Prambanan on the island of Java, Indonesia

General information, history and architecture

Prambanan (Prambanan) is a large complex of Hindu and Buddhist temples of 8-10 centuries near the city of Yogyakarta in the central part of the island of Java in Indonesia (Prambanan on the map). Along with the temple, Borobudur is the most popular historical and cultural attraction of the island of Java and Indonesia as a whole. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Prambanan

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This very interesting and amazing place is often lost in the shadow of the much more famous and world's largest Buddhist temple Borobudur, which is also located near Yogyakarta. However, in our opinion, the temples of Prambanan are much more diverse and interesting than even Borobudur itself, and definitely worth a visit. If time permits, be sure to visit it, especially since visiting both complexes is possible with a single ticket, which is cheaper than visiting them separately. It is worth saying, however, that visiting them is not a cheap pleasure, entrance tickets for foreign tourists are very expensive.

There are many versions of the appearance of this temple complex, which united two religions at once, and its subsequent oblivion for many centuries. According to one of the most plausible versions, in the 8th century, the kingdom of Mataram on the island of Java was divided into two dynasties, each of which professed its own religion. At the end of the 9th century, the dynasties intermarried, after which many mixed temples were erected in the originally Hindu temple complex. Two centuries later, the temples were completely abandoned, and the capital of the kingdom moved to the east of the island. According to one version, this happened due to the eruption of Mount Merapi. In the 16th century, the temples were significantly damaged by a powerful earthquake, and in the following centuries were dismantled by local residents for building materials. Only in the 20th century the complex was restored, and today most of the monuments are restored replicas, only basically consisting of original stones. Prambanan received another blow in 2006 during another strong earthquake. Some of the temples that were damaged at that time are still under restoration.

How to visit, what to see, inspection tips

Prambanan includes many temples on the territory within a radius of about 5 kilometers. Some of them are paid (these are the most interesting places), and some are free (not very interesting, mostly ruins). You can pay for visiting each of the temples / complexes separately, or you can buy combined tickets, so it will be cheaper. The summary table of all visit prices is below.

Tourist groups and most tourists visit only the main complex, and if you are not a passionate lover of history and antiquities, you can really skip other surrounding temples. If you decide to see everything, then you should plan at least a whole day for it, provided that you will move from temple to temple by transport.

It is best to visit Prambanan early in the morning (opening at 6 am), or in the evening (before 18:00). In the middle of the day, the complex is "packed" with group tourists, so it's even difficult to take photos. In general, it counts. That Borobudur is a temple for meeting the dawn, and Pramban, and especially the Ratu Boko palace, is for sunset.

So, this is what the Prambanan temple complex consists of, what and how it is worth exploring here, and its interactive map:

• Prambanan Temple (main complex)

  This is the main complex, by which the whole Prambanan is most often understood. Most group excursions bring tourists only here, not even mentioning the existence of other temples around. If you get here on your own, you will have to walk one and a half kilometers from the Prambana Terminal bus stop to the entrance to the main complex (cm. entrance to Prambanan on the map).

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  Here, in a fenced area of about 500 meters by two kilometers, there are the most beautiful and best restored monuments. The best preserved 8 temples are located in the very center of the territory, the most interesting of them are: Candi Vishnu, Candi Sewu, Candi Shiva, Candi Brahma. Some temples can be visited. In total, there were 224 buildings here, most of which are ruins today, but work on their restoration is underway, and you can see it in remote parts of the complex. There is also a museum, a visit to which is included in the total price. It's dark in the farthest Candi Sewu temple, a flashlight wouldn't hurt. And there are also a lot of giant cockroaches and mosquitoes inside it

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  When buying tickets, you will receive a good booklet-guide (in English, we did not come across it in Russian) on the main temple, it also has a map with temples marked on it on the territory, so there will be no problems with orientation. You can move around the main complex on foot, it's not that big (from the entrance to the farthest temple a little less than two kilometers), or you can use a special tram. When visiting all temples, especially the main complex, a dress code theoretically applies, since this is a sacred place: you can not visit in shorts, miniskirts, with open shoulders. In practice, this rule is not observed for tourists (given the huge size of the entrance fee, they probably turn a blind eye to it), but still you shouldn't do that. Since tourists pay tens of times more for admission than locals, there is a separate ticket office for foreigners, there is no need to get up in the first place for locals. Considering that you have to spend a lot of time under the scorching sun, take drinking water with you, wear a hat, use a sunscreen.

