Bali and Java Explorer — Self-Launched
12 days · Indonesia (Java & Bali)
G Adventures charges £1,750
No-markup version: ~£1,150 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 12-day, self-launched version of G Adventures' "Bali and Java Explorer" (trip code AEBE), running Yogyakarta to Sanur. You cover the same ground — Borobudur, Prambanan, Solo's royal palace, the Mount Lawu temples, colonial Malang, the Mount Bromo sunrise, then Ubud's cooking class, Tirta Empul, Gunung Kawi, Kintamani and south Bali's beaches and Uluwatu — but you book it yourself, stay in hostels and family-run guesthouses, use trains, buses and share jeeps with other travellers, and take a cheap domestic flight across to Bali. Temples, jeeps and cooking classes are all bookable direct or via Klook/GetYourGuide. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights; Indonesia is very cheap once you're there, so this is a big saving against the operator's comfort-hotel, minivan-and-guide version.
Day-by-day
Arrive Yogyakarta — settle into the backpacker quarter
Yogyakarta, Java
Fly into Yogyakarta (YIA) and take the Damri or Trans Jogja airport bus into town (~£2) or a Grab car (~£7). Base yourself around Sosrowijayan or Prawirotaman, the two backpacker guesthouse strips. Spend the evening wandering Malioboro street for street food — gudeg, sate klathak, angringan — and get your bearings. Buy a local SIM at the airport or a convenience store (~£4 for 20GB).
🚌Airport bus ~£2 or Grab ~£7
🛏Guesthouse or hostel private room, Sosrowijayan/Prawirotaman (~£12-16/night)
- →Malioboro street food walk
- →Sort local SIM and cash (ATMs plentiful)
Yogyakarta by becak — kraton, Taman Sari and workshops
Yogyakarta, Java
Hire a cycle-rickshaw (becak) driver for a couple of hours (agree a price, ~£6-8 for 2-3 hrs) and tour the Sultan's Palace (Kraton, ~£1), the Taman Sari Water Castle (~£1) and the batik and wayang kulit puppet workshops in the surrounding kampungs — you can buy direct from the artisans. In the evening, catch a shadow puppet (wayang kulit) show at the Sono Budoyo museum or a Ramayana dance performance at Prambanan or the kraton (~£3-5 direct booking).
🚌Becak ~£7 for the afternoon; walking elsewhere
🛏Guesthouse or hostel private room (~£12-16/night)
- →Kraton (Sultan's Palace) entry ~£1
- →Taman Sari Water Castle ~£1
- →Batik workshop visit
- →Wayang kulit shadow puppet show ~£3-5
Borobudur at sunrise
Yogyakarta / Borobudur, Java
Book a shared sunrise transfer (many guesthouses arrange it, ~£10-12 return, leaving ~4:30am) to Borobudur temple complex. Sunrise entry is pricier than standard (~£25 vs ~£15 for the normal ticket — check the official Borobudur Conservation site or Klook for current pricing; the temple climb requires a timed ticket). Alternatively take a public bus to Borobudur village and walk in. Back in Yogya by early afternoon — nap, then explore Kota Gede's silver workshops or the Sonobudoyo museum.
🚌Shared sunrise transfer or public bus ~£4-12 return
🛏Guesthouse or hostel private room (~£12-16/night)
- →Borobudur sunrise entry ~£25
- →Horse cart ride around Borobudur village ~£3
- →Kota Gede silver workshops (optional)
Prambanan, then train to Solo (Surakarta)
Prambanan & Surakarta, Java
Take a Trans Jogja bus or Grab to Prambanan (~£4 return) and spend the morning at Java's largest Hindu temple complex (~£15 entry). Return to Yogya, then catch an afternoon economy train to Solo/Surakarta — the Prameks or Sribilah service takes ~1 hr and costs ~£2-3 (book on the KAI Access app or at the station). Check into a guesthouse near Jalan Slamet Riyadi.
🚌Local bus/Grab to Prambanan ~£4; train Yogyakarta–Solo ~£3
🛏Guesthouse in Solo, Slamet Riyadi area (~£10-14/night)
- →Prambanan temple complex ~£15
- →Evening walk on Slamet Riyadi
Mangkunegaran Palace and the Mount Lawu temples
Surakarta, Java
Morning at the Mangkunegaran Palace (~£2) — the Javanese-European hybrid royal residence. Then hire a driver for the day (~£25-30, split with travellers from your guesthouse) up the slopes of Mount Lawu to Candi Cetho and Candi Sukuh, the eerie 15th-century mountain temples (~£1 each). Ask your driver to stop at the Batik Museum on the way back, or visit Solo's batik market, Pasar Klewer, instead. Evening: Solo's famous night food stalls — try nasi liwet.
🚌Hired car and driver for Mount Lawu ~£27 split between 2-4 travellers
🛏Guesthouse in Solo (~£10-14/night)
- →Mangkunegaran Palace ~£2
- →Candi Cetho & Candi Sukuh temples ~£2
- →Pasar Klewer batik market
Overland to colonial Malang
Malang, East Java
Travel Solo to Malang by train (several daily services, ~5 hrs, ~£7-9 in economy — book on KAI Access) or by bus (~£6). Malang is a cool, leafy Dutch colonial town — base yourself around Jalan Soekarno-Hatta or the Ijen Boulevard area. Afternoon wander past the colonial villas and the colourful Jodipan (Rainbow) village (~£1), then eat at one of Malang's legendary bakso or rawon stalls.
🚌Train Solo–Malang ~£8
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Malang (~£12-16/night)
- →Jodipan Rainbow Village ~£1
- →Colonial architecture walk
Mount Bromo sunrise by shared jeep
Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, Java
Book a shared Bromo sunrise jeep tour through your guesthouse or Klook/GetYourGuide the day before (~£22-30 per person including park entry and jeep, with a midnight or 2am pickup). You climb to the Penanjakan viewpoint for sunrise over the Tengger caldera, then the jeep drops you at the Sea of Sand for the hike up Bromo's crater rim (~30 min, steep steps). Back in Malang by late morning — sleep, then a gentle afternoon.
🚌Shared 4WD jeep tour ~£25 incl. national park entry
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Malang (~£12-16/night)
- →Bromo sunrise jeep tour ~£25
- →Crater rim hike
Fly to Bali and on to Ubud
Malang → Ubud, Bali
Transfer to Surabaya Juanda airport (~2 hrs by shared shuttle or bus, ~£5) and fly to Denpasar/Bali — budget airlines (Citilink, Lion Air, Super Air Jet) run this route from ~£25-40 one way; book ahead. From DPS airport, take a Grab or the Kura-Kura shuttle bus to Ubud (~£8-12 Grab, ~£5 shuttle, 1.5 hrs). Settle into a family-run homestay in Ubud's centre or Penestanan.
🚌Shuttle to Surabaya ~£5; flight ~£32; airport to Ubud ~£9
🛏Ubud homestay or guesthouse (~£14-20/night)
- →Evening stroll and dinner on Jalan Hanoman or the Campuhan Ridge
Balinese cooking class and evening Kecak
Ubud, Bali
Book a half-day Balinese cooking class direct with a local school or via GetYourGuide/Klook (~£20-30 including market visit and lunch you've cooked yourself — Paon Bali, Casa Luna or similar run these daily). Afternoon free for the Ubud Monkey Forest, the Art Market or a spa. In the evening, take a Kecak dance performance at Pura Dalem Ubud or the Ubud Palace (~£7-10, buy at the gate), or a night visit to Gianyar night market.
🚌Walking; Grab for longer hops ~£2-3
🛏Ubud homestay or guesthouse (~£14-20/night)
- →Balinese cooking class ~£25
- →Kecak dance performance ~£8
- →Optional: whitewater rafting ~£20
Tirta Empul, Gunung Kawi and Kintamani
Ubud / Kintamani, Bali
Rent a scooter (~£5-7/day, international licence needed) or hire a driver for the day (~£30-35 split between a few travellers) and do the classic north loop: Tirta Empul's holy spring temple (~£3, sarong included, and you can join the purification ritual), then Gunung Kawi's rock-cut shrines among the rice terraces (~£3), then up to Kintamani on the crater rim above Lake Batur (~£2-3 entry) with Mount Batur looming opposite. Eat lunch with a caldera view, then loop back via the Tegallalang rice terraces (~£2-3).
🚌Scooter hire ~£6/day or shared driver ~£33
🛏Ubud homestay or guesthouse (~£14-20/night)
- →Tirta Empul ~£3
- →Gunung Kawi ~£3
- →Kintamani caldera viewpoint ~£3
- →Tegallalang rice terraces ~£2
South to Sanur — Uluwatu and the Bukit beaches
Ubud → Sanur, Bali
Take a Grab or the Kura-Kura shuttle down to Sanur (~£8, 1 hr) and check into a guesthouse near the beach. For the afternoon, hire a driver for the Bukit peninsula (~£30 split) to hit Padang Padang and Dreamland beaches and then Uluwatu Temple for sunset (~£3 entry, plus a sarong). Stay for the Kecak dance at Uluwatu if you didn't catch one in Ubud (~£9). Return to Sanur for dinner on the beachfront path.
🚌Grab Ubud–Sanur ~£8; driver for the Bukit ~£30 split
🛏Sanur guesthouse or budget hotel (~£16-22/night)
- →Padang Padang & Dreamland beaches
- →Uluwatu Temple sunset ~£3
- →Optional Kecak at Uluwatu ~£9
Last swim and depart
Sanur, Bali
Morning swim off Sanur's reef-protected beach and breakfast at a warung, then a Grab to Ngurah Rai airport (~£7-9, 30-40 mins) — remember the domestic departure tax is now bundled into tickets, but international departure fees are usually included by the airline. If you're extending, Sanur and Nusa Penida are easy add-ons.
🚌Grab to DPS airport ~£8
🛏—
- →Morning beach walk
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,150 | £1,750 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £600 per person (34%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,150
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Bali and Java Explorer — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,150 per person for 12 days in Indonesia (Java & Bali). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,750 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,150 — a saving of roughly £600 (34%) per person.
How long is the Indonesia (Java & Bali) trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 day-by-day stops through Indonesia (Java & Bali).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, hiking trip through Indonesia (Java & Bali), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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