Yogyakarta is known as the city of the Sultan in Indonesia. It is located on the same island as the capital Jakarta, namely Java. From Yogyakarta you can visit the famous temples Prambanan and Borobudur, but also the most beautiful waterfall in Java. The city is quite large and it can therefore be difficult to decide where to stay and where to eat. You can split Yogyakarta into 4 parts: North, East, South and the Center. Where exactly you want to stay depends on what you are looking for.
The north of Yogyakarta
The north of Yogyakarta consists of several faculties of the University of Yogyakarta. You will also find a lot of nice, but also pricey hotels here. The further north from Yogyakarta, the more expensive resorts you can find. In addition to good hotels, there are a lot of nice coffee shops in the area. These can also be a bit more expensive than in the east, for example. You can eat well here, if you like traditional Indonesian food. The busiest streets with many shops and nice restaurants in the north of Yogyakarta are Jalan Persatuan and Jalan Affandi.
For fun activities, from the north of the city you are closest to the Prambanan and Borobudur temples. But the Merapi and Merbabu volcano are also the easiest to visit from here. So do you have a little more to spend, and are you looking for nice restaurants? But you also want to visit the temples, this is a good place to stay.
A good stay in the north
€ Urban view Ramah Kandjani
This is a super nice and affordable hotel in the north of Yogyakarta. It is also in a good location, between the busy streets of the North. The rooms are clean and tidy and the host is super friendly.
€€ Porta by The Ambarrukmo
If you want a good and nice hotel in the north of Yogyakarta, but not spend too much, this is a good option.
€€€ Tentrem hotel
Are you looking for ultimate luxury and do you have some money to spend, then you can stay in this hotel.
Restaurants in the north
Lunch and Diner
Omah Eyang Resto is a nice restaurant with tasty Indonesian food in the North of Yogyakarta. It is near the Prambanan, so you can have a delicious lunch before or after you visit it.
Warung Tiktok is located in Jalan Affandi. This is a Food Court where you can eat well, both for lunch and dinner. It is a bit boring because it is often very quiet. You can eat delicious ketoprak at the last food stall on the left, from where you enter.
In Jalan Persatuan you can dine at Madam Tan Indonesian Food. The Gado Gado and the vegetarian spring rolls are definitely recommended here. The menu is very extensive, so there is plenty of choice.
The east of Yogyakarta
The east is known for the large hotels and shopping malls. You will find more expensive family hotels here, which are sometimes even connected to a shopping mall. There is also a zoo in eastern Yogyakarta. You will find a lot fewer coffee shops and nice restaurants here outside the shopping malls than in the north or south, for example. The food in the east and southeast is a lot cheaper than in the other parts of Yogyakarta. From the east you can also easily visit the Prambanan. We especially recommend this neighborhood if you are looking for a good family hotel. Or if you want to stay close to the airport.
A good stay in the east
€ Mangkoro by Yuwono hospitality
The property could use a facelift. But otherwise the hotel is affordable and the staff is very friendly. The location is a bit far from the busy streets. It is therefore mainly recommended if you rent a scooter, for example, or have the budget to take a grab every time.
€€ POP! Hotel Timoho – Yogyakarta
If you are looking for a great stay in a well-known chain of hotels, then this hotel is for you!
€€€ Eastparc Hotel Yogyakarta
Do you want something more luxurious, but not extremely expensive? Then this hotel is a good choice for you!
Restaurants in the east
Coffee shops
In the shopping malls you will often find a J.co. Here you can eat very tasty and cheap donuts. You can find J.co in several places throughout the city. The coffee shop that comes with it is very expensive. For 1 cup of coffee you pay the same as anywhere else for 2 cups of coffee.
The Odd coffee bar is a nice coffee shop in the east of Yogyakarta. It's attached to a hotel, but is just a coffee shop in its own right. You can drink delicious coffee here for a nice price.
The Obelix hills is a very hip new place on top of the mountains in the east of Yogyakarta. You look out over the whole city, so the view is fantastic. You pay 20,000 IDR for an entrance ticket, even if you eat there. In addition, you pay extra for the photo spots. It looks very cozy, only it was not busy when we were there. The staff actually speak almost no english, and the concept of the food didn't really appeal to us. We also found the food prepared in advance not very great. We therefore only recommend it for a drink and to enjoy the view.
For good restaurants in the southeast of Yogyakarta, have a look at the heading south.
Take a look at all our favorite hotspots in Java! You can easily open them in your Google Maps app.
The south of Yogyakarta
The south of Yogyakarta is super hip with all kinds of nice coffee shops and restaurants. There are many coffee shops where you can see students working. The coffee in these places is often very tasty. This part is also a lot busier with tourists. Partly because of this you will find restaurants where you can drink alcohol (this is very rare in Java). You will also find much more Western food here. These restaurants are therefore often a bit more expensive. The hotels and hostels, on the other hand, are very affordable in the south.