  Entrance to the main complex separately (without visiting other temples) Worth it:

  • Adults – 387 500 rupees (25.07 RUB / $25)
  • Children 3-10 years 210 000 rupees (13.58 RUB / 15 US dollars)
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• Ratu Boko Palace

  Kraton Ratu Boko is the remains of the family palace of the Hindu dynasty of the kingdom of Mataram, built in the 9th century. The palace can be visited separately or together with the main complex on a single ticket, which will be cheaper.

  The palace is located three kilometers from the main complex and a 20-minute walk from the Prambanan Terminal bus stop (palace on the map).

  Tourists often visit the palace to meet the sunset here, since the ruins themselves do not cause great interest. Until 2017, there was a special cheaper ticket to meet the sunset, but now the price has equaled the usual one, and the usual one has doubled. Given this, the palace can skip, or visit it on a shared ticket with the main complex, so it will be cheaper. When buying a single ticket, there is also free shuttle bus delivery between temples.

  The entrance to the Ratu Boko Palace is separate:

  • Adults – 387 500 rupees (25.07 RUB / $25)
  • Children 3-10 years 210 000 rupees (13.58 RUB / 15 US dollars)
  Ratu Boko Palace

• Candi Sojiwan Temple

  These are the ruins of a detached Buddhist temple of the 9th century. So far, this is one of the few monuments that can be visited for free. The inspection will take no more than 10 minutes, but here you can also meet a beautiful sunset. It is located within walking distance from the main complex and the bus stop (temple on the map).

  Candi Sojiwan Temple

• Candi Sambisari Temple

  Sambisari Temple (Candi Sambisari or Sambisari Temple) is an amazing and unusual temple in the vicinity of Yogyakarta and not far from the Prambanan temple complex, usually they are visited together in one trip. It is dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva, built approximately in the IX century. For a long time it was abandoned and unknown, and was rediscovered by a local farmer only in 1966. The peculiarity of the temple is that it is located about 5 meters below ground level in an even square depression. Learn more about Sambisari Temple here...

  Sambisari Temple

• Plaosan Temple Group of Temples

  These are two groups of temples: northern (Plaosan Lor) and southern (Plaosan Kidul). It is believed that they were presented to the princess by the prince when the royal dynasties intermarried. The temples are very beautiful and worth getting to, especially since a visit so far costs only 3,000 rupees. They are located next to each other and three kilometers from the main complex (temple on the map).

  Plaosan Temple

• Candi Kalasan Temple

  This is one of the oldest Buddhist temples, dating back to 778. It is very beautiful, decorated with detailed stone carvings, as was customary in Hindu temples. One of the reasons for this is that Kalasan was built by Hindus for Buddhists. Definitely worth a visit. It is located near the main road on the way to Prambanan from Yogyakarta, not reaching 3 kilometers (temple on the map). The entrance fee is 10,000 rupees.

  Candi Kalasan Temple

• Candi Sari Temple

  Built around the same time as Candi Kalasan, it is a more traditional Buddhist temple built by Buddhist monks. The temple is two-storeyed, with three rooms on each floor. You can go inside. It is also located near Prambanan near the road (temple on the map). The entrance fee is 5,000 rupees.

  Chandi Sari Temple

• Other temples and ruins

  In addition to the temples described above, there are also a huge number of all kinds of ruins and small ancient temples in the vicinity, which can be visited completely free of charge. There is no big point in this, because after viewing the main complex you will almost certainly get fed up with temples and ruins. But if you suddenly still want to do this, you can use the Google map or Navigator to find them. Here are the largest: Candi Ijo, Candi Barong, Candi Banyunibo, Candi Sambisari, Candi Kedulan. It is best to move between them by rented transport, because they are scattered over a large area, and walking under the scorching sun is an unpleasant and even dangerous pleasure for health.

