Most people would not know Magelang but once Borobudur temple is mentioned, people would only recognize this city. Magelang is a city located an hour drive from Yogyakarta, one of the most famous tourist destinations in Indonesia. Often tour providers include Borobudur into the Yogyakarta itinerary but what if I told you that you potentially are missing out on interesting scenic paddy fields and tranquility that the city has to offer. This itinerary and travel guide is for you who wants to discover more of this city on your own and with a budget. But first of all, make sure that you spare a day or two in Yogyakarta and Magelang because simply, one day is not enough!
Best Time To Visit
The best time to visit Yogyakarta and Magelang is during May to Early October when it is not raining frequently. It will be quite disappointing if you can’t experience these places. So make sure to note the best time to visit these places.
Getting Around
First of all, there are two options that you can choose to do this trip.The first option is staying nearby Borobudur temple by booking a hostel or homestay nearby and renting a motorbike there. If you start the journey from Yogyakarta, you can book a Grab car from Yogyakarta to Magelang for 10$ one way.
I recommend the second option for more experienced travelers, which is renting a motorbike from Yogyakarta and starting the journey at 4 AM to the first point of attraction, Punthuk Setumbu. The cost of renting a motorbike varies and starts from 60.000IDR or equivalent of 4.21$. Grab service is also quite easy around the area, so getting around will not be an issue.
I completed this journey in a week but I learned that we can do it in a day.So today, I am squeezing all the places that I have visited recently that are worth visiting. Hopefully, if you are checking out Borobudur, you can also remember this blog and visit some places mentioned in this itinerary to make the most out of your visit.
The Dawn
Experience the sunrise coming from the horizon illuminating the majestic borobudur temple. With a little hike to punthuk setumbu, you will be mesmerized by its magical and scenic views. Seeing the sunrise from this point is another option if you travel with a budget but still want to experience a magical sunrise with Borobudur temple in the background. Instead of paying 50$ you can pay 1.40$ or equivalent of 20.000 to see the sunrise from Punthuk Setumbu point. Since you are going to see the sunrise, it is advisable to go before 5 AM. If you are looking for simple breakfast, in this place there are sellers of Indonesian snacks, light meals, and even Indonesian selections of breakfast at a reasonable price starting from 10.000IDR or equivalent of 0.70$. Depending on how you eat, you can spend less than 2$ for having breakfast here.
Getting Around : You can either start from Yogyakarta and rent a motorbike or straightly go to Magelang and use local transportation like Ojek or grab to get around
Time : starts from 4 AM
Entrance Fee : 1.40$ or equivalent of 20.000 IDR
Transportation : Rent a motorbike or use grab service
Total Spending Estimation based on entrance fee and food estimation : 3.51$ = 50.000IDR (price does not include motorbike rent and/ the hotel you’re staying).
Starting Your Temple Journey
As you get down from Punthuk Setumbu, you can start the temple journey from Candi Mendut. This Temple at the moment doesn’t have an entrance fee. You can simply check out the place from outside the gates and sit down for a while rejuvenating and collecting energy after the hike. In this place, you can find fresh coconut sellers that sell it for 10.000IDR. But if you are not local, expect to pay a bit more.
Getting Around : From Punthuk Setumbu, Get down and go back to the road sign that says borobudur. From this on, you can simply follow the road to exit the Borobudur area. For more convenience, you can simply follow the google map, it’s quite reliable for this area.
Time : Starts from 9 AM
Entrance Fee : Free at the moment due to covid-19, subject to change but expect to pay 35.000 IDR if you are foreigner and around 10.000IDR for locals.
Transportation : Motorbike or and accessible by Grab Car
Total Spending Estimation based on entrance fee and food estimation : 3.51$ = 50.000IDR (price does not include motorbike rent and/ Grab Car from Punthuk Setumbu to This area).
Move Closer to The Gate to Nirvana From Pawon Temple
Though it may feel like you are going back to the same place again, I recommend visiting with this sequence as Candi pawon is considered as the gate to Borobudur. So, to make the most of your trip to be magical and one-of-a-kind, I’d suggest following this trail.
Getting Around : From Candi Mendut, take left and go straight to borobudur complex. Again, follow the google map for more convenience. This temple is much closer from Mendut and about a 10 minutes ride from Borobudur. Since this is a small temple, for now it’s free and you don’t need to spend anything.
Time : Starts from 10 AM
Entrance Fee : Free at the moment due to covid-19, subject to change but expect to pay 35.000 IDR if you are foreigner and around 10.000IDR for locals.
Transportation : Motorbike or and accessible by Grab Car
Total Spending Estimation based on entrance fee and food estimation : free to 2.14$ (price does not include motorbike rent and/ Grab Car from Candi Mendut to This area).
Exploring The majestic Borobudur Temple
Is it worth paying around 35$ to see this place? Yes, it’s totally worth it. You are going to witness one of the oldest buildings humans ever made. This intricate building will awe you with its history and its complexity. Not to mention, you are also visiting a place that was once the worlds’ 7 wonders.
In this place it can get quite hot so wear a hat or apply sunscreen before visiting this temple. Since you are not allowed to bring water inside the complex, you can simply bring reusable bottles to the temple as there will be drinkable water inside the temple.
If you bring a motorbike, you are parking it outside the temple around the local’s houses with fees of 5.000IDR. But for cars, it can be parked inside the temple. This is the place where you’d be spending most money, especially on the entrance fee.
Time : Starts from 10:10 AM to 12 PM
Entrance Fee : Subject to change but expect to pay 50.000 / 3.51$ IDR if you are a domestic tourist and around 350.000IDR or at current rate 24$ if you are a foreigner. If you show your student card, you get discounts too.
Transportation : Motorbike or and accessible by Grab Car
Total Spending Estimation based on entrance fee and food estimation : 6$ for Indonesian citizens and around 30$ for international travelers.
Eating Local’s Cuisine At Kampung Kali
Your trip won’t be complete without enjoying and savoring the local’s cuisine. Since there are many rivers in magelang, riverside eateries are quite common in this area. One place that I visited was called Kampung Kali which offers a simple local menu at a fair price. In this place, you can dine next to a river or even next to a small fish pond. The meal in this place is going to give you more energy to continue and complete your journey. You can expect to spend as low as 2$ and it already includes a meal and a drink. You can also get a small portion of fruit or a small snack with that much money.
Time : Starts from 1 PM to 2PM
Entrance Fee : none
Transportation : Motorbike or and accessible by Grab Car
Total spending estimation : 2$/person includes drinks.
Lounging And Enjoying The Afternoon At Kopi_Mpat
To refresh your mind and spend the rest of the day, you can visit Kopi_Mpat. To visit this place, please book in advance by contacting one of the Whatsapp numbers that is available on their instagram page. You will not regret visiting this place as it has the most scenic paddy field and the view of Menoreh hills. While drinking either tea or coffee and snacking on local cuisine, you will be accompanied by chatter of the bugs and you can even feed the fishes in one of the ponds of this place. Not to mention, you can walk through the rice fields and wait until the sunset sets. This is the place where you can wind down, turn off your phone and just soak up the moment. If you love taking selfies, this place is also perfect to take instagrammable selfies and pictures.
Time : Starts from 3 PM to 5PM
Entrance Fee : none but book in advance
Transportation : Motorbike or and accessible by Grab Car
Total spending estimation : 4-7$/person
So that’s it! The best way to start the day and end the day in Magelang on a budget. You can expect to spend less than 100$ exploring this area in a day trip.
Here’s the table of this place with estimation of the most expensive price(International Travelers).
Note :
I am using the most expensive estimation of the temple and the lodging along with the transportation. You can definitely lower these prices as you see fit. If you go with motorbike it is definitely cheaper but I’d only recommend it if you are comfortable driving around with a scooter in Asia’s traffic. If not, it is better to just use the Grab service or similar rental services that come with the driver. Grab has this option too. The hotels are also something you can lower down as in Borobudur area there are many cheap stays starting from 100.000IDR if you just want to catch the sunrise and leave after the sunset.
Lastly, to get to know these places better, you can see my pinmapple profile where you can read these places individually to give you a better picture of the places that I recommend on this trip.
Hope you enjoy these recommendations and this itinerary guide!
Mac's Pinmapple Travel List
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 | Mac is a jack of all trades. A typical introvert in love with literature, books, technology and philosophy. She is also so into nootropics, productivity, minimalist lifestyle, cybersecurity, and languages. Other than that, she is passionate about cooking and traveling. In her free time, she enjoys learning various things. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, leave a comment or a feedback. A re-blog is also appreciated. |