East Java's capital and Indonesia's second city — the 'City of Heroes'. In town: the House of Sampoerna museum, the Arab Quarter and Ampel Mosque, a walk-through submarine and the Suramadu Bridge; but most visitors use Surabaya as the gateway to sunrise over Mount Bromo, the 'blue fire' of Kawah Ijen, the Madakaripura and Tumpak Sewu waterfalls and the family parks of Malang and Batu. No direct flights from Ulaanbaatar — connect via Hong Kong, Singapore or Jakarta. Mongolian citizens get a visa on arrival (or e-VOA).
🛂 Visa: Visa on arrival · 30 days✈ Flight: 13h☀ Best months: May, June, July, August
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: May, June, July, August, September.
Things to see (12)
📍🧸 for kids
Mount Bromo sunrise (jeep tour)★ 4.7 (90,000)
NatureBromo Tengger Semeru NP: foreigners Rp255,000 (same on weekdays and holidays), booked in advance at bookingbromo.bromotenggersemeru.org; jeep ≈Rp550,000–750,000 (up to 6 people)24 hours; sunrise jeeps leave Sukapura/Cemoro Lawang from ≈3:00
Bromo steaming out of a sea of sand inside the vast Tengger caldera is Java's most famous view. Leave Surabaya around midnight (~3–4 hours) or stay in Cemoro Lawang village, ride a jeep up to the Penanjakan viewpoint for sunrise, then on to the Sea of Sand, the 'Whispering Sands' and the Savanna. Nights drop to about 5°C. With the Level II alert of August 2026, entry within 1 km of the crater may be banned.
NatureForeigners Rp150,000 (all days), booked online in advance; gas mask rental ≈Rp25,000–50,000
Travel guide
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goVisa, the All Indonesia arrival card and online tickets for Bromo and Ijen — sort them at home for a smooth trip.+
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Visa: on arrival or e-VOA
Mongolian citizens with an ordinary passport get a B1 tourist visa at the Indonesian border (Juanda included): up to 30 days, fee Rp500,000, extendable once for another 30 days. Get an e-VOA in advance at evisa.imigrasi.go.id and skip the payment queue at the border. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months, with a return or onward ticket. Complete the All Indonesia arrival card within 3 days before arrival.
Tip: Apply only on official sites ending in .go.id — many agent sites charge extra.
Buy Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park tickets in advance at bookingbromo.bromotenggersemeru.org: foreigners pay Rp255,000, the same on weekdays and holidays. Kawah Ijen costs foreigners Rp150,000, also booked online with a daily quota that fills early at weekends. Tour companies usually buy the tickets for you — ask whether they are included.
Private hospitals are expensive, so travel insurance is a must. The city is hot but Bromo and Ijen are very cold at night — bring a jacket, hat, gloves and a torch. Ijen requires a doctor's health certificate (available at the Paltuding clinic); Ijen is not suitable for young children, pregnant women or anyone with heart or breathing problems.
Tip: The dry season (May–October) is best for the mountains; in the rainy season sunrises are often misty.
🛬Landing and getting into townInternational flights land at Terminal 2 of Juanda (SUB) in Sidoarjo; the city centre lies to the north.+
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Grab or taxi
From arrivals use the dedicated Grab pick-up point or the official taxi counters (Blue Bird and others) to reach the city. The route uses the toll road but jams in the evening and before weekends. Most comfortable with luggage or children.
DAMRI airport buses run to Purabaya (Bungurasih) bus terminal and some points in the city — cheap, but you will need another Grab to your hotel. Check routes and times on DAMRI's site.
If you land in daytime you can skip the city and take a car with driver or a tour transfer from the airport straight to Cemoro Lawang or Sukapura at the foot of Bromo, sleep there and catch the sunrise. Book ahead.
If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install an Indonesia plan from Airalo, Ubigi or similar before the flight — it works as soon as you land. Trips of up to 90 days need no IMEI registration of your phone with customs.
Tip: Download Indonesian in Google Translate and the area in Google Maps for offline use.
Telkomsel, XL and Indosat have counters in the Juanda arrivals hall and shops in city malls that register the SIM with your passport and set it up. Telkomsel has the best coverage around Bromo and Ijen, though signal can drop near the craters.
🚇Getting aroundThere is no metro; Grab is easiest in town, and a car with driver or a tour for the mountains.+
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In town: Grab, Gojek, Suroboyo Bus
Booking a car on Grab or Gojek gives a fixed upfront price and no language barrier. The city's Suroboyo Bus and Trans Semanggi buses are cheap and take cards or QRIS; Google Maps shows their routes. In the midday heat take a car.
