The Best Spots of Legendary Sunrises in Jogja

For some, sunrise is a mundane daily routine and nothing special about it. However, watching sunrise (or indeed sunset) in a certain location can give a very different experience. It is remarkable how a certain place can make ordinary occurrence becomes very special. Jogjakarta has many of these wonderful sunrise spots.

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From an ancient temple to the top of the hill, Jogja has a collection of wonderful place to enjoy sunrise. Some places requires a special permit, some other requires you to climb an actual hill. Here are some of the best spots for enjoying sunrise in Jogjakarta.

Borobudur

This ancient Buddhist temple is a great place to watch sunrise. You will need an early pass since the park is officially opened a few hours after the sunrise. The easiest was by staying at Manohara Hotel, the one that produce the early access ticket.

Other option is by joining a sunrise tour to Borobudur. Here, you can see the sun light touches the majestic temple, with the background of Mount Merapi.

Punthuk Setumbu

Morning misty color of great Borobudur Temple from Setumbu Hill (c) Shutterstock

Still around Borobudur, you can find Punthuk Setumbu, a 400 meter hill. Some locals call the summit of this hill as Nirwana Sunrise because the sunrise view is spectacular. It’s not just the sunrise. From this vantage point, you can see Borobudur temple, Mount Merapi, Menoreh Hills, and Mount Merbabu. To reach the top of this hill, you have to climb via a flight of stairs.

Parangtritis Beach

Parangtritis Beach is one of the icons of Jogja’s tourism. Its vas white sandy beach is an ideal destination for family vacation. Turns out Parangtritis also has a wonderful sunrise. Watching the sun comes up from the horizon, creating a plethora of wonderful colors. If you want a different point of view in this place, you can climb Parang Endog hill, located in the same area as parangtritis.

Prambanan

Prambanan, known as a thousand temple by locals, there are many great spots for everything in this temple complex. For those who hunt spectacular sunrise, the three main temples (Shiva, Brahma, and Wisnu) are the most favorite and sought after. However, during weekdays, tourist cannot enter the main temples in the morning. Those who wish to capture the sunrise in this temple should come on Sunday.

Suroloyo Summit

This summit, in a way, is similar to Punthuk Setumbu. There is 286 flight of stairs between you and the summit, and you have to climb it before the actual sunrise. Your struggle will be paid when you get to see the majesty that is a sunrise among four mountains (Merapi, Merbabu, Sindoro, and Sumbing). In a good weather, you can also see Borobudur Temple in the distance.

Ratu Boko Palace

Istana Ratu Boko yang begitu eksotis, Via Shutterstock

Ratu Boko Palace is popular as a magnificent sunset location. However, when you are looking from the other direction, you can see phenomenal sunrise through its gates. The sunsets here is dominated by magenta sky while the sunrise is dominated by golden one. Its location on the hill help bringing the best of the sunrise.