How To Visit Prambanan Temple – Budget Travel In Indonesia

Visit Prambanan Temple, Indonesia to experience a 9th century Hindu temple located on the edge of Yogyakarta city. Along with Borobudur Temple, it is one of the main reasons tourists visit Yogyakarta.

We had booked 5 nights in Yogyakarta in order to give us enough time to visit both temples, explore the city and enjoy some relaxation. We had seen reports that it was possible to visit both temples in one day but, as we had no need to rush, we allocated a day to each temple. In hindsight, this was a good idea. Visiting both temples in one day would, I feel, be exhausting.

How To Get To Prambanan Temple From Yogyakarta By Bus

We decided to visit the temple of Prambanan first. This is the nearest of the two temples and can be reached easily by public transport. We had seen tour operators selling trips for 150K (this will not include the admission to the temple). Public bus cost just 3,500K.

At the bottom of Malioboro Street, just around the corner from the Dutch fort, you will find a bus stop (map). From here, you can take the 1A bus. This will take you directly to the temple. The journey takes around 45 minutes.

Prambanan Temple Entrance Fee

We bought a combo ticket for Borobudur and Prambanan for 630k (just over £30). Buying a combined ticket saves you money but you have to visit the temples on consecutive days. You cannot use the combination ticket to visit the temples during the sunrise/sunset hours.

After a complimentary welcome drink, we headed towards the main temple complex. Within just a few minutes, the temple became visible.

As I approached the temple, I was surprised at how much of the temple was still in ruins. A massive earthquake destroyed the temple in the 16th century and restoration did not begin until 1930 and it still goes on today.

You are allowed to get right inside the temples and they are no less impressive up close where you can see how much carving went into each piece of stone.

We spent around half an hour exploring the site before moving on to look at the other temple remains.

Cycling In Prambanan Temple

After leaving the main temple site, we came across a bike rental. Bikes were just 10,000 IDR and this seemed a good way to get around the park. Bikes can only be rented for 30 minutes but this is just enough time to cycle to the other temples and then back again.

Sewu Temple

To the north of the complex is Sewu temple. This is actually a Buddhist temple and only Borobudur is larger in Indonesia. This was quieter than Prambanan; we had the whole site to ourselves.

Archery In Prambanan

There are some other activities to do in the grounds. We skipped the audio & visual presentation and also the bicycle drifting but we had to have a go at the archery. For just 20,000 IDR, you get 12 arrows to shoot at a target. After a briefing, we lined up our arrows for the first time. We both hit the target most of the time, but Joanna was the only one to hit a bullseye!

We also visited a small animal enclosure where we got up close to some deer and birds.

Is Prambanan Temple Worth Visiting?

Yes, it was expensive and we did explore the whole temple in under 30 minutes, but I would still recommend a visit. Take your time walking around the whole site as the grounds are very peaceful and well maintained.

As previously mentioned, I would spend a day at each temple rather than trying to visit Prambanan and Borobudur in one day. That would involve mostly travelling and not much time spent at the temple. But if time is short, it is definitely doable. Ask your hostel for information.