Your 12-Day Itinerary
Day 1 — Jakarta: Colonial History & City Energy
Arrive at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Your private guide meets you at arrivals and transfers you to your hotel. Afternoon exploration of Old Batavia (Kota Tua) — the atmospheric Dutch colonial quarter with its painted townhouses, cobblestone square, and the magnificent Fatahillah Museum. Sunda Kelapa Harbour — antique wooden Bugis schooners still loading cargo exactly as they have for 500 years. Welcome dinner at a local restaurant your guide loves.
Overnight: Hotel in Jakarta
Day 2 — Bandung: Volcanoes & Tea Plantations
Drive to Bandung through West Java’s volcanic highlands (3 hours). Visit Tangkuban Perahu — an accessible volcanic crater steaming with sulfuric vents, surrounded by cool highland forest. Ciater hot springs for relaxation. Lunch at a tea plantation restaurant overlooking endless green terraces stretching to the horizon. Afternoon: Dago Highland viewpoint over Bandung city — one of Java’s most underrated views.
Overnight: Hotel in Bandung
Day 3 — Yogyakarta: The Royal City
Drive or scenic train to Yogyakarta (3-4 hours). Afternoon: Kraton — the 18th-century Sultan’s Palace still occupied by the royal family, where gamelan music drifts through gilded pavilions. Taman Sari water castle — a 18th-century royal bathing complex of remarkable beauty. Evening: Malioboro Street — Jogja’s legendary boulevard of batik, silver, and street food.
Overnight: Hotel in Yogyakarta
Day 4 — Borobudur Sunrise & Prambanan
4:30 AM — Drive to Borobudur before dawn. Stand at the top of the world’s largest Buddhist temple as the mist clears from the jungle and the sun rises over the Central Java volcanoes. 2,672 carved relief panels. 504 Buddha statues. Built in the 9th century, lost to the jungle for 1,000 years, and rediscovered in 1814.
Afternoon: Prambanan Temple Complex — 47-metre Hindu spires rising from the plain, dedicated to Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu. Built in the 9th century and one of the greatest temples in Asia.
Evening (VIP): Ramayana Ballet — performed open-air at Prambanan with the illuminated temple spires as backdrop.
Overnight: Hotel in Yogyakarta
Day 5 — Yogyakarta: Culture, Crafts & Volcano
Morning: batik workshop with a master craftsman — create your own piece of Javanese wax-resist art to take home. Silver workshop in Kotagede — Indonesia’s silver capital since the 16th century. Afternoon option: Mount Merapi jeep tour — drive to the lava fields of the volcano that erupted dramatically in 2010. Begin evening drive toward East Java.
Overnight: En route or Malang
Day 6 — Malang & Tumpak Sewu Waterfall
Malang — East Java’s most beautiful colonial city, with its Dutch-era architecture, flower markets, and cool highland air. Morning: Tumpak Sewu waterfall — Java’s most spectacular cascade, nicknamed the “mini Niagara of Java”. A 120-metre curtain of water drops into a jungle gorge surrounded by emerald walls. The hike to the base takes 45 minutes and is one of the most dramatic natural experiences in Indonesia. Afternoon: drive toward Bromo.
Overnight: Hotel near Mount Bromo
Day 7 — Bromo Sunrise: The Most Iconic View in Java
3:00 AM — Drive to Penanjakan viewpoint in the darkness.
As the first light of dawn breaks, the ancient Bromo-Semeru caldera transforms — from darkness to deep purple to burning gold. The great Semeru volcano erupts every 20 minutes in the background, sending columns of ash into the morning sky. And in the centre of it all, the smoking crater of Bromo rises from the volcanic sand sea like something from another planet.
After sunrise: private 4WD jeep across the sand sea to Bromo’s crater rim — 250 steps to the edge of an active volcano. Then drive to the extraordinary Savanna viewpoint. Afternoon drive east to Ijen.
Overnight: Hotel near Kawah Ijen
Day 8 — Ijen Blue Fire & Ferry to Bali
1:00 AM — Begin the midnight hike to Kawah Ijen (3.4km, 90 minutes uphill).
At the crater rim, something impossible appears below you: electric-blue fire. Burning sulfuric gas ignites as it meets oxygen, creating flames of an unearthly blue colour visible only in complete darkness. Only two volcanoes in the world produce this phenomenon at scale. You are standing at one of them.
As dawn breaks, the blue fire fades to reveal Kawah Ijen’s extraordinary turquoise acid lake — glowing green-blue in the early morning light.
Descend. Breakfast. Drive to Banyuwangi port. 45-minute ferry to Bali. Your guide delivers you to your Bali hotel.
Overnight: Hotel in East or Central Bali
Day 9 — East Bali: Gates of Heaven & Royal Palaces
Arrive early in East Bali. Lempuyang Temple — the Gates of Heaven, framing Mount Agung in the most iconic photograph in Indonesia. Arrive before 8am for perfect light and no crowds. Tirta Gangga royal water palace — ornate fountains and reflection pools in a garden of extraordinary beauty. Taman Ujung water palace — a lesser-known royal gem.
Overnight: Hotel in Ubud or Central Bali
Day 10 — Ubud: The Cultural Soul of Bali
Tegallalang Rice Terraces — the UNESCO-listed stepped paddies at golden hour. Sacred Monkey Forest — 700 Balinese macaques in a forest of ancient temples. Tirta Empul holy water temple — watch the sacred purification ritual. Traditional Balinese cooking class for two in a jungle setting. Evening: Kecak Fire Dance at Ubud Palace.
Overnight: Hotel or villa in Ubud
Day 11 — Uluwatu, Kecak Fire Dance & Jimbaran
The most romantic and dramatic evening in Bali. Afternoon: Uluwatu — Bali’s most spectacular clifftop temple, 70 metres above the Indian Ocean. Watch the legendary Kecak Fire Dance as the sun sets over the water. Then drive to Jimbaran Bay for a beachside seafood dinner — tables on the sand, candles, fresh-caught fish, the sound of the waves.
Overnight: Hotel in South Bali
Day 12 — Bali: Final Morning & Departure
Morning at leisure. Optional: sunrise at Tanah Lot sea temple, beach time, or spa (VIP: couples spa included). Your guide transfers you to Ngurah Rai International Airport for your departure flight — carrying memories that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
What’s Included
Standard Package — USD 1,495/person (min 2 people)
✓ Private English-speaking guide throughout all 12 days
✓ Private air-conditioned vehicle for all transfers
✓ Private 4WD jeep at Bromo crater
✓ 11 nights accommodation (comfortable tourist-class hotels)
✓ Daily breakfast throughout
✓ All entrance fees: Old Batavia, Borobudur, Prambanan, Bromo, Ijen, Lempuyang, Tirta Gangga, Monkey Forest, Tirta Empul, Uluwatu, Kecak Dance
✓ Tumpak Sewu waterfall local guide (required)
✓ Gas mask for Ijen hike
✓ Ferry ticket Banyuwangi → Bali
✓ Airport pickup Jakarta, drop-off Bali
✓ All tolls, parking, and fuel
✓ Cooking class in Ubud
✓ Jimbaran beachside dinner
VIP Package — $2,255/person (min 1 person)
✓ Everything in Standard, PLUS:
✓ Superior/boutique hotels throughout
✓ All meals daily (breakfast + lunch + dinner)
✓ Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan (evening show)
✓ Batik workshop with master craftsman
✓ Mount Merapi jeep tour (Day 5)
✓ Private porter for Ijen hike
✓ Full-face premium gas mask
✓ Couples spa in Ubud (1 full session)
✓ Private photographer session (1 hour)
✓ Farewell dinner at Jimbaran Bay
✓ Solo travellers welcome — no minimum group size
Optional Add-Ons
• Tangkuban Perahu crater upgrade (Bandung)
• Dieng Plateau extension (+1 day, Yogyakarta)
• Nusa Penida day trip from Bali (+$85/person)
• Extra nights anywhere along the route
Practical Information
⏱ Duration: 12 Days / 11 Nights
✈ Starts: Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Jakarta (CGK)
🏨 Ends: Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali (DPS)
👥 Standard: min 2 people · VIP: from 1 person
🥾 Fitness: Moderate — Ijen hike 3.4km uphill (90 min), some long driving days
🌡 Pack warm layers for Bromo & Ijen (5–10°C at summits)
📅 Available daily — select your start date above
⚠ Ijen blue fire is weather-dependent and not guaranteed
💳 Secure PayPal payment — instant booking confirmation