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Major city · Indonesia

Balikpapan

Give Balikpapan 2 nights as a Borneo gateway: oil-city base for orangutans, sun bears and beaches, not a beach holiday on its own.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
IDR
Best months
Any month; Aug–Oct slightly drier
avoid Nov–Jul for the heaviest rain; no true dry season
Airport
BPN
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.

Balikpapan is East Kalimantan's oil and finance city, a clean, slow-paced place on a bay with a working refinery. Most travellers pass through on the way to Nusantara, the Mahakam river or Derawan, but two nights cover the sun bear centre, the orangutan sanctuary at Samboja and the mangrove boardwalk. There is no real dry season, so plan around rain rather than a season.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Balikpapan, 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.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea at a warungRp 10,000–25,000 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Street or quick mealNoodle or rice plateRp 20,000–45,000 (≈ US$2–3)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekRp 100,000–200,000 (≈ US$7–13)
  • Budget bedHostel or budget guesthouse bed, a night, per personRp120,000 (≈ US$8)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomRp600,000 (≈ US$40)
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomRp1,200,000 (≈ US$75)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget Rp400,000 (≈ US$25) · Mid Rp800,000 (≈ US$50) · High Rp1,800,000 (≈ US$110)

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.

Sun bears at KWPLHSamboja orangutan sanctuaryCrab and amplang seafoodMangrove boardwalk and bay views
Airports
BPN Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman International Airport (Sepinggan) (About 8 km from the centre; fixed-fare airport taxis from the terminal, angkot route 7 passes the front)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Balikpapan: 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

24°C

18 rd

Feb

32°C

24°C

17 rd

Mar

32°C

25°C

19 rd

Apr

31°C

25°C

18 rd

May

31°C

25°C

18 rd

Jun

31°C

25°C

19 rd

Jul

30°C

25°C

17 rd

Aug

30°C

25°C

14 rd

Sep

31°C

25°C

13 rd

Oct

31°C

25°C

15 rd

Nov

31°C

25°C

18 rd

Dec

31°C

25°C

20 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

No city buses: colour-coded angkot minibuses run fixed routes (Rp 5,000–8,000) and often detour on request. Metered taxis are ordered by phone rather than hailed; ride-hailing apps are the easy option. Traffic is still light by Indonesian standards but growing.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Samboja orangutan sanctuary and eco-lodge

go

Door to door: About 1 h each way

Car or ride-hailing, about 1 h from the centre

Day visit or overnight at the lodge; book ahead. Foreigner day rate around Rp 600,000.

KWPLH sun bear centre

go

Door to door: About 45 min each way

Car or ride-hailing to Jl. Soekarno-Hatta Km 23

Open 08:30–17:00; donation-based entry for foreign visitors, around Rp 50,000–100,000.

Bukit Bangkirai canopy bridge

caution

Door to door: About 1.5 h each way

Car, 58 km north-west of the city

Canopy walk 30 m up; foreigner canopy ticket higher than domestic. Half-day minimum.

Samarinda

overnight

Door to door: 2.5–3 h

Road via the Trans-Kalimantan highway, about 110 km

Too far for a comfortable return day; see the Samarinda guide.

Nusantara (new capital)

caution

Door to door: Check current access

Road north; construction access is restricted

Status and visitor access change often: confirm before you go.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

Klandasan and the waterfront

Central, walkable to Pasar Klandasan food stalls and Plaza Balikpapan; best for a short stay.

Balikpapan Superblock (Gunung Bahagia)

E-Walk and Pentacity malls, cinema and food courts; mid-range and up hotels.

Around Sepinggan airport

Convenient for a late arrival or early flight; little else nearby.

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
Rp 350,000–600,000 (≈ US$25–40) excl. bed
Mid
Rp 600,000–1,200,000 (≈ US$40–75) excl. bed
High
Rp 1,200,000 (≈ US$75)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 2 nights × Rp600,000Rp1,200,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × Rp800,000Rp3,200,000
Airport taxi to the centre, one way1 × Rp70,000Rp70,000
Angkot ride2 × Rp8,000Rp16,000
eSIM, about a week of data2 × Rp150,000Rp300,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeRp479,000
Trip total≈ Rp1,316,000 per person per day, bed includedRp5,265,000≈ US$350

2026 estimate in rupiah; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea at a warungRp 10,000–25,000 (≈ US$1–2)
Noodle or rice plateRp 20,000–45,000 (≈ US$2–3)
Crab dish at a specialist restaurantPriced by weight; ask before ordering.Rp 100,000–250,000 (≈ US$7–16)
Angkot rideRp 5,000–8,000 (≈ under US$1)
Airport taxi to the centreFrom Rp 70,000 (≈ US$5)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekRp 100,000–200,000 (≈ US$7–13)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Generally calm and orderly for a city of its size; the real issues are wet-season rain, long unlit roads to out-of-town sights, and agreeing a taxi fare before you get in.
  • No real dry season: rain falls in every month, so carry a shell and plan indoor backups.
  • Unofficial taxi touts outside the terminal may quote inflated fares to foreigners; use the official taxi booth.
  • Some sights sit 30–60 km out (Samboja, Bukit Bangkirai, the botanical garden) with no public transport: budget a car and a half-day.
  • The Teritip crocodile farm may have closed: check before travelling out.

Emergency numbers

General emergency
112
Police
110
Ambulance
118
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.

BalikpapanBalikpapan

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

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—

—

Ke alamat ini, tolongTo this address, please

Emergency

  • General emergency112
  • Police110
  • Ambulance118
  • Fire113

Embassy

No embassies in Balikpapan; most countries have embassies in Jakarta and consulates in Surabaya or Bali (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Airport → city centre, taxi: from Rp 70,000 (≈ US$5), about 20 min
  • Angkot route 7 (airport front): Rp 8,000 (≈ under US$1)
  • Bus to Samarinda: Rp 30,000 (≈ US$2), every 30 min

Say or show

  • Permisi / Maaf — Excuse me / Sorry (per-mee-see / ma-af)
  • Terima kasih — Thank you (te-ree-ma ka-see)
  • Berapa harganya? — How much is it? (be-ra-pa har-ga-nya)
  • Bisa bayar pakai kartu? — Can I pay by card? (bee-sa ba-yar pa-kai kar-too)
  • Di mana toiletnya? — Where is the toilet? (dee ma-na toy-let-nya)
  • Tidak pakai cabai — No chilli, please (tee-dak pa-kai cha-bai)

Tipping is not expected; round up or tip drivers and guides a little.

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 Balikpapan. 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: Any month; Aug–Oct slightly drier · avoid Nov–Jul for the heaviest rain; no true dry season · 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. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for BPN: official taxi booth fares, angkot route 7 fallback, late-arrival hotel rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Klandasan waterfront, Balikpapan Superblock, Kampung Atas Air.
  3. Place pages with verified hours and foreigner/domestic ticket splits for KWPLH, Samboja and Bukit Bangkirai.
  4. Rain-day fixtures so indoor options (malls, cinema, food courts) are green when the afternoon storms hit.

Meanwhile

Back to Indonesia

Sources