Java Overland
Travel by local train, road and boat through spectacular landscapes from Central Java to Bali on our exciting 2-week Indonesia small group tour
Ancient temples, towering volcanoes, vibrant street life
Java Overland
Our fascinating, highly varied and original Indonesia small group tour, Java Overland, takes you on a 12-day journey by road, rail and boat through Central and East Java to finish at a charming eco-lodge in a little-visited corner of Bali.
Beginning in delightful Yogyakarta Town, we’ll travel past emerald paddy fields, lush forests and towering volcanoes, traditional villages and World Heritage temples. We’ll visit the fun and friendly towns of Yogyakarta, Solo and Malang with their Dutch colonial-period architecture, colourful markets vibrant street life and, of course, delicious street food.
A few of the many varied highlights on our Java Overland tour include awe-inspiring World Heritage Borobudur and a dusk visit to spectacularPrambanan Temple – also World Heritage listed – an early morning jeep ride through an active caldera to watch the the sunrise over Mount Bromo; a walk through Malang’s amazing labyrinthine ‘Rainbow Village‘ and opportunities to meet the extremely friendly locals on a walking tour of Solo’s colourful market.
As with our other Southeast Asia small group tours, the emphasis is on combining both the famous and off-the-beaten-track sites, while staying in smaller, boutique and eco-style hotels, sampling the superb, authentic local cuisine and meeting plenty of the island’s fantastically friendly inhabitants.
We’ll finish the tour in Bali, which, along with its convenient flight connections, offers the opportunity for a variety of beach or island extensions, including our fantastic 1-week mini-tour to nearby Flores and Komodo or our 5-day Bali mini-tour. For those with more time, a 7-day Sumatra tour – including Lake Toba and UNESCO-listed Gunung Leuser National Park – can be added before joining the tour in Yogyakarta making for an 18-day Sumatra, Java and Bali tour, while, last but not least, an optional 4-day/3-night tour of the capital Jakarta is also available.
Includes: Meals: B x 11, L x 3, D x 6
Itinerary
Here's an idea of what you can expect to do and see day-to-day.
Day 2 - Yogyakarta - village cycling tour and Borobudur
Head out of town to a nearby village for a leisurely cycle ride along country lanes past farms, orchards and scenic countryside. Along the way, we will have the opportunity to meet the locals and discover some of the villagers’ traditional cottage industries. Afternoon visit to the famous Borobudur Temple with a return to ‘Jogja’ city for an evening street food tour.
Overnight: Yogyakarta Transport: Bike, Walk, Meals: B, D,
Day 3 - Kotagede and sunset at Prambanan
Morning visit to Kotagede – the site of the 16th-century capital – which displays a fusion of earlier Hindu and Muslim architectural styles. The ancient city is also the site of a colourful local market so, after a wander, we’ll return to our hotel for lunch and time to relax. Our afternoon programme takes us to another UNESCO site – the 10th-century Hindu temple Prambanan from where we walk through the historical park to catch sunset at the spectacular, but less-visited, Candi Sewu.
Overnight: Yogyakarta Transport: Minibus, Walk, Meals: B,
Day 4 - Solo - walking tour of the friendly town
Short drive to nearby Solo where we’ll head for the bustling and very friendly market, Pasar Legi, plus the town’s fascinating flea market and the famous old Sultan’s Palace. In the afternoon we’ll do a walking tour of Laweyan – a charming labyrinth of narrow lanes and old houses that form Solo’s traditional batik-making quarter.
Overnight: Solo Transport: Minibus, Walk, Meals: B, L,
Day 5 - Head east on a train ride to Malang
Departure across country, past scenic villages, plantations, paddy fields and, of course, volcanoes, on a train ride to the leafy and charming City of Malang in Eastern Java. (Note; post-COVID train schedules have been, to put it politely – erratic – so while it is our preferred means of travel, availability will vary from tour to tour according to dates.)
Overnight: Malang Transport: Train, Meals: B, D,
Day 6 - Malang - the 'Rainbow Village'
Explore the fantastic ‘Rainbow Village’. This crumbling, labyrinth-style quarter was formerly earmarked for demolition before local students teamed up with a paint company to create one of the best urban renewal schemes we’ve come across. We’ll also have time to take in some of the City’s celebrated Dutch-period architecture, before a drive to Bromo National Park.
Overnight: Bromo Transport: Minibus, Train, Meals: B, D,
Day 7 - Bromo - up a volcano before breakfast!
