First, it is necessary to be aware that there is only one official approach to view sunrise (and sunset for that matter) from within the Borobudur temple. And that’s by paying for the Manohara Hotel, which is located on park grounds, an additional 125,000 IDR (roughly US$10) to gain access to the temple at 4:30 am. This makes the total ticket cost to get a sunrise tour 450,000 IDR (US$34) each person. Be mindful that you do not need to stay at Manohara Hotel (which seems to provide a rather average lodging for the price though it does give you a reduction to your sunrise ticket). You don’t need to make bookings beforehand. Compare this ticket price to the 275,000 IDR (formally submitted in USD at $20). It might cost any global tourists to see during regular business hours between 6:00 am and 5:00 pm.

There are options to visit Borobudur sunrise in the Borobudur temple complex, for example, from lookout points on Dagi Hill or Punthuk Setumbu Hill. These are several km from the temple complex and just offer one a birds-eye view of the shirts of the temple through the morning haze. Further, we were cautioned that the signs would be hidden by neighborhood hustlers to the search points and only help tourists to find them for a fee.

Is Borobudur Sunrise Worth It?

Thus, now with costs established, here are the three concerns we would suggest you ask yourselves in determining whether or not dawn at Borobudur is worthwhile:

1. How interested are you in capturing top-notch Borobudur photos?

Borobudur temple is a structure that is gorgeous regardless of time daily. However, there is an undeniable scenic quality to this buddha heads and stupas since the dim light of early morning illuminates the temple. You needed to maximize our opportunities to take awesome photographs at Borobudur. The pictures that you took during that couple of minutes of sunrise will far surpass the pictures you took several hours later in the unpleasant morning lighting. From a photographer’s perspective, as frustrating as it was to play into this tourist trap, it’s better to be present for sunrise.

2. What time of year are you seeing?

When you would like to see Borobudur sunrise, the time of year things, each morning in mid-October before the rainy season of Indonesia, the temperatures have been high. You may see stars each night graying wrapped around until about 11 am. Apparently, during the rainy season (and when there isn’t extreme slash-and-burn agriculture occurring in West Java), this haze is much less. The prospect for really stunning clouds far greater—as with most things in nature, having flawless sunrise requirements comes down to luck.

3. What time is sunrise?

In choosing whether to cough up the IDR to view sunrise via the Manohara Hotel Very similar to the time of year the period the sun rises makes a difference. First light in October is about 5:15am using the sun breaking through the low-horizon haze between 5:45 and 5:30 am. This implies that if you chose to wait till park launch at 6:00 am, from now they hike to the temple from the entrance the photography opportunities have passed.

But, as reported by a travel blogger who seen during July, during their visit Borobudur the sunlight did not peak through the low-horizon haze until 5:50am. Therefore, by normal tickets, they were able also make it to see enough of this sunrise and to enter the park at 6:00 am.  In their case, it did not make sense to pay extra for sunrise tickets.

Ready to start your getaway to (Lake Toba)? Visit  Wonderful Indonesia, and don’t miss out on the magic!

Clare Louise