What's on in Yogyakarta (Jogja), Indonesia through the year

Busy — Year-end break in Indonesia, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Wet season (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))

Busy — Ramadan and Lebaran, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Ramadan and Lebaran

  5 Feb – 25 Apr · usuallyRamadan & EidClosuresCrowdedBook early

  Warungs curtain their fronts during the fast, then the whole of Java travels for the Lebaran week and Yogyakarta is one of the places it travels to. Trains sell out a month ahead. Source ↗

Still on: Wet season (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))

Peak crowds — Ramadan and Lebaran, Lebaran (Idul Fitri) break in Indonesia

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Ramadan and Lebaran (5 Feb – 25 Apr (usually)), Wet season (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))

Busy — Ramadan and Lebaran, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Ramadan and Lebaran (5 Feb – 25 Apr (usually))

Peak crowds — Waisak at Borobudur, Dry season

• Festival

  Waisak at Borobudur

  31 MayMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

  Monks walk from Mendut to Borobudur and thousands of paper lanterns go up from the field beside the temple after dark. Lantern tickets are sold in timed sessions and go quickly. Source ↗

• Season

  Dry season

  1 May – 30 Sep · usuallyCrowded

  Clear mornings over the Kedu plain, which is what the Borobudur sunrise slot is sold on, and the one stretch when Merapi is reliably visible from the city.

Peak crowds — Dry season, Mid-year break in Indonesia

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: Waisak at Borobudur (31 May), Dry season (1 May – 30 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Dry season, Mid-year break in Indonesia

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Dry season (1 May – 30 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Dry season, Sekaten and Grebeg Maulud

• Festival

  Sekaten and Grebeg Maulud

  1 Aug – 15 Oct · usuallyMajor festivalCrowded

  The kraton marks the Prophet's birthday with a month-long night fair on the alun-alun and a procession of rice mountains that the crowd is allowed to tear apart at the end. Source ↗

• Holiday

  Independence Day

  17 AugNational holidayClosures

  Kampung games, flag ceremonies and street parades through the old city, with the kraton and the main roads closed for the day. Domestic travel spikes around it. Source ↗

Still on: Dry season (1 May – 30 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Dry season, Sekaten and Grebeg Maulud

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Dry season (1 May – 30 Sep (usually)), Sekaten and Grebeg Maulud (1 Aug – 15 Oct (usually))

Busy — Sekaten and Grebeg Maulud, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Sekaten and Grebeg Maulud (1 Aug – 15 Oct (usually))

Quiet — one of its worst months for weather

• Season

  Wet season

  1 Nov – 31 Mar · usuallyMonsoon

  Long afternoon storms roll off Merapi and the Prambanan open-air stage moves indoors for the season. Mornings are usually clear, which is when the temples are done anyway.

Busy — Year-end break in Indonesia, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Wet season (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))