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Exploring Jakarta for 1 Day: Is it Worth Going?
After exploring Jakarta for 1 day on my long weekend holiday, I realised exactly why people have such a love-hate relationship with this city. If you’re wondering what’s actually worth your time in a single day, here’s what I’d recommend doing, plus a few tips to avoid the mistakes I made.
1 Day Jakarta Itinerary & Tips
- Spend Your Morning in Glodok Chinatown
- Afternoon Museum Tour at Kota Tua
- Lunch: Nasi Bebek
- Evening: Try Other Local Indonesian Dishes
- A Few Things to Plan Around
- Final Thoughts
- FAQ
Spend Your Morning in Glodok Chinatown
Plan to come here early as traffic in Jakarta only gets worse as the day goes on.
Glodok Chinatown is in North Jakarta, about a 30-minute drive from South Jakarta if traffic flows smoothly. There isn’t much to shop for here, but it’s worth wandering the local market and trying some food.
Little Salt Bread Glodok
There was a long queue outside a shiopan café when I arrived, which I took as a sign it was worth trying. It has an industrial interior, chill lo-fi music, crowds but efficient queue management. The staff gave me a menu and wrote my order on paper for the counter staff to key in while I was in the queue. I was at the counter after half an hour of waiting, and the order came out fast.
I had the egg truffle shiopan, which has a well-balanced flavour of butter, truffle and creamy egg mayo. Perfect for people who like truffle but don’t like it to be overpowering. I chose strong dark roasted coffee beans for my black pour-over coffee. It delivers its bold taste as it should, but it’s overpriced for what you get. My recommendation is only to get the shiopan, and forgo the coffee.
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays, 10am – 6pm; Saturdays & Sundays, 9am – 6pm
Djauw Coffee
Just across the road, down an alley into the market, there’s a smaller coffee shop worth a second stop if you want a better cup. I had their black coffee brewed using the Turkish method: cooked in hot sand, then filtered. It was noticeably better than the first cup I had at Little Salt Bread. The black coffee here has a stronger roast aroma and is a little more acidic rather than just a bold-tasting one, which makes it a better cup of coffee.
Do note the ordering system is a bit chaotic. There are no numbers called, so you’ll just have to stand and watch the counter yourself.
Opening Hours: Daily, 7am – 6pm
Petak Sembilan Market
This market offers fresh vegetables, raw meat, and fresh cut fruit. You’ll see street vendors selling cooked food as well, like Youtiao and Otah. It’s a place not commercialised for tourists, which makes it valuable to see as part of locals’ daily lives.
Opening Hours: Daily, 6am – 3.30pm
Afternoon Museum Tour at Kota Tua
Kota Tua is about a 17-minute walk from Chinatown, but I don’t recommend going on foot. Motorbikes weave between lanes constantly, and traffic doesn’t reliably stop for pedestrians even when the pedestrian light turns green. It’s difficult to cross the road with the heavy traffic, so I would suggest getting a Grab bike instead.
Old Town has a cluster of history, arts, and culture museums, each charging foreigners around IDR 50,000 (~S$4.20) for entry. I decided to go to the Jakarta History Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics.
Jakarta History Museum
In the Jakarta History Museum, you get a real sense of how Jakarta got its name and how the colonial era shaped the city, through well-preserved artefacts, furniture, and paintings from centuries ago. All sections have information in English, so you don’t have to worry about translating.
Opening Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 9am – 3pm; Closed on Mondays
Museum of Ceramics and Arts
The Museum of Ceramics and Arts compares painting and ceramic styles across different regions and eras. The historical trade, migration and colonisation are what make each region’s art style different. After walking through the museum, you can sign up for a pottery workshop with a facilitator to guide you.
Opening Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 8am – 3pm; Closed on Mondays
Cafe Batavia
This colonial-era themed cafe serves Western and Indonesian food. Prices are on the higher side, but you’re paying for the setting as much as the meal.
If you are considering coming here for lunch, booking in advance is necessary to skip the long wait. I went without a booking and was told to wait around an hour. I didn’t want to wait that long, so I skipped it.
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays, 9am – 12am; Saturdays & Sundays, 7am – 12am
Lunch: Nasi Bebek
After a long day out, I decided to go back to the hotel and order Nasi Bebek (rice with duck and sambal) via Grabfood. I waited for my Grab taxi to come pick me up from Kota Tua for an hour and taking another hour to reach the hotel, which was a terrible mistake. I could have waited for a table at Cafe Batavia, if only I knew the traffic jam was that bad.
The sambal is the highlight of the Nasi Bebek. It’s really spicy to the point where I had finished a full bottle of water, but kind of addicting to eat with the rice. The duck itself tends to run tough and dry. Most of the country’s poultry is free-range, so there isn’t much meat on it to begin with, but the rice portion is generous. I wouldn’t order this again for myself, but it’s fine to share one plate between two people.
Evening: Try Other Local Indonesian Dishes
For dinner, a few dishes worth seeking out around the city:
Sate Ayam
Similar to Singapore’s version, but made with chicken breast instead of thigh. I actually preferred the satay here: more meat, no fat, surprisingly not too dry or tough, with a good smoky char and rich peanut sauce.
Gado Gado
A close cousin to rojak, with long beans, cabbage, and bean sprouts, topped with a hard-boiled egg, fried tempeh, and keropok, finished with a rich satay peanut sauce. Savoury and well-balanced.
Nasi Ayam Taliwang
It’s a dish originating from Lombok: fragrant fried chicken, sambal kangkong for punch, and satay with a strong lemongrass aroma.
A Few Things to Plan Around
Where you stay matters
Try to book accommodation further away from mosques. The call to prayer broadcasts start as early as 5 am, loud enough to wake you up if you’re nearby.
Traffic gets worse as the day goes on
Constant jams on the road and long waits can take up half a day. Recommended to take the train or Grab bike instead of a taxi.
This isn’t a trip for outdoor adventure seekers
It’s better suited to people who enjoy museums, shopping, and food. Mostly are indoor activities.
Final Thoughts
One day in Jakarta gets you Chinatown markets, colonial-era museums, and food that ranges from forgettable (the duck) to genuinely worth seeking out (that sate ayam). But between the traffic, the noise, and the 5am prayer broadcasts, it wore my mood down more than any of that was worth. Unless you’re specifically after museums, shopping, or food and don’t mind staying mostly indoors, I wouldn’t say it’s worth the trip. I don’t plan on going back.
FAQ
What’s the weather like in Jakarta?
It is humid year-round. Temperatures ranges from 24-33°C.
What time should I start my day?
Aim to start your day by 7-8am. Traffic gets bad fast after 8am till off-work hours.
What is the best way to get around Jakarta?
By commuter trains and Grab bike. Try to avoid taking taxis after 8am as traffic gets really bad.
How many days is enough for Jakarta?
2 days is enough to cover all major attractions such as local markets and museums. But if you have limited time, 1 day in Jakarta is sufficient to get a feel of the city.
How much cash should I bring?
About IDR 500,000 per person per day. Enough to buy from local stores, tipping Grab drivers and tour guides.
Any hidden costs I should watch out for?
Pricing for rides booked on Grab is not the final price stated when booking. There will be additional fees for tolls calculated on top of it after your ride.
Any day trips from Jakarta?
You can consider going to Bogor, which is 1 hour drive away from Jakarta. Bandung is 30 to 50 minutes ride away from Halim station by high speed train.
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