How to See the Sunrise at Borobudur from Yogyakarta

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Sunrise at Borobudur Temple Java Indonesia

My first stop in Indonesia on Round the World #9 welcomed me with just the kind of torrential downpour you might expect from any tropical nation’s rainy season.

It’s possible you’ve never heard of Yogyakarta (I hadn’t until a few months ago). But I’ve come here for one reason.

To see Java’s spectacular Borobudur temple.

Like Yogyakarta, you’ve probably never heard of Borobudur either. However, I suspect you’d likely recognize it in photos.

The unique temple first appeared on my radar when the Amazing Race teams went there a few years ago. When I decided to spend some time in Indonesia this year, it shot straight to the top of my priority list.

But first…

How to Get to Borobudur

Getting to Borobudur is a little tricky. It’s not really located near a major city (like, for example, Angkor Wat in Siem Reap).

However, diligent research showed that the city of Yogyakarta was the most convenient for a visit. Bonus, I was able to get a reasonable flight routing from my last stop in Borneo.

Further solidifying Yogyakarta as the base for my stay on the island of Java – direct flights from Kuala Lumpur on Air Asia and the fabulously-zen-looking Sheraton Mustika Yogyakarta Resort & Spa.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to book through these links, I receive a small commission, which I will undoubtedly blow on more flights (it’s a vicious cycle).  All of this internet voodoo takes place at no additional cost to you. 

Once I have the flights and hotel sorted, it’s time to move on to the main event.

How to See the Sunrise at Borobudur

There are two ways to see the sunrise at Borobudur.

The first is the exclusive sunrise tour offered through the Manohara Resort which is located right on the edge of the temple grounds. This is the only way to see the sunrise from the actual temple grounds.

Tip: If you stay at the Manohara Resort, your room rate includes an entrance ticket during normal opening hours (not sunrise).

Borobudur opens to the public at 6am daily, but if you want to see the sunrise, you’ll have to shell out a few extra rupiah and arrive at the Manohara Hotel no later than 4:30am.

The second way is to book an organized sunrise tour like the top-rated Borobudur Sunrise from Setumbu Hill , Merapi Volcano & Prambanan Private Full Day Tour. But the sunrise tour option includes watching the sunrise over Borobudur from Setumbu Hill.

While this is a great option, too, I ultimately decide to go for the more expensive Manohara tour.

After my magical sunrise experience at Angkor Wat on Round the World #4, I’m keen to see the sunrise views of this Indonesian beauty from the closest vantage point possible.

Read More: Sunrise at Angkor Wat

I contact the hotel to inquire about availability. Luckily, there is no limit to the number of tickets they sell daily. Any day you want to show up at 4:30am and pay the fee, you can go in.

Of course, a sunrise unobscured by clouds is never a guarantee. So I figure with two days in Yogyakarta, I have two shots at this.

Arrival in Yogyakarta

When I arrive in Yogyakarta, the weather looks iffy for the next day. It’s a gamble considering it’s a 90-minute drive from the hotel which means leaving at 3am (the only time I ever get up at 2:30am is for the Honolulu Marathon).

But I decide to go for it. I figure if I try on Day 1 and strike out with the weather, I’ll just pay the admission fee plus transportation and try again the next day. Getting up at 2:30am two days in a row is a price I’m willing to pay to see Borobudur at sunrise.

After all, I’ve come a long way!

The Sheraton suggests using one of their drivers instead of taking a taxi both ways. The cost for a full-day tour of Yogyakarta (including Borobudur) is about $75 for 10 hours. A taxi round-trip is about $50 so for the extra $25 I can have the driver take me around to all the places I want to see in Yogyakarta after sunrise.

It seems like the perfect way to maximize my limited time in the city!

Of course, when you start your tour at 3am that means your 10 hours is up at 1pm so it really amounts to a half-day tour but if the weather cooperates it should be enough.

Sunrise at Borobudur

My 2:30am wakeup call comes awfully early but I’m excited to hit the road and get a good spot for the sunrise show.

My driver is ready and waiting at 3:00am and the Sheraton was thoughtful enough to pack me a breakfast box for the drive.

At this hour, the driver says it should only take an hour to reach the temple. After an easy drive, we pull into the gates at the Manohara Hotel just after 4am.

Sunrise at Borobudur Java Indonesia
Sunrise at Borobudur

I’m surprised that there are only a handful of other people there. Sunrise at Angkor Wat was jam packed with tourists. Perhaps this will be a more civilized affair.

At 4:30am, the hotel guide hands us each a flashlight and a yellow sarong to wear (the men and the women, regardless of whether you have long pants on or not). Everyone who enters the temple has to wear a sarong.

Then he leads us a few at a time through the hotel grounds to the temple entrance gate.

The history of Borobudur

Along with Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Bagan in Myanmar, Java’s Borobudur is considered one of Asia’s “Big Three” temple experiences.

Built by the rulers of the Sailendra dynasty somewhere between AD 750 and AD 850 it must have taken a huge workforce to complete. It’s believed that the name Borobudur is derived from Sanskrit words meaning “Buddhist Monastery on the Hill.

Borobudur was abandoned for many years before the Dutch began to tackle restoration in the early 20th century. In 1973, a massive Unesco-sponsored restoration project began and in 1991 Borobudur was finally declared a World Heritage Site.

Once inside the grounds of the temple, I’m on my own.

I have a flashlight (so I’m one step ahead of my Angkor Wat experience) but again I have no idea exactly where to go. It’s pitch black outside and my tiny little flashlight beam mostly just keeps me from killing myself by tripping over a stone.

It provides little in the way of navigational advice.

