One of Indonesia's most important archaeological sites, Borobudur Temple is an important cultural icon of Southeast Asia and should not be missed on a trip to Java. Borobudur's beautiful landscapes and peaceful countryside vibes also make it an ideal spot to spend a couple of nights. In this guide, I'll share you tips for visiting Borobudur Temple as well as how to enjoy a relaxing getaway in Borobudur.
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Quick Info about Borobudur
Why You Should Visit Borobudur
Obviously, the main reason to travel to Borobudur is to visit Borobudur Temple (Candi Borobudur), a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple. Borobudur Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in the world and an important cultural site in Indonesia.
On par with Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Bagan in Myanmar, Borobudur Temple is one of the great archaeological sites in Southeast Asia.
Where is Borobudur
Borobudur is located close to the city of Magelang in the heart of Central Java, Indonesia. It's roughly 40 km / 25 mi northwest of Yogyakarta, the closest major city and where most people stay when they visit the region.
When to Visit Borobudur
Typically, the best time of year to visit Borobudur is during the dry season from May to September. During the dry season, you'll be more likely to have sunny skies and clear weather, but it will be hot. The wet season, from October to April, brings heavy rain showers, sometimes occurring in short bursts, sometimes lasting several hours.
However, during our visit in July, it was unseasonably rainy on the day we went to Borobudur Temple. So, you just never know what you'll get!
How to Get to Borobudur
The easiest way to reach Borobudur is by taxi from Yogyakarta. From central Yogyakarta, a Bluebird taxi took 1.5 hours (lots of traffic in Yogya) and only cost 230,000 IDR (15 USD). It was much cheaper to take a Bluebird taxi than it was to arrange transportation it through our hotels.
To get to Yogyakarta, you can either fly to Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) or take the train. We rode the train from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, spent a couple of days exploring Yogya, then took a taxi to Borobudur.
What To Do Before Visiting Borobudur
Here are a couple of things you should do before your trip to Borobudur in order to have the best experience.
1) Book Your Borobudur Temple Tickets
The most important thing to do before visiting Borobudur is to book your Borobudur Temple ticket in advance.
Tickets go on sale a week in advance. I recommend setting a reminder to book on the day they go on sale. Especially during high season, tickets sell out quickly. Or, if you're booking a private tour to Borobudur, make sure the temple ticket is included in your tour so you don't have to worry about it.
What Type of Borobudur Ticket to Purchase?
If you're coming all the way to Indonesia to see this famous temple, I assume you'd want to climb it. I know we did!
Starting in 2022, only 1,200 visitors are allowed into the temple structure per day in guide-led groups of 10-15 people. This change was made to help preserve this important site. Previously, there was no limit and thousands crowded onto the temple each day.
Temple Structure Ticket
To ensure you can climb the temple, you must purchase a Temple Structure ticket. These are the ones that sell out quickly. Also, the temple structure is closed on Mondays, so keep that in mind when planning your trip.
When you purchase your ticket on the website, you'll pick a timeslot (official visit lasts 1.5 hours) and group. The groups do not really matter as you'll be told where to go when you arrive.
As an example: We booked the 9:30 am Kalyanamitra Foreigner Adult ticket. For 2 people, the total cost was 910,000 IDR + a fee of 29,801 IDR = total cost of 939.801 IDR (~60 USD).
Temple Grounds Ticket
If you do not want to climb the temple, you can purchase a Temple Grounds ticket, which allows you to walk around the base of the temple. It's a cheaper option, but really does not give you the full experience.
If you purchase a temple grounds ticket, you'll only be able to walk around the base.
2) Consider What to Wear in Borobudur
Although it seems like there's no longer a dress code to visit Borobudur, it's still good to be respectful of the more conservative culture. Typically, to visit a temple, covering knees and shoulders is recommended. However, it's no longer required.
Another thing to consider packing for your Borobudur trip is a raincoat. Since you sign up for a timeslot which cannot be adjusted, if it rains during your tour time, you'll get wet. Umbrellas are another option, but does make it difficult if everyone in your group is trying to put them up at the same time.
