The Borobudur sunset ticket

Is there an official Borobudur sunset ticket?

Yes. InJourney launched Borobudur Sunset in late October 2025. It runs every day from 16:00, capped at 100 people.

InJourney announced the first sunset sessions on 29 October 2025, with guests entering by Gate 7 and watching from the top of the temple. Mardijono Nugroho of PT Taman Wisata Borobudur called it "an anchor that retains tourists for longer", a reason to stay the night in the villages instead of driving back to Yogyakarta.

The official ticket page lists: start 16:00 WIB, every day, limited to 100 people. Included are a wristband ticket, upanat sandals, a professional guide and dinner at Manohara Restaurant. Foreign visitors pay a higher tier than residents with a KTP or KITAS, with the same tiers as the sunrise ticket. Some articles say the sunset was introduced in 2026. It has run since October 2025.

How does a Borobudur sunset evening run?

Check in around 16:00 at the Borobudur Cultural Center, climb with a guide from about 16:30, watch the sun go down from the top, descend by about 19:00 and eat.

detikJateng joined a trial evening at the end of October 2025. Guests checked in at about 16:00 and got a wristband. The climb started at 16:30, with the guide explaining the reliefs on the way up. From the top they watched the sun drop over the Menoreh hills to the west, with Merapi, Merbabu, Sindoro and Sumbing on the other side. Everyone was down by about 19:00 for dinner facing the temple.

That report also listed a raincoat and flashlight among the extras. The official page asks you to arrive 30 to 45 minutes early. Late arrivals may get limited access, so treat 15:30 as your target at the gate.

What time is sunset at Borobudur?

About 17:28 at the earliest, in early June, and about 18:05 at the latest, around the turn of January and February. The Menoreh hills can hide the sun earlier.

We worked these times out with the NOAA solar calculator method for Borobudur (7.61°S, 110.20°E, WIB). They are for a flat horizon. The Menoreh ridge sits to the west and south-west, so the sun can drop behind it before the official time. detikJateng saw the sun go down at about 17:11 on its trial evening in late October, around 20 minutes before the flat-horizon figure.

Near the equator the evening changes little through the year, around 40 minutes from earliest to latest. Dusk is short too: it is dark about 20 minutes after sunset, which is why the flashlight matters for the descent.

Sunrise or sunset at Borobudur: which should you pick?

Sunset if early starts ruin your day or you sleep near the temple. Sunrise if you want the volcanoes in clean light and cooler stone.

Both tickets put you on the top terrace with a guide and the same 100-person cap. The differences are in the clock and the sky. The sunrise means a 03:00 wake-up from Yogyakarta, cool air and the sun rising on the Merapi side. The sunset means warm stone, the sun going down over the Menoreh hills and a dinner instead of a breakfast.

Our take: if you are staying in Yogyakarta and have one morning, do the sunrise and have the afternoon free. If you are sleeping in Borobudur village, the sunset is the easier, calmer evening. In the wet season, from about November to March, afternoon and evening showers are common, and they are a bigger risk for sunset than for dawn. See the best time to visit for the seasons.

Can you book a Borobudur sunset tour from Yogyakarta?

Yes. Among the tours on this site, the hill-or-temple listing names a sunset option with a buffet dinner. Check the option name at checkout.

The GetYourGuide title of the hill-or-temple sunrise tour is "Borobudur Sunrise or Sunset with Entry Fee". Per the listing, the sunset option includes a buffet dinner, alongside hotel pickup, transport, the temple entry fee and a local guide. The rest of the tours on this site are built around the morning.

Doing it yourself works too: book the sunset on the official site, hire a driver, and remember the drive back to Yogyakarta after dinner is 1 to 1.5 hours in the dark.

Hill sunrise, temple sunrise or the sunset option, all with pickup in Yogyakarta and entry included. Small group, max 10.

★ 4.9 · 5 to 8 hours

Book this → Tour details

What should you bring for the sunset climb?

Clothes that cover shoulders and knees, a light rain layer in the wet season, water, and a phone or torch for the walk down in the dark.

The dress code is the same as any climb: cover shoulders and knees. You walk on upanat, so wear shoes that come off easily at the base. Food stays off the monument. A small bottle of water is sensible after an afternoon in the heat; leave it in your bag on the terraces.

Bring a layer for the evening if you will eat outside. Drones are banned over the temple. Our climbing rules guide has the full list, and our post on the sunrise ticket covers the morning version.

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