Overland From Central Java to Bali

📍 Yogyakarta Airport – Yogyakarta city center (8 km): 20 minutes

Arrive at Yogyakarta International Airport

Recommended flights (not included in the quotation): Silk Air from Singapore to Yogyakarta MI152, departing at 08:30 and arriving at 09:50 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday , Thursday, and Friday or MI154, departing at 13:55  and arriving at 15:25 on Sunday. Schedules are subject to change without prior notice.

Be met and greet by the guide and driver upon arrival and then be transferred to hotel in Yogyakarta.

Enjoying a lunch at the hotel restaurant before hotel check in. After checking in and getting settled, the rest of the day is free to spend at leisure either exploring independently or relaxing at the hotel.

Note: Legal check-in time at 14:00.

Despite the official spelling of ‘Yogyakarta’ this town is usually pronounced Jogjakarta and often written as simply Jogja. It is the most popular tourist destination on Java, largely thanks to its proximity to the temples of Borobudur and Prambanan. Jogja is a center of art and education and the cradle of traditional Javanese culture

Dinner this evening is free at leisure.

Overnight in Yogyakarta

Optional evening tour

Evening Food Hopping Around Yogyakarta

After work or school, many of Yogyakarta’s local people go for a glass of kopi joss on the street. A piece of blazing charcoal is dropped into the coffee producing a sizzling sound which leads to the name “joss.” More than just a great drink, joss is an experience. Enjoy this unique beverage as locals do while bumping shoulders with them.

A short stroll away is bustling Malioboro Street. Visit a street vendor from South Sumatra who has been selling delicious Pempek fish cakes there since 1984. Served with spicy and sour tamarind sauce, it makes a great appetizer and is best enjoyed with Indonesia’s unofficial national drink, Botol.

The next stop, the popular Bakmi “Kadin”, named after the Indonesian Chamber or Industry of Commerce simply because it is located by the office building, is reached quickly by local Andong horse cart. Javanese-style fried noodles are on the menu, which are usually accompanied to the sound of traditional Javanese songs played by street musicians on a karaoke machine.

Move on by becak through the South-Square of the Sultan’s Palace to Alun-alun Kidul Field with its sacred twin Banyan. Locals gather here to ride on carts decorated with colorful lamps. Try to walk in a straight line between the two Banyan trees with blindfolded eyes: local legend says a wish will come true!

The journey continues to a so-called Pendopo, a semi-open royal house that turns into a food venue at night. Both sweet and savoury coconut and palm sugar treats are here in abundance. The atmosphere is a bit quirky and invites sitting down with a good cup of coffee or tea as day fades into night and the evening vibes settle in. (D)

Inclusions:

🥘 Lunch

📍 Yogyakarta city center – Prambanan Temple (22 km): 45 minutes

After breakfast we engage in exploring the many cultures of Yogyakarta.

Start with a visit to The Sultan’s Palace, also known as Kraton, is the central aspect of the Javanese cosmology being at the centre of the Mount Merapi and Parangtritis Beach lines. This building constructed between 1756 and 1790, is a fine example of traditional Javanese sultanate architecture. Remaining today as the residence of the Sultan, this living museum features a showcase of Javanese Culture and relics and depending on your day of visiting there will be a cultural performance ranging from Golek Menak Puppet‘s to classical Javanese Poetry performance known as Macapat.

Continue with a 30 minutes ride by becak (similar to a cyclo or trishaw) and explore the neighboring Kauman village built in the vicinity of the Kraton. This village is the central keepers of the Islamic religion as authorized by the Sultanate. The small gangs (laneways) of this village are so designed to ensure minimal disturbance of noise and traffic so as to not interrupt the Santri or Islamic students from their study. It was also said that by ensuring the laneways were only passable on foot - every man was equal. 

End your Becak ride at the Taman Sari Water Palace This addition to the royal complex was built over 200 years ago by the first Sultan with bathing pools for his harem.

You will attend a short demonstration of Wayang Kulit, the famous Javanese leather puppet before enjoying lunch at a local restaurant

In the mid-afternoon, leave Yogyakarta for Prambanan: These huge ancient Hindu temples were built in the 9th century and the three main inner shrines are dedicated to the Hindu trinity: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. UNESCO named Prambanan a Heritage Site in 1991. Your guide will explain the history and symbolism of the temples as you walk around.

