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Territory capital · Indonesia

PontianakKota Pontianak

Give Pontianak 2 nights: one for the equator monument and river, one for food. It is a stopover city, not a destination week.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
IDR
Best months
May–Sep (drier)
avoid Rainfall varies through the year; check the forecast before you book
Airport
PNK
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…
  • Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
  • Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
  • Indonesia ↗Buy the visa on arrival or e-visa only on the official Immigration portal; lookalike sites charge extra.
  • Indonesia ↗Complete the All Indonesia digital arrival and customs form before landing; it is free.
  • Indonesia ↗Foreign visitors to Bali pay a one-off tourist levy; keep the payment proof on your phone.
  • Indonesia ↗Riding a motorbike needs a valid licence that covers motorbikes (an international permit alongside your own) and a helmet; check your insurance covers it.

Pontianak is the capital of West Kalimantan, built where the Kapuas and Landak rivers meet and sitting almost exactly on the Equator. It is a trading city of Malay, Dayak and Chinese communities, and it earns its place on a Borneo route through food, river life and the equator monument rather than through big sights. Two nights covers it; most travellers pass through on the way to Singkawang or across the border to Kuching.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Pontianak, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffeelocal warung to modern caféRp10,000–50,000 (≈ US$1–4)
  • Street or quick mealStreet-hawker meal (noodles, rice, satay)Rp5,000–25,000 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Metro or bus rideCity bus rideAbout Rp2,000 (≈ under US$1)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekRp100,000–200,000 (≈ US$7–13)
  • Museum or sight ticketEquator monument entryRp10,000 (≈ under US$1) localRp20,000 (≈ US$2) foreign visitor
  • Budget bedGuesthouse or hostel bed, a night, per personRp100,000 (≈ US$7)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomRp400,000 (≈ US$25)
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomRp700,000 (≈ US$45)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget Rp300,000 (≈ US$19) · Mid Rp600,000 (≈ US$40) · High Rp1,200,000 (≈ US$75)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Equator monument (Tugu Khatulistiwa)Kapuas River and its waterfrontKadriyah Palace and Masjid Jami'Chinese-Indonesian street food
Airports
PNK Supadio International Airport (About 15–20 km from the centre; DAMRI bus to town, or a fixed-price taxi coupon)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Pontianak: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

31°C

23°C

17 rd

Feb

31°C

23°C

14 rd

Mar

32°C

23°C

16 rd

Apr

32°C

23°C

17 rd

May

32°C

23°C

15 rd

Jun

32°C

23°C

13 rd

Jul

32°C

23°C

11 rd

Aug

32°C

23°C

11 rd

Sep

32°C

23°C

13 rd

Oct

32°C

23°C

17 rd

Nov

31°C

23°C

19 rd

Dec

31°C

23°C

19 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Taxis are the easy option; agree the fare first. Ride-hailing apps (Grab, Gojek) are widely used in Indonesian cities but availability in Pontianak is not confirmed — check in the app on arrival. City buses cost a couple of thousand rupiah but are poorly marked and drivers rarely speak English. Small boats cross the Kapuas for about Rp1,000 and are the cheapest way to the far bank. Note that ride-hailing apps are not allowed at the ALBN long-distance bus station, about 15 km east of the centre.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Singkawang

overnight

Door to door: 2.5–3.5 h

Bus or shared car west, about 2–3 h

Chinese-Indonesian coastal town with its own food scene; better as a night than a return trip.

Equator Monument (Tugu Khatulistiwa)

go

Door to door: About 45 min each way

Public bus or taxi north of the centre, about 11 km

Entry is a small ticket for locals and a higher one for foreign visitors; go in the morning.

Kuching, Malaysia

overnight

Door to door: 8–10 h

Bus via the Entikong border crossing, at least 8 h

A full travel day; check border hours and bus operators before you commit.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Jalan Gajahmada and the CBD

Chinese-Indonesian food street, cafés and most mid-range hotels; walkable in the evening.

