Old Batavia on foot: a first-morning route through Kota Tua
Four hours, one canal and a museum worth the climb. How we plan the Old Batavia walk for first-time visitors.
Kota Tua was the centre of Batavia, the Dutch trading city that later became Jakarta. Most of the historic core fits inside a walk of a few kilometres, so you can see it on foot without a long transfer between stops.
We start early, before the midday heat and the weekend crowds. The route follows the Kali Besar canal, passes the old warehouses and ends at Fatahillah Square, where the museum building and the square are best seen in soft morning light. Allow time for the inside of the museum, because the galleries explain the city far better than a plaque can.
Wear closed shoes, carry water and plan lunch nearby rather than deep in the old town. Our guides are licensed and speak English, and they will point out which buildings are restored and which are still waiting for repair. That honest picture is what most guests tell us they valued most.