Jakarta’s sights fall into four clusters. The centre holds the monuments of independent Indonesia around Merdeka Square. The north is old Batavia: the Dutch town hall square, Chinatown and the schooner harbour. The south and east have the big green family attractions. And beyond the city are the Thousand Islands, Bogor’s botanical gardens and Bandung. Plan one cluster per day and you will spend your time sightseeing rather than sitting in traffic.
Things to Do in Jakarta & Around
Thirteen places, from the national monument to coral islands and volcano country.
Central Jakarta
Central Jakarta Monas (National Monument)
The 132-metre obelisk at the heart of the capital
A marble obelisk crowned with a gold-coated flame, standing in the middle of Merdeka Square. Ride the lift to the observation deck for the best view of the city, then visit the history dioramas in the base.
Central Jakarta Istiqlal Mosque & Jakarta Cathedral
Southeast Asia’s largest mosque, facing a neo-Gothic cathedral
The national mosque and the Catholic cathedral stand opposite each other across a single street, linked since 2021 by an underground “Tunnel of Friendship”. Together they are the city’s most telling stop — and both welcome visitors.
Central Jakarta National Museum of Indonesia
The “Elephant Museum” — the country’s finest collection
Indonesia’s oldest and most important museum, on the west side of Merdeka Square: Hindu-Buddhist sculpture, gold treasures, ethnographic collections from across the archipelago and prehistoric finds, in a building that dates from 1868.
Old Batavia & the north coast
Old Batavia & the north coast Kota Tua (Old Batavia)
The Dutch East India Company’s town, around Fatahillah Square
Jakarta’s old town: a cobbled square ringed by the former city hall, museums in colonial buildings, Café Batavia and rows of brightly painted bicycles for hire. The most walkable, photogenic corner of the city.
Old Batavia & the north coast Sunda Kelapa Harbour
Wooden schooners on the quay where Jakarta began
The city’s original port, still lined with hand-built pinisi cargo schooners loading by gangplank for the outer islands. Nearby, the Maritime Museum fills the Dutch East India Company’s old spice warehouses.
Old Batavia & the north coast Glodok (Chinatown)
Temples, market lanes and Chinese-Indonesian food
Jakarta’s Chinatown lies just south of the old town. Petak Sembilan market leads to the city’s oldest Chinese temple; side alleys hide old coffee shops, herbalists and some of the best breakfasts in Jakarta.
Old Batavia & the north coast Ancol & Dufan
Jakarta’s seaside playground
A large waterfront recreation area on the north coast: the Dunia Fantasi (Dufan) theme park, an aquarium, a water park, a beach promenade and seafood restaurants — plus the marina where Thousand Islands speedboats depart.
South & East Jakarta
South & East Jakarta Taman Mini Indonesia Indah
The whole archipelago in one park
A vast culture park in East Jakarta with full-size traditional houses from every Indonesian province, museums, gardens, a lake shaped like the archipelago and a cable car above it all. Recently renovated and largely car-free inside.
South & East Jakarta Ragunan Zoo
A huge, shady zoo in South Jakarta
One of the oldest zoos in the region — founded in 1864 and moved here in 1966 — spread across a forested park of around 147 hectares. Come for Indonesian wildlife such as Komodo dragons, orangutans and Sumatran tigers, and for the Schmutzer Primate Centre.
South & East Jakarta Setu Babakan (Betawi Cultural Village)
Where Jakarta’s own Betawi culture is kept alive
A lakeside neighbourhood in the far south of the city set aside to preserve the culture of the Betawi, Jakarta’s indigenous people: traditional houses, weekend performances and the best place to try kerak telor and bir pletok.
Islands & day trips
Islands & day trips Thousand Islands (Kepulauan Seribu)
Coral islands in the Java Sea, an hour or two from the city
A chain of around a hundred small islands stretching north from Jakarta Bay — not a thousand, despite the name. Day-trippers and weekenders go for white sand, snorkelling and simple resorts; the further north you go, the clearer the water.
Islands & day trips Bogor Botanical Gardens
An 87-hectare garden founded in 1817
One of the oldest botanical gardens in Asia, in the cooler hill city of Bogor about 60 km south of Jakarta. Giant trees, palms, orchids and lily ponds surround a presidential palace with deer on its lawns. An easy day trip by commuter train.
Islands & day trips Bandung by Whoosh
Volcano craters and tea hills, 45 minutes by high-speed train
West Java’s highland capital, cool and green, with art deco streets and a rim of volcanoes. Since 2023 the Whoosh high-speed railway has made it a realistic day trip: craters, hot springs and tea plantations, and back to Jakarta by evening.
A sensible three-day plan: Day one, Monas early, then the National Museum, the Istiqlal Mosque and the cathedral, with dinner on Jalan Sabang. Day two, Kota Tua’s museums, lunch in Glodok and Sunda Kelapa in the late afternoon light. Day three, leave town — a boat to the Thousand Islands, the train to Bogor, or Whoosh to Bandung. Most museums close on Mondays, so check before you fix the order.
Plan your Jakarta days
Turn a stopover in Jakarta into a highlight of your Indonesia trip
Ride the lift up Monas, walk from the Istiqlal Mosque to the cathedral, eat your way through Glodok and Blok M, and escape to the Thousand Islands or the tea hills near Bandung. Compare the best-rated experiences and book in a couple of taps.