With kids · Yogyakarta · Indonesia
Yogyakarta with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Fahmi Widayat, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Yogyakarta works well for families who like history and gentle adventure: temple grounds with space to run, a Merapi jeep ride, batik classes and the lit-up pedal cars of Alun-Alun Kidul. Heat is the main challenge, so start early. Top picks: Prambanan, Taman Sari Water Castle and Mount Merapi jeep tour. Families usually base themselves in Malioboro.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 7
- Best area for families
- Malioboro
- Rainy-day options
- 2
- Busiest months
- July–August
Best things to do with kids
Religious site · Sleman (17 km east)
1.Prambanan
Indonesia's largest Hindu temple compound dates from the 9th century; its central Shiva temple rises about 47 metres, flanked by temples to Brahma and Vishnu, with Ramayana reliefs carved around the galleries. The same park includes the Buddhist Sewu temple complex.
Visit in the late afternoon for warm light on the towers, then stay for the Ramayana Ballet next door.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Historic site · Kraton and Taman Sari
2.Taman Sari Water Castle
The 18th-century royal pleasure garden has restored bathing pools surrounded by ornate gateways, plus tunnels leading to Sumur Gumuling, a circular underground mosque with crossing staircases. Around it, the Kampung Taman lanes hold batik workshops and murals.
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
Nature · Jalan Kaliurang and north Jogja
3.Mount Merapi jeep tour
Open-top jeep tours from Kaliurang drive along lava riverbeds on Merapi's slopes to villages buried in the 2010 eruption, including a small museum of melted household objects, and to viewpoints of the summit when clouds allow.
Go at sunrise for the best chance of a clear summit; access depends on the volcano's alert level, so follow official guidance.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Active
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Views
- Kids
Landmark · Kraton and Taman Sari
4.Alun-Alun Kidul
The southern palace square comes alive at night with LED-lit pedal cars, food stalls and the masangin tradition of walking blindfolded between two sacred banyan trees, said to bring good luck to those who pass between them.
Try masangin yourself; blindfolds are rented at the edge of the square for a small fee.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- After dark
- Kids
- Free
- Food
Museum · Malioboro
5.Fort Vredeburg Museum
A Dutch colonial fort from the 18th century at the southern end of Malioboro, now a museum with dioramas of Indonesia's independence struggle in its old barracks around a grassy courtyard.
Combine it with Beringharjo Market across the road and the Kraton a short walk south.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
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Experience · Kraton and Taman Sari
6.Batik workshop
Workshops around Taman Sari and Prawirotaman teach the wax-resist batik technique using a canting pen, dyeing and boiling off the wax, so you leave with your own small piece of cloth.
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
Religious site · Magelang (40 km northwest)
7.Borobudur
Built in the 8th and 9th centuries, Borobudur is the world's largest Buddhist monument: nine stacked platforms with more than 2,600 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues, crowned by a central stupa. The surrounding park looks out to the volcanoes Merapi and Merbabu.
Arrive as early as possible to see the temple in soft morning light, and combine it with the smaller Mendut and Pawon temples on the same road.
- Time needed
- Half a day including travel
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Access to the upper terraces is limited by a daily quota with timed tickets; book online well ahead in peak season.
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Views
- Photo spot
Rainy-day ideas
- Fort Vredeburg Museum — Combine it with Beringharjo Market across the road and the Kraton a short walk south.
- Batik workshop — Choose a half-day class, as the dyeing and drying take time, and ask to see hand-drawn batik tulis being made.
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, budget and families
Malioboro
Jalan Malioboro runs about 2 km from Tugu railway station towards the Kraton, lined with batik shops, Beringharjo Market, Fort Vredeburg and night-time street-food stalls. Hotels of all levels sit along and just off the street, and the Kraton is a 15-minute walk south.
- Good
- Walk to the Kraton and markets; Next to Tugu station and the airport train; Lively evenings
- Watch out
- Crowded on weekends and holidays; Batik-gallery touts
- Nearby
- Malioboro Street, Beringharjo Market, Fort Vredeburg, Tugu station
Family travel tips
- Visit Borobudur and Prambanan at opening time, before the midday heat.
- Hire a car with driver; it is cheaper per person than tours and lets you set the pace.
- Bring hats, sunscreen and water; temple grounds have little shade.
- Keep children well back from the sea at Parangtritis and the southern beaches, where waves and currents are strong.
- Hotels with pools in Prawirotaman or north Jogja give a welcome afternoon break.
Day trips for families
- 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.
- Parangtritis (About 1 hour by car) — A wide black-sand beach backed by dunes, popular for sunset walks, horse-cart rides and ATV rentals.
When to go with children
The best months overall are May–September. July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Yogyakarta good for kids?
Yogyakarta works well for families who like history and gentle adventure: temple grounds with space to run, a Merapi jeep ride, batik classes and the lit-up pedal cars of Alun-Alun Kidul. Heat is the main challenge, so start early.
+What can kids do in Yogyakarta?
Prambanan, Taman Sari Water Castle, Mount Merapi jeep tour, Alun-Alun Kidul and Fort Vredeburg Museum.
+Where should families stay in Yogyakarta?
Malioboro: The city's main shopping street, street vendors and central hotels.