Photo by Eugenia Clara @fleetingst… on Unsplash
The 4-day plan, rearranged for 3 days: the best-ranked places stay, and each day keeps to one part of town.
How much walking? On foot, about 1.7 to 3.0 kilometers a day, and 127.4 kilometers by car in all across 3 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The sultan's palace, still the home of the sultan, a walled complex of pavilions, courtyards and halls where gamelan music and dance are practised. The guides are often palace staff, and the morning is the best time for the cooler air and the music.
Go when Morning, when the air is cooler and the music plays.
Local tip Cover your shoulders and knees, and ask before photographing people. Check ahead, since parts of the palace close for ceremonies.
The old capital of a Javanese sultanate, a district of narrow lanes, old wooden houses and silver workshops. Walk the lanes, look for the old mosque and the royal graves, and watch the silversmiths at work.
Go when Morning, when workshops are open.
Local tip Walk slowly through the lanes and look for the old mosque and the graves. Ask before photographing the craftsmen, and cover your shoulders and knees.
Little sweet cakes of rice flour, a Kotagede snack, with iced coconut drinks.
Local tip Try a few different snacks, and carry cash for the market stalls.
The ruins of an eighteenth-century royal pleasure garden, with bathing pools, hidden passages and a round underground mosque. Small studios around it sell and teach batik, and the lanes behind are full of murals and tiny shops.
Go when Late morning, when the light reaches the pools.
Local tip Find the round underground mosque with its crossing stairs, and wander the lanes behind. Choose a batik class that shows you the wax and dye steps and lets you make a piece.
The old market of the city, with floors of batik cloth, herbs, snacks and household goods. A noisy, colourful place to learn the patterns and to practise a polite haggle.
Go when Afternoon, when the market is lively.
Local tip Ask the price, smile and offer less. Handmade batik has uneven lines, and printed cloth has an even pattern, so ask which you are holding.
The long shopping street that runs north from the market, busiest at dusk, with food stalls, street musicians and mats laid out for late suppers. Keep your bag close and walk slowly.
Go when Evening, when the stalls fill the pavement.
Local tip Walk the length once, then sit on a mat for supper. Keep your bag in front of you, and agree the price of a pedicab before you get in.
A museum of Javanese art and craft, with masks, puppets and textiles. Shadow puppet shows, called wayang kulit, are often held in the evening, so check ahead on the programme.
Go when Evening, for a shadow puppet show if one is on.
Local tip Check ahead on the evening programme and arrive early for a seat. The show is long, so you can leave when you wish.
A white monument at the north end of the city's main axis, which runs south to the palace and on to the sea. The axis is a World Heritage site, and this is a good place to see the streets come alive at dusk.
Go when Dusk, as the street lights come on.
Local tip A small white monument in the middle of a busy junction. Try a glass of charcoal coffee at a stall nearby, a local favorite.
Skewers of chicken or goat grilled over charcoal, with peanut sauce, rice cakes and sweet tea, eaten on a mat at the edge of the street.
Local tip Sit on a mat, agree the price first, and expect to sit for a while.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A compound of tall ninth-century Hindu temples, with slender towers carved with stories from the epics. It was damaged by earthquakes and has been rebuilt with care. Go in the morning, before the heat.
Go when Morning, before the heat and the groups.
Local tip Go early for the shade of the towers. In the dry months a retelling of the Ramayana is danced on a stage in the evening, so check ahead. Dress modestly.
A Buddhist temple with three large stone figures inside, a seated Buddha and two attendants, calm and worn by age. It is the start of the procession that walks to Borobudur once a year at the festival of Vesak.
Go when Afternoon, with soft light inside.
Local tip Look at the three large figures. Cover your shoulders and knees, and be quiet, since it is still a place of worship.
A scoop of rice with vegetables, tempeh, egg and sambal, chosen from the dishes on display.
Local tip Point at what you want. Sambal is hot, so try it on the side.
The ruins of a palace on a hill above Prambanan, with gates, terraces and bathing pools. Visitors come for the sunset over the temples and the plain, so go in time to find a spot.
Go when Late afternoon, for the sunset over the plain.
Local tip Arrive early to find a spot, and bring water. The ground is uneven, and the paths are partly in the sun.
A bowl of noodles with vegetables and egg, or a plate of grilled fish, after the sun goes down.
Local tip Eat early, since the road back to town is dark.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A ninth-century Buddhist monument of stacked platforms and stupas, with long walls of carved reliefs that tell the Buddha's story. It rises from the plain, and the first light is the reason to start before dawn. Access to the upper levels has been limited in recent years, so check ahead.
Go when Sunrise, for the soft light and the mist.
Local tip Rules on visitor numbers, footwear and guides have changed, so check ahead and book early. Wear a layer and shoes you can take off, and be quiet, since it is a place of worship.
A small Buddhist temple of the same age, between Borobudur and Mendut on a straight line. A compact, carved building in a village garden, quiet and easy to enjoy.
Go when Late morning, on the road back.
Local tip A small and quiet temple. Take your shoes off when asked, and sit for a moment in the garden.
It covers 3 days in Yogyakarta, planned for may to September. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
On foot, about 1.7 to 3.0 kilometers a day, and 127.4 kilometers by car in all across 3 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Make it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated November 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
7 days in Bali: Ubud and the south coastAbout 540 km away
_-_img_06.jpg){kind=link}
_-_img_01.jpg){kind=link}
_-_img_01.jpg){kind=link}