After the visit continue to the nearby Prambanan local restaurant where you will enjoy an early dinner followed by a traditional performance of the Ramayana ballet dance at an opened theatre with the illuminated temples of Prambanan as a background.

Note: Ramayana dance at Prambanan are seasonal (between May and October) and only performed on certain days of the week. When there’s no show at Prambanan, it will be replaced by the similar one performed at the Pura Wisata theatre in Yogyakarta.

Return to your hotel  in Yogyakarta.

Overnight in Yogyakarta.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Yogyakarta – Borobudur (42 km): 1 hours 30 minutes Borobudur Temple – Candirejo (3 km): 10 mins Candirejo – Mendut Temple – Pawon Temple (5 km): 15 mins

After breakfast this morning the tour guide and driver pick you up for the drive to one of the highlights of your trip, Borobudur.

Together with your local guide, explore this massive Buddhist Temple- the largest in the world- and discover the incredible history behind its construction. Comprised of thousands of volcanic and river stone blocks, the temple was assembled entirely by human labor and took more than 75 years to complete. These days, the UNESCO Heritage site is still visible in its full glory- with magnificent carvings and an unusual, yet surprisingly beautiful bulk structure.

Lunch will be served in a local restaurant near Borobudur.

Next, you’ll get a taste for local life with a horse cart ride through Candirejo Village. Known as a dokar, the local horse cart will take you through this peaceful, charming village. You’ll travel along small lanes lined with traditional houses and stop to see village activities such as making cassava crackers, playing the gamelan and harvesting of local crops.

Continue with a visit to Mendut and Pawon temples, nearby Borobudur. Older than Borobudur, this pyramid-shaped temple houses three impressively carved stone statues

Return to Yogyakarta.

Dinner at leisure.

Overnight in Yogyakarta.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Yogyakarta – Jombang (250 km): 3 hours 30 minutes by train Jombang – Trowulan (20 km): 40 minutes Trowulan – Pasuruan – Puspo – Tosari/Bromo (115 km): 4 hours Trowulan – Sukapura – Ngadisari/Bromo (130 km): 4 hours 30 minutes

Early morning wakeup call at 05:30. A Breakfast box will be provided by your hotel (to be eaten on board the train).

At 06:00 this morning you will be transferred to Yogyakarta Railway station for a scenic train ride to Jombang in East Java.  

Your guide will accompany on the journey.

Note:

• Planned route is aboard Sancaka Pagi from Yogyakarta to Jombang, departing 06:45 and arriving 10:33. Schedule is subject to change without notice.

• Full name and Passport details are required to book train ticket and must be provided at the time of reservation
• The previous evening you need to bring down your main luggage to the reception before 22:00 with clear name identification. Main luggage will be transferred during the night with the driver and vehicle that will pick you up the next morning on arrival at Jombang Railway station in East Java.
• It is advisable to bring a small bag with a change and toiletry and a jersey as air conditioner in the train can be quite chilly.

Travelling by train in Java is a wonderful opportunity to meet local people and is also the best way to enjoy the volcanic landscapes of Central and East Java.

Upon arrival in Jombang, your local driver will be there to greet you.

Continue to the nearby Trowulan, the site of the former capital of the Majapahit Kingdom who ruled the island of Java for centuries. Visit the archaeological museum and the temples of Candi Bajang Ratu and Candi Tikus

From Trowulan, take lunch in a local restaurant before proceeding to Mount Bromo passing by the coastal town of Pasuruan which is located on the northeast coast of Java, before continuing by a picturesque mountain road to one of the entrance of the Bromo-Tengger National Park.

Check in at your hotel located in Tosari or Ngadisari on the edge of Tengger Caldera.  

Check-in late in the afternoon to your hotel and freshen up before dinner

Overnight in Tosari or Ngadisari near Bromo.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Ngadisari – Probolinggo – Jember (148 km): 5 hours Tosari – Probolinggo – Jember (166 km): 5 hours 30 minutes Jember – Ijen (108 km): 3 hours 30 minutes Jember – Kalibaru (52 km): 1 hour 40 minutes

Awake early this morning for a sunrise tour of Mount Bromo. You’ll travel by 4WD jeep to a viewing spot with stunning views of the Bromo volcano and surroundings. Watch the sun rise up from behind the volcano in Penanjakan.

Continue by jeep down to the volcano caldera, often still covered by mist in the early morning. The mist, combined with the grey ashen-covered ground form to create an unusual atmosphere, often compared to the surface of the moon.

A 20-minute ride on horseback will take you to a set of stairs which lead to the rim of the still-active Bromo crater.

Return by horse and jeep to your hotel in Ngadisari or Tosari for breakfast.

Note:

• Please bring warm clothes for your sunrise excursion next morning in Bromo as the temperature is low and cold
• Weekend surcharge USD 10 per person will be applied for visit to Bromo.

Check out and continue by road to Kalibaru via Probolinggo and Jember.

This is a full day of driving but through some very scenic areas.

A lunch stop will be made in a local restaurant in Jember en route as well as breaks and photo stops along the way.

You arrive in the hotel in Kalibaru for check in late afternoon.

Dinner and overnight in Kalibaru.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Kalibaru – Banyuwangi – Licin/Ijen (70 km): 2 hours 30 minutes Kalibaru – Banyuwangi – Ketapang (63 km): 2 hours 10 minutes

Today after a leisurely breakfast, enjoy in the mid-morning a 90-minute tour around the plantation garden of Margo Utomo Agro Resort in Kalibaru.

Learn about coffee as well as a large variety of spices such as nutmeg, pepper, cinnamon, cocoa and coconut. See the processes involved from cultivation to growing, harvesting and we end with tasting the finished product.

Return to your room for refreshing before check out.

After an early lunch at your hotel in Kalibaru, leave for the region of Ijen near the small town of Banyuwangi

Check in upon arrival at your hotel located either in the area of the Kawah Ijen volcano near the small village of Licin or in the coastal town of Ketapang next to Banyuwangi and opposite the island of Bali

Remainder of the day is free at leisure.

Dinner at leisure.

Overnight in your hotel in Ketapang or Ijen.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Ketapang – Banyuwangi – Paltuding Ijen base camp (38km): 1 hour 15 minutes Licin – Platuding Ijen Base camp (22 km): 45 minutes to 1 hour Ketapang harbor East Java – Gilimanuk harbor Bali (6 km): 45 minutes (by ferry) + 1 hour time difference between Java and Bali Gilimanuk – Pemuteran (32 km): 45 minutes Gilimanuk – Lovina (78km): 2 hours

Awake early this morning for an excursion to Mount Ijen. Breakfast is served at the hotel before setting off by 4WD jeep (or alternatively a breakfast box will be provided).

After a 90-minute drive, reach the Paltuding base camp (1,850m). The trek to the top is 3 kilometres and follows a wide, packed dirt pathway. At the top of Mount Ijen is a large crater lake surrounded by sulphur mines and during your walk, you will probably encounter men carrying loads of up to 70 kg, often barefooted, down the mountainside.

Upon reaching the top (2,385m) there is time to enjoy the views of the Crater Lake which is 200 meters deep and contains about 36 million cubic meters of steaming, acidic water. Witness the agility and strength of the miners as they collect and carry the sulphur blocks up to the crater rim.

Important notes:

• Local authorities only allow watching the scenery from the rim of the crater – It is strictly forbidden to walk down to the lake shore due to very toxic fumes that are escaping from the lake. Only the sulphur porters are allowed to this area.
• This trekking requires good physical condition as well as good walking shoes and some warm clothing because of the low morning temperatures.
• Mount Ijen is an active volcano therefore access is subject to volcanic activity at the time of visit: an alternative program to Kaliklatak coffee and rubber plantation will be provided if the volcano is closed during your stay.
• Weekend surcharge USD 5 per person will be applied for visit to Ijen.

Return via the same route to base camp and continue by road to Banyuwangi for a late lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, check in at the Ferry terminal in Ketapang before crossing the Bali straits to the island of Bali by local ferry for a scenic journey to Gilimanuk on Bali’s western shores.

Upon reaching Bali, you will continue by road to either Pemuteran or Lovina Beach.

Drop off at your selected hotel in Pemuteran or Lovina Beach (Accommodation not included).

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast