Indonesia · City Tours

7-Hour Jakarta Culture and History Tour with MONAS and Old Town

7 Hours Round trip from Jakarta Easy pace

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The journey

Trip highlights

01 Learn about Jakarta's colonial past in Old Town and Fathallah Square
02 See the lively harbour scene at historic Sunda Kelapa
03 Visit the National Monument (MONAS) and its historical museum
04 Explore Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia

Sign up for this 7-hour tour of Jakarta, the Special Capital Region of Indonesia, to learn about the country's colonial past and cultural heritage. Visit the National Monument (MONAS), Old Town, and Fathallah Square, and see the lively atmosphere of Sunda Kelapa Harbour. You will also explore the National Museum and pay your respects at the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia.

Work starts here at 3 am, and it is essential to arrive by 6 am to see the best of the action.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 7 Hours

Tour type Shared

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Not applicable

City Jakarta

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Jakarta Heritage and Cultural Landmarks Tour

Meet your tour guide upon arrival and begin your guided tour by visiting the following places:
- Old Town: This area has a museum that is very popular among tourists. During the Dutch colonial era, this building functioned as the city hall, which at that time was known as Stadhuis. In addition to serving as the city hall, it also functioned as a court, civil registry office, Sunday worship place, and the seat of the Municipal Council.
- Fathallah Square: Here, you can visit the Jakarta History Museum.
- Sunda Kelapa Harbour: Better known as Pasar Ikan, meaning fish market, this harbour is located at the mouth of the Ciliwung River. Wander around the old Sunda Kelapa port and watch gangs of sinew-stretched coolies smoking pungent clove-laced cigarettes as they unload cargoes of timber, coal, and spices from stunning wooden schooners.
  - You can hire a dugout canoe and paddlers to enjoy the waterside scenery. The boats go to the nearby old fish market, which can also be reached easily on foot from the port and is free to enter. Work starts here at 3 am, and it is essential to arrive by 6 am to see the best of the action.
- National Museum: This is an archaeological, historical, ethnological, and geographical museum.
- National Monument (MONAS): Built during the Sukarno era of fierce nationalism, this 137-meter-tall marble obelisk is topped with a flame coated with 35 kg of gold. The base houses a historical museum and a hall for meditation. The monument is open to the public, and upon request, the lift can carry visitors to the top for a bird's-eye view of the city and the sea.
- Istiqlal Mosque: This is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia.

Where this trip takes you

National Monument, Sunda Kelapa Harbour, Istiqlal Mosque

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map — Round trip from Jakarta 1 city · 7 Hours

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

Mineral water
Experienced driver
Jakarta tour guide
Entrance ticket
Parking and highway toll
Private car
Lunch

Know before you go

Proposed timings for the tour:
- 09.00 from hotel
- 09.30 Sunda Kelapa Harbour
- 10.00 Old Town and puppet show attraction
- 11.30 National Monument
- 12.30 National Museum
- 13.30 lunch
- 14.30 Cathedral
- 15.00 Istiqlal Mosque
- 15.30 Shopping at Danar Hadi Batik Product
- 16.00 back to the hotel
Sunda Kelapa Harbour: The street leading to it was lined with shops selling all sorts of shells, dehydrated turtles, lobsters, and almost everything a seafarer might need. This 500-year-old harbour area was a vital link to markets of the outside world for the 15th-century kingdom of Pajajaran. It was formerly the harbour town of Sunda Kelapa, where the Portuguese traded with the Hindu Kingdom of Pajajaran in the early 16th century. Since then, this port has belonged to the Portuguese and Dutch. Dutch domination of Jakarta and the rest of Indonesia began in this area.
In contrast, the remnants of Kasteel Batavia, an old fort and trading post of the Dutch East Indies Company, can still be seen today. Sunda Kelapa is now a fisherman's wharf and an inter-island port. Tall-masted Bugis schooners from South Sulawesi anchoring there offer a picturesque scene. They belong to one of the last fleets of sailboats in the world and still ply the seas between the islands, as they did centuries ago, carrying merchandise. Though little remains of bustling old Sunda Kelapa except the name, the harbour is still one of the most important ports of call for sailing vessels from all over Indonesia. The magnificent and brightly painted Makassar schooner called Pinisi is still an essential means of transporting goods to and from the outer islands. This is one of the finest sights in Jakarta.