Around Jalan Ahmad Yani

Bigger chain hotels and the museum; a short ride from the river.

Pontianak Timur, east bank of the Kapuas

The Kadriyah Palace and Masjid Jami' sit here; cross by boat or bridge from the centre. Fewer places to sleep.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
Rp250,000–450,000 (≈ US$16–30) excl. bed
Mid
Rp450,000–900,000 (≈ US$30–55) excl. bed
High
Rp900,000 (≈ US$55)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 2 nights × Rp400,000Rp800,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × Rp600,000Rp2,400,000
DAMRI bus airport → centre, one way2 × Rp35,000Rp70,000
Taxi coupon airport → centre2 × Rp70,000Rp140,000
eSIM, about a week of data2 × Rp150,000 · 2026 estimateRp300,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeRp371,000
Trip total≈ Rp1,020,000 per person per day, bed includedRp4,081,000≈ US$250

2026 estimate

2026 estimate in rupiah; flights excluded. Bed and daily figures are planning estimates — check current rates. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Street-hawker meal (noodles, rice, satay)Rp5,000–25,000 (≈ US$1–2)
Coffee, local warung to modern caféRp10,000–50,000 (≈ US$1–4)
Es lidah buaya (aloe vera drink)Rp10,000–20,000 (≈ US$1–2)
City bus rideAbout Rp2,000 (≈ under US$1)
River crossing by boatAbout Rp1,000 (≈ under US$1)
Equator monument entryRp10,000 (≈ under US$1) local / Rp20,000 (≈ US$2) foreign visitor
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekRp100,000–200,000 (≈ US$7–13)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Pontianak is a working city, not a resort: petty theft is the main risk, so keep phones and bags close and never leave a helmet on a parked bike. Roads are busy and side streets flood in the wet season.
  • Pickpockets and motorcycle theft are common, including in mall car parks; keep helmets and bags locked or with you.
  • Long-distance buses from Kuching drop at ALBN station, where Grab and Gojek are not allowed — use the official taxi desk or walk to the main road.
  • Budget rooms can be basic; check the room before you pay and bring repellent.

Emergency numbers

General emergency
112
Police
110
Fire
113

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

PontianakKota Pontianak

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Tolong antar ke alamat iniTo this address, please

Emergency

  • General emergency112
  • Police110
  • Fire113

Embassy

Indonesia has no US, UK or Australian embassy in Pontianak; those are in Jakarta. Some countries keep honorary consulates in the region — check before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Supadio Airport → city centre, DAMRI bus: about Rp35,000 (≈ US$3), hourly
  • Supadio Airport → city centre, taxi coupon: about Rp70,000 (≈ US$5) fixed
  • River crossing by boat: about Rp1,000 (≈ under US$1)

Say or show

  • Permisi — Excuse me (per-mee-see)
  • Terima kasih — Thank you (ter-ee-ma ka-see)
  • Berapa harganya? — How much is it? (be-ra-pa har-ga-nya)
  • Jangan pedas — I don't want it spicy (jan-gan pe-das)
  • Di mana toilet? — Where is the toilet? (dee ma-na toy-let)
  • Tolong antar ke alamat ini — Please take me to this address (to-long an-tar ke a-la-mat ee-nee)

Pontianak is a stopover city: two nights is enough. Book the airport bus or taxi coupon before arrival, and carry small rupiah notes for street food and boats.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Pontianak. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep (drier) · avoid Rainfall varies through the year; check the forecast before you book · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 3 day-trips, door to door
  6. 3 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for PNK: DAMRI times, taxi coupon price, late-arrival fallback.
  2. Walking clusters for the river, Gajahmada food street and the museum, with evening anchors.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (palace, museum, equator monument) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Wet-season and border-crossing fixtures so the Kuching and Singkawang legs can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Indonesia

Sources