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Water Castle (Tamansari)
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Water Castle (Tamansari)

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Water Castle (Tamansari)
3.5
About
The Water Castle "Taman Sari" is another great spot to visit in Sultan's Palace Yogyakarta area. You may combine with Sultan's Palace visit and other interesting places nearby. An archaeological museum, the Palace Grand Mosque, Royal Horse Cart Museum are recommended places to visit. Tamansari means a fragrant Garden. It was a garden of pleasure for Royal King and family, also an escape place from an enemy's attack. It has secret and trapped tunnels around Tamansari. Let's explore and reveal the stories and history of the area.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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The area
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Restaurants
781 within 3 miles
Water Castle Cafe
167
0.1 mi$ • Cafe • Asian • Indonesian
Bale Raos
460
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Indonesian • Vegetarian Friendly
Sixsenses Kitchen
698
0.6 mi$$ - $$$ • Spanish • Wine Bar • Catalan
Ndalem Ngabean Resto & Butik
46
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Indonesian • Vegetarian Friendly
Warung Brongkos Handayani
26
0.2 mi$ • Asian • Indonesian
Nanamia Pizzeria
337
0.6 mi$$ - $$$ • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options • Halal
Ruang Tengah Cafe
7
0.2 mi$ • Italian • Asian • Fusion
Tengkleng Hohah
8
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Indonesian • Halal
Gandhok Group
3
0.3 mi
grosir buah MP
1
0.1 miDessert • Asian • Indonesian • Fruit parlours
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Attractions
234 within 6 miles
Southern City Square
361
0.1 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Merapi Volcano
2,247
0.2 miVolcanos
Pasar Ngasem
9
0.1 miFlea & Street Markets
Alun Alun Selatan
86
0.2 miParks
Museum Kereta Keraton
144
0.3 miSpeciality Museums
Yogyakarta Palace
2,844
0.3 miHistoric Sites • Architectural Buildings
Grey House Indonesia
1
0.3 miArt Galleries
Nirboyo Gate
30
0.3 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Presidential Palace
79
0.3 miHistoric Sites
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0.4 miReligious Sites
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See what travelers are saying
  • Ravi K
    5 contributions
    Nice place but no map or any info given at the ticket counter for the place
    Entry fee is OK. But you will not be given sny map or something to guide you when you purchase a ticket, that's not good enough. Pool area is nice to see and take photos. Because the house are build around it you got no idea where to go to see other places within the area. That's a let down. Unless you are using a local guide to show you around.
    Visited December 2022
    Traveled solo
    Written December 19, 2022
  • Ezra B
    Howick, New Zealand307 contributions
    Pretty small, not that much to see
    If you have a bit of time to spare in Yogyakarta and are struggling to think of what to do, then maybe you can visit here. If you a short on time, you can give this place a miss. It's reasonably photogenic and provides something to see - however there's not a lot to do other than walk around. It's good for about 15-20 minutes only.
    Visited January 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 14, 2023
  • Iris T
    Lier, Belgium13 contributions
    Must see
    Great place to visit. You pay an entrance fee of 15k per person. When you enter through the gate there are free tourguides to show you around, the tour took us around 30-45min. Watch out because outside the gate there are a lot of 'fake' tourguides/tourist stands that want to show you around. But they ask way too much money.
    Visited February 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 6, 2023
  • eileent3821
    Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam1,888 contributions
    ROYAL POOLS
    Taman Sari Complex is nicknamed as the Water Palace. It is located southwest of the Yogyakarta Palace. Historically, the Taman Sari was built as a garden and a bathing place for the royal family and also functioning as a stronghold for the kingdom. Other than the pools there was really nothing much to look at so unless you have some spare time, there is no need to visit
    Visited February 2023
    Written February 13, 2023
  • Komator
    Barcelona, Spain870 contributions
    Nice palace
    Tamansari (Water Palace) is a palace in Yogyakarta. It is now a popular tourist attraction. When we visited, it was the dry season, and there was no water in the various pools. However, I found it to be a beautiful place with lush vegetation and intriguing architectural structures.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 3, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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3.5
3,285 reviews
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lontarhejosays
Jakarta, Indonesia37 contributions
One of Hidden Gems in Yogyakarta
Jan 2020
Taman Sari Complex is one of the historical and cultural heritage tourism sites in Yogyakarta. Taman Sari Complex is nicknamed as the Water Palace. It is located southwest of the Yogyakarta Palace. Historically, the Taman Sari was built as a garden and a bathing place for the royal family and also functioning as a stronghold for the kingdom.
The Taman Sari Complex is divided into 4 sections, Some of the parts that I like from the four sections are:
1. "Umbul Pasiraman" or "Umbul Binangun". At Umbul Pasiraman there are three large pools which spoil my eyes. Umbul Pasiraman is surrounded by high walls. That said, Umbul Pasiraman is used for Sultan, the empress, concubines, and their daughters as a bathing and rest place.
2. "Sumur Gumuling", also known as a secret mosque under the ground. Its location some distance from the Taman Sari Complex. Long time ago, Sumur Gumuling functioned as a secret mosque for worshiping.
To reach the Sumur Gumuling, we will go down the hallway to the bottom of the ground. It is said that the Gumuling Well was built with the aim of tricking the Dutch army during the colonial period. Access to the Gumuling Well is made like a hidden passageway and leads into the ground. Interestingly, if we shout inside the Sumur Gumuling, the echo of our voice will be heard to a fairly distant radius.
Sumur Gumuling is one of the favorite spots for prewedding photos and Sumur Gumuling is one of the instagramable spots.
Taman Sari Complex's opening hours are 8 am to 2 pm. In my opinion, the best time to visit Taman Sari Complex is in the morning, especially if you want to take lots of photos. Usually at noon, the Taman Sari Complex is increasingly crowded. In addition, if you come in the morning, there is a longer time to explore all parts of it.
The ticket price is affordable. The ticket price for domestic tourists is IDR 5000 and for foreign tourists is IDR 7000. For those of you who bring a camera will be subject to an additional price of IDR 2000.
Written March 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Malkisedik Yahya
Raa Atoll112 contributions
Cycling
May 2020 • Couples
Heading to this place by bicycle with my wife, unlucky we cannot enter the site...

