JakartaCapital
Indonesia · Country profile
Jakarta is the enormous capital of Indonesia, a seething metropolis of more than thirty million people in its wider region, where the money, the traffic and the floodwaters all run down to the Java sea. The centre holds the national monument, the old Dutch town of the Kota and the great mosque, while the skyline of the business district rises in glass above the malls and the traffic jams of the city that never stills. It is a city of extremes, of the great wealth and the great heat, of the street food and the long working nights, and of the daily battle with the water and the roads.
About Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia. The city's documented population is around 10,670,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) and Indonesian is spoken; the dialling code is +62. It is served by 1 airport in our guide: Soekarno–Hatta International Airport.
The Monument, the Old Town and the Malls of the Mega City
Jakarta is Indonesia’s giant capital, a city of scale, of heat and of constant motion, where the malls, the monuments and the older charms of the Dutch colonial era sit side by side. The city is not beautiful in any conventional sense, but it is alive, curious and full of the Indonesian energy, from the monument and the mosque to the old town and the huge markets. The traffic is the great challenge — plan around it, use the rail and the buses and give the journeys their time. It is a city of the working day and of the weekend escapes to the hills and the coast, and it rewards a bold, patient traveller.
The Grand Mosque, the Buses and the Rain of the Wet Season
The dry season from May to September is the better window; the wet monsoon from November to March brings the floods and the traffic to a standstill. The centre is spread out, so the rail, the busway and the car-hailing apps are the essential transport, and the journeys need generous time. The currency is the rupiah, and the cards plus the app payments cover most of the city. The monuments, the museums and the great mosque of the Istiqlal reserve their crowds for the weekends; the weekday mornings are quieter. Dress modestly at the mosque, carry the rain gear in the wet season and keep the wits safe in the crowds.
The Street Food, the Markets and the Weekend Escapes
The rail and the busway of the Transjakarta are the lifelines of the daily city, and the free museum district of the old town, the Kota, holds the Dutch colonial architecture and the dolls and the ceramics of the region. The great mosque of the Istiqlal and the old church across the square frame the most photogenic corner of the city. The food is superb and cheap: the street markets of the late evening and the big food courts carry the whole Indonesian table. The city floods in the hard rains, so the maps, the weather and the alternate routes matter. It is a demanding, rewarding, endlessly surprising capital, and the key is the stay near the rail.
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- Country
- Indonesia
- Population
- 10,670,000
- Coordinates
- -6.1256, 106.6559
- Capital
- Jakarta
- Region
- Asia
- Currency
- Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
- Languages
- Indonesian
- Calling code
- +62
- Country code
- ID
Entry requirements for Indonesia
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting Indonesia for tourism.
Getting to Jakarta
Airports we list for Jakarta:
Other airports in the area:
Cities in Indonesia
Other cities we cover in Indonesia:
Frequently asked questions
Is Jakarta the capital of Indonesia?
Yes — Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia.
What currency do I need in Jakarta?
The local currency is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). Languages spoken in Indonesia include Indonesian.
What is the dialling code for Indonesia?
The international dialling code for Indonesia is +62.
Which airport should I fly into for Jakarta?
Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (CGK) is the airport we list for Jakarta.
How far is Jakarta from the nearest airport?
Jakarta is about 983 km from Ngurah Rai International Airport.
Do I need a visa to visit Indonesia?
It depends on your passport. For the origins we track, the current tourism visa status is Morocco (visa on arrival) and United States (visa on arrival). Check the entry requirements tool for your own nationality.
Flying out of Jakarta? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.