Historical Tours & Trips in Java

See the 9th-century Hindu temple Prambanan and check out the Royal Palace of Keraton with its royal garments. Tour the UNESCO-listed Borobudur Temple with a local monk and learn about ancient carvings. Try traditional batik making and shadow puppet crafts in Yogyakarta, then take an executive train.

You'll start at Borobudur Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the world's largest Buddhist monument with nine platforms, then head to the 9th-century Hindu temples at Prambanan. In Yogyakarta, see the Sultan's Palace and wander through the old Dutch Water Castle before visiting Kaliopak.

This 15-day tour takes you through Java's most important historical sites, starting with the UNESCO-listed Borobudur Temple near Magelang and the 9th-century Hindu Gedong Songo Temple on Mount Ungaran's slopes. You'll see Dutch colonial buildings like Semarang's Lawang Sewu and Greja Blenduk.

Start your day before dawn and hike up Setumbu Hill to catch sunrise views over UNESCO-listed Borobudur Temple as it comes out from the jungle mist, then hop on a bike and ride through Wanurejo Village's rice paddies. You'll see the 18th-century Mangkunegaran Palace in Solo.

See Java's UNESCO-listed Borobudur Temple complex during a sunrise bike tour from Wanurejo village, then check out the 9th-century Hindu Gedong Songo Temple on Mount Ungaran's slopes. Visit Mangkunegaran Palace and watch traditional batik making in Solo, Java's cultural heart.

In Yogyakarta, Indonesia's cultural capital known for batik craftsmanship, you'll see the Sultan's Palace and the moated castle ruins at Taman Sari. Near Mojokerto, find the 11th-century Hindu temple Candi Gunung Gangsir built from red bricks. Stay at Melia Purosani Yogyakarta on this 5-day tour.

Check out Javanese heritage at Mangkunegaran Palace in Solo and browse traditional goods at Triwindhu Market. Head to Candirejo Village to learn about multiple-crop farming systems and participate in hands-on batik-making workshops in Laweyan Village. Walk through Jodipan's colorful painted houses in Malang and see Surabaya's historic port district on a guided walking tour.

Visit Java's UNESCO-listed Borobudur temple complex, where over 30,000 artisans built this 9th-century Buddhist monument with five kilometers of intricate bas-reliefs. See the Hindu Prambanan Temple with its 47-meter-high main shrine and 250 surrounding temples dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. Stay at The Plataran Heritage Borobudur for 3 nights while checking out the hidden Candi Selogriyo temple and the ancient Majapahit-era Bajang Ratu gateway in Trowulan.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Borobudur took over 75 years to construct using only human power, with intricate pictorial reliefs depicting ancient Buddhist history throughout the complex. At Mendut Temple, you'll see three monumental stone statues, and Pawon Temple stands out for its architectural symmetry. Walk through spice plantations in East Java where coffee, cocoa, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, and pepper grow, and learn traditional sugar-making techniques from coconut palms.

Head to central Java to see Borobudur, a UNESCO-listed site that's the world's largest Buddhist sanctuary, then check out the ancient Hindu temples of Candi Mendut and Candi Pawon nearby. You'll visit the 9th-century Hindu Prambanan temple complex in Yogyakarta and cycle through Candirejo.