The Borobudur Temple in Indonesia is one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world and an extremely popular place for visitors from all over. The Borobudur Temple is located in the southern part of Central Java on the island of Java in Indonesia.
Built in the 8th and 9th centuries, the Borobudur Temple is constructed in the mandala style. This represent a direct connection with nirvana by combining nine stacked platforms. Six of them square and the other are three circular. Located at the top is the main dome which is surrounded by 72 bell shaped stupas. Inside each stupa you will find a Buddha statue so be sure to look closely inside!
Borobudur Temple in Indonesia had disappeared for centuries as it was buried under volcanic ash. In 1812 a man named Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles re-discovered the Temple and began clearing the site for restoration.
Repairing the Buddhist temple took many years and was complete in 1911. However, there was still much to be fixed so in 1973 the site was restored again with help from the Indonesia government and UNESCO. A decade later the pilgrimage site was finally complete. It wasn’t until 1991 that Borobudur Temple was declared an official UNESCO site.
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Quick Facts About the Borobudur Temple:
- Location: Central Java, Indonesia
- Opening Hours: Officially 6 AM to5 PM daily
- Entrance Fee: 350,000 IDR ($25 USD)
- How to Dress: Conservatively by covering your shoulders and legs
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The Entrance Fees at the Borobudur Temple in Indonesia
The Foreigner fee to enter the temple is 350K IDR ($24.95 USD) per person or 630K IDR ($45 USD) if combined with a ticket to the Prambanan Temple. If you purchase the combo ticket you can buy it at either temple but you must visit them both within 48 hours. The ticket counters take cash or credit card.
At the foreign ticket desk there will be a lounge area and you will be offered either water, tea or coffee. You will also need to pass through a metal detector before entering.
Dress Code at Borobudur Temple
Both men and women will need to cover their thighs and shoulders. If you don’t you will be given a sarong to wear free of charge. Please be respectful and wear it the entire time. There are also security guards walking around the stupas at the top of the temple and I’m sure they would tell you to cover up if you take the sarong off. If you don’t want to wear a sarong be sure to show up in pants or a long dress or skirt.
The Crowds at Borobudur in Indonesia
The Borobudur Temple is THE most visited attraction in Indonesia. Therefore, it WILL be crowded. However, we arrived at 6AM and had a good 30 to 45 minutes to wander around before it became super crowded.
Around 7AM a ton of local school children started showing up on what seemed to be a field trip. They will absolutely ask for selfies and it is okay to tell them no. We said yes to a few and then more and more people kept approaching us. It became a bit too much and very time consuming so we ended up just having to say sorry but no.
Many of the children will also want to interview you about whether or not you liked the temple. If you have the time, go for it. But if you are not wanting to spend your entire day there taking pictures or answering questions then please do not feel bad about saying no.
We thought we just arrived on an unlucky day but we’ve talked to many other people who experienced the same thing as us. So be prepared to be there with a few hundred other people no matter when you go.
Photography Tips at Borobudur Temple
Patience is key! There will be many people wandering around the stupas but if you wait just a few minutes the area will clear and you’ll be able to get your shots.
Tripods are allowed anywhere within the temple, just be careful that it doesn’t get knocked over.
Drones are prohibited at this temple and many of the other sights in Yogyakarta. Be sure to respect the local drone laws here and wherever you are in the world.
» Must Read: The Top Things to Do in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
When is the Best Time to Go to Borobudur
The best time to go to Borobudur is for sunrise or sunset. These times do come with an additional fee and one that isn’t cheap.
My advice is to go when the doors officially open at 6 AM if you want to see the Borobudur temple for sunrise. Alternatively you can arrive a few hours before sunset and stick around.
If you arrive right at 6 AM when the Borobudur officially opens you will still be able to get some of that beautiful morning light without the additional price tag.
If you go in the middle of the day be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen and bring water. It gets really hot and there isn’t any shaded areas within the actual temple.
Official Hours of Opening: 6 AM to 5 PM
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How to Visit Borobudur
The Borobudur temple is located about 1 hour outside of Yogyakara city and can be easily reached by motorbike, GRAB taxi or private transfer. If you take a motorbike you can find the parking at these GPS Coordinates: and the cost to park is 5K IDR ($ 0.35 USD) You can rent a motorbike in Yogyakarta for around 70 K IDR ($5 USD) a day.
Once you’ve parked walk across the street and through the car and bus parking lot. You’ll eventually see the entrance you foreign visitors will purchase their tickets at the ticket office to the left.
Exiting the Borobudur Temple
When you leave the temple you will have to walk through a local market for about 10 minutes. The entire area is like a maze but you will continue to see signs pointing to the exit. Just keep walking and politely let them know you are not interested. The Indonesia people are very friendly and shouldn’t harass you to purchase their items after you’ve already said no thank you.
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WHAT CAMERA GEAR DO I USE?
» Click HERE for the Full Travel Photography Gear Guide to see what’s in my camera bag!
- Main Camera: Sony A7III
- Wide angle lens: Sony G Master 16-35mm f/2.8
- Zoom lens: Sony 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3
- Secondary Camera: Canon 6D Mark II
- Canon wide angle lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L
- Underwater camera: Leica X-U
- Camera with gimbal: DJI Osmo Pocket & Underwater Housing
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- Camera Bag: Polar Pro Drone Trekker
- External Hard Drive: LaCie 1 TB rugged mini external hard drive
Looks like you had a great time there!
We had a wonderful time! Such a beautiful place!
Stunning temple!! Will probably be the new Angkor Watt in 5 years. Can’t wait to visit!!
Thank you! You’re probably right about that! Currently it’s mostly just locals who visit but I imagine that it will increase with tourism in the future!
This is a great post, so full of information! I hope I get to visit this temple!
Thank you so much Kate! I hope you get there one day as well!
I didn’t knew they asked an additional price for sunrise or sunset. Thank you for the tip!
I know! And it’s a pretty big price increase! So glad the tips were useful!
I sometimes can’t believe these places exist. I for once had no idea, excellent post for planning my next trip.
Same for me! I was such a beautiful place to visit and was thrilled to be able to go! Hopefully this will help for when you do visit!
Love your photos! Looks like you got in time before the crowds started arriving! And great tips about dressing appropriately too!
Thank you Rashi! We did! Arrived just before sunrise but right after they charge extra! Hope you get to visit one day!