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Voykit pocket guide · Indonesia
Banjarmasin
Go for 2 nights to see the dawn floating market and the riverfront; skip if you want beaches or easy walking — this is a hot, spread-out river city.
Banjarmasin is the biggest city in South Kalimantan and the capital of the Banjar Malay world, built on the Martapura and Barito rivers. Its reason to visit is water: dawn floating markets, canal trips and riverfront promenades. The city is hot year-round, sights are spread out, and the old palace is gone — so most travellers give it two nights and move on to Banjarbaru or Martapura.
- Country
- Indonesia
- Best months
- May–Sep (drier)
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (wettest), Ramadan for food hours
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- IDR
- Money
- Rupiah (Rp) in small notes for warungs, parking, offerings and drivers; large cards are common in tourist restaurants but not everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget Rp350,000–600,000 excl. bed · Mid Rp600,000–1,200,000 excl. bed · High Rp1,200,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telkomsel, XL and Indosat sell tourist SIMs at airports; foreign phones must be IMEI-registered if staying over 90 days — check.
- Emergency
- General emergency 112 · Police 110 · Ambulance 118 · Fire 113
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European round pins.
- Tipping
- Warung: Nothing.; Restaurants: Often 10% service + tax on the bill; nothing more needed.; Drivers and guides: Rp50,000–100,000 a day.; Spa: Rp20,000–50,000.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; refill stations common in Bali.
- Toilets
- Western in hotels and cafés; squat toilets with a water scoop elsewhere; paper in the bin.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea at a warung | Rp10,000–25,000 |
| Soto banjar or mie bancir | Rp20,000–40,000 |
| Angkot microbus ride | Rp5,000–10,000 (check) |
| Ride-hail car across town | Rp20,000–40,000 |
| Becak or ojek short hop | Rp15,000–25,000 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | Rp100,000–200,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BDJ · Syamsudin Noor International Airport
- 26 km (16 mi) from the centre, about 30–45 min by road; domestic links to Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Denpasar, Balikpapan and Makassar.16 mi (26 km) from the centre, about 30–45 min by road; domestic links to Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Denpasar, Balikpapan and Makassar.
Typical fares
- Airport → city centre, taxi
- fixed fare, about Rp150,000, 30–45 min (check)
- Ride-hail across town
- Rp20,000–40,000
- Floating-market boat, per boat
- about Rp250,000 return, negotiate before boarding (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Ride-hailing apps (Gojek, Grab) are the cheapest and easiest way across town; metered taxis exist but often quote a minimum. Angkot microbuses are cheap but hard to use without Indonesian. Becak (cycle rickshaw) and ojek (motorbike taxi) suit short hops. Boats — klotok and jukung — are how you reach the floating markets and river islands; negotiate the price before boarding.
See and do
Known for
- Dawn floating markets (pasar terapung)
- Martapura River canal trips
- Masjid Sultan Suriansyah, the oldest mosque in South Kalimantan
- Banjarese food: soto banjar, ketupat kandangan, bingka
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Banjarbaru | Road via Jalan A. Yani, about 35 km (22 mi)Road via Jalan A. Yani, about 22 mi (35 km) | About 1 h |
| Martapura | Road east of Banjarbaru, about 45 km (28 mi)Road east of Banjarbaru, about 28 mi (45 km) | About 1.25 h |
| Pulau Kembang | Boat from the Martapura riverfront, about 20 min | About 1 h |
| Pulau Kaget | Boat downriver, longer run | 2 h+ |
Sleep
- Siring / riverfront (Jalan Kapten Piere Tendean)
- Walk to the Menara Pandang tower and the promenade; best for a short river-focused stay.
- Jalan A. Yani corridor (Km 0–5)
- Malls, chain hotels and the airport road; practical if you arrive late or leave early.
- Kuin / Kampung Kraton
- Older riverside quarter near Masjid Sultan Suriansyah; quieter, fewer hotels.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Terima kasihterima kasih |
| How much is it? | Berapa harganya?berapa harganya |
| Too expensive | Terlalu mahalterlalu mahal |
| Where is the boat? | Di mana perahunya?di mana perahunya |
| I don't want it, thank you | Tidak, terima kasihtidak, terima kasih |
| Help | Tolongtolong |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Light handshake then hand to chest; smile; avoid: Firm grips
- Left hand: Give and receive with the right; avoid: Passing anything with the left
- Temples: Sarong and sash; step around offerings; avoid: Standing higher than priests
- Keeping calm: Patience; indirect requests; avoid: Anger in public
- Pointing: Thumb; avoid: Index finger
Scams and watch-outs
- The floating market starts before dawn and is over by about 09:00 — a late start means you miss it.
- River water is not for swimming; keep hands away from the edge on boat trips.
- Alcohol is hard to find outside large hotels; this is a strongly Muslim city.
- Smoking is common in public and on ferries; non-smoking rooms are not guaranteed in budget hotels.
- Afternoon downpours can flood low streets — allow slack for airport runs in the wet season.
Generally safe for tourists; the real risks are heat, traffic, unlit river edges and boat trips without a fixed price. Agree the fare and the return time before you leave the jetty.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Banjarmasin yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Dawn floating markets (pasar terapung)
- Martapura River canal trips
- Masjid Sultan Suriansyah, the oldest mosque in South Kalimantan
- Banjarese food: soto banjar, ketupat kandangan, bingka
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Syamsudin Noor International Airport: syamsudinnoor-airport.co.id/en
- Wikivoyage: Banjarmasin, revision 5197619 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5197619
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Banjarmasin
Ke alamat ini, tolong
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies are in Jakarta; Australia has a consulate-general in Bali and there is no consulate in Banjarmasin — check your embassy's list before you travel.
Save the boatman's number and agree a return time before you leave the jetty.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/banjarmasin). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.