Borobudur Temple & Steam Train Ride
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Port
Semarang, Java, Indonesia
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$215
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 9 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
Discover the inspiring temple of Borobudur — one of the most incredible sights in Southeast Asia — and take a stunning ride on an antique train through the jungle.
An approximately one-hour drive brings you to the Ambarawa Railway Museum. Some of the locomotives it houses date back 150 years. After a brief introduction to these colonial-era engines, you'll embark on a 30-minute antique train trip to the mountain village of Tuntang. The scenery is a tableau of gorgeous tropical scenery at virtually every turn.
Next up is a drive to the iconic Borobudur Temple — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world's largest Buddhist monument. According to historical accounts, Borobudur may have been deserted soon after it was built in AD 850. For more than 1,000 years, it lay hidden under dense jungle vegetation until its rediscovery in 1814. Over the next century, the vegetation was cleared and the process of restoring the two million pieces of andesite stone began.
Take advantage of your guide's knowledge or wander around the monument at your own pace. Borobudur has perhaps the finest examples of Buddhist reliefs in the world, with each of its ten terraces symbolizing the path to Nirvana.
After an awe-inspiring visit to the temple, enjoy a tasty Javanese buffet lunch nearby. Begin your return drive to the pier, stopping en route for traditional rice cakes, banana or other seasonal fruits, and Java coffee or tea.
Notes:
Wear comfortable walking shoes. Shade is limited; to avoid sunburn, wear light, long clothing suitable for use as a cover-up. Bring a hat and sunglasses; wear biodegradable/reef-safe sunscreen. Bring bottled water. Bring insect repellent. Climbing to the top of the temples is not included; your visit will be to the temple's base and gardens. Limited tourism infrastructure is part of the charm here; you are trading breadth of guide experience for authentic interaction. Please bring your spirit of adventure and bear with any language difficulties or operational surprises that may crop up. Transportation will likely be quite basic. Participants should be in good physical condition. Please realistically assess your physical fitness and ability, as the weather can be extremely hot.