Experience Travel Group
1-888-577-8452 020 7924 7133
Call

Best Time to Visit Indonesia: Weather and Festivals Guide

Your guide to seasonal travel

Guide Download
  • Destinations
    • South Asia
      • Sri Lanka
      • The Maldives
      • India
      • Bhutan
    • South East Asia
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
      • Cambodia
      • Laos
      • Myanmar
      • Indonesia
      • Malaysia
      • Borneo
      • Indochina
    • Middle East
      • Oman
  • About us
    • Our Story
    • Our Team
    • Our Reviews
    • Our Press
    • Our brochure
    • Our Blog
  • How it works
    • Why choose us?
    • Booking with confidence
    • How much does it cost?
    • Trip planning process
    • Financial protection
    • What happens if something goes wrong on my holiday?
    • Working with in-country partners
    • My Booking
    • Contact Us
  • Holiday Types
    • The Revitalise Collection
    • Immersive Escapes
    • Honeymoons
    • Family Travel
      • Holiday Inspiration by Theme
      • Where to go when
  • Inspiration
    • Inspire me
    • Travel Soon
    • Plan Ahead
    • Month by month weather guide
    • Free Country Guides
  • Sustainability
    • Travel Better
    • Our Counter-Carbon Pledge
    • One bottle at a time
    • Building a Sustainable Future
    • Giving Back
  • Search
Best Time to Visit Indonesia: Weather and Festivals Guide
ABTA
ATOL
  • Holidays in Indonesia
    • By Island
      • Bali & Lombok Holidays
      • Holidays in Java & Beyond
      • Flores & Komodo
      • Holidays In Sulawesi
      • Borneo & Beyond
    • By Theme
      • Classic Indonesia Holidays
      • Ultimate Indonesia Holidays
      • Wildlife Holidays
      • Family Holidays
      • Multi-Country Holidays
  • Guide to Indonesia
    • Why choose Indonesia
    • Weather & When to go
    • Hotel inspiration
    • Experiences inspiration
    • Free Country Guide Download
  • Regions of Indonesia
    • Bali
        Overview
      • South Bali
      • East Bali
      • Central Bali & Volcanoes
      • North Bali
      • West Bali
      • Ubud
      • Kuta & Southwest Beaches
      • Bali's Islands
    • Java
        Overview
      • West Java
      • Central Java
      • East Java
      • Jakarta
      • Yogyakarta
      • Borobudur
      • Java Volcanoes
      • Java National Parks
    • Kalimantan
        Overview
      • North & East Kalimantan
      • Central Kalimantan
      • West Kalimantan
    • Komodo & Flores
        Overview
      • Komodo & Rinca
      • Labuan Bajo
      • Manggarai Country
      • Bajawa
      • Ende
      • Kelimutu & Around
      • Maumere
    • Lombok
        Overview
      • West Lombok
      • South Lombok
      • Rinjani & Around
      • Sekotong & The Islands
      • Gili Islands
    • Maluku Islands
        Overview
      • Morotai
      • Halmahera
      • Ternate & Tidore
      • Ambon
      • Seram & Buru
    • Raja Ampat
    • Sulawesi
        Overview
      • South Sulawesi
      • Southeast Sulawesi
      • West Sulawesi & Togean Islands
      • Central Sulawesi
      • North Sulawesi & Offshore
      • Tana Toraja
      • Minahasa Highlands
      • Tangkoko National Park
      • Gorontalo & Bogani Nani Wartabone
    • Sumatra
        Overview
      • North Sumatra
      • West Sumatra
      • Sumatra National Parks
      • Banda Aceh
    • Sumba
        Overview
      • East Sumba
      • West Sumba
      • Sumba Beaches
    • Sumbawa
        Overview
      • West Sumbawa & Moyo Island
      • East Sumbawa
    • Timor
    • Timor-Leste
    • West Papua
Experience Travel Group

The scattered archipelago nation of Indonesia has quite a broad range of weather patterns. Generally speaking, the perfect time for a luxury holiday in Indonesia would be between April and October, depending on the island. However, given that Indonesia stretches across 4000km of sea and 17,000 islands, there are, of course, variations within this. There are many different factors when considering the best time to visit Indonesia from a cultural perspective too.

It is safe to say that most of Indonesia’s islands are perfect for European and US summer holidays. However, we argue that there is no single ‘best time’ for an Indonesian holiday - it simply depends on what you’d like to experience. 

Here is a more detailed guide to the weather in Indonesia. You’re always welcome to get in touch with one of our specialists to discuss when to go to Indonesia in more depth.

 

watercolour map of Indonesia

When to visit Indonesia
(Quick Summary)

Best Time

June - September


Monsoon Season

December - March


Beach Season

May - September


Wildlife

All Year


Weather in Indonesia throughout the Year

January - February

Indonesia is firmly in its wet season at the start of the year. There will be quite heavy rainfall yet temperatures will be warm (around 30°C) across the country, so the rain is often welcome to take the edge off the heat. Rain falls off sharply in Sumatra, making this a tempting time to visit, though the Orangutans are elusive. Rain also falls off in Sulawesi, particularly in the north, and while you can still expect rainfall in the south, that shouldn’t put you off as it is beautiful and green at this time.

