Surabaya guide Surabaya directory

Surabaya, East Java's largest and Indonesia's second largest city, saw its first battle pitted against the superiorly equipped British forces, during the revolution. And even though the Indonesian's were forced to retreat, the British suffered heavy losses. This inspired a continued fight for independence throughout Indonesia. You will find monuments and museums erected here that remember and celebrate an important part of Indonesia's history. Surabaya's harbour, another place worthy of visiting and one of the most important commercial ports and trading centres in South East Asia, is home to Indonesia's second largest harbour, after Tanjung Priok in Jakarta, protected by the Madura Island just east of Surabaya.

Surabaya is called the ‘the City of Heroes'. And the statues, museums and memorials spread across the length and breadth of the city, honour these heroes, who sacrificed their lives as part of the resistance against colonial rule in Indonesia in 1945.

Our Surabaya destination guide below will help you uncover the Surabaya highlights including the monuments and museums dedicated to remembering the country's fight for independence and other tourist attractions that lie along Surabaya's coast. Make sure you visit the Surabaya tours page to make the most of the experience and you can also book a Surabaya hotel. For more general information about the country itself check out the Indonesia destination guide. You may also want to see whats available in other Indonesian destinations including Komodo, Manado, Aceh, Jogjakarta, Makassar and Jakarta.

Things to See & Do in Surabaya

Follow the links below or scroll further down the page for more details on some of the many interesting tourist attractions in Surabaya:

Kalimas Traditional Seaport
Tanjung Perak
Kayoon Park and Flower Market
Chinese Temples and Ash Houses
Cheng Hoo Mosque
Heroes Monument & Surabaya Sepuluh November Museum
Submarine Monument Surabaya
Panorama of Kenjeran Beach
Red Bridge
Grahadi
The Surabaya Zoo
Old Arab and Chinese Attractions
Majapahit Sculpture
Things to Do in Surabaya

Kalimas Traditional Seaport

This 1-km stretch of warehouses and wharves along the eastward flank of Tanjung Perak celebrates Surbaya's maritime heritage. Located east of the Kalimas River and 10 km west of Kenjeran beach, here you can watch the merchandise being manually loaded and unloaded from the tile holds of brooch-beamed phinisi schooners.

Tanjung Perak

East of Kali Mas harbour lies the modern port of Tanjung Perak, the second largest port in Indonesia. The port takes up 574.7 hectares of sea area, and has in place a port administrator, a ship owners association and shipping and forwarding associations. Tanjung Perak is used by the Indonesian navy as a base, and you will need permission to visit the site.

Kayoon Park and Flower Market

The park, on the western bank of Kayoon River, is a treat for water sports buffs. You can swim, sail and partake of the motor boat rides and canoe races. Then satisfy your appetite at the East Java food centre. And to the north of the park, you can catch a glimpse of beautiful orchids and attractive tropical fare at the Kayoon Market.

Chinese Temples and Ash Houses

The historic China Town is located around Klenteng Dukuh, the red temple with Chinese characters for prosperity and peace etched in gold, above burning incense and candles, in Jalan Kapasan. The Chinese people mingled with the local people through marriage whilst still retaining their identity. The result - a fusion of Chinese and local culture and cuisine.

The Chinese reverence for the dead is seen in the 'ash houses' or places of ancestral worship. Look out for the Chinese characters along with the burning incense placed outside these buildings.

Cheng Hoo Mosque

Unlike most mosques, the Muhammad Cheng Hoo Mosque is designed in an architectural style typical to China. Construction began in the 15^th century during the reign of the Ming dynasty (1368-1643), when the Chinese from Yunnan came to propagate Islam, especially in Java.

Heroes Monument & Surabaya Sepuluh November Museum

The warrior monument, located in Tembaan Street, was built to honour all the brave warriors who were killed during the uprising against the ally army and the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration NICA, which wished to occupy Surabaya, on November 10, 1945.

Submarine Monument Surabaya

Visit Monkasel, the original KRI Pasopati 410 submarine, which now rests near the Surabaya Plaza shopping centre. Around 76.6 m long and 6.3 m wide, it was moved from Ujung on July 1, 1995, after the museum was opened by the Naval Commander of the Republic of Indonesia, Arief Kushariadi, on June 27, 1998.

Panorama of Kenjeran Beach

This beach is located in the Kenjeran district, around 9 km from Surabaya. The beach is demarcated into the Old Kenjeran Beach and the New Kenjeran Beach.

Red Bridge

One look at the bright red railings and you know why it's called the Red Bridge, locally known as the Jembatan Merah. In colonial Surabaya, the Red Bridge neighbourhood had bustled with activity and was located strategically, halfway between the docks in the north and the gracious suburban administrative precinct in the south.

Grahadi

In the past, the former Dutch governor lived here, and this epitome of serenity is still preserved by the Governor of East Java. The corpulent figure of Joko Dolog, a 13^th century statue and a famous Surabaya landmark, stands tall just opposite this.

The Surabaya Zoo

Want to see the famous Komodo dragons? Catch them at Kebun Binatang, claimed to be the ‘the largest zoo in SE Asia'. It's just 15 minutes by the tree shaded 6-lane drive from the city centre. But don't expect too much! The zoo isn't all that well-maintained.

Old Arab and Chinese Attractions

Wander in the narrow lanes, to the east of Jl. K.H. Mas Mansyur. Explore the area around the mosque and the Holy Grave of one of the nine saints who propagated Islam here called Sunan Ampel. These old Arab and Chinese quarters are located at the northern end of the city, not too far from the harbour. Catch a display of Chinese hand-puppet (potehi) performances at the Hong Tik Hian Templed, located to the south, at Jl. Dukuh II/2. And just across Jl. Kembang Jepun, on Jl. Selompretan, you can see the oldest shrine in Surabaya - the Hok An Kiong Temple from the 18th century. Made almost entirely from wood by Chinese craftsmen, the temple's main deity is Ma Co, the saviour of sailors.

Majapahit Sculpture

The Mahapahit Empire was the most powerful kingdom in Indonesia in the 13^th century. It was named after the bitter (pahit) maja fruit, and was the golden era of cultural and political development in the 14^th century. In fact, the historical figures and motifs influenced by Hindu and Buddhist culture remain popular even today. Explore the vast expanse of archaeological sites spread over 100 km around Trowulan, located approximately 10 km from the town of Mojokerto, to the southwest of Surabaya.

Things to Do in Surabaya

Of late, Surabaya's appeal has grown as a premier golfing destination. Its six courses -Yani Golf, Ciputra Golf (27 holes), Bukit Darmo, Golf Graha Famili, Finna Golf and Taman Dayu (the last two are outside the city) - have made Surbaya Indonesia's second most important golfing destination.

You must enjoy the spectacular sunrise at the world-famous Mount Bromo, and catch the Kerapan Sapi (bull races) held annually. And finally, escape to Malang, a popular mountain retreat and getaway of the local Surabayans. Known to be more ‘Indonesian' than Jakarta in terms of its lifestyle and architecture, Surabaya truly reminds one of the old days.

Surabaya Destination Guide