Keraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat: Yogyakarta Travel Guide

A palace with a sultan still in it

Most royal palaces are museums. This one isn’t. Sultan Hamengkubuwono I founded the Kraton in 1755, after the Treaty of Giyanti split the Mataram kingdom. His descendant Hamengkubuwono X still lives in the private inner quarters, and he is also governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta.

That’s why so much of the compound is closed to visitors. What you can see is a run of open-sided pendopo pavilions on marble floors, with carved teak columns and dark joglo roofs set around sandy courtyards. Courtiers called abdi dalem work here in batik sarongs and blangkon headcloths, and many of them keep a kris tucked in at the back. They staff the palace as a duty to the sultan, not as a show put on for tourists.

Finding the right gate

Everyone ends up at the address on Jl. Rotowijayan No.1. The compound is huge and has two ticketed areas.

• Main palace (Srimanganti and Bangsal Kencono courtyards): the entrance is on the Rotowijayan side, west of the grand square. This is where the golden pavilion, the gamelan halls and the heirloom displays are.
• Pagelaran and Siti Hinggil: these are the raised audience halls facing Alun-Alun Utara, the north square. They have their own entrance and ticket.
• Museum Kereta Keraton: the royal carriage museum, a few steps away on the same street.

From Tugu station, Malioboro runs about 2km south to the north square. You can walk it, take a becak or ride a Trans Jogja bus. Ask any driver for “Kraton” and they’ll know where you mean.

Timing around the crowds and the court

The hours are 9am to 3pm, Tuesday through Sunday. The palace is closed every Monday. Measured foot traffic puts the weekend peak at 9am–3pm, which is every hour it’s open, so a weekend visit means crowds whatever time you pick. A weekday visit starting at 9am avoids the weekend rush. It also leaves time before the midday heat builds up on the open courtyards.

Mornings are when the pavilions often host gamelan, wayang puppetry or classical dance. The schedule changes by day, so check it at the ticket window when you arrive. The palace can also close at short notice for court ceremonies, such as the Garebeg processions. Most visitors spend 1.5 to 2 hours inside.

Palace manners the abdi dalem expect

This is a working court, so behave the way you would at a place of worship:

• Dress: cover your shoulders and knees. Hats and sunglasses come off in the inner pavilions.
• Guides: the licensed guides at the entrance explain things the signs leave out, like what the batik patterns mean and why the layout lines up with Mount Merapi. Guides usually work for a tip, so carry small rupiah notes.
• Seating and objects: don’t sit on raised pavilion floors or on any seat meant for the sultan. Keep your hands off the gamelan instruments and anything roped off.
• Photos: photos are allowed in most courtyards, but read the signs in the heirloom rooms. Ask before you photograph an abdi dalem up close.
• Language: a quiet matur nuwun (Javanese for thank you) goes down better than terima kasih.

After the palace, Taman Sari is a short walk southwest through the alleys. It’s the sultan’s 18th-century water castle, with bathing pools and an underground mosque. At dusk, locals head to Alun-Alun Kidul, the south square. The game there is to walk blindfolded between its twin banyan trees. The palace is closed by then, but the square is open.