Public transport to Bromo, Madakaripura and Ijen is impractical. Most visitors book a multi-day 'Bromo–Ijen' package from Surabaya or Malang, or a car with driver; at Bromo the sunrise jeep can be hired separately in Cemoro Lawang or Sukapura. For Ijen, stay in Banyuwangi or Bondowoso and set off around midnight.
KAI trains run from Surabaya's Gubeng and Pasar Turi stations to Malang (for Batu), Probolinggo (for Bromo) and Banyuwangi (for Ijen and Bali). Buy tickets in the Access by KAI app or at booking.kai.id with your passport number.
The Indonesian rupiah (IDR) has many zeros, so check your notes carefully. BCA, Mandiri and BNI ATMs inside malls and banks are the most reliable. Villages near Bromo and Ijen have few ATMs, and jeeps, mask rental and food are paid in cash, so withdraw before leaving the city.
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Cards and QRIS
Visa and Mastercard work in malls, hotels and chain restaurants. Small shops and food stalls take cash or Indonesia's QRIS QR payments — carry small notes. Restaurants add a service charge and tax, so tipping is optional; a small tip for mountain guides and jeep drivers is customary.
🍜FoodSurabaya is known for spicy, flavourful Javanese and Madurese cooking.+
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What to eat
Rawon (black beef soup coloured with keluak nuts), lontong balap, rujak cingur (vegetables and fruit in a shrimp-paste dressing), Madurese satay, bebek goreng (fried duck) and soto ayam (chicken soup). Children like soto ayam, nasi goreng and satay; sambal is very hot, so ask for it on the side.
Tip: Most food is halal.
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Where to eat
Food courts in the big central malls (such as Tunjungan Plaza), goat curry in the Arab Quarter and the duck restaurants on the Madura side of Suramadu. For street food, pick busy stalls cooking hot in front of you.
Don't drink tap water; use bottled water. Ice in restaurants and cafés is usually factory-made from filtered water, but be careful with street drinks and pack stomach medicine. Carry water and snacks on mountain trips.
🛡️Safety and health+
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Emergency numbers
The general emergency number from mobiles is 112. Police 110, ambulance 119, fire 113, search and rescue 115. Private hospital ambulances are usually faster, so call your insurer's assistance line first.
As of August 2026 Bromo is at PVMBG Level II (Waspada), with entry banned within 1 km of the active crater — sudden phreatic eruptions are possible. Check the level on MAGMA Indonesia before you go and follow rangers' instructions. Ijen closed on 4 September 2026 because of a forest fire and reopened on 28 September — check that it is open before setting off.
The sulphur gas in Ijen's crater is very strong — wear a gas mask with double filters, and climb back up at once if you start coughing or your eyes burn. Mountain nights are cold, so dress warmly. Dengue occurs in the city, so use repellent; Dr. Soetomo, Siloam and National Hospital have emergency departments.
🙏Manners+
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At places of worship
At mosques such as Ampel cover arms and legs and take off your shoes; women should carry a headscarf. Visitors are not admitted during prayers. During Ramadan avoid eating and drinking in public in daytime.
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The Tengger people
The Tengger people around Bromo are Hindu and regard Bromo as sacred. Respect the crater and the Pura Luhur Poten temple, and keep your distance when photographing ceremonies. During the Yadnya Kasada festival crowds gather and access is restricted.
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Right hand, dress and photos
Use your right hand to give money or objects and to eat. Avoid very revealing clothes in the city. Don't photograph people, especially Ijen's sulphur miners, without permission — a small tip is customary if you do.
📱Useful apps+
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Transport
Grab and Gojek — cars, motorbike taxis and food delivery. Access by KAI — trains to Malang, Probolinggo and Banyuwangi.
Google Translate's camera mode translates menus and signs; download Indonesian for offline use. Signal drops in the mountains, so save Google Maps areas offline.
All Indonesia — the immigration, customs and health arrival card. Indonesia e-Visa — get an e-VOA and extend your stay. MAGMA Indonesia — alert levels for Bromo and Ijen.
The drive back to Juanda from Bromo, Ijen or Malang can be slow and jammed. Spending the night before an international flight in Surabaya is the safest plan; after Ijen you can also fly out of Banyuwangi (BWX) or Bali (DPS).
Tip: With a morning flight, don't plan a sunrise trip for the day before.
