The sultan's palace
The sultan still lives here.
Chainwit. — CC BY 4.0 · Astasd — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Yudirahmat12 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Christophe95 — CC BY-SA 4.0
The palace of the Sultan of Yogyakarta, the heart of the city and centre of its Javanese culture, built by Sultan Hamengkubuwono I in 1755 to 1756; the sultan still lives here today, as Yogyakarta is the only region of Indonesia ruled by a sultan. The palace is part of the Cosmological Axis of Yogyakarta and its Historic Landmarks, added to UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2023. The palace is a broad complex of open pavilions with carved wooden pillars and tiered Javanese roofs, sandy courtyards and sawo trees. Its pavilions open to visitors hold exhibitions of the sultans' possessions, from gifts and weapons to costumes and carriages, and on set mornings there are performances of Javanese music, dance and puppet theatre. Foreign visitors pay about twenty-five thousand rupiah, and the palace opens in the morning until around midday, closing on some days and for royal ceremonies, so check before going. Many parts are private royal residence and closed. Come in the morning and dress modestly out of respect for the place. It is close to the Taman Sari water palace and the Kauman Great Mosque, so combine them in one morning walk.
The sultan still lives here.
Music, dance and puppets in the morning.
Gifts, weapons and carriages.
Heart of old Yogyakarta, south of the northern alun-alun
Kauman Great Mosque (Masjid Gedhe)The great royal mosque of the Yogyakarta sultanate, built by Sultan Hamengkubuwo3 minutes walk
Sonobudoyo MuseumOne of the key museums of Javanese culture, opened in 1935 in a traditional Java4 minutes walk
Fort Vredeburg and its MuseumA square Dutch fort with white walls and corner bastions, built by the Dutch in 7 minutes walk
Taman Pintar Science ParkA children's educational science park at the heart of Yogyakarta, steps from Kil8 minutes walk
Taman Sari Water PalaceThe royal water garden of Yogyakarta's sultans, built between 1758 and 1765 unde10 minutes walkEarly morning: the palace closes around midday, and music shows are staged in the morning on set days. Ask your hotel for the schedule.