Kota Tua — “old town” — is what remains of Batavia, the walled port city the Dutch East India Company (VOC) built from 1619 as the capital of its Asian trading empire. Its heart is Fatahillah Square (Taman Fatahillah), a cobbled plaza in front of the former city hall, surrounded by colonial buildings that now hold museums and cafés.
After decades of neglect the area has been steadily restored. The streets around the square are closed to traffic, there are buskers and living statues, and you can hire a pastel-coloured bicycle complete with a matching sun hat. It is touristy in the nicest way: most of the tourists are Indonesian.
Top things to do at Kota Tua (Old Batavia)
Visit the Jakarta History Museum
The former Stadhuis, completed in 1710, was Batavia’s city hall, court and — in the cellars — its prison. Today it displays furniture, maps and relics of the colonial town. The building itself, with its shuttered windows and cupola, is the main exhibit.
See the Wayang Museum
On the west side of the square, a collection of Indonesian puppets: flat leather wayang kulit shadow puppets, carved wooden wayang golek and puppets from other countries. Short performances are sometimes held at weekends.
Have a drink at Café Batavia
The best-known address on the square occupies a nineteenth-century building with a teak-panelled upstairs dining room, walls of framed photographs and windows looking down on the plaza. It is pricier than the street stalls, and worth it for the room.
Explore the banks and the canal
Two grand former bank headquarters near the station are now the Bank Indonesia Museum and the Mandiri Museum, both air-conditioned and surprisingly engaging. North of the square, walk along the Kali Besar canal past the red-brick Toko Merah (1730) to the old Dutch drawbridge, Jembatan Kota Intan.
Continue to the harbour or Chinatown
Sunda Kelapa is about 1.5 km north and Glodok about 1 km south. A guided old-town tour strings all three together, often with a short ride in a three-wheeled bajaj.
How to get to Kota Tua (Old Batavia)
- By TransJakarta: Corridor 1 from Blok M, Sudirman and Thamrin ends at Kota, a few minutes’ walk from the square.
- By commuter train: KRL trains terminate at Jakarta Kota station, a handsome art deco building of 1929, 300 metres from the square.
- By MRT: not yet — the northern extension to Kota is under construction.
- By taxi or ride-hailing: 20–45 minutes from Thamrin depending on traffic; ask for “Kota Tua” or “Museum Fatahillah”.
Insider tips
- The museums around the square are usually closed on Mondays and charge small entrance fees, typically paid by prepaid card.
- Come from about 3 pm: the light is softer, the square fills with people and the heat eases. Midday is punishing.
- Weekends are festive but crowded; weekday mornings are quiet.
- Keep an eye on your phone and bag in the crowd, and agree bicycle-hire prices before you ride.
Best tours & tickets for Kota Tua (Old Batavia)
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Kota Tua (Old Batavia):
Private heritage tour from €54 Jakarta City Tour with Heritage of Old Batavia and Museum
A private tour of the north: the old town and its history museum, Glodok, a puppet studio and Sunda Kelapa, with a short ride in a three-wheeled bajaj.
- Old Town, Chinatown and the old harbour
- A puppet studio and the Fatahillah Museum
- A short tuk-tuk (bajaj) ride
City tour from €41 Jakarta: Half-Day Highlights Tour
Five efficient hours: the monuments of the centre, the buildings of old Batavia, a look at how wayang puppets are made and a finish among the schooners of Sunda Kelapa.
- National Monument, Istiqlal Mosque and the cathedral
- Old Batavia’s buildings and a puppet-maker
- Ends at Sunda Kelapa harbour
City tour from €57 Jakarta: Capital City Highlights with Canal Boat Tour
A six-hour tour that contrasts the modern city with old Jakarta and adds a boat ride — a different angle on the capital, with a meal included.
- Modern Jakarta and the old part of the city
- A boat ride for a local perspective
- Lunch included; private or small group