Overstaying your visa by even one day brings a daily fine, so count your departure date carefully. Avoid taking out protected animals and plants, volcanic rocks or sulphur — buy souvenirs from proper shops.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
Paltuding gate opens ≈1:00–2:00; closes temporarily for gas, weather or fires
Near Banyuwangi, ~6–7 hours from Surabaya. Hike 3 km uphill at night to the 2,300 m crater rim to see blue flames of burning sulphur gas and the world's largest acidic turquoise lake. A doctor's certificate no older than 3 days is required (available at the Paltuding clinic); children under 5 and pregnant women are not allowed, and skip it with heart or breathing problems. A gas mask is a must.
NatureForeigners ≈Rp54,000; parking extra≈7:00–16:00; may close for safety in the rainy season
A waterfall dropping about 200 m into a deep rock canyon at the foot of Bromo, where legend says the Majapahit general Gajah Mada meditated. A 20–30 min walk along the river leads through a 'curtain' of spray, so bring clothes that can get wet and water shoes. Usually combined with the Bromo sunrise on the same day.
NatureForeigners ≈Rp50,000–100,000 (depends on viewpoint or canyon route)≈7:00–16:00
The 'thousand waterfalls' of Lumajang, at the foot of Mount Semeru, where hundreds of streams pour down a semicircular cliff. The viewpoint at the top is easy; the 1–2 hour descent to the canyon floor on bamboo ladders and slippery rocks is hard. Semeru is active, so it can close on rainy days because of river floods. About 2.5–3 hours from Malang.
A museum of kretek (clove cigarette) making in an 1862 Dutch colonial building — from the upper floor you watch workers hand-rolling cigarettes (on weekdays). The free Surabaya Heritage Track bus leaves from here for a tour of the city's historic sites (register in advance). The café next door is pleasant.
Heroes Monument and 10 November Museum★ 4.6 (30,000)
CultureMonument and grounds free; museum ≈Rp8,000 (via tiketwisata.surabaya.go.id)Museum ≈Tue–Sun 8:00–15:00 (closed Mondays, check hours)
A 41 m monument to the Battle of Surabaya of 10 November 1945 — a symbol of Indonesian independence. The underground museum has dioramas, sound displays and a film about the battle. The best place to understand the city's history.
Kids≈Rp15,000; Kalimas river boat ≈Rp20,000≈8:00–21:00
A real Soviet-built submarine, KRI Pasopati, set on the riverbank: walk through its whole length past torpedoes, the engine room and the bunks. Central, near Gubeng station; children love it.
CultureFree (donation)Market lanes ≈8:00–21:00; no visitors in the mosque during prayers
The 15th-century mosque and tomb of Sunan Ampel, one of the Wali Songo nine saints who spread Islam in Java — an important pilgrimage site. The narrow lanes around it sell dates, perfume, hijabs, Arab sweets and goat curry (gulai kambing). Cover arms and legs; women should wear a headscarf.
CityFree (toll-free since 2018)24 hours; lit up in the evening
Indonesia's longest sea bridge (5.4 km), linking Java and Madura. A popular outing is to drive across for Madurese roast duck (bebek) and satay, then watch the bridge light up in the evening from the Kenjeran shore. Stopping on the bridge is prohibited.
KidsGeneral area ≈Rp15,000–20,000; Waterpark Kenjeran ≈Rp40,000–50,000; Atlantis Land ≈Rp100,000–125,000≈7:00–19:00 (varies by section)
A large leisure complex on the Madura Strait shore: the Sanggar Agung temple built over the sea, a 20 m Four-Faced Buddha statue, a pagoda, a waterpark and the Atlantis Land theme park. The water isn't good for swimming, but it makes an easy family day out, with good views of Suramadu nearby. (Ciputra Waterpark closed permanently in 2020.)
KidsRp15,000 (children over 85 cm pay full fare)Daily 8:00–16:00
Founded in 1916, one of Indonesia's oldest zoos, with Komodo dragons, orangutans, tigers and giraffes that children love. Cheap and close to the centre; go in the morning before the worst of the heat.
KidsJatim Park 2 ≈Rp125,000; combined ticket with Eco Green Park Rp150,000 (weekdays) – Rp170,000 (weekends)≈8:30–16:30
About 2–3 hours south of Surabaya, the cool highland town of Batu is Indonesia's theme-park capital. Jatim Park 2's Batu Secret Zoo and animal museum, Jatim Park 1 and 3 and Museum Angkut (a transport museum) can fill several days for families. Combine with Malang's colonial centre, the rainbow village of Jodipan and apple orchards.
