Local Guide

Top 10 Weekend Activities in Jakarta

Hello FlokqJune 22, 2020

Jakarta is a very busy metropolitan city. As the center of the economy and also the government, Jakarta is a city that almost never sleeps. Tired of all the activities on your weekdays? Make the most of your weekend by doing fun things, one of which is exploring Jakarta. Because this city has many interesting places to visit that can give you a new perspective on Jakarta and the most important thing, it’s fun! Here are our recommendations about the top 10 things to do in Jakarta on weekends.

1. Kota Tua (Old Town Jakarta)

Kota Tua Jakarta is a remnant of old Batavia. In the past, the name of Jakarta was Jayakarta back then. During the Dutch colonial period, the name changed to Batavia. The Dutch began to build Batavia and made it into the VOC’s headquarters. 

Kota Tua is the place where the history of Jakarta begins. Therefore, in this old city of Jakarta, you can find a lot of historic buildings and museums that have a sense of Dutch architecture. There are many places that you can visit around Kota Tua, such as the Jakarta History Museum, which was once the Jakarta city hall, the Museum of Bank Indonesia, which stores the history of Indonesia, especially in the field of finance, and much more.

Don’t forget to have lunch at Cafe Batavia, which is directly opposite the Jakarta History Museum. After that, end your evening by enjoying the sunset at Kali Besar Kota Tua. Visiting Kota Tua is definitely a historic way to spend your weekend in Jakarta.

How to get there?

• Take the KRL Commuter Line train (blue or red route) to Jakarta Kota Station
• Take the Transjakarta Bus (route 1) to Jakarta Kota bus stop, or
• Taxis and private cars.

Address: 

• Jakarta History Museum: Jalan Taman Fatahillah No.1, Pinangsia, Kec. Taman Sari, Kota Jakarta Barat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 11110
• Museum of Bank Indonesia: 6, Jalan Lada 3, RT.3/RW.6, Pinangsia, Kec. Taman Sari, Kota Jakarta Barat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 11110
• Cafe Batavia: Jl. Pintu Besar Utara No.14, RT.7/RW.7, Pinangsia, Kec. Taman Sari, Kota Jakarta Barat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 11230
• Kali Besar Kota Tua: Jl. Kali Besar Timur

Opening Hours:

• Jakarta History Museum: 8 AM – 5 PM (Tuesday – Sunday, Closed on Monday)
• Museum of Bank Indonesia: 8 AM – 3:30 PM (Tuesday – Friday), 8 AM – 4 PM (Saturday & Sunday), Closed on Monday
• Cafe Batavia: 9AM – 12AM (Monday – Thursday), 8AM – 1AM (Friday & Saturday), 8AM – 12AM (Sunday)
• Kali Besar Kota Tua: 24 hrs / week 

Contact: 

• Jakarta History Museum: +6221 6929101
• Museum of Bank Indonesia: +6221 2600158
• Cafe Batavia: +6221 6915534

Prices:

• Jakarta History Museum: Rp5.000,00
• Museum of Bank Indonesia: Rp5.000,00
• Cafe Batavia: Rp300.000,00 for two people (approx.)

2. Ancol

Ancol is a recreation complex located in North Jakarta. There’s a lot of recreational activities that you can do in Ancol such as visiting the Ancol beach, Go to the Allianz Ecopark, many others that are both fun and educational. After that, you can also visit Oceanworld and catch a  dolphin show or you can go relax at the beach while enjoying the sunset with your loved ones. 

How to get there?

• Take the Transjakarta Bus (route 5) to Ancol, or
• Taxis and private cars.

Address: Jl. Lodan Timur No.7, RW.10, Ancol, Kec. Pademangan, Kota Jkt Utara,  Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 14430

Contact: +6221 29222222

Opening hours: 24 hours

Entry Price: Rp25.000,00 / person

3. Dufan

Dufan, or Dunia Fantasi, is a theme park located in Northern Jakarta, which is still within the scope of the Ancol complex. Dufan is the biggest theme park in Jakarta, which has always been the choice of Jakartans when they want to spend their weekends. There are many games, from fun to challenging. Visiting Dufan is a must if you are visiting the Ancol complex area.

Address: Jl. Lodan Timur No.7, RW.10, Ancol, Kec. Pademangan, Kota Jkt Utara,  Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 14430

Contact: +6221 29222222

Opening hours: 10AM – 6PM (Monday – Friday), 10AM – 8PM (Saturday & Sunday)

Ticket price:

• Weekdays: Rp200,000.00
• Weekend: Rp295,000.00

How to get there?

• Take the Transjakarta Bus (route 5) to Ancol, or
• Taxis and private cars.

4. Monumen Nasional

Monas is not only an iconic monument in the city of Jakarta. The building has several interesting attractions that can be seen. One of these attractions is a collection of dioramas on display at the National History Monument Museum on the ground floor of Tugu Monas. The diorama contains histories in Indonesia. In addition, if you go to the top of the monument, you can see the view of the entire city of Jakarta from above. 

Address: Gambir, Central Jakarta City, Jakarta

Contact: +6221 3822255

Opening hours: 8 AM – 10 PM (Monday – Sunday)

Entry price:

• Monas ticket price: Rp5.000,00
• Top of Monas Ticket Price: Rp10.000,00

How to get there?

