A Guide to Visiting Borobudur Temple in 2025

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Post updated April 1, 2025

If you’re visiting the Indonesian island of Java, the tourist trail will eventually lead you to the city of Yogyakarta, the base for visits to the historic temple complexes of Borobudur and Prambanan. While both are well worth visiting, Borobudur Temple, the world’s largest Buddhist temple, is by far the biggest tourist draw.

This 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site is a bucket list destination for many travelers who have always dreamed of exploring its nine platforms, 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. 

But a lot has changed about visiting Borobudur in the past few years. So this guide is all about the best ways for you to have your dream experience of Borobudur!

A Brief History of Borobudur

Borobudur was built around 800 CE and with thousands of intricately carved relief panels and hundreds of awe-inspiring Buddha statues, it still stands out as an impressive architectural and artistic feat of human history. A stop-off at this ancient wonder is pretty much obligatory and will likely be one of the most memorable experiences of your trip to Indonesia.

The temple appears to have been abandoned sometime in the 14^th century, coinciding with the decline of Hindu power and the rise of Islam on Java. Borobudur was lost for hundreds of years, buried under thick jungle and volcanic ash until it was finally rediscovered in 1814. 

After a series of restorations, the temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 and is now the most visited tourist site in Indonesia!

If you’re wondering if Borobudur is worth visiting, it absolutely is. And trust me when I say it is truly worth the trip to Java.

Visiting Borobudur from Yogyakarta

Borobudur is located 25 miles (40 km) from Yogyakarta. It’s entirely possible to visit Borobudur independently by either renting a motorbike, taking a TransJogja bus or taking a taxi. You can also arrange to hop on one of the many shared shuttles or tours that will take you from Yogyakarta to the Borobudur complex (more on this in a bit!).

Borobudur Temple Opening Hours

At the time of writing, the Borobudur Temple Grounds are currently open daily from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm, while the Temple Structure is only open from Tuesday to Sunday (closed Monday) from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.

Borobudur Entrance Tickets

The ticket system for Borobudur has become a bit trickier in recent years. First, there are different ticket prices for foreigners and Indonesian nationals. There are also two different ticket options to choose from: the Temple Ground Ticket (412,500 rupiah for foreigners) and Temple Structure Ticket (455,000 rupiah for foreigners).

Temple Ground Tickets

Temple Ground Tickets cost 412,500 rupiah for foreigners. It’s important to note that the Temple Ground Tickets will not allow you to walk up the structure. I personally think it’s more than worth it to pay extra for the Temple Structure Tickets to be able to walk up the actual temple.

Temple Structure Tickets (Recommended)

If you’ve always dreamed of walking up to the top of Borobudur, you’ll want to get the Temple Structure Tickets. These are limited each day, so you may want to look into reserving your spot ahead of time. The Temple Structure is closed on Mondays.

You can purchase Temple Structure Tickets through Get Your Guide for $33. That way you can choose your preferred time slot (time slots go from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm and give you 1.5 hours to explore). Not only does this ensure you get access to climb Borobudur, but this option includes a shuttle to and from the temple complex.

An Update on Borobudur Sunrise Tours

Taking a sunrise tour of Borobudur used to be the most popular tour option. But at the time of writing (in April 2025), sunrise tours inside the complex don’t seem to exist anymore.

There are a lot of tours that do still offer sunrise options that receive rave reviews, like this Setumbu Sunrise Borobudur and Prambanan Tour, but it’s important to know that you’ll be watching the sunrise over Borobudur from the vantage point of Setumbu Hill. After sunrise, you will have to wait for Borobudur to open at 6:30 am to go inside the temple complex.

Tours of Borobudur and Prambanan

If you plan on visiting both Borobudur and Prambanan Temple during your trip, it’s actually cheaper (and easier) to visit them both in one day by hopping on one of the many tours. I visited the temples on separate days, but if I were to do it over again, I would have taken a guided tour that combined both.

That being said, if you do want access the Borobudur Temple Structure, just double-check that your tour offers this feature!

Read More: A Complete Guide to Visiting Prambanan Temple

Tips on Visiting Borobudur Temple

• Bring your student ID: There is a substantial discount on the admission fee if you have a student ID. 
• What to wear: When visiting cultural sites in Indonesia, you should dress conservatively. However, at Borobudur all tourists are wrapped in a sarong, so don’t worry if you’re wearing shorts. You won’t be turned away.
• Bring an umbrella: Borobudur is entirely outside and there is no protection from the elements. It started pouring as I was exploring the complex! 
• Visit the museum: The museum has really interesting photos and paintings of what the structure looked like when it was discovered and the work that went into restoring it. It also gives a good idea of the meaning and history behind the monument’s reliefs, statues and design.
• Think about getting a guide: I was too cheap to hire a guide. However, I do regret not getting one as I would have learned a lot more about this amazing relic.

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Is visiting Borobudur on your Indonesia bucket list?