Yogyakarta kraton complex · Kraton Complex in Yogyakarta  TodayTourism All Destinations | Europe | Asia | North America | Africa | South America | Oceania | Hotels

Kraton Complex in Yogyakarta


Kraton Complex in Yogyakarta

The Sri Sultan's palace or Kraton encompasses the main palace, Sultan's residential, two Sultan's grounds, and large residential area where sultan servants used to reside. Notable attraction in Kraton complex are:
  • Kraton Yogyakarta. A calm yet elegant Javanese heritage that consists of two separate entrances: the Main Court (Pagilaran & Siti Hinggil), and the Residence. The Main Court showcases the grandeur of Sultan's monarchy, while the Residence is more homey while still exhibiting the royal family's luxurious lifestyle. Open 8.30 AM to 1 PM daily, on Friday the attraction is closed at 11 AM. While the guide is part of the entrance fee, they might expect tips. Some guide might offer extended trip to sultan's servants batik workshop, this is a scam as they only bring you to a regular batik shop with steep price. It's a good idea to refuse their offer politely. Rp 12,500 (foreign tourist price) or Rp 5,000 (Indonesian tourist price), Rp 1,000 extra for a photo. There are music and dance shows within the palace regularly, free with the ticket, try to check out the times when you arrive in Yogajakarta. The Sultan maintains three gamelans in the palace, and the pavilion nearest the entrance houses one of them. If they're playing, do sit down and be patient, this music takes its time.
    • Also worth seeing is the prince's palace to the SE of the main palace.
  • Sultan's Carriage Museum (Museum Kereta) . This museum houses the Sultan's horse-drawn carriages, including two beautiful carriages imported from the Netherlands and known as Golden Carts (kereta kencana).
  • Taman Sari, Jl. Taman, Kraton. Also known by the Dutch name waterkasteel (water castle), this is a partly ruined complex built as a pleasure garden by the first Sultan in 1765. One of the bathing pools was dedicated to the sultan's harem, and he had a tower overlooking the area so he could take his pick. Towards the back of the complex is the original entrance to the pools, which used to be a small dock connected to a long-since-vanished river; a bit of snooping beyond this entrance will get you to a back street, where one can freely visit a fascinating network of tunnels and rooms, including an Escher-like series of interlacing staircases over what looks like a disused well. Entrance fee does not cover the guide, who will expect tips. Open 9AM-3PM daily. Rp 7,000 for entrance, Rp 1,000 for a photo permit.
    • Puppet Show
    Puppet Show
  • Siti Hinggil Selatan. This somehow-muted palace is rarely used for formal occasion. You can catch a shadow puppet performance during weekend mornings and nights. There is no admission charge for the show and you can come and go as you please, which you may well want to do as the show is long and somewhat difficult to follow if you do not speak bahasa Indonesian.
  • Alun-Alun or the Sultan's ground. There are two Sultan's grounds: Alun-alun Utara and Alun-alun Selatan or the northern and southern Sultan's ground, consecutively. If you are lucky, you can see the Gerebeg Maulud parade during Prophet Muhammad's birthday.
  • Masjid Gede Kauman, one of the oldest and largest mosque in Yogyakarta. Located on the west of Alun-alun Utara, this mosque was where the Sultan performs his religious rites and ceremonies. Non-muslim visitors should wear decent clothing. It may be a good idea to ask the mosque authorities prior to entering the mosque due to some rules that must be abide.
    • Yogyakarta city was built with deep philosophy: the city was designed so that the main elements of the city forms a imaginary line. This straight line starts from Parangtritis on the coast, to Kraton Yogyakarta, to Tugu Monument, and finally to Mount Merapi. This represents Sultan's strong relationship with the guardian spirits of Mt. Merapi and the beach of Parangtritis.

    The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Yogyakarta

    The Sultan's Square

    Alun-alun utara, the northern Sultan's Grounds, was originally used for Sultan's army training and hence closed to public, but the area was opened to the public during the reign of Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX. Now, alun-alun utara is the venue for the quarterly parade known as Garebeg, which is held in the month of Maulud, Besar and Sawal. In this parade, the Sultan's servants bring huge cone-shaped offerings to the alun-alun utara. After the parade, attendees scramble to get a scrap of this offering, as it is believed to bring good luck.

    Prior to the month of Maulud, a public fair is held in alun-alun utara for 30 days. This fair is very popular and offers many kind of goods ranging from traditional handicrafts to dishes from China. A unique snack sold in this event is galundeng, deep fried dough similar to a donut.


    Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Yogyakarta - updated May 2024

    SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Yogyakarta hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!


    >>> SEARCH FOR DEALS <<<

    WHERE TO TRAVEL NEXT IN 2020


    Yogyakarta Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.

    Europe | Asia | North America | Africa | South America | Oceania | All Destinations