• Theatrical performance

  A traditional performance, the so-called Ramayana Ballet, takes place at the site near the main temple complex on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 7.30 pm. This is a very beautiful show based on the ancient Indian epic Ramayana. If time permits, it is worth seeing, besides, its viewing can be combined with a tour of the temples, and after sunset stay on the show. The ticket price is from 50,000 to 400,000 rupees depending on the location. The duration of the performance is 2 hours.

How to see Borobudur and Prambanan with one ticket

To visit both attractions, a special single ticket is offered, which allows you to save 10 US dollars. Such tickets can be purchased at the ticket offices both there and there, but their sale is not advertised, so you need to ask the cashier "Ticket Package Borobudur – Prambanan". After the purchase, two days are given to visit two attractions, including the day of purchase, but each ticket has only one entry.

Learn more about Borobudur and how to get to it here...

Prambanan opening hours

From 06:00 to 18:00, seven days a week.

Performance of Ramayana Ballet from 19:30 to 21:30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Entrance fee

Below is the entrance fee as of 2024. Prices are linked to the dollar exchange rate and change every six months. You can check the prices on the official website http://borobudurpark.com

For foreigners, there is a separate ticket office with a small queue, there is no need to get up in a large queue for local tourists. Payment can be made in cash in rupees or by credit card, dollars are not accepted.

How to see Borobudur and Prambanan with one ticket

To visit both attractions, a special single ticket is offered, which allows you to save about 10 US dollars. Such tickets can be bought at the ticket offices both there and there, but their sale is not advertised, so you need to ask the cashier "Ticket Package Borobudur – Prambanan". After the purchase, two days are given to visit two attractions, including the day of purchase, but each ticket has only one entry.

Learn more about Borobudur and how to get to it here...

How to visit Prambanan for free

We do not recommend visiting the main complex of Prambanan for free, but there is such a way. Its territory is fenced on all sides with a two-meter metal fence, which is quite easy to overcome, using trees planted along it as a support. But almost everywhere along the fence there is a busy asphalt road, so you can get in unnoticed only early in the morning, or from the side of the field from the north side, the road does not pass there. There is no ticket control inside. But once again, we do not recommend using this method, it is still a violation of the law.

How to get there

Prambanan is located 17 kilometers from the tourist area of Yogyakarta (Prambanan on the map). It can be visited both from Yogyakarta and from Surakarta (Solo), but it is more convenient and closer from Yogyakarta. You can get to the complex from Yogyakarta in the following ways:

• Excursions

  You can buy a group or individual tour at any travel agency on Yogyakarta Street, as well as in other cities of the island of Java and even in Bali. Sightseeing tours from remote resorts include an overnight stay in Yogyakarta and an additional visit to Borobudur.

  You can buy excursions at travel agencies at the resort, or online at one of these proven sites for searching and comparing excursions.:

  • Excursions to Prambanan by Klook
  Найти экскурсии онлайн (с отзывами)

• By bus

  The cheapest way to get to the complex is by bus 1A. These buses pass through the southern district, the main tourist street Jalan Malioboro, past the railway station and through the airport. The fare is 3600 rupees, run every 10-15 minutes from 06:00 to 21:00. From the center to drive about 40 minutes. They finish their journey at the Prambana Terminal bus stop (stop on the map), from where you will have to walk one and a half kilometers to the entrance to the main complex, or catch a taxi. Other temples in the vicinity can also be reached on foot, or take a taxi or motorcycle taxi.

• By taxi

  A taxi ride between the temples and the return trip will cost from 250,000 rupees, one way from 80,000. It is recommended to take a taxi in both directions at once with waiting, because it is difficult to find a car near the temple.

• By rented transport

  This is the most convenient budget way to see the temples, because you can also quickly see the temples in the vicinity, which are located within a radius of up to 5 kilometers from the main complex, and on different sides. It is best to rent a car or a motorcycle (see Yogyakarta transportation, what to use), but you can also do this route by bike.

  Access to the ticket offices on your own transport takes place through a special automatic parking lot with barriers (free of charge), built on the principle of airport tickets with receipt of a ticket at the entrance and delivery at the exit.

Prambanan Map