Welcome to your short-but-sweet tour of East Java! In the early morning, your Backyard Travel guide will meet you at your Yogyakarta hotel and transfer you to Yogyakarta Railway Station by private car. Your hotel will provide a boxed breakfast that you can enjoy on the train.

Train travel in Java is a wonderful way to meet locals and enjoy the dramatic landscapes of East Java. As you embark on your 3.5-hour ride to Jambong together with your guide, you’re sure to spy some volcanoes in the distance.

Once in Jambong, your private driver will meet you and take you to historic Trowulan (roughly 40 minutes away), the former capital of the mighty Majaphit Empire, the ancient rulers of Java. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to visit the ritual bathing pool of Candi Tikus and the majestic temple ruins of Candi Bajang Ratu, as well as the Trowulan Museum, packed with archaeological gems.

After stopping for lunch at a local restaurant, continue to Malang (approximately a 3.5-hour drive) with a stop along the way at the Hindu-Buddhist temple of Singosari Temple, built in the 13th century.

Check in to your hotel at Malang and enjoy the rest of your evening at your leisure.

After enjoying breakfast at your hotel, hop into a becak (a local, three-wheeled pedicab) and go on a half-day tour of the charming city of Malang. As you drive past grand colonial edifices and colorful scenes of daily life, you’ll also see major historic sites, such as Eng An Kiong, a Chinese temple. You’ll also have the chance to see lively bird and flower markets before ending the tour at Malang Cathedral.

Return to your hotel to relax before check-out. Enjoy lunch (at own expense) before meeting your private driver, who will transfer you to Tumpang Village, roughly a 40-minute drive away. Here, you’ll take a jeep to either Tosari or Ngadisari. Your lugguage will be transferred separately to your hotel while you enjoy a 1.5- to 2-hour jeep ride to your next destination. We recommend bringing a day pack with you so you have your necessities with you.

Once you arrive in Tosari or Ngadisari, enjoy dinner at your hotel and have the rest of the evening free to spend at your leisure.

Rise early this morning for a sunrise tour of Mount Bromo, an active volcano rising 2,329 meters (7,641 feet) into the sky. A 4-wheel-drive jeep will bring you to a vantage point that provides stunning views over the clouds. Watch the sun rise over Mount Bromo and the dramatic surroundings of East Java.

Continue by jeep up the caldera of the volcano for a surreal, misty morning drive. The mist and ash-covered ground here make the landscape otherworldly. People often compare it to the surface of the moon.

Next, you’ll travel 20 minutes on horseback up the steep volcanic slopes to a set of stairs that lead to the rim of the Bromo crater. Gazing down into this active volcano is truly an awe-inspiring experience.

(Please note: Please wear warm clothes for the sunrise excursion to Mount Bromo. A weekend surcharge USD$10 per person will apply for the Bromo visit.)

Return by horse and jeep to your hotel and relax over breakfast.

After check-out, embark on a roughly 4-hour scenic drive north to Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city.

In the heart of Surabaya, head to the Sampoerna factory for a late lunch. Built in 1862, the Sampoerna factory is part of a former Dutch colonial compound that’s now a preserved historical site. Housed here is the oldest cigarette factory in Indonesia, an art gallery, a restaurant and a museum dedicated to the Kretek—the famous clove cigarettes smoked throughout Indonesia. However, the main attraction here is the sight of hundreds of local girls hand-rolling Indonesia’s most popular cigarette at unbelievable speeds. The factory uses only traditional equipment. (Please note: The factory is closed on public holidays.)

After lunch, check in to your hotel in Surabaya and enjoy the remainder of the day at your leisure.

After breakfast at your hotel, enjoy the day at your leisure before being transferred to Surabaya Airport.

Meals included on this day: Breakfast