Make matching pieces of batik in a workshop near Taman Sari.
5.Dinner at a heritage hotel
Book a table at one of the colonial-era or Javanese-style hotels near the Kraton.
Sights couples love
Experience · Sleman (17 km east)
Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan
Book open-air seats on the side facing the temples, and bring a light layer and insect repellent.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- After dark
- Art
- Couples
- Iconic
Historic site · Kraton and Taman Sari
Taman Sari Water Castle
Find your own way through the lanes to Sumur Gumuling rather than following touts, and go early before groups arrive.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Couples
- Kids
Historic site · Sleman (17 km east)
Ratu Boko
Time your visit for late afternoon and watch the sunset from the gateway before heading to the Ramayana Ballet.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- History
- Couples
- Photo spot
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Experience · Kraton and Taman Sari
Batik workshop
Choose a half-day class, as the dyeing and drying take time, and ask to see hand-drawn batik tulis being made.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Couples
Where couples should stay
$$ · Best for culture, couples and quiet stays
Kraton and Taman Sari
Inside the old fortified city walls, the Kraton, the Taman Sari water castle and the two alun-alun squares are surrounded by quiet lanes where palace retainers once lived. Guesthouses and small heritage hotels here put you within walking distance of the main city sights.
- Good
- Historic atmosphere; Walk to the palace and water castle; Quieter than Malioboro
- Watch out
- Fewer restaurants late at night; Limited large hotels
- Nearby
- Kraton, Taman Sari, Alun-Alun Kidul, Sonobudoyo Museum
Romantic day trips
- Dieng Plateau (About 3.5–4 hours by car) — A high volcanic plateau at about 2,000 metres with some of Java's oldest Hindu temples, the colourful Telaga Warna lake, steaming craters and sunrise viewpoints such as Sikunir hill.
- Jomblang Cave (About 1.5 hours by car) — Visitors are lowered about 60 metres by rope into a collapsed sinkhole, then walk through a cave to Grubug, where a shaft of sunlight falls into the darkness around midday.
- Gunungkidul beaches (About 2 hours by car) — The limestone coast of Gunungkidul has small white-sand coves such as Indrayanti and Pok Tunggal between rocky headlands.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Gudeg, Sate klathak and Javanese noodles. Alcohol is less widely available than in Bali; Prawirotaman has the most bars.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Yogyakarta romantic?
Romance in Yogyakarta comes from sunrises and sunsets over ancient temples, dance performances under the stars and quiet hotels with pools and gardens.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Yogyakarta?
Sunset at Ratu Boko: Watch the sun go down from the hilltop gateway with Prambanan below.
+Where should couples stay in Yogyakarta?
Kraton and Taman Sari: The walled royal quarter of palaces, lanes and courtyard homes.