But the point plus is the people around there told us to just cycling around there and of course we are happy to do that. When we ride around the site we can also enjoy the environment there and we found some hidden gem of art inside the village around the site...
Written August 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JC
15 contributions
Worth visiting, do hire a local guide
Aug 2022 • Friends
Please do pay a small fee for a local guide there (we paid Rp 50,000 for two pax, not sure if it differs based on group size). The guide told us many fascinating facts and stories which we would not have known and would not be able to appreciate the architecture and history of the site. It made the visit so much more valuable and memorable.
Written August 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anita S
Auckland Central, New Zealand28 contributions
The old beauty
Mar 2023 • Friends
Knowing that the building has been trough lots of history, natural disasters and age…. This is a beautiful view, if you are like story of the ruins, get a local guide who works for the palace as devotee. They know lots of stories and will tell you what and why. I was born in Surabaya and had travelled abroad since I’m young. I found that it’s wonderful to hear the history with a guide rather than walking in myself unguided.

As for the place, it is well looked after for 200yrs old buildings, they do try to fix the broken ones

Prices for tickets are very low, but ok Rp65k for 2 international tourists and 1 local tourist.

Be careful when visiting during rainy season, the paths are slippery from algae

Please note your head, some door ways are really low, I’ve knocked my head few times there

Was enjoying this trip. Next time would swim there if I got the chance.
Written March 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zues1020
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia1,221 contributions
Ancient palace with traditional bath
Aug 2020 • Couples
Was surprised to know about this Castle and it was exist since long time ago. Historically valued and great story told by local tour guide give more expression about this palace. It looks mystical and fill of incredible story. Be there and you will amaze not only by its story the interior exterior and landscape absolutely great.
Written August 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Komator
Barcelona, Spain870 contributions
Nice palace
Aug 2023 • Couples
Tamansari (Water Palace) is a palace in Yogyakarta. It is now a popular tourist attraction. When we visited, it was the dry season, and there was no water in the various pools. However, I found it to be a beautiful place with lush vegetation and intriguing architectural structures.
Written November 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Orator11
Singapore, Singapore5,288 contributions
A short visit
Feb 2020
It was an okay visit, perhaps not as nice as the one in Bali, but still quite pretty. It is a rather small venue, and you can be done within the hour. There is a separate underground mosque, which can be reached via another tunnel.

It should be done together with a visit to the Kraton, or Sultan Palace, which is nearby. Entrance fee is a reasonable 15000 rupiah.
Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
eileent3821
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam1,888 contributions
ROYAL POOLS
Feb 2023
Taman Sari Complex is nicknamed as the Water Palace. It is located southwest of the Yogyakarta Palace. Historically, the Taman Sari was built as a garden and a bathing place for the royal family and also functioning as a stronghold for the kingdom. Other than the pools there was really nothing much to look at so unless you have some spare time, there is no need to visit
Written February 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ezra B
Howick, New Zealand307 contributions
Pretty small, not that much to see
Jan 2023 • Couples
If you have a bit of time to spare in Yogyakarta and are struggling to think of what to do, then maybe you can visit here. If you a short on time, you can give this place a miss. It's reasonably photogenic and provides something to see - however there's not a lot to do other than walk around. It's good for about 15-20 minutes only.
Written January 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LesleynD
Perth, Australia542 contributions
Water castle
Dec 2019 • Couples
It would have been an impressive sight in its hay days. Was extremely busy when we visited. Mostly empty, and no explanation on what things are. Would be great if they furnish some sections to allow visitors the experience of seeing what it was like back in the golden days. Still well worth a quick visit.
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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