Dieng Plateau
A volcanic plateau at 2,000 m with Java's oldest Hindu temples, colored lakes and steaming craters, famous for sunrises from Sikunir and Mount Prau.
The Dieng Plateau lies on the border of Wonosobo and Banjarnegara regencies in Central Java, Indonesia — a volcanic plateau at about 2,000 m whose name means "abode of the gods" in Old Javanese. It holds Java's oldest Hindu temple complex, along with steaming craters, colorful volcanic lakes and tiers of potato terraces; it's cool and misty, a world away from the humid heat of the Javanese lowlands. The main sights are within a few kilometers of Dieng village: the Arjuna temple complex and museum, Sikidang Crater, Telaga Warna (the colored lake) and Batu Ratapan Angin; at dawn, head to Sembungan village to climb Sikunir Hill for sunrise, or hike up Mount Prau to camp. To the west are Sileri Crater and the Jalatunda well, and Menjer Lake lies on the southern slopes. Best time: the Jun–Sep dry season is clear with a high chance of a good sunrise, and the Dieng Culture Festival is held around August, though early mornings in Jul–Aug may bring frost, with temperatures dropping to around 0°C; the rainy season is foggy and wet, and some hiking trails close. Getting there: from Yogyakarta via Magelang and Wonosobo takes about 4 hours, from Semarang about 3.5 hours; minibuses run up from Wonosobo in about 1 hour. Distances between sights are short, so hire a car or rent a motorbike. Stay 1–2 nights, bring plenty of warm clothing, and heed toxic gas warnings around the craters.
Top sights
- Arjuna Temple Complex – The oldest surviving Hindu temple complex in Java, with five small stone shrines set on misty highland grassland.
- Kawah Sikidang – The most accessible active volcanic crater on the Dieng Plateau, with bubbling mud pools, billowing white steam and a strong smell of sulfu…
- Telaga Warna – A volcanic lake that shows green, blue and yellow hues from sulfur and algae, with the calm Mirror Lake beside it.
- Sikunir Hill Sunrise – A hill for watching the sunrise beside what is said to be Java's highest village, where the 'golden sunrise' reveals several volcanoes, inc…
- Batu Ratapan Angin – A rock viewpoint on a hillside beside Telaga Warna, overlooking both the Telaga Warna and Telaga Pengilon volcanic lakes.
- Candi Gatotkaca – A single 8th-century Hindu temple southwest of the Arjuna Complex, which can be visited together with the museum across the road.
- Dieng Plateau Museum (Kailasa Museum) – A small museum displaying stone sculptures unearthed from Dieng's temples and the plateau's folk culture, with a short film about Dieng's v…
- Candi Bima – The most distinctive ancient temple in Dieng, its tower layered with niches holding human heads, resembling the tower-style temples of nort…
- Candi Dwarawati – A single ancient temple at the foot of Mount Prau, away from the crowds, overlooking the valley where Dieng village and the temple complex…
- Telaga Cebong – A small highland lake beside Sembungan village at the foot of Mount Sikunir, a starting point for camping and for sunrise hikes up Sikunir.
- Mount Prau – A popular climbing spot at 2,565 meters, where you can watch the sunrise from rolling grassy summits with the twin volcanoes Sindoro and Su…
- Kawah Sileri – Dieng's largest crater, with a milky grey-green hot lake that steams constantly and has seen several sudden steam eruptions.
- Sumur Jalatunda – A circular volcanic pit about 90 meters across, its water pooled at the bottom like a giant well, where visitors throw stones across to mak…
- Telaga Menjer – The largest natural lake in Wonosobo, a highland volcanic lake surrounded by tea-covered hillsides, where you can take a small boat out on…
- Tuk Bima Lukar – An ancient stone spring pool at the entrance to Dieng village, considered a source of the Serayu River, where locals believe the water keep…
Where to eat
- Longkrang Mie Ongklok – Opened in 1975, this Wonosobo institution serves its signature mie ongklok, thick sweet-savory noodles with beef satay…
- Bu Djono Restaurant – An old backpacker guesthouse restaurant at the entrance to Dieng village, serving travelers since 1967; known for fried…
- Pak Muhadi's Mie Ongklok – A famous mie ongklok spot on Ahmad Yani Street in Wonosobo, with a thick, savory broth served with beef satay and fried…
Itineraries
- Central Java 10-Day Loop: Ancient Temples, Highlands & Royal Cities – Travel from Yogyakarta up to the Dieng Plateau, then via Semarang and Solo to the ancient temples of Mount Lawu, connec…