I often got questions about Yogyakarta weather. That is the main reason behind the article. Isn’t it easier to give a link to people who are curious about the weather and everything that affected by it in relation to their vacation planning? ? I’ll talk about when is the dry and rainy season, what are the plus and minus point(s) of visiting during a particular season and some tips.

Sometimes people can ask challenging questions. I do the same thing when I’m planning my holiday. Questions that sometimes I can’t answer such as: Is the sunrise going to be nice on our travel date? Or is it going to be raining during our climb up Merapi? Can we guarantee that we will see see the light during Jomblang cave tour?

Sunny and also gloomy day in Prambanan

Well I can’t answer these questions, but I can give you some general feedback.

Indonesia has two seasons; the dry season and wet or rainy season. We don’t really have monsoon, sometimes we do experience heavy rain with strong wind but that rarely happens. Of course as you might know, it is better to visit during the dry season rather than the rainy season. Why? This is because during the dry season you don’t need to deal with the rain, though it is usually quite hot.

However if you visit during the rainy season it is less crowded. I know that it would be nice if it does not rain when you’re exploring, but I personally don’t mind a rainy day as long as it is not too crowded. During the rainy season, usually it rains in the afternoon for several hours, but there are also days when it rains all day.

So you’ll ask when is the rainy season in Yogyakarta? So here you go:
November-April: Rainy season. From our experience the worst part is Mid of December-Mid of February
May-October: Dry season
Sunrise is around 5:05 – 5:30 am and sunset is around 5:25 – 6:05 pm.

If you are coming to Yogyakarta specifically to witness the magical sunrise at Borobudur Temple, and also want to watch the Ramayana Ballet with Prambanan Temple as the background, then you should visit during the dry season. In the rainy season, the Ramanayana Ballet will be held at the indoor theatre, while during the dry season it will be held on the outdoor stage.

If you want to see the light during the Jomblang Cave tour then I recommend you visit during the dry season. Though if by any chance the day is cloudy day or not too sunny, then you will not able to see the light as well. But yes, the chance of a clear day is bigger during the dry season rather than the rainy season. The light is super awesome, but to explore Jomblang by being lowered down 60 meters into the cave and walking through the tunnel connecting Jomblang and Grubug cave is pretty awesome too. There was one time that the rain was too heavy and flooded the cave, when this happened the cave was closed for the tour.

Several places such as Sri Gethuk Waterfall are nicer to visit during the dry season as the water in the pool will be green turquoise colors. During the rainy season it will be murky, brownish. Merapi Lava Tour with the jeep in my opinion is nicer during the rainy season, it’s a lot more dusty during the dry season. You can always ask the driver to put the cover over the jeep or just open it and have the adventure under the rain.

Alun-Alun Kidul (Alkid) is very lively during the night!

From the above explanation, I am pretty much telling you that it is more comfortable and easier to visit during the dry season. Please remember that it can be quite hot in Yogyakarta during the dry season. The average temperature is 31 degrees Celsius, with a minimum of 22 degrees. If you explore Borobudur or the temples during the middle of the day, please remember to bring a hat with you since there’s not much shade. Use comfortable clothes (cool fabric) and shoes to explore the city. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

Some tips for people who are visiting during the rainy season are; bring an umbrella or rain jacket so you can still explore the places even though it is raining, and pick activities that you will be outdoor in the morning (am) and pick indoor activities in the afternoon (pm).

Besides Merapi Lava Tour with the jeep, other things that you can do that are not affected by the rain are joining a workshop (there are options like a Batik Workshop, Silver Workshop, Leather Workshop, etc), visiting the museums (my favourite is Museum Ullen Sentalu) and several beaches which only have a waterfall only during rainy season (Parangtritis Beach — you have to walk towards the east and Jogan Beach).

In general traffic in Yogyakarta is quite heavy due to a lot of people who live there and it is a popular destination for both locals and foreigners.

During the dry season, which is usually the peak season, the traffic can be really bad, but during the rainy season, sometimes the traffic can be quite ridiculous as well. For some reason, the rainfall is directly proportional to the traffic. That is why it is important to get your itinerary right so you spend less time in your car.

Have you ever been to Yogyakarta? Or are you planning to visit Yogyakarta soon? I hope you find this information useful.