Early morning jeep drive into the national park for sunrise views of awe-inspiring Bromo Volcano, plus a hike through the caldera itself. Return to our charming, little family-run chalet-style resort for breakfast and relaxation time with an optional afternoon hike to one of the park’s nearby waterfalls.
Overnight: Bromo Transport: Minibus, Walk, Meals: B,
Day 9 - Plantation tour and Red Island Beach
Morning tour into the picturesque, surrounding countryside to visit some of the area’s still traditional-style plantations and farms including coffee, cacao, rubber and various spices. (Precise itinerary varies according to season.) After lunch we transfer to the south coast and Red Island Beach – a popular seaside location for locals largely unknown to foreign visitors – with an overnight stay at the small, family-run Turtle Beach Lodge.
Overnight: Red Island Beach Transport: Minibus, Walk, Meals: B, L,
Day 10 - Sukamade Beach and afternoon ferry to Bali
Early morning visit to nearby, scenic Sukamade Beach before continuing to Ketapang for a short ferry ride across the Straits to the island of Bali where we’ll transfer to our charming, low-key eco-resort in the small fishing port of Pemuteran.
Overnight: Permuteran Transport: Minibus, Boat, Meals: B, L,
Day 11 - Pemuteran - day at leisure
Day at leisure. Options include relaxing by the pool or at the spa, or for the more energetic, a snorkelling trip on some nearby islands, a hike through the lush surrounding countryside or even trying your hand at an Indonesian cookery class.
Overnight: Permuteran Transport: Walk, Meals: B, D,
Details
Further details, background info and answers to your burning questions.
-
Highlights
-
Map
Departures
-
Hotels
-
Visa Info & Notes
Just a few of the many highlights
The island of Java offers a wealth of picturesque, photogenic, fascinating, historic and unusual sites which you can discover on this unique 12-day Yogyakarta to Bali adventure
- Discover the spectacular ancient temples and World UNESCO Heritage Sites of Borobudur and Prambanan
- Streetlife, markets and sites of Yogyakarta, Solo and Malang - 3 of Indonesia's most interesting and friendly towns
- Take the boat from Java to Bali for a stay at a delightful eco-resort in tranquil Pemuteran fishing village
- An early morning ascent of Mount Bromo by jeep for dawn over the volcano and a hike through the caldera
- Bucolic landscapes of emerald paddies, plantations, traditional villages and lush forest set against towering volcanic cones
- Colourful markets, vibrant street life, awesome food and some of the region's friendliest locals
Air Departures (UK) *From
- 11 September 26 2,825 GBP
- 9 October 26 2,825 GBP
- 13 November 26 2,875 GBP
- 11 December 26 2,875 GBP
- 15 January 27 2,875 GBP
- 12 March 27 2,825 GBP
- 9 April 27 2,825 GBP
- 14 May 27 2,825 GBP
- 18 June 27 2,825 GBP
- 23 July 27 2,825 GBP
- 27 August 27 2,825 GBP
- 1 October 27 2,827 GBP
- 5 November 27 2,875 GBP
- 10 December 27 2,975 GBP
Land Departures
- 12 September 26 1,925 GBP
- 10 October 26 1,925 GBP
- 14 November 26 1,975 GBP
- 12 December 26 1,975 GBP
- 16 January 27 1,975 GBP
- 13 March 27 1,925 GBP
- 10 April 27 1,925 GBP
- 15 May 27 1,925 GBP
- 19 June 27 1,925 GBP
- 24 July 27 1,925 GBP
- 28 August 27 1,925 GBP
- 2 October 27 1,925 GBP
- 6 November 27 1,975 GBP
- 11 December 27 1,975 GBP
Guaranteed Places Left Special Price Contact Us Closed
*As fares are fluctuating wildly at present all ‘with flight’ prices are approximate.
*Air departures are from the UK. Land departures start from Yogyakarta.
*Land departure dates correspond to the FIRST day of the itinerary.
We choose our hotels based on a combination of location, comfort and convenience. Here is a *selection of the types of hotel/rooms you can expect to stay at on this tour...
Greenhost Boutique Hotel Yogyakarta view
- Quiet location yet close to cafes, bars and restaurants
- Super friendly, helpful and efficient staff members
- Tons of plants plus a rooptop, hydroponic veg garden!