March - April

Parts of Indonesia are starting to come into season as March turns into April. The wet season is tailing off in Flores, Sumba and Komodo, though humidity remains high. While in March, Bali still has very high humidity, there is some respite inland, and the island looks lovely and green. As we get to April, Bali becomes extremely attractive again from a weather perspective. Sulawesi is getting dryer in the south and March is an excellent time for the wildlife in the north. Weather in April is generally excellent islandwide. There are usually fewer showers in Sumatra and Kalimantan as we move from March to April while Java remains overcast and rainy through March, which gives way to sunny skies in April.

May - June

Long days of brilliant sunshine and no rain make May to June an excellent time to go to Indonesia. The beaches are sun-drenched, the mountains are crisp and dry, and skies will be clear across the country. Indonesia is the perfect summer holiday destination. The hot weather has not yet dried out the vegetation, so the islands look beautiful too. The real beauty of May and June is that the full peak tourist season is still to come, so tourist hotspots such as Lombok, Bali, Borobudur in Java and Komodo have far fewer visitors.

July - August

It’s peak season time throughout Indonesia - pretty much. There is very little rainfall, and the humidity is low, making it a great time to visit. It does get booked up early, though, so book your summer holiday in Indonesia early to get the best hotels and guides. Lombok, Bali, Java, Sulawesi, Flores and Sumba and all are in their peak season. However, in the further reaches of Indonesia such as the Moluccas and Raja Ampat, we would see some monsoon winds bringing in a little rainfall.

September - October

Indonesia enjoys excellent weather throughout September. The beauty of September is that tourism numbers fall sharply meaning you have the best of both worlds. This is true of Bali and Java in particular. October will see the slow return of the wet season, although there are still some pockets of excellent weather. The monsoon starts fully in December, so there is still dry sunshine to be enjoyed at the start of the winter months and fantastic deals to be had.

November - December

The wet season starts in earnest in November, and this means that by December, rainfall is generally heavy throughout Indonesia. In Bali, Java and Sumba there are dry spells in November so don’t rule it out entirely, but Sulawesi, Sumatra and Kalimantan have heavy rainfall from November onwards. There are visitors to Bali in December, especially those searching for themselves as opposed to a sunny beach; the seas can be rough at this time of year.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE WEATHER GUIDE

Enter your details for:

  • Monthly averages for temperature and rainfall 
  • When to visit for any festivals 
  • An in-depth look at the weather month-by-month

Festivals and when to visit

If you’d like to catch one of the myriad festivals and traditions in Indonesia, there are several which you might want to bear in mind. For example, the famous funerals of the Torajan people in southern Sulawesi are a tremendous public spectacle where visitors are positively encouraged. There is such a thing as a funeral season - the best time to experience these is from July through to August - though funerals do happen year-round. The reason for this is that Torajan people preserve their dead until the time is right for the funeral, sometimes for several years. Funerals are generally held in the holiday periods when the large Torajan diaspora is able to return to Tana Toraja (the Torajan homeland) to attend.


Other famous festivals in Indonesia include Nyepi, the day of silence, held in Bali in, generally in March, and the ‘mock war’ of the Baliem Valley Festival in Papua in August. In February or March, two other exciting events take place: Pasola, the festival of jousting in Sumba and the Bau Nyale Fishing Festival in Lombok. There’s no particular pattern except to say that it is well worth considering travelling out of season if it means you will experience one of these extraordinary one-off spectacles!  

 

Meet the Indonesia experts

Nick James Holly Becky

Nick

Our Head of Travel, Nick loves exploring life in Asia and over the past decade he has spent a great deal of time in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. To add to his impressive repertoire, Nick also pioneered our Indonesia holidays and having done exhaustive tours to Bali, Java, Flores and Indonesian Borneo he is passionate about extolling the virtues of this often overlooked country. 

... Read more

Call Nick

020 3598 2073

James

James didn’t leave Europe until he was 19, first venturing to California for three months and then four months in South America. But it was his first trip to South East Asia, travelling from Hanoi to Bangkok overland, which really captured his imagination. A few years later he embarked on an epic eight-month tour of India which saw him, among other things, working in the holy city of Varanasi and volunteering in a rural development commune in southern Kerala. James has since been back to India over ten times, and travelled to Malaysia and Borneo, becoming obsessed with the street food of Penang in the process. More recently he's been to Bali and Lombok where he particularly enjoyed climbing Mount Rinjani, Sri Lanka where he fell in love with the Mudhouse and back to off-the-beaten track Sikkim in India.

... Read more

Call James

020 3582 4070

Holly

Holly’s first job in travel was in a marketing role. However, it didn’t take her long to decide to exchange inspecting photographs of amazing destinations for being in them herself.

... Read more

Call Holly

020 3582 0915

