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How many days in Jakarta? 3 days, from old Batavia to the Thousand Islands
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Jakarta is a metropolis of more than 30 million people across its wider region, with traffic to match, and many travellers only change planes here. Give it three days and plan around the new MRT and the TransJakarta busways: one day in the Dutch-era port of Kota Tua and Glodok, one around Merdeka Square and its monuments, and one at sea in the Thousand Islands. Start early: by 10:00 the heat and the roads both build up.
Short answer
Two days covers the old town, Chinatown and the national monuments. A third day gets you out of the city to the islands of the bay or the botanical gardens of Bogor.
The 3-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Kota Tua, Sunda Kelapa and Glodok
Morning. Start at Fatahillah Square in Kota Tua, the old Dutch city of Batavia, with the 1710 Jakarta History Museum in the former town hall (tickets around Rp15,000). Next door are the Wayang Museum of shadow puppets and the Fine Art and Ceramics Museum.
Afternoon. Take a Grab or bajaj 10 minutes to Sunda Kelapa, the old harbour where wooden pinisi schooners from Sulawesi still unload cargo by hand. The nearby Maritime Museum sits in VOC warehouses from the 1650s.
Evening. Walk into Glodok, Jakarta's Chinatown, and the lanes of Petak Sembilan with the incense-filled Vihara Dharma Bhakti temple. Eat at the stalls of Gang Gloria, where a bowl of noodles or a plate of rice with roast meat costs about Rp30,000-50,000.
Have a drink at Café Batavia on Fatahillah Square, in a 19th-century building with teak floors; its prices are high for Jakarta but the room is the attraction.
Day 2: Monas, Istiqlal and the cathedral
Morning. Be at Monas, the 132-metre National Monument in Merdeka Square, at opening (about 8:00; a few tens of thousands of rupiah, more for the top). The lift goes to an observation deck; queues grow after 9:30.
Afternoon. Walk 15 minutes to Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in South-East Asia, which offers free guided tours for visitors; dress modestly and borrow a robe if needed. Opposite stands the neo-Gothic Jakarta Cathedral, linked by an underground Tunnel of Friendship.
Evening. Go to Jalan Sabang and Menteng for street food: sate kambing (goat satay), nasi goreng and martabak, Rp25,000-60,000 a dish. Later, try a rooftop bar in SCBD.
The National Museum (Museum Gajah) west of Merdeka Square has Hindu-Buddhist statues and ethnographic collections; part of it was damaged by fire in 2023, so check which galleries are open.
Day 3: Thousand Islands day trip
Morning. Take a speedboat from Marina Ancol at about 7:00-8:00 into Kepulauan Seribu, the Thousand Islands. Boats reach Pulau Pari or Pulau Tidung in about 1-2 hours; full-day trips with snorkelling cost about Rp500,000-1,000,000.
Afternoon. Snorkel over the reefs, or on a heritage tour visit Onrust and Kelor islands, with the ruins of a Dutch shipyard, a quarantine camp and an 18th-century fort.
Evening. Back in Ancol by about 16:00-17:00, then eat seafood in Pantai Indah Kapuk, where whole grilled fish and crab cost Rp150,000-300,000 for two.
For Bogor instead, the KRL commuter train from Juanda or Manggarai takes about 1-1.5 hours (under Rp10,000). The Bogor Botanical Gardens, founded in 1817, cover 87 hectares.
Only have 2 days?
With 2 days, do Days 1 and 2. If you are on a short stopover, take the airport train in, see Kota Tua and Monas, and eat in Menteng before heading back.
Got extra days?
Add Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, a park of houses from every province; the shopping malls and night markets of Blok M; or continue to Bandung, about 45 minutes on the Whoosh high-speed train, for volcanoes and tea plantations.
Where to stay in Jakarta
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Jalan Jaksa / Sabang | Guesthouses and cheap hotels, close to Monas and street food. | Rp300,000-600,000 |
| Mid-range | Menteng | Leafy colonial district, near the MRT and the old sights. | Rp700,000-1,300,000 |
| Mid-range | Blok M | MRT terminus, food streets and malls, cheaper rooms. | Rp600,000-1,100,000 |
| Comfort | Thamrin / Sudirman / SCBD | International hotels on the main MRT line, rooftop bars. | Rp1,800,000-4,000,000 |
Getting around
The MRT line runs north-south from Lebak Bulus to Bundaran HI (fares about Rp3,000-14,000) and is clean, cool and fast. TransJakarta buses run in dedicated lanes for a flat Rp3,500. Pay with a contactless e-money card. Grab and Gojek cars and motorbike taxis are cheap; ojek rides of 5 km cost about Rp20,000-30,000. From Soekarno-Hatta airport, the airport train to BNI City takes about 45-55 minutes. A Bluebird metered taxi from the airport to Menteng costs roughly Rp200,000-300,000 including tolls, and can take 45 minutes or two hours depending on traffic.
What to eat in Jakarta
Jakarta draws food from across the archipelago. Try soto Betawi, the local beef soup in coconut milk; kerak telor, a spiced egg-and-rice omelette cooked over charcoal near Monas and Kota Tua; ketoprak (tofu and rice cake in peanut sauce); and nasi uduk, coconut rice for breakfast. Padang restaurants lay dozens of dishes on the table and charge only for what you eat. A street meal costs Rp20,000-50,000; a good restaurant dinner Rp150,000-300,000. Drink iced es teh or es kopi susu from the cafés.
Best time to visit
May to September is the drier season, with fewer downpours; temperatures stay around 30-34°C all year. December to February is the wettest, when flooding can close roads. During Ramadan many restaurants are quieter by day, and after it, at Lebaran (Eid), the city empties as millions go home: roads are calm, but transport out of town is sold out.
Month-by-month weather for Jakarta →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | Rp200,000 | Rp500,000 | Rp1,400,000 |
| Food & drink | Rp150,000 | Rp350,000 | Rp800,000 |
| Sights & tickets | Rp50,000 | Rp200,000 | Rp500,000 |
| Local transport | Rp50,000 | Rp150,000 | Rp350,000 |
| Total per person, per day | about Rp450,000 | about Rp1,200,000 | about Rp3,050,000 |
Approximate 2026 prices in Indonesian rupiah; the Thousand Islands day adds about Rp500,000-1,000,000. Hotels often add about 10% tax and 11% service on top of the quoted rate.
Before you go
Common questions
Is Jakarta worth visiting?
For two or three days, yes, if you plan around traffic. Kota Tua, the harbour schooners, Glodok and the food are worth seeing, and the city is the best place to understand modern Indonesia. Use the MRT and motorbike taxis instead of cars at rush hour, and you will see far more than most visitors expect.
How bad is the traffic?
Very bad at rush hour, roughly 7:00-10:00 and 16:00-20:00, when 10 km can take an hour by car. Jakarta uses an odd-even number plate system on main roads. The MRT, TransJakarta and Gojek or Grab motorbikes are the fastest options, and Sunday mornings are car-free on Sudirman and Thamrin.
Is Jakarta safe?
Generally yes. The main risks are petty theft in crowds, on buses and trains, and road accidents. Use app taxis rather than flagging unmarked cars, keep your phone away from the kerb when motorbikes pass, and avoid walking alone in quiet areas very late. Women-only carriages run on the commuter trains.
What should I wear at Istiqlal Mosque?
Cover shoulders and knees; women should bring a scarf, though robes are available. Remove your shoes at the entrance and keep them in a bag provided. Visits are not possible during the main Friday prayers. A guide usually accompanies foreign visitors and a small donation is welcome.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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