Things to Do in Bandung
12 experiences in Bandung
Get notified about new experiences in Bandung
Be the first to know when we add tours and tickets in Bandung.
About Bandung
Bandung sits in a volcanic basin 768 meters above sea level, which means one thing immediately: it's cooler than Jakarta, and that temperature difference has shaped everything about the city. Dutch colonists built villas here in the 1920s and 30s to escape the coastal heat, leaving behind an Art Deco streetscape that's still visible along Jalan Braga if you know where to look. Today the cool air still draws Jakartans north every weekend, but they come for outlet malls, factory-outlet fashion shopping, and the volcanic scenery ringing the city rather than colonial nostalgia.
This is Indonesia's design and youth capital as much as anything else. Institut Teknologi Bandung has produced generations of architects and artists, and the city has a genuine creative underground — indie coffee roasters, street art collectives, small-batch denim brands, and a live music scene that punches well above its weight. It doesn't feel like a museum city or a beach destination; it feels like a place where young Indonesians are actually building things, which gives it a different energy than Bali or Yogyakarta.
Bandung works best for travelers who want a few days of genuinely different pace within reach of Jakarta — cooler mountain air, crater lakes, tea plantations, and hot springs are all within 90 minutes by car. It's also a serious shopping destination: factory outlets selling export-surplus and locally made clothing line Jalan Riau and Jalan Dago at prices well below what you'd pay elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Families come for the strawberry farms and floating markets around Lembang; younger travelers come for the food scene and photogenic crater landscapes at Kawah Putih and Tangkuban Perahu. It's not a place that demands a week, but two or three days slotted in alongside Jakarta or a longer Java itinerary pays off disproportionately.
Good to Know
- Buy a local SIM (Telkomsel or XL) at the airport or a convenience store — data is cheap and coverage is strong even in the surrounding hills.
- Carry cash for street food, angkot, and smaller shops; card payments are common in malls and chain cafes but not at warung level.
- Bring a light jacket — Bandung's elevation makes evenings and Lembang trips noticeably cooler than tropical Indonesia elsewhere.
- Negotiate or confirm prices upfront with non-metered transport and at some market stalls, though this matters less than in more heavily touristed parts of Indonesia.
- Dress modestly when visiting mosques (Alun-Alun's Great Mosque) — scarves and sarongs are usually available to borrow at the entrance.
- Sulfur fumes at Kawah Putih can be strong; a mask or cloth over your nose and mouth makes the visit more comfortable.
- Tipping isn't obligatory but rounding up taxi fares or leaving 10,000-20,000 IDR for a driver on a full-day tour is standard practice.
- Weekend traffic from Jakarta is genuinely bad — if visiting Friday to Sunday, add at least an hour to any estimated travel time.
