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Voykit pocket guide · Indonesia
Semarang
Give Semarang one full day for Kota Lama and Sam Poo Kong, or two nights if you add a day trip to Ambarawa or Demak; skip it as a beach stop.
Semarang is Central Java's provincial capital and a working port city, not a resort. Its draw is a compact Dutch colonial old town (Kota Lama), a major Chinese temple, and food — lumpia, tahu gimbal, wingko. Most travellers pass through between Jakarta and Surabaya, or use it as a base for Ambarawa, Bandungan and Demak. The coast floods at monthly high tides, and pavements are poor, so plan short taxi hops rather than long walks.
- Country
- Indonesia
- Best months
- May–Sep (drier)
- Avoid
- Dec–Mar (heavy rain), and the monthly rob high tides on the coast
- Stay
- 1–2 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 in a café | Rp15,000–35,000 |
| Lumpia (spring roll) or tahu gimbal | Rp10,000–30,000 |
| Noodle or rice meal at a warung | Rp20,000–50,000 |
| Beer in a bar | Rp40,000–80,000 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi or ride-hailing car3.1 mi (5 km) taxi or ride-hailing car | Rp25,000–60,000 |
| TransSemarang bus ticket | Rp4,000 |
| Museum or temple entry | Rp3,000–30,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- SRG · Ahmad Yani International Airport
- Close to the city centre; TransSemarang Koridor V and a night airport bus serve it, plus fixed-zone taxis.
Typical fares
- Airport → Simpang Lima, taxi
- about Rp70,000
- TransSemarang bus
- Rp4,000, transfers allowed if you keep the ticket
- Train Semarang → Yogyakarta
- about Rp150,000–300,000, 3–4 h (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
TransSemarang BRT buses (Koridor I–V) cover the centre and the airport with raised shelters; tickets are cheap and transfers are allowed if you keep the ticket. Angkot minibuses fill the gaps but need basic Indonesian. Grab and GoJek are the easy option for short hops. Taxis are metered — insist on the meter. Walking is only pleasant inside Kota Lama; elsewhere pavements are slippery when wet and crossings are ignored by traffic.
See and do
Known for
- Kota Lama (Old Town) and Gereja Blenduk
- Lawang Sewu
- Sam Poo Kong temple
- Lumpia and tahu gimbal
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ambarawa | Car or ride-hailing from Semarang, or bus towards Bawen then local transport | About 1.5–2 h each way |
| Demak | Car or bus east along the coast road | About 1 h each way |
| Salatiga | Car or bus south via the toll road and Ungaran | About 1.5 h each way |
| Ungaran | TransJateng or car south from Tawang | About 1 h each way |
| Grobogan | Car east via the Trans-Java toll road | About 2 h each way |
| Kendal | Car or train west along the coast | About 1 h each way |
Sleep
- Simpang Lima
- Central square with hotels, malls and street food at night; the most convenient base for a short stay.
- Kota Lama (Old Town)
- Colonial streets near Tawang station; atmospheric by day, quiet at night, few places to eat late.
- Near Tugu Muda / Jl Pemuda
- Walkable to Lawang Sewu and the tourist information centre; good mid-range hotel cluster.
- Airport area (Ahmad Yani)
- Only for early flights; nothing to do in the evening.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Permisi / Maafper-mee-see / ma-af |
| Thank you | Terima kasihte-ree-ma ka-see |
| How much is it? | Berapa harganya?be-ra-pa har-ga-nya |
| Please use the meter | Tolong pakai argoto-long pa-kai ar-go |
| Where is the toilet? | Di mana toilet?dee ma-na toy-let |
| I don't want it, thank you | Tidak, terima kasihtee-dak, te-ree-ma ka-see |
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
- Coastal flooding (rob) during monthly high tides can close roads near Tanjung Emas port — check tide dates in the wet season.
- Pavements are tiled and very slippery in rain; crossing main roads is risky, use footbridges or a ride-hailing car.
- Some taxi drivers refuse the meter — take another car or use the app.
- Kota Lama is quiet after dark; don't count on it for dinner.
- Drink bottled water and be cautious with street ice if you have a sensitive stomach.
Semarang is generally safe for tourists; the real risks are traffic, slippery wet pavements, coastal flooding at high tide and petty theft in crowded markets — keep bags zipped and use ride-hailing at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Semarang yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Kota Lama (Old Town) and Gereja Blenduk
- Lawang Sewu
- Sam Poo Kong temple
- Lumpia and tahu gimbal
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- TransSemarang: transsemarang.semarangkota.go.id/
- Ahmad Yani International Airport: ahmadyani-airport.com/en
- Wikivoyage: Semarang, revision 5330183 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5330183
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Semarang
Ke alamat ini, ya
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies are in Jakarta; several countries have consulates in Surabaya — check before you travel.
Keep small change for buses and warungs; many small places are cash only.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/semarang). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.