The busy streets with tasty restaurants in the south of Yogyakarta are Jalan Taman Siswa and Jalan Tirtodipuran which flows into Jalan Pawirotaman. These last two streets in particular are touristy, and this is where you will find most western restaurants. If you are a backpacker who likes to be surrounded by other travelers, but who has a little more to spend for a nice meal, then the south of Yogyakarta is for you!
A good stay in the south
€ Oke Baik Hostel Yogyakarta
Looking for a budget hostel? Then this is the option for you!
€€ Mangkoro by Yuwono hospitality
The property could use a facelift. But otherwise the hotel is affordable and the staff is very friendly. The location is a bit far from the busy streets. It is therefore mainly recommended if you rent a scooter, for example, or have the budget to take a grab every time.
€€€ Greenhost Boutique Hotel Prawirotaman
A nice and somewhat more luxurious hotel, but still affordable? Then this is a good option!
Restaurants in the south
Coffee shops
Ng’laras
In the street behind Jalan Pawirotaman you will find the super nice coffee shop Ng'laras. It is a very new restaurant with a super nice decor and a nice atmosphere. The staff are also super friendly. You can eat ice cream and drink coffee. But also a delicious lunch is an option here. The mother of the family cooks according to an authentic recipe, so you want to taste it. The coffee is super tasty and we can certainly recommend the Lychee tea. One thing you must try is the cendol ice cream. This flavor is truly one of the tastiest we've eaten.
Speaking of ice creams, Tempo Gelato is a real household name in Yogyakarta. This is a very busy ice cream shop, which you will find in several places throughout the city. There is a shop in both Jalan Pawirotaman and Jalan Taman Siswa.
Lunch
If you also like Indonesian food in addition to Western food, you can eat this well at Omah Dhuwur. This one is a bit further out of the busy areas, but is a nice restaurant with a nice garden.
Diner
Panties pizza x Picnic! Pasta
For dinner you should definitely eat at Panties pizza & Picnic! Pasta in Jalan Tawan Siswa. This is a pasta and pizza restaurant in one building. The restaurant is simple but certainly cosy. The staff is very friendly and it is busy with locals. It is therefore very affordable. An average dish will cost you around 20,000 to 25,000 IDR.
The ice tea peach is very tasty and the great thing is that the drinks are super large. The Arrabiata pasta is highly recommended. It is a sweet spicy pasta with chicken. It is certainly one of the tastiest pastas we have eaten in Asia. The Garlic baby potatoes are also highly recommended. And if you love pizza with a lot of cheese, you can go for the Chick O'cheese. This is a calzone pizza filled with chicken and creamy cheese. For dessert you must try the Banana Milo. This is a calzone filled with banana cheese and chocolate. This restaurant is highly recommended when you are in Yogyakarta.
A little further outside the busy streets you will find Kedai tanya. The restaurant was expanding when we were there and it already looked very cozy. It is a very long garden where you have several nice places to sit. The staff is super friendly and the rice bowls are highly recommended. The prices are really very good.
In Jalan Pawirotaman you will find Nanamia pizzeria. Here you can eat very tasty pizza. The restaurant is located in a garden and is very cosy.
The centre of Yogyakarta
The center of Yogyakarta is located around the Malioboro. This is a nice street with all kinds of shops and restaurants. However, it is very busy and chaotic. The restaurants around this area are also a lot more expensive, because it is so touristy. The locals are very responsive to this and constantly try to lure and persuade you to buy things. For a longer period of time this can become quite annoying. We therefore do not recommend sleeping near here. It is nice to visit the center from another part of Yogyakarta.
Hotels in the center
€ Astana Malioboro RedPartner
Would you like to sleep in the center, but are you on a budget? Then this is a good option!
€€ POP! Hotel Malioboro – Yogyakarta
This is also a hotel from the well-known POP! chain. A great hotel for a nice price!
€€€ Malioboro Prime Hotel Yogyakarta
This hotel is also not expensive, but slightly more luxurious than the above. So this might be a good option for you too!
Restaurants in the center
Coffee shops
Ada coffee is a nice coffee shop and hostel just next to the busy Malioboro street where you can drink a nice cup of coffee.
Breakfast/lunch/diner
We recommend Kebon Ndalem for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is a very hip and tasty restaurant just outside Malioboro. You can eat Indonesian here, but pasta and burgers are also on the menu.
Scooter rental in Yogyakarta
Traffic in Yogyakarta is really busy and chaotic. But if you want to visit things outside the city, we recommend renting a scooter. The grabs in and around Yogyakarta are also a lot more expensive than in other cities on Java. As a result, with two rides you already have the price of a scooter off.
At Kinara scooter rental you can rent a good scooter for a good price. For a fairly new Honda Vario you pay 80,000 IDR per day, which is a really good price for Java. This scooter rental does not charge extra for tourists or on weekends, like other scooter rentals in Yogyakarta do. The staff is mega friendly, honest and helpful. You can easily contact them via whatsapp, and they respond very quickly. You also have the option of having the scooter delivered and picked up for an extra fee.
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