Java Island's Train & Volcano Guide

During Indonesia's Eid al-Fitr, we share practical train travel tips in Java—Jakarta's key stations, ticket booking hacks, scenic routes, plus ferry guides for Bali and Komodo, ideal for slow travelers.

Miranda•Mar 13, 2026•6 min read•19 views

About Train in Indonesia

Since this trip to Indonesia coincides with the country's "Eid al-Fitr", which is equivalent to China's Spring Festival, it is difficult to find a ticket, and the air ticket is even more expensive, so when I first saw Indonesia, I chose "slow travel" - train travel.

After getting off the plane from Jakarta Airport, there is a skytrain (free free), and the Asia airline is usually at T2 terminal, in the direction of T1, and you can get off at the airport TRAIN station.

Jakarta

There are 4 main train stations in Jakarta: Gambit, Gambir, Pasar Senen, Tanah Abang. These stations are all located not far from the city center and are the most convenient way to get to other parts of Java.

Gambit is the most convenient and main station, about a 15-minute walk from Jl Jaksa Street.

Gambir has direct trains to Bogor, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang and Surabaya, and some trains from here also stop at the train station in the old town to the north.

Most of the trains from Pasar Senen are economy trains to the area east of Jakarta.

Trains from Tanah Abang can run west to Merak.

Tickets can be booked online in advance: https://www.kereta-api.co.id

I bought a ticket at Gambir Railway Station in downtown Jakarta this time, and the airport bus is a one-and-a-half-hour ride.

Because it is difficult to find a ticket, I tried to buy tickets on the website in China before going to no avail (sold out), and I still gained from going to the train station in person, so I temporarily decided to buy a ticket to Semarang for IDR 540.000, 6 hours of direct air-conditioned train, and the arrival station was Semarang Tawang (SMT)

Attention! Attention! Attention! Semarang Tawang (SMT This station is a bit far from the city center)

The best place is Semarang Poncol train station, in the city center, you can walk to the hostel, you can choose this when booking train tickets, you can't choose to buy at the train station !!!!!

Usually Semarang Poncol is the train departing from Pasar Senen Railway Station in Jakarta and arriving at Semarang Poncol

ANYWAY is a good way to take the train for slow sightseeing in Java.

When you take the train from Jakarta to Semarang, and are about to reach Pekalongan, a small seaport town in Central Java, you will enjoy the spectacle of "Javanese sea water rolling waves and wheels rolling on the shore", at least more than 10 kilometers of long lines. The sea water is still ten meters away from the railway, and you can see with your own eyes that the splashing waves gently hit the roadbed and touch the wheels of the train - it is really very exciting, and there is a romantic and exciting mood.

I missed this scenery gorgeously, because I didn't expect it to be dark at 17:40 in Indonesia, I arrived at this seaside around 18 o'clock, in fact, it is easy to see from Semarang to Jakarta, because this is very close to Semarang.

Semarang

Semarang Poncol train station is not far from my hostel, about 7-8 minutes walk, I bought a train ticket to Yogyakarta (4 hours drive), and the tickets I bought here are basically the city center station to the destination city.

Yogyakarta

If your next stop is Bromo and Ijen Volcano, you can travel by train from Yogyakarta.

Stasiun Yogykarta is the train station in the city center, turn left for 200 meters to Malioboro Street

Opposite the train station is an ATM

From here to Bromo and Ijen Volcano, you can choose to get off at Malang or Probolinggo stations instead of Surabaya.

Both cities can sign up for a tour to Bromo and Izhen Volcano, and the cost performance is good, 1.250.000 IDR, equivalent to about 660 yuan, including jeep, two nights of accommodation, Bromo volcano sunriseAnd hiking and mountaineering, Yizhen's bluefire tickets, 3 days and two nights, in fact, the first afternoon or evening will send us to the village below Bromo to arrange accommodation, and then get up at 3 o'clock in the morning the next day Jeep will pick you up to watch the sunrise and climb the volcano, and then set off to Yizhen Volcano, about 16-17 o'clock to the village below Yizhen to arrange check-in, you can soak in the hot springs, you can go to see a small waterfall, and on the third day, you will set off at 1 a.m. to see the bluefire, and the meeting time down the mountain is 7 o'clock, and it will be delivered Wainan Dream Pier, take the bus + ferry to take you to Bali。。。。。。 End.

About Ferry in Indonesia

Starting from the Wainan Dream Pier, it has entered the FERRYboat mode.

1. Outer South Dream

Wainan Dream Pier by bus (coordinates: Bus Damri to Mengwi) IDR 100.000 per person.

The ferry takes 1 hour, the car takes 2 hours to reach Terminal Mengwi station, after getting off the bus, I took a bus to Ubung Bus Terminal, and then took a Grab motorcycle to Kuta M boutique Hostel, 16.000 IDR, 8 yuan.

2. Bali Bali

Padangbai Pier has a FERRYBOAT to Pelabuhan Lembar in Lombok

Bali also has a ferry to komodo, 170 yuan for 3 days, 350 yuan per night to enter the cabin, so this way is not recommended to go to komodo.

3. Lombok, Lombok

Mataram Bus Terminal has a ferry boat+bus to Komodo, I returned to Lombok from Komodo, because it was the last day of the domestic Dragon Boat Festival holiday and Muslim Eid, and I had no air tickets for those two days, so I chose FERRYBOAT.

There is a bus from Mataram in Lombok to BIMA TerminalDARA, the cost is about 300.000 rupiah, but the bus is very luxurious, it is a night bus, you can sleep, there is wifi, and after arriving in Bima (12 hours), you can take a minibus to Ferry sape Lubuan Bajo pier, which costs about 30.000 (1 hour by car), Ferryboat costs IDR 60.000 per person (6 hours of drifting at sea) to Komodo, and after leaving the pier, Pelabuban Ferry Labuan bajo is the downtown shopping street.

The Ferry sape Lubuan Bajo pier, as well as the Ferry to Ende boat, is the pier closer to the flores tricolor volcanic lake.

4. Komodo

The Ferry Ticket office is located next to the only Starbucks downtown.

The correct way to open Komodo is to "liveaboard", there is a commercial street in the local city center, which is full of travel agencies, choose the one that suits you, and the price is more cost-effective than booking on domestic websites.