I splash the beam of light across the temple structure in search of what I’ve seen in the pictures of Borobudur, the giant bell-shaped stone structures.

Nada.

Hmmm, where could they be?

Complicating matters, I don’t see any other people either so there is no one to follow.

Eventually, I deduce that it might be a good idea to start climbing the giant stone steps up the temple. Sure enough, I am rewarded with the stone bells at the very top…yay me!

If you could put “middle of the night blind temple navigation” as a skill on a resume I would definitely be qualified to list it.

There are perhaps a dozen other people milling around at the top trying to decide on the best spot so I settle in and start waiting for light. I’m encouraged by the fact that stars greatly outweigh clouds in the sky above me.

Sunrise at Borobudur Java Indonesia
Sunrise at Borobudur

About 5am, the first hues of deep pink appear in the sky and I know I’m in for something special.

The sun’s early glow illuminates the outline of the nearby volcano, Mount Merapi, peeking through the symmetrical stupa as I begin to get my first look at the structures surrounding me.

The next half hour is pure magic.

Sunrise at Borobudur Temple Java Indonesia
Sunrise views at Borobudur

The partly cloudy sky burns with an orange glow and the temple’s six square terraces come into view one by one. I wander around in a daze snapping photos and exploring every little corner of the uppermost level.

It’s an incredible experience made even better by the fact that I will get to sleep in tomorrow after all.

Borobudur sunrise checked off the Bucket List!

At 6am the gates open for the general public and they begin to trickle in clad in their blue sarongs (the yellow are only for the sunrise tour).

Borobudur Temple Java Indonesia
Borobudur Temple in the morning light

Once it gets crowded, it’s time to move on. I’ve gotten exactly what I hoped for from my morning at Borobudur and I know there is much more to see in town.

The Elusive Yellow Sarong

As I head back to the Manohara to meet my driver, I realize I’ve grown quite attached to my flashy yellow sarong and I wonder if I will get to keep it or be able to purchase one.

Borobudur Temple Yogyakarta Indonesia
Wearing the sarong I wish I still had!

My first question is answered when I’m relieved of the sarong at the entrance to the hotel. I inquire about purchasing one and I’m told it’s not possible. This seems crazy to me, it’s the perfect souvenir from my visit.

TAKE. MY. MONEY.

I think surely I can pick one up in town later today. But, as it turns out, they’re nowhere to be found. Apparently, the sarongs are exclusive to the Manohara’s sunrise tour.

Had I known this when I turned in my sarong this morning I might have made a different decision.

I’m not telling you what to do but just know that if you visit Borobudur for the sunrise tour and you like your yellow sarong, you will not be able to keep (or purchase) one. Do with that information what you will.

This is my public service announcement for today.

Touring Yogyakarta

With Borobudur happily checked off my list, we head back toward Yogyakarta to my next destination, Prambanan.

Built in the 9th century, the Hindu temple of Prambanan was severely damaged by the magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck the Yogyakarta area in 2006 killing more than 5,000 people. A large sign outside the temple entrance shows the striking before and after pictures and explains the restoration of the temple that is currently in progress.

Prambanan Yogyakarta Java Indonesia
Prambanan

As I walk around the temple grounds, I’m shocked to see men climbing near the very top of each pinnacle carefully brushing off debris with tiny brushes. They don’t seem to be harnessed to anything and I’m just sure one of them will plummet to his death while I’m there but thankfully none of them do.

After wandering in and out of a few of the structures I reconvene with my driver to decide on our next stop.

At his suggestion, we head to the hilltop archaeological ruins of Ratu Boko. Not a temple like the other sites we’ve visited, Ratu Boko is believed to have been an early settlement though its precise function is still unknown.

There isn’t as much to see here as at the first two stops but the best thing about Ratu Boko is its location on a hilltop overlooking all of Yogyakarta. The views over the town and the rice fields are absolutely gorgeous and I stop to soak it all in for a few minutes.

As I’m appreciating the view, a group of Muslim girls approach nervously asking to take a photo with me. I know this happens to a lot of tourists but I’m always amazed at how often it happens to me, especially in the more remote parts of Asia.

I’m told that many of the people visiting the historic sites in Yogyakarta are school groups from more rural parts of Java who might never have seen a tourist in person.

They’re always so sweet and shy when they approach me so of course I always say yes (and then I always hand them my camera to take a photo as well so that people believe that this happens to me).

Ratu Boko Yogyakarta Java Indonesia
Posing for photos with girls at Ratu Boko

After I get back to the car, we decide I have time for one more stop before returning to the hotel. My driver suggests the Sultan’s Palace known as the kraton.

Located in the heart of the city, this walled city is home to all of the sultans of Yogya, including the current sultan. Considered one of the best examples of Javanese palace architecture, the compound was completed in 1756 and consists of decadent halls, spacious courtyards, and numerous pavilions.

When you buy your entrance ticket to the kraton you’re assigned a guide to walk you through the grounds and explain the history. The tickets are very inexpensive compared to everything else I’ve done today and it even includes a handy guide.

The tour is fairly interesting and by the time I exit out the back of the palace it has started to rain.

Luckily, it was time to head back to the Sheraton anyway!

Despite the fact that I just had one full day in Yogyakarta, I really felt like I got to see a lot. To me, anything else after Borobudur is just a bonus but I can tell that the city of Yogyakarta really has a lot to offer.

Leaving Yogya

The next morning I enjoy a few hours of sunshine relaxing by the pool before it’s time to head back to the airport and continue my Indonesian journey on the island of Sulawesi.

My brief experience in Yogyakarta was just as perfect as I could have hoped for. If sunrise at Borobudur isn’t on your Travel Bucket List, it should be!