Overview
Take a trip to Surabaya on your Indonesia Vacation
Surabaya is the second largest city in Indonesia and is the capital of the province of East Java. Located on the northern shore of eastern Java at the mouth of the Mas River, Surabaya is the gateway city to Bali and Mount Bromo.
Surabaya is known to Indonesians as the ‘city of heroes. The Battle of Surabaya started after the alleged accidental killing of an English brigadier during the Indonesian Revolution in 1945. When Indonesian republicans in the city refused to surrender to the allies, battle ensued on November 10th, costing thousands of lives.
Heroes Monument is Surabaya’s main symbol and landmark, commemorating the heroes that died on November 10th, fighting for independence.
Other tourist attractions include various mosques, museums, and Surabaya Zoo. Opened in 1916, the zoo is one of the largest in Southeast Asia and is the first in the world to have successfully bred orangutans in captivity.
As the main seaport and commercial centre for the eastern region of Indonesia, Surabaya boasts some of Southeast Asia's largest shopping malls and markets. Home to many offices and business centres, as well as foreign industry, Surabaya is fast developing skyscrapers of condominiums, apartments, and hotels. Suramadu Bridge, which opened in 2009, is the longest bridge in Indonesia, linking Surabaya with Madura Island, and is the first to cross the Madura Strait.
With modern facilities, Surabaya is considered one of the cleanest and most upcoming cities in Indonesia, offering great economic potential.
Other tourist attractions include various mosques, museums, and Surabaya Zoo. Opened in 1916, the zoo is one of the largest in Southeast Asia and is the first in the world to have successfully bred orangutans in captivity.
As the main seaport and commercial centre for the eastern region of Indonesia, Surabaya boasts some of Southeast Asia's largest shopping malls and markets. Home to many offices and business centres, as well as foreign industry, Surabaya is fast developing skyscrapers of condominiums, apartments, and hotels. Suramadu Bridge, which opened in 2009, is the longest bridge in Indonesia, linking Surabaya with Madura Island, and is the first to cross the Madura Strait.
With modern facilities, Surabaya is considered one of the cleanest and most upcoming cities in Indonesia, offering great economic potential.
At a Glance
Languages
IndonesianCurrency
Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)What do the experts say?
Offerings are placed everywhere, including sidewalks, entrances, and shrines. Never step on or disturb them.
Ubud is all about jungle, rice terraces, and spirituality—no beaches here. Munduk’s cooler climate and coffee plantations, meanwhile, offer a peaceful escape, while the Bali Swing remains a favourite for photos.
Bali isn’t just beautiful, it’s also deeply spiritual, generous, and rooted in community
Indonesia has more than 17,000 islands, with incredible natural beauty, from waterfalls, caves, and rice terraces to truly stunning beaches
Mount Bromo within the 16km Tengger Caldera
Preparing noodles on top of Mount Bromo
Mount Bromo Volcano Java island
Most Popular Time to Travel
Know when to go.
Place
Conditions
Daily max temperatureMonthly rainfall
SurabayaMostly Sunny
34°C / 94°F
4mm / 0.1"
Weather data is based on monthly averages.Popularity rating
-
Travel Stories
Get Inspired About Your Trip to Indonesia
Unlock more by subscribing to our newsletter.
With our newsletter, you’ll get access to regular communications that inspire you and help you explore the world your way.Exclusive Savings
Insider Benefits
Trending Stories
ExcellentBased on 5,251 ReviewsVery nice!🥰😘💙❤️🇪🇸🇭🇷Andrea MarićWe recently traveled to Portugal and had the most wonderful experience. As our first venture overseas, we decided to search online for travel assistance. We happened across Goway Travel and are so glad we did!
Michael Keon, our Destination Specialist, is extremely proficient and knowledgeable in his profession. "Thorough" is an understatement. He assisted every step of the way from the moment we stepped on our flights, transfer arrangements, hotel accommodations, train travel and multiple tours/outings tailored to our specific needs/wish list.
He provided unparalleled guidance and support during the planning process and was always available to discuss any questions/concerns. His communications were always prompt and concise.
Without a doubt, our best trip to date...there will be no hesitation to contact Mr. Keon for future travels.
Joanna Lynn Mays
Michael Andrew Mays
Joanna MaysWhat made this experience great was Cedric Wai. Had a client going to Asia and this is Cedric's wheelhouse since he is from there.
Everything was wonderful. Everything went smoothly. The individual tours were wonderful and all the guides were exceptional. A lot of traveling-the flight was very good on Cathay Pacific would highly recommend their airline seats were comfortable and spaced well. Being on an airplane for 16 hours sucks in general, but other than being a little sore from being stuck in one place all was good.
Thank you so much for all your help and the trip was wonderful and everything that it should be! Next trip will be much more relaxing, sitting still for a while on a beach somewhere ha ha!Careen SullivanAndrea Paredes helped me plan a last minute Colombia trip for my clients who had never been! They loved every minute of it. The hotels, history, excursions, and flights went very smooth. They were so happy with all their tour guides. Deanna Frisbie BorregoMy destination specialist, Katie Stephenson was amazing from the onset. Her customer service, communication style and planning skills was so timely and top notch.
Our trip was to Fiji, New Zealand and Australia, from Aug 4-22, 2026. The way she planned and booked the trip makes the experience convenient and enjoyable. The flexibility of payment makes the decision faster and attractive. Everything we need to know including contacts were readily available within our travel documents itinerary.
Overall, I'll say it's money well spent and a lifetime experience particularly for my kids.FestusI'm a new travel agent and used Goway to help plan a group trip to the UK. Ani, from Goway was so great! She was very detailed oriented, she had great communication and was very thorough in the planning. I felt confident that my clients would be taken care of. My clients had an amazing trip and loved all of it! SieKyeAthul Ajay was our travel agent and he was excellent from the beginning to the end of planning our trip. Great at communicating and replying back too. Sabrina GaffoglioIsabella Luu made the arrangements for our trip to Scotland and all aspects of the trip and stay were excellent. Our assistance at the airports were very good as all were alerted to our needs. Our ride services were excellent. Isabella was always available to answer any questions that we had in a knowledgable and prompt manner, which is always very important to me.Audrey HenryHad an excellent tour of Australia, thanks to our travel specialist Katie Stephenson. She was patient as we kept modifying our plans. Got support from Goway and Katie when there was a need to rebook a tour midway through, all handled easily by Goway.Ron PrestonWe went on a highly customized comprehensive (though quick tour) of England and a bit of Scotland through Goway. Ingrid Aird did an amazing job of planning and arranging every detail with her deep experience, insight, thoughtfulness and creativity, tuning into the needs of each traveler; and she did so even though our decision to travel was rather spontaneous and last minute! Our family had the best time! We look forward to working with Ingrid and Goway again!Vilja Breiling
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified