Highlights of Java: Temples & The Dieng Plateau — Self-Launched

Arrive in Jakarta at any time. Catch the Skytrain from Soekarno-Hatta Airport to Sudirman station (around £1.50), then a short ride to your hostel in the Menteng or Cikini area — well-connected, safe, and budget-friendly. Grab a nasi goreng from a street stall to fuel your first night. Pick up a local SIM card at the airport (Telkomsel or Indosat) for around £5–8 with data.

🚌Skytrain (Airport Rail Link) from Soekarno-Hatta to Sudirman: ~£1.50. Grab or Gojek ride-hail app to hostel: ~£2.

🛏Like Home Hostel Menteng or Kosenda Hotel (budget rooms) — approx £12–18/night

• →Arrive and check in to a hostel or budget guesthouse in Menteng/Cikini
• →Pick up a local SIM card at the airport
• →Grab dinner from a local warung or street stall near your accommodation

A full day exploring Jakarta's highlights independently. Start at Istiqlal Mosque (free entry, modest dress required), then cross the square to the neo-Gothic Jakarta Cathedral. Head to Kota Tua Old Town on foot or by TransJakarta bus (flat fare ~£0.20) — wander cobbled streets, visit the free Fatahillah Square, and explore Sunda Kelapa Harbour and its historic pinisi wooden schooners. End your evening on Sabang Street for dinner at a local warung — budget around £3–6 for a full meal.

🚌TransJakarta bus to Kota Tua: ~£0.20 flat fare. Grab/Gojek for other trips: £1–3 per ride.

🛏Like Home Hostel Menteng or equivalent — approx £12–18/night

• →Visit Istiqlal Mosque — Southeast Asia's largest mosque (free entry)
• →Explore the neo-Gothic Jakarta Cathedral opposite the mosque
• →Wander Kota Tua Old Town and Fatahillah Square
• →Walk to Sunda Kelapa Harbour to see the traditional pinisi ships
• →Dinner at a local warung on Sabang Street

Take an early Argo Parahyangan or Argo Wilis train from Gambir Station, Jakarta, to Bandung (approx 3 hrs, ~£5–9 in economy class — book via KAI Access app). Arrive mid-morning and check in to your guesthouse. Head to a Sundanese restaurant for a family-style traditional lunch (expect to pay £3–5). In the afternoon, visit the Geological Museum of Bandung (entry ~£0.50) and walk to Gedung Sate for photos — the Dutch colonial architecture is iconic. Stroll down Jalan Asia Afrika for a browse of the city's cultural heart.

🚌Argo Parahyangan train Jakarta–Bandung: ~£5–9. Book via KAI Access app. Local angkot minibus or Grab within Bandung: £1–2.

🛏Guesthouse 25 Bandung or Maqna Hotel — approx £12–16/night

• →Take the Argo Parahyangan/Argo Wilis train from Gambir (Jakarta) to Bandung — ~£5–9
• →Traditional Sundanese family-style lunch at a local restaurant
• →Visit the Geological Museum of Bandung (~£0.50 entry)
• →Photo stop at Gedung Sate (the Governor's office building)
• →Free time exploring Jalan Asia Afrika

A free day to explore Bandung at your own pace. The two most popular options (which you can combine) are: a visit to Tangkuban Prahu volcano (~£4 entry + ~£8 shared taxi/tour), and the striking turquoise Kawah Putih (White Crater, ~£4 entry). You can book a half-day tour via GetYourGuide or arrange a shared charter with other hostel travellers for around £12–18. In the afternoon or for lunch, stop at one of the Malabar or Gambung tea plantations for a tasting — typically £2–5 including tea. Return to Bandung city for the evening.

🚌Shared charter taxi or day tour to Tangkuban Prahu & Kawah Putih: ~£12–18. Book via GetYourGuide or arrange at hostel.

🛏Guesthouse 25 Bandung or Maqna Hotel — approx £12–16/night

• →Optional: Visit Tangkuban Prahu volcano crater (~£4 entry, shared charter ~£8)
• →Optional: Visit Kawah Putih (White Crater) — stunning turquoise lake (~£4 entry)
• →Lunch and tea tasting at a local tea plantation (~£2–5)
• →Evening free in Bandung — explore the Dago area for cafés and street food

Take an early train or bus from Bandung to Semarang (no direct train; take a train to Yogyakarta or Purwokerto and change, OR take a Damri/PO bus — total journey ~6–8 hrs, £5–10). Arrive in the early afternoon. Explore Kota Lama (Old Town) including the iconic Gereja Blenduk Dutch Reformed church and Lawang Sewu (the former Dutch railway HQ, now a museum — entry ~£1.50). Visit Sam Poo Kong Temple, a fascinating Chinese-Muslim pilgrimage site (~£1.50 entry). Finish the day by hunting down Lumpia Semarang (the famous local spring rolls) from a street vendor — around £1–2.