Where to Stay in Borobudur
Although many people visit Borobudur Temple on a day trip from Yogyakarta, I highly recommend staying in Borobudur for at least a night.
As far as scheduling goes, it was nice to space out the temple visits. For me, it would have felt like too much to visit Prambanan and Borobudur on the same day. Plus, I was ready for a break from the busy cities by this point in our Java trip. The idyllic charm of Borobudur made it a great spot to relax at a beautiful hotel.
Plataran Heritage Borobudur Hotel
The Plataran Heritage Borobudur Hotel is the reason why I started thinking about staying in Borobudur as it caught my eye during my Yogyakarta hotel search.
Surrounded by rice fields, the Plataran Heritage was designed with colonial elegance in mind and was a beautiful place to spend a couple of nights.
Elegant lobby
View from the glass elevator
Our room was spacious and luxurious with a balcony overlooking the pool and lush greenery of the grounds. Mountain view rooms on the other side of the hotel cost a bit more, so we just enjoyed this view during our elevator rides.
In the evening, our room had a sunset view, which we appreciated through the clouds. From our balcony, we could also see the on-property children's carnival which was open in mornings and late afternoon.
Stupa Restaurant
Although the Plataran Heritage has a couple of restaurants, our favorite was Stupa, which specialized in Indonesian cuisine. We ordered a range of Indonesian dishes over several meals here, trying out new things as well as old favorites. Everything we ate was delicious!
Plataran Borobudur Resort & Spa
Plataran Borobudur Resort & Spa is a luxury resort that sits on the hillside above the Plataran Heritage Borobudur Hotel. It's a step up from where we stayed in terms of luxury, with beautiful villas boasting amazing views with private pools. Staying there was out of our budget, but it looked really nice!
Patio Restaurant
Unfortunately, our day in Borobudur was not ideal for relaxing pool-side at our own hotel as we'd planned. So, we hiked up the hill to the Patio, a restaurant at Plataran Borobudur Resort & Spa, for a leisurely lunch.
The cocktails and dishes at the restaurant were delicious. Overlooking Borobudur Temple, the view was fantastic so it was the perfect spot to spend a rainy afternoon.
Borobudur Accommodations Map
If you'd like to stay in Borobudur, use this map to help you find a great hotel. In the town, you can find a range of accommodations options, from homestays and budget accommodations to luxury resorts. Some hotels are even within easy walking distance to Borobudur Temple.
Visiting Borobudur Temple
Borobudur Temple History Overview
Built between AD 780 and 840 by the Sailendra dynasty, Borobudur Temple was intended to glorify Buddha and become a pilgrimage spot. Throughout the centuries of the early Javanese kingdoms, Buddhism and Hinduism coexisted peacefully. Both Prambanan (Hindu) and Borobudur (Buddhist) temples were built during this time.
In the 14th century, as Hinduism declined and more Javanese people converted to Islam, Borobudur was abandoned and forgotten. In 1815, the site was rediscovered by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the British-appointed governor-general at the time. Raffles sent Dutch engineer Hermann Cornelius to investigate the site. By 1835, the area was cleared to reveal the monument again.
Unfortunately, during the 19th and early 20th centuries, vandals and looters preyed upon the temple complex. As a result, many of the Buddha's heads are still missing today.
Between 1975 and 1982, the Indonesian Government and UNESCO funded a large restoration project. Then in 1991, UNESCO listed Borobudur as World Heritage Site.
Borobudur Temple Layout
Constructed using two million stone blocks (60,000 cubic meters), the temple has three tiers and stands at 34.5 m (113 ft) tall. Its base measures 123 m x 123 m (403 ft x 403 ft).
Borobudur's smaller stupas in front and main stupa in back.
What to Expect on a Visit to Borobudur
To help you know what to expect from a visit to Borobudur, I'll take you through our visit (in July 2024) in step-by-step detail. Procedures and rules might change by the time you visit, but this will give you an idea of what your visit could be like.
Unfortunately for us, on the morning of our Borobudur Temple visit, we woke up to find it was POURING. Although it tapered off in time for our visit with only occasional drizzles, I recommend bringing a raincoat for your visit because your timeslot is rain or shine. Not sure what the protocol is for monsoon-heavy rains though.
