Ratu Boko
Situs Ratu Boko
An 8th-century palace ruin on a hill south of Prambanan. Its stone gateways face the western sunset, and it overlooks Prambanan and Mount Merapi. It is Yogyakarta's most famous sunset spot.
Ratu Boko sits on a 200-meter-high hill about 3 kilometers south of Prambanan. It is a palace site from the Sailendra–Mataram period of the 8th century. Unlike the surrounding temples, it is a rare secular complex covering 16 hectares. It includes two tiered stone gateways, a cremation platform, the base of an audience pavilion, bathing pools, caves and the walls of the women's quarters. According to inscriptions, it was originally a Buddhist monastery and was later converted into a Hindu royal palace. Its name comes from a Javanese legend about King Boko and his daughter Roro Jonggrang, the “Slender Maiden” of Prambanan. Few structures survive, and the appeal lies in the location and atmosphere. Standing in front of the main gateway and looking west, you can see the Prambanan temple complex and the distant Mount Merapi. As the sun sets, it sinks between the gateways, and the silhouettes on the grass are Yogyakarta's most classic sunset photo. The site also has a sunset viewing deck with food and drinks. Admission for foreigners is about Rp 375,000. A combined ticket with Prambanan costs about Rp 550,000 and includes a shuttle between the two sites every 30 minutes. Opening hours are 06:00 to 17:00, and visitors can stay until about 18:00 during sunset. Getting there: take the combined-ticket shuttle from Prambanan for 15 minutes, or take a taxi from Yogyakarta for 40 minutes. Suggested itinerary: visit Prambanan at 3 p.m., take the 4:30 shuttle to Ratu Boko, spend an hour exploring the ruins, wait for the sunset in front of the gateway, then return to Prambanan to watch the Ramayana Ballet. This makes the most complete “temple day” in Yogyakarta. Note: the hilltop has no shade and is windy, so bring water and sun protection. At the end of the dry season the grass is yellow, while in the rainy season it is green but cloudy. On weekend sunsets it gets crowded, so arrive early if you want an empty-landscape photo.
Opening hours
6:00–17:00 (extended to approx. 18:00 around sunset)
Nearby sights
- Kalasan Temple
- Ramayana Ballet Prambanan
- Prambanan
- Tebing Breksi
- Sewu Temple
- Ijo Temple
- Plaosan Temple
- Sambisari Temple