Is Jakarta Worth Visiting? (What To Expect + Unmissable Tips)

If you’re planning a trip to Indonesia, then you may inevitably end up in Jakarta, which is predictably home to its biggest airport.

But if you’re wondering if it’s worth spending a few days in Indonesia’s capital, well, let me be honest: the overall consensus is that it’s not an attractive tourist destination.

There are several reasons:

• It’s notoriously congested. Traffic jams are an extremely common occurrence in Jakarta. Public transportation is lacking and many areas are overflowing with scooters, making them not so pedestrian-friendly. (However, transport is getting better! More on this in a minute.)
• Not a green city. There are plenty of trees lining the streets in many areas, but the air quality is often poor and there are very few (large) parks.
• Not many typical ‘tourist sights’. While there are many attractions in Jakarta, they will be primarily of interest to locals — think shopping malls, theme parks, golf courses, or aquariums. Cultural sights are relatively scarce and to truly enjoy the city you’ll have to be a bit more creative (I’ll explain this later!).
• Mostly modern. Jakarta is a huge sprawling modern city with few historical or charming areas. Kota Tua, the old city, features a cluster of colonial-era buildings, but the area is quite small.

If you find these points discouraging and already decided to skip Jakarta, fair enough. It can be a difficult city to love, especially at first sight.

BUT… there are still some very good reasons to spend at least a day or two in Jakarta if you can spare them (and you’re not, say, on a limited one week holiday). I can tell you that despite everything, I much enjoyed my time in the city.

Luckily, the traffic situation is improving, so some of the most negative things you’ll read about this are no longer true.

And there are some ways in which you can turn a stay in Jakarta from an overwhelming ordeal to something a lot more rewarding.

Curious? Read on!

What to expect of Jakarta

I don’t want to beat around the bush here: Jakarta is at best a little chewy and at worst overwhelming. Most tourists would probably prefer to go somewhere a bit less hectic. (In Java, other cities like Malang and Yogyakarta are a lot more immediately inviting.)

Nusantara on Borneo may be poised to become Indonesia’s new official administrative capital, but Jakarta remains very much the commercial capital. It’s a big honking buzzing blearing city where 12 million people live and work. To say it’s a noisy place is an understatement; there were definitely several times when all I wanted was to lock myself into a sensory deprivation chamber!

Making matters worse is that the metro system is still rudimentary and the roads are notoriously clogged during rush hour.

Locals often speak of Jakarta as a city with problems. It’s the fastest-sinking city in the world, it’s sorely lacking in green spaces, the air quality isn’t great… and the list goes on.

I’m just mentioning these things so you know what to expect. On my most recent Indonesia trip, I met a solo backpacker on a trip through Java who had no idea that Jakarta is at all like this. She said she’d been completely shocked and almost panicked by booking a flight out the next day. Luckily she calmed down and then stuck to her original itinerary through Java, which she was very glad she did.

Jakarta is very much a business city, not a highly tourism-focused city or a cultural hotspot. However, I still want to make the case for Jakarta being an essential Indonesia experience.

The best way to do this is to actually show you and not just tell you, so don’t miss my Jakarta vlog in which I dive headfirst into the energetic and colorful chaos that is Jakarta:

Why you should still visit

Jakarta is sometimes called The Big Durian, referencing New York’s The Big Apple. This was probably meant as an insult. However, like the fruit, it may be stinky on the outside, but it can still be rather wonderful on the inside.

I would argue that the very fact that it’s a big sprawling megacity in itself makes Jakarta interesting. Most people in Indonesia do NOT live on a beach in Bali; they live in a place like this. You’ll be experiencing the ‘real’ Indonesia!

Jakarta can be an assault on the senses but in a good way, especially when visiting big markets, the street food hubs, or when simply observing the street life in a busy area.

If you’re curious about the world, it’s worth seeing what the capital of the world’s 4th most populous country is really like. It’s a dynamic, buzzing city that can tell you a lot about Indonesia as a whole.

The traffic situation is also not as bad as it used to be. Several new transport connections make getting around a lot easier as a tourist.

• From the airport to the center takes about 45 minutes by Raillink. It’s comfortable, quick, and the train doesn’t get stuck in traffic.
• From Jakarta to the next city Bandung takes about 40 minutes using the brand new high-speed rail service with speeds over 350 km/h.
• Transport within Jakarta has already improved with the first MRT metro line which currently operates on half its planned route. When fully completed in 2027, you can easily reach all key sights, such as the main square and the old city.

Don’t worry about the traffic too much!

How to better enjoy Jakarta

Okay, time for some Jakarta travel tips!

While there isn’t an infinite list of sights in Jakarta, there are several I still highly recommend.

These are some of the essentials you should check out:

• Kota Tua, the old part of the town that was once the heart of the Dutch colonial administration, as you can instantly see from the architecture here.
• Glodok Market, a nearby buzzing Chinese market that’s great for some unscripted exploration
• National Museum, a small but good museum showing traditional art and archaeological finds from Indonesia. After suffering a fire it was newly reopened in 2025.
• Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. It’s a modern building but nevertheless very interesting to see. You can enter (also as non-Muslim) accompanied by a guide. The cathedral across the street is also worth a look.

Other places you may wish to explore include the antique market on Jalan Surabaya, the old port of Sunda Kelapa, or the Candra Naya heritage building.

Besides several cultural sights, I would also highlight that Jakarta is a great nightlife destination. I must admit didn’t experience it much myself (I’m an ageing backpacker with little energy for clubbing!) but others gave me very favorible assessments of the many bars and clubs you can go to.

My other essential tip is to look for a human connection in Jakarta. This will 100% change your perspective!

If you visit only for some sightseeing, it’s easy to get lost in the concrete jungle. But if you have a chance to speak to some locals, you can have a more meaningful experience.

If you’re a backpacker, consider using the Couchsurfing Hangouts app to meet locals for lunch or drinks. This tip was given to me by the owner of several hostels in Indonesia who touted this as the way to experience Jakarta properly. I didn’t try it out in Jakarta but have used the app in other cities in the past, which can really help you have more of a local experience. (Note: CouchSurfing is commonly used to share accommodation, but the app is just for meetups.)

My street food tour was 100% a game-changer.

Another way is to book some guided tours, which is the approach I took on my recent visit. Without these tours, my stay in Jakarta wouldn’t have been half as interesting!

I recommend these two tours in particular:

• Jakarta Social & Political Walking Tour. Led by a political scientist, this was a fantastic crash course in recent Indonesian history and what is happening in the country today. Unlike other walking tours, I loved that this one jumped right into the deep end, covering things you won’t have already read in your travel guide.
• Street Food Tour of Jakarta. It takes you mainly to the celebrated street food market at Blok M where you can try so many tasty dishes and snacks. I would have never found these on my own. I can’t speak of this tour more highly!

If you’re curious what either of these tours are actually like, check out my video on Jakarta on YouTube where I show you how they went for me.

I hope you’ll have a good time in Jakarta and enjoy it for what it is — a crazy beast of a megacity that is the polar opposite of a quiet tropical beach!