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Back to Surabaya

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Voykit pocket guide · Indonesia

Surabaya

Use Surabaya as a transit and business stop before Mount Bromo or the Ijen area; one night is enough, and it is easiest booked as the start or end of a Bromo tour rather than a destination.

Surabaya is the capital of East Java and Indonesia's second-largest city. It is a port and industrial hub with colonial buildings and a strong heroes-of-independence history. Most visitors pass through on the way to Mount Bromo and the Ijen area.

JakartaYogyakartaBandungSurabaya100 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Indonesia
Best months
May–Sep (drier)
Avoid
Dec–Feb (heaviest rain)
Stay
1 night

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.
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 or 119 · Fire 113 · Search and rescue (Basarnas) 115
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.

Get in

By air

SUB · Juanda International
South of the city; taxi or airport shuttle.

Get around

Ride-hailing apps and taxis cover the city; rail and long-distance buses connect to Malang, Yogyakarta and beyond. Bromo and Ijen tours are usually arranged as pickups from a Surabaya or Malang hotel.

See and do

Known for

  • Heroes Monument and museum (Tugu Pahlawan)
  • House of Sampoerna cigarette museum
  • Arab Quarter and Ampel Mosque
  • Rawon beef soup and lontong balap
  • Gateway for Mount Bromo tours

Sleep

City centre near Tunjungan
Malls, restaurants and central location.
Gubeng
Near the main train station, useful for onward rail travel.
Darmo
Quieter residential streets with parks nearby.

Language

Indonesian is easy to start: Latin script, no tones, simple grammar. Nearly everyone speaks it alongside a regional language (Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese and hundreds more). English is common in Bali tourism.

  • 'Terima kasih' (thank you), 'berapa?' (how much?), 'tidak pedas' (not spicy).
  • WhatsApp for every business.

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

  • Hot and humid year-round.
  • Traffic congestion at rush hour.
  • Few English speakers outside hotels and malls; save key addresses in Indonesian.
  • Bromo sunrise tours start very early, often a 2–3am pickup: confirm the time and dress warmly for the crater rim.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Surabaya yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Heroes Monument and museum (Tugu Pahlawan)
  • House of Sampoerna cigarette museum
  • Arab Quarter and Ampel Mosque
  • Rawon beef soup and lontong balap
  • Gateway for Mount Bromo tours

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Surabaya

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/surabaya). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.