Royal Surakarta Heritage, Solo view
- Some 5-star luxury in the centre of Solo City
- Equipped with pool, pool bar, coffee shop and restaurant
- Conveneint central location close to city sights
Bromo Terrace Hotel
- Delightfully low-key: simple, cosy and comfortable
- Garden setting with a volcano backdrop!
- Stunning views from their terrace bar & restaurant
Java Turtle Lodge view
- Low-key, family-run resort
- Chalets in a lush tropical garden
- Short walk from an unspoilt beach
Margo Utomo Hillview Resort Kalibaru view
- Stunning setting with pool, river and jungle backdrop
- Chalets set in a lush tropical garden
- More friendly staff and great restaurant and bar area
Kubuku Eco Lodge Pemuteran view
- Charming low-key garden setting with mountain views
- Snorkelling, spa, cookery, hiking are a few of the options
- Wonderful staff, great cafe/restaurant - all-round top spot!
*This list should be considered a guide only, hotels/rooms may change (without notice) depending on availability.
Visa Info & Notes
Visas: For most nationalities, a 30-day visa on arrival is issued on arrival at any international airport such as Medan, Yogyakarta or Jakarta. The cost is 500,000 rupiah, which looks like a lot of zeros but $35, depending on exchange rates, also does the trick. (See the Indonesian immigration dept list here.) As usual, 6 months validity from the date of arrival is essential as is at least 1 empty page in your passport and you may be asked to show proof of departure from Indonesia.
Your standard entry point for this tour is Yogyakarta International Airport and exit port is Ngurah Rai International Airport (Denpasar, Bali).
Tipping: we recommend a kitty system for the smaller, daily tips such as hotel/restaurant staff and local guides and drivers. Amounts inevitably vary with group size but would generally be in the region of around $2-3 per person, per day. With regards to guides accompanying you for longer periods, we’d recommend a separate tip of approximately $2-3 per person, per day though of course, this is always discretionary and performance-related. (Local currency or USD are fine.)
Meals: as usual breakfasts are generally hotel buffets with lunch and dinners based on local food. Many Indonesian dishes are internationally famous such as sate, nasi goring, rendang, gado gado etc but there’s much, much, more with the already varied cuisine supplemented by plenty of regional specialities as well. Dishes are generally mildly spiced with sambal, the ubiquitous chilli sauce, served separately and there’s a wealth of vegan and vegetarian choices.
For certain included meals your tour-leader will order a selection of dishes, local-style, while a number of meals are not included, which allows you to ‘do your own thing’ or take a break if you’re feeling ‘riced out’.
Accommodation: our selection consists of comfortable 3-4* options with en-suite bathrooms, air-con and, in most cases, pools with the emphasis on smaller heritage and/or eco-style choices. We have posted a selection of sample accommodation on the left-hand hotel tab but please note that as we try and avoid the larger hotels, availability, in high season particularly, means we use several options in each destination
Activities: note that no activities are compulsory and that any offered, including trekking, can be tailored for any fitness level or alternatives suggested. Be warned there are a couple of very early starts for sunrises on this one!
Travel News
Blog posts related to this tour ...
Komodo dragons versus monitor lizards
The giant lizards of what is otherwise a relatively obscure Indonesian island, had a great marketing team but what's the difference between a Komodo Dragon and a giant monitor lizard?
3 September 2026
Southeast Asia small group tours – worst case scenarios
Going off-the-beaten-track half way round the World with people you don't know, food you've never tried before and what might seem like extreme weather conditions. What can possibly go wrong?
28 August 2026
Optimising your Southeast Asia small group tour
A few tips on how to get the best out of your small group tour to Southeast Asia
9 August 2026
Solo City, Java
A few pics and description of a couple of great markets, well worth checking out on a visit to Central Java's Solo City
31 December 2024
Prambanan
A rundown on Java's spectacular, World Heritage-listed Prambanan and Candi Sewu Temples
22 October 2024
Sunrise at Mount Bromo
Java's Bromo volcano trip - Probably the earliest start on any All Points East tour but nobody's ever said it wasn't worth it!
20 June 2022Extensions
Holidays should never end, stay a little longer. These extensions go well with this tour...
Gili Isles Lombok
Complete your Indonesia tour with some quality island time on Lombok's Gili Air
Indonesia / 5 Days
Jakarta Extension
Indonesia's often hectic and bustling, but always fascinating, capital
Indonesia / 4 DaysReviews
Here is what out guest have to say about their experience on this tour...