If you forget a raincoat, you can buy a cheap poncho in town like some of our group members did.
Getting to Borobudur from Plataran Heritage Hotel
Since we stayed at Plataran Heritage Borobudur Hotel in Borobudur, we had a short Grab taxi ride to get to the temple that morning. Grab taxis are readily available in Borobudur and it took far less time to catch one than it did in Jakarta!
Our timeslot was at 9:30 am, but we arrived early - around 9:00 am - since we weren't sure how long the taxi would take to pick us up.
Checking-In at Borobudur Temple
First step arriving at Borobudur Temple is to check in at the ticket office. There, we received our bracelets and a group number.
Then, we headed into the complex to get our Upanat sandals. Anyone going up on the temple is required to wear the Upanat sandals and carry your shoes in a bag. You can try on different ones until you find the correct size.
Pro Tip: Wear light shoes that are easy to carry around the temple. Otherwise, it's a bit cumbersome, especially if you already have a bag you're carrying.
Promptly at 9:30 am, they began calling group numbers and people broke off to follow the guides (10-15 people per group).
Borobudur Temple Grounds
For the first half hour, our guide slowly walked us towards the temple. Along the way, he shared more about Borobudur's history.
FYI: Although timeslots begin at the bottom of each hour, the temple structure portion starts at the top of the next hour. Each group is allowed into the temple for one hour. Example: For the 9:30 am timeslot, our group was allowed to be in the temple from 10:00 - 11:00 am.
Unless you request another language, tours are given in English or Bahasa Indonesian, depending on whether you book a foreigner or Indonesian ticket.
Borobudur Temple Structure
At 10:00 am, our group entered the temple structure. At the entrance, a guard scanned our bracelets to ensure we'd bought the correct ticket to enter the temple.
Borobudur First Tier - Guided
Immediately, we began climbing the steps up to the terraces. As with all ancient temples, the stairs to climb Borobudur Temple are steep. Unlike many others, Borobudur has hand rails which makes it a bit safer.
For the next half hour or so, our guide led the group around Tier 1 of the temple. First, we walked around a lower terrace, then we climbed up to a higher one and walked around it.
As we walked around the terraces, our guide stopped at certain reliefs to share stories about them.
Borobudur Second Tier - Free Time
Once we ascended to the second tier of the temple, our guide gave us ~25 minutes to walk around and take photos.
We spent a lot of time photographing the stupas and the beautiful mountain views. Luckily, it didn't rain much during our tour and, in fact, the clouds kept it much cooler than if it had been sunny. The mugginess still kept us sweating though.
Funny story: During the tour, I overheard another guide explain that the animals in the photo above are supposed to be lions. The reason they look so weird is because lions are not native to Indonesia. As a result, the people carving the statues had no idea what they should look like! Personally, I think they look like a cross between a monkey and a lion. What do you think?
Exiting Borobudur Temple
By 11:00 am, we had to leave the temple structure as a group. On the way out, another guard scanned our bracelets to make sure everyone from the 10:00 am group had left. Overall, the entire process was very organized and handled well.
To finish up our visit, we wandered around the temple grounds for a bit. Really, you can stay in Borobudur Park for as long as you want after your temple structure tour. Once you're out of the temple, you can also put your own shoes back on to walk around the park.
Park Exit - Souvenir Shops Galore
My least favorite part of Borobudur was the never-ending exit, which was souvenir shop after souvenir shop for what felt like half a mile. Although I always hate exits like this, Borobudur's was by far the worst I've ever been to, so prepare yourself.
Other Activities in Borobudur
If you're staying in Borobudur, take time to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. You can book a guided Borobudur village tour to learn more about the small town and local people's traditions and customs. Or, if you're looking for an adventure, consider a jeep tour on the Menoreh hillside.
Final Thoughts
Borobudur Temple is an architectural gem that should be at the top of your list of things to do in Java. While we loved seeing the temple, we also truly enjoyed our couple of nights in Borobudur. I hope this guide will help you to plan your trip to this beautiful town.
Check out the next post in my Java series >> The Best Way to Visit Mount Telomoyo in Central Java.
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