Top Things to Do on Malioboro Street, Yogyakarta | Food, Shopping & Sightseeing

30th July, 2025

In this article, we will introduce information on restaurants, souvenirs, and activities on Malioboro Street (Jalan Malioboro), Yogyakarta’s largest and most bustling area.

Some people visit without doing any research and end up not doing much, which is a shame because it’s a bustling street full of charm. We hope this article helps you enjoy it to the fullest.

What is Malioboro Street?

Signboard on Malioboro Street | Malioboro Street, Yogyakarta

Malioboro Street, located in the heart of Yogyakarta, is one of Indonesia’s most famous tourist spots.

Malioboro Street is Yogyakarta’s premier entertainment district and a very famous street visited by locals, tourists, and students on school trips. The street is lined with numerous shops, restaurants, and cafes, bustling with many people.

The Origin of the Name Malioboro

“Malioboro” means “garland of flowers” in Sanskrit. The name originates from the past when this street was decorated with flowers for special occasions and processions.
In fact, Malioboro Street is the main thoroughfare connecting the Kraton of Yogyakarta to the train station, and you can even see Mount Merapi in the distance along its axis.

Events are still frequently held here today. (The photo shows the street during an event)

Malioboro Street is also known as a shopping destination where many products are sold, including fashion items like batik, cosmetics, Javanese figurines, and antique jewelry. Many shops sell specialty goods and handmade items from Yogyakarta, which are well worth a look.

Furthermore, Malioboro Street is a gathering place for many locals and tourists. The street is lined with cafes and restaurants where people enjoy a bite to eat or a cup of coffee while watching the world go by.

Especially at night, it’s lit up, creating a more magical atmosphere.
The night market (though open during the day) becomes particularly lively in the evening!

For anyone visiting Yogyakarta, Malioboro Street is a must-see tourist spot. With its many shops and restaurants, you can easily spend a whole day here. Even just walking down the street allows you to interact with the local people.

Complete Guide Map to Malioboro Street

To help you better understand the charms of Malioboro Street, I’ve created a guide map.

I will introduce recommended spots, restaurants, souvenirs, and more.

Malioboro Street Travel Map | Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Bargain Hunting! Shopping!

Malioboro Street is lined with countless souvenir shops.
At first glance, it might seem like they all sell the same things…
(And in fact, you’ll often find the same T-shirts sold in different shops. Especially the T-shirts…)

My top recommendation is to hunt for batik!
There are so many patterns, it feels like a treasure hunt and is a lot of fun.

In the photo below, a girl’s batik was being sold for just IDR 13,900.
It’s well-made, making it a great bargain.

This time, I found and bought a long-sleeved batik for attending formal events like weddings and for work.

What do you think of this batik? If a batik has a lining, it won’t feel rough against the skin, so keep that in mind when you’re looking.

And here are some other styles of children’s clothes! (Photo below)
These are cute too. This one was IDR 23,900.

I found the batik above at the shop below.

It’s the shop right next to the Ramayana department store.

Hamzah Batik

This is the most famous batik shop on Malioboro Street.
It’s a three-story building with the following layout:

1st Floor	Batik (with high-end batik in the back)
2nd Floor	Antiques, unique souvenirs, etc.
3rd Floor	Batik and Raminten Cabaret Show (a restaurant where you can watch a cabaret show)

As you can see in the photo below, they have a wide selection of batik.

In the past, I bought a short-sleeved batik from this shop for around IDR 120,000, which is easy to wear in casual situations.

A key feature is the Yogyakarta motif in the area circled in red in the photo below.

Since it’s a souvenir from Yogyakarta, I especially recommend items with a Yogyakarta motif.

The photo below is an example of a Yogyakarta batik motif.

The owner of Hamzah Batik is a famous and flamboyant figure…
He is the person in the photo below.

Feeling Peckish? Get Some Gelato!!

There are several gelato shops along Malioboro Street.
One I particularly recommend is Massimo Gelato, which is also famous in Bali, Indonesia.

You can taste authentic gelato here.

You can choose from a wide variety of flavors, as shown in the photo below.

Small (2 flavors)	IDR 35k
Medium (3 flavors)	IDR 45k

It’s located right next to the Hotel Grand Inna.

Malio Gelato, opened in 2022, is also recommended!

This relatively new shop is also very popular and highly recommended!

The atmosphere inside is stylish and really nice!

https://www.instagram.com/maliogelato/

Learn about Indonesian Independence at Vredeburg Museum

Vredeburg Museum is a history museum located in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
The museum was created by renovating the “Vredeburg Fort,” a military fortress originally built during the Dutch colonial era.

The exhibition rooms mainly cover the history of Indonesian independence, with a wide range of exhibits on the Japanese occupation, the declaration of independence, and the war of independence.

The photo below shows currency from the time of independence.
It’s hard to imagine now, but back then, even IDR 5 Rupiah banknotes were issued.

Old Indonesian currency at Vredeburg Museum

Inside the museum, not only the exhibits but also the building itself is a highlight. You can see the thick walls and moat of the fortress, giving a sense of the military facilities of the time. The museum also displays weapons used in the war of independence, such as guns and swords, the original declaration of independence, and a vehicle used by President Sukarno.

Vredeburg Museum is well worth a visit to learn about the history of Indonesian independence and to understand more about Indonesian culture and history.

Dinner Under the Stars!!

Behind Teras Malioboro, a large dining area opens up.
In Yogyakarta, eating while sitting on the ground like this, with a picnic-like atmosphere, is highly recommended!

Among the stalls, the most highly rated is this one’s Burung Dara Goreng (fried pigeon).
It’s the dish in front of the woman’s hand at the far end of the photo below.

By the way, I ate Gudeg, a Yogyakarta specialty.

This is the shop.

Eating under the night sky is exquisite. It’s the peak of the travel experience!
In this dining area, there’s live music at night, creating a wonderfully charming atmosphere.

On Friday & Saturday Nights, Watch the Famous Cabaret Show!

In Islamic culture, it can be difficult for LGBTQ individuals to be open, but at the Raminten Cabaret Show, you can enjoy a very entertaining show where such performers shine.

This event is usually held only on Friday and Saturday nights with one performance from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, so if you have the chance, I highly recommend visiting.

More details are introduced in the article below.

Coffee with Charcoal? Cheers with Kopi Jos!

“Kopi Jos” is a specialty of Yogyakarta, a unique drink characterized by its distinctive taste, made by mixing coffee with sugar and a piece of burning charcoal.

This coffee has a long history, said to have originated from coffee beans grown on the island of Java. The word “Jos” in its name means “hot” in Javanese.

“Kopi Jos” creates its unique flavor by first mixing sugar and coffee grounds, heating them with a piece of burning charcoal, and then adding it to the coffee. The burnt charcoal adds a deep flavor and a unique smoky aroma to the coffee.

This coffee is served in many cafes in Yogyakarta and is popular among the locals. It is also believed to have a digestive benefit as roasting the coffee beans releases oxygen from the charcoal.

With its unique taste, “Kopi Jos” is worth trying at least once. I highly recommend giving it a try when you visit Yogyakarta.

Here is a cleaner Kopi Jos area near the station ↓↓↓

Here is the most bustling, sit-on-the-ground type Kopi Jos area ↓↓↓

Take a Short Trip to Tugu for Coffee

Tugu Yogyakarta (Javanese: ꦡꦸꦒꦸꦔꦠ) is a monument often used as a symbol of Yogyakarta city.

It’s a landmark, and after sunset, it is lit up, becoming a popular photo spot for many tourists.

Located at the intersection of Jalan Jenderal Sudirman and Jalan Margo Utomo, this monument holds symbolic value, forming a magical line connecting Parangtritis Beach in Bantul Regency, the Krapyak Stage, the Kraton of Yogyakarta in the city, and Mount Merapi in Sleman Regency.

The monument is now a tourist attraction in Yogyakarta and is sometimes called “Tugu Pal Putih” (pal means monument) because its former color was white. This “Pal” monument is round with a small sphere and a pointed tip. Looking north from the Kraton, you can see that Malioboro Street, Margo Utomo Street, Tugu Yogyakarta, and A.M. Sangaji Street form a straight line up to the peak of Mount Merapi, which is called the “Imaginary Axis of Yogyakarta.”

This monument was built in 1755 by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono I. It was called Tugu Golong Gilig and was built with the spirit of national unity.

The name comes from the top of the monument being round (golong) and the pole being cylindrical (gilig).

The monument is 25 meters high. It was built on the Yogyakarta Imaginary Axis, connecting the southern sea, the Royal Palace, and Mount Merapi. It is said that the Sultan of Yogyakarta at the time used this monument as a reference point to face the peak of Mount Merapi during meditation.

You can enjoy a coffee while gazing at this Tugu monument at “Kebon Ndalem Coffee & Eatery.”

On the Way Back, Take a Delman Carriage to Your Hotel!

A specialty of Malioboro Street is the horse-drawn carriage!
I recommend taking one of these carriages, called a Delman, back to your hotel.

The price is approximately IDR 100,000 to 200,000, depending on your destination.
They can accommodate a fairly large group (about 8 people).

Summary

What did you think?
As you can see, Malioboro Street has a truly large number of tourist spots.

Be sure to stop by when you visit Yogyakarta.

Here, once again, is the tourist map that took about 10 hours to create.

This blog features many other articles with tourist information for Yogyakarta and helpful tips for living in Indonesia. Please be sure to check them out!