Top 10 Things To Do and Places to Visit in Jakarta

If you are only here for a day or even a week or more, there are many places to visit in Jakarta. Jakarta has many things to do: tourist attractions, shopping malls, and hidden back streets for nightlife, food, and fun.

In Jakarta, you will not find it short of tourist places to visit, tourist attractions to see, and things to do. Here is our list to help you out.

Top Places to Visit in Jakarta

Ancol Dreamland / Dream Park (Taman Impian Jaya Ancol)

If you are looking for a place to visit in Jakarta away from the busy city, this is as cheesy as it sounds, Ancol Dreamland could be your dream place. It is open 24 hours with amusement park – Fantasy World (Dunia Fantasi (dufan)), Atlantis Water Adventure, Ocean Dream Samudra (pentas lumba) for animal shows, Seaworld, beaches (pantai), Art Market (pasar seni), golf range, bowling, Ocean Eco Park, gondola, Hailai club, art academy, paintball and wakeboarding.

National Museum

Being two centuries old, National Museum of Indonesia (musium nasional) is an iconic tourist attraction in Jakarta. It is located at Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat in the center of Jakarta city and is an archeological, historical, ethnological, and geographical museum. Jakarta’s national museum is well known as Elephant Building (gedung gajah) because of the elephant statue there. Visit here to get acquainted with Jakarta and Indonesia’s history and culture.

National Monument

In Jakarta’s city center of Merdeka Square stands the National Monument (Monumen Nasional (Monas)) tower. It is a famous tourist attraction in Jakarta as it is a symbol to be beckoned with. It stood to symbolize the fight for Indonesia and was constructed under the direction of President Sukarno. It is open from 800-1500 daily except the last Monday of the month. Definitely one of the places to visit in Jakarta!

National Gallery

National Gallery of Indonesia combines a museum and art gallery in Jakarta, where you can enjoy culture, history, and visual arts. Your visit to Jakarta would be well rounded with a visit to this place to admire the local arts.

Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (Jakarta Arts Theater)

Gedung Kesenian Jakarta is a concert hall built during the Dutch colonial period in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is situated close to the Istiqlal Mosque and the Jakarta Cathedral. Check out the various arts programs, from theater shows to musical performances. This is the place to visit to stock up on cultural shows and concerts.

Top Things To Do in Jakarta

Shopping in Jakarta

If shopping is your thing, Jakarta offers a lot, from high-end to budget shopping, from malls to markets. You may also want to look at places to stay near Plaza Indonesia * to maximize your shopping spree. Recommended Shopping malls or shopping centers or markets in Jakarta:
Plaza Indonesia of FX Mall – designer goods
Grand Indonesia
Mangga Dua – cheap yet quality imitation goods
Blok M – shoes, clothes, bags
Pasar Ikan – souvenirs and household items

Eat and Drink

Don’t forget to check out our Top 10 Best Indonesian Food to try all the delicious local delicacies and where else, but Jakarta is the best place to hunt for them! Pondok Laguna is one of my favorite restaurants in Jakarta that serves delicious local Sundanese food. This place is popular with locals and travelers, so you may find it packed during peak hours like lunch and dinner. Another widespread culture here is the coffee culture; many locals go to coffee shops and cafes to hang out and have a good cup of coffee. With so many choices, you may want to check out our recommendation of a local’s favorite coffee place in Jakarta.

Nightlife

Being a large city, Jakarta is not short of things to do at night. For nightlife, you have many choices of clubs and bars. There are places like Kemang for the younger but dynamic crowds in Jakarta clubbing scenes or cafes like Ecobar. It is one of Jakarta’s coolest places to party, and the club is trendier yet affordable. Or you can go to the more famous traveler’s street Jalan Jaksa, for some choices of bars, clubs, and cafes; the better reason to party here is there are more food choices.

Walk around Pasar Baru (Jakarta’s market)

Come here for a nostalgic walk down memory lane in Pasar Baru, one of the rare streets of Jakarta that is pedestrian-friendly. You will find many locals here and family-run businesses selling clothes and watches. Many vintage fashions here, such as shirts, dresses, belts, and jackets, sell as low as USD1 from second-hand/old to new. Also, catch the best local Indonesian food you can find, for example, bakmi. Start walking from Metro Atom at Jalan H. Samanhudi and then walk towards the rear of the Jakarta Art center ( Gedung Kesenian Jakarta).

Spa and Massage and Beauty

Jakarta has many spas, massage, or beauty choices for self-pampering. You can go for traditional Indonesian massages or soothing spas in the middle of the city, or even go for manicure and pedicure, facial and hair wash, and styling in various malls and establishments, ranging from affordable to splurge. If you have more time in Jakarta, you can go for a weekend getaway at the Javana Spa, only 2 hours away from the city.

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Nearby Jakarta

Check out our Top 10 Day Trips from Jakarta list or if you are looking for some sun and sea, see our Top 10 Beaches near Jakarta. Popular trips around Jakarta are Bogor and Taman Safari or Bandung for shopping.

Also, read on Jakarta Travel Guide for more information.

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