🚌Train or Damri bus Bandung to Semarang: ~£5–10. Grab/Gojek within Semarang: £1–2 per ride.

🛏Meotel Dafam Semarang or a local guesthouse — approx £12–16/night

• →Travel from Bandung to Semarang by train/bus (~6–8 hrs, £5–10)
• →Explore Kota Lama Old Town and the Dutch colonial architecture
• →Visit Gereja Blenduk — striking 18th-century Dutch church
• →Tour Lawang Sewu — haunting former Dutch railway HQ (~£1.50 entry)
• →Visit Sam Poo Kong Temple — historic Chinese-Muslim pilgrimage site (~£1.50)
• →Try Lumpia Semarang spring rolls from a street vendor (~£1–2)

An early start for a spectacular day heading into the mountains. Catch a shared minibus or charter transport from Semarang toward Wonosobo (~3 hrs), the gateway town to Dieng Plateau. En route, stop at Gedong Songo Temple Complex on the slopes of Mount Ungaran — nine ancient Hindu temples perched amid forest and volcanic steam vents (~£1.50 entry). Continue to the Ambarawa Railway Museum (~£1 entry) to see vintage Dutch steam locomotives. Arrive in Wonosobo by late afternoon and transfer up to Dieng village (~45 min, local bus £0.50–1). Check in to a guesthouse on the plateau itself for an authentic highland experience.

🚌Shared minibus or charter Semarang–Wonosobo: ~£4–8. Local bus Wonosobo–Dieng: ~£0.50–1.

🛏Dieng Homestay or Hotel Gunung Mas, Dieng village — approx £8–14/night

• →Shared minibus or charter from Semarang towards Wonosobo (~3 hrs, £4–8)
• →Visit Gedong Songo Hindu Temple complex on Mount Ungaran (~£1.50 entry)
• →Stop at Ambarawa Railway Museum — vintage Dutch steam trains (~£1)
• →Transfer from Wonosobo up to Dieng Plateau village (local bus ~£0.50–1)
• →Check in to a Dieng guesthouse and explore the village at dusk

Rise before dawn for the famous Dieng Plateau sunrise from Sikunir Hill — one of Indonesia's most spectacular viewpoints (guide optional, ~£3). Spend the morning exploring the plateau's highlights: the colourful Telaga Warna (Coloured Lake, ~£1 entry), the ancient Arjuna Hindu temples (~£1 entry), and eerie Sikidang Crater with its bubbling mud and steaming vents. Try local Dieng specialities for lunch — purwaceng herbal tea and carica papaya jam are must-tries. In the afternoon, take a bus or shared transport down to Wonosobo and connect onward by bus to Yogyakarta (~3–4 hrs, ~£3–5). Check in to Yogyakarta's Prawirotaman or Sosrowijayan backpacker district.

🚌Local bus/shared transport Dieng–Wonosobo: ~£0.50–1. Bus Wonosobo–Yogyakarta: ~£3–5.

🛏Greenhouse Boutique Hostel or Dorm @ Bladok Hotel, Yogyakarta — approx £10–16/night

• →Pre-dawn hike to Sikunir Hill for Dieng Plateau sunrise (optional guide ~£3)
• →Visit Telaga Warna (Coloured Lake) — stunning volcanic crater lake (~£1)
• →Explore the ancient Arjuna Temple complex on the plateau (~£1)
• →Walk around Sikidang Crater — active bubbling volcanic mud pools
• →Try local Dieng specialities: purwaceng tea and carica papaya products
• →Bus from Wonosobo to Yogyakarta (~3–4 hrs, £3–5)

Your final day in Java — Yogyakarta is one of Indonesia's cultural capitals and well worth a morning explore before departure. Wander the Kraton (Sultan's Palace, ~£1.50 entry) and the surrounding batik workshops and silver craft stalls of Jalan Malioboro. Grab a final breakfast of gudeg (young jackfruit stew) at a local warung — a Yogyakarta classic. For those with time, Prambanan Hindu temple complex (a UNESCO site, ~£16 entry) is just 20 minutes by local bus. Note: flights depart no earlier than 19:00, so you have the full day. Adisucipto/Yogyakarta International Airport is accessible by Transjogja bus or Grab (~£2–4).

🚌Transjogja bus or Grab to Yogyakarta International Airport: ~£2–4.

🛏Check-out — departure day

• →Explore the Kraton (Sultan's Palace) and its batik workshops (~£1.50 entry)
• →Browse Jalan Malioboro for souvenirs and street food
• →Final breakfast of gudeg (young jackfruit stew) at a local warung
• →Optional: visit Prambanan Hindu Temple UNESCO site (~£16, 20 min by bus)
• →Transfer to Yogyakarta airport — depart no earlier than 19:00