• Take the Transjakarta Bus to Monas bus stop

5. Double-decker Jakarta Tour Bus #JakartaExplorer

Get around Jakarta by riding a Double-decker Jakarta Tour Bus also known as Jakarta Explorer. The route is very diverse, ranging from the historic Jakarta route to the modern Jakarta route, and it’s free! You can take the bus from the city tour bus stop near Juanda bus stop.

Route: 

• BW1 History of Jakarta: Monday – Saturday (10 AM – 6 PM), Sunday (12 PM – 7 PM)
• BW 2 Modern Jakarta: Monday – Saturday (10AM – 6PM), Sunday (12PM – 7PM)
• BW 3 Art & Culinary: Saturday (5PM – 11PM)
• BW 4 Jakarta Skyscrapers: Monday – Saturday (10AM – 6PM), Sunday (12PM – 7PM)
• BW 5 Jakarta Open Space: Monday to Friday (11 AM – 7 PM), Saturday (11 AM – 7 PM), Sunday (12 PM – 7 PM)
• BW 6 Jakarta Heritage: Saturday – Sunday (1 PM – 21PM)
• BW 7 Jakarta Shopping: Monday – Friday (10AM – 6PM), Saturday (10AM – 10PM), Sunday (12PM – 7PM)

6. Museum Macan

Museum Macan is a modern and contemporary art museum in Jakarta. In this museum, there are various art installations that make this museum worth a visit. The Museum Macan also often exhibits seasonal installations of art, from well-known artists, such as Yayoi Kusama’s works which have been exhibited here. Museum Macan is the best choice for those of you who want to spend the weekend with friends or lovers at the art museum.

Address: AKR, Jl. Perjuangan No.5, RT.11/RW.10, Kb. Jeruk, Kec. Kb. Jeruk, Kota Jakarta Barat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 11530

Contact: +6221 22121888

Opening Hours: 10 AM – 2 PM / 2 PM – 7 PM (Tuesday to Sunday)

Ticket Price: Rp100.000,00/Person (Adult) – Rp90.000,00/person (student) – Rp80.000,00/person (children)

How to get there: 

• Take the Transjakarta bus (route 8) to Kebon Jeruk bus stop
• Taxis and private cars.

7. Ragunan Zoo

Ragunan Zoo is the largest zoo in Jakarta. Like most zoos, Ragunan has many endemic animals, which in this Ragunan is Indonesian animals. Suitable for you who want to spend the weekend learning about the uniqueness of animals in Indonesia.

Address: Jl. Harsono RM No.1, Ragunan, Kec. Ps. Minggu, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta

Contact: +6221 78847114

Opening hours: 7:30 AM – 4 PM (Tuesday to Sunday)

Entry price: Rp4.000,00/Person (adult) – Rp3.000,00/person (children)

How to get there:

• Take the Transjakarta bus (route 6) to Ragunan bus stop
• Taxis or private cars.

8. Jakarta Mangrove Forest

Located in Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta, besides functioned as an abrasion barrier in Jakarta, this mangrove forest is also a place for mangrove conservation as well as tourist attractions and education for its visitors. Not only can you enjoy the beauty of the mangrove forest up in North Jakarta here, but you can also plant your own mangrove trees. Visiting Jakarta Mangrove Forest is perfect for those of you who want to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city of Jakarta.

Best Nature Getaways in Jakarta

Address: 7 Jalan Katamaran Indah 1 RT.7, RT.1/RW.7, Kapuk Muara, Kec. Penjaringan, Kota Jkt Utara, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 14460

Contact: +6221 3158142

Opening hours: 7 AM – 9 PM (Monday to Sunday)

Entry price: Rp25.000,00

How to get there:

• Take the Transjakarta bus (route 1A) to Pantai Indah Kapuk bus stop
• Take the KRL Commuter Line train (red and blue route) to Jakarta Kota station, then continue with taxi
• Taxis and private cars.

9. Thousand Islands (Kepulauan Seribu)

Did you know that Jakarta is not only made up of 5 municipalities (North, South, West, East, Central)? Actually, Jakarta has 6 municipalities, there is one more municipality from Jakarta that is not mentioned above, namely the Thousand Islands municipality, which is located 1 hour by boat from the port. When you reach a thousand islands, you will be welcomed by the blue sea water and wide-stretched white sand. Perfect for those of you who want to experience a tropical island vacation, but only 1 hour from the city of Jakarta.

Jakarta Weekend Escape: Pulau Seribu

Address: Kabupaten Administrasi Kepulauan Seribu, DKI Jakarta.

10. Car-free Day

This is the simplest way to enjoy Jakarta on the weekends, where the Sudirman – Thamrin road is car-free on Sunday mornings. You can exercise while enjoying the quiet streets of Sudirman – Thamrin with the fresh air of the city. Here, you’ll also find many sports communities in Jakarta such as running and cycling. One of the great ways to get healthy and make a new friend!

Location: Sudirman – Thamrin road

Time: Every Sunday, from 6 AM – 11 AM

Those are the things we recommend. Have you decided what to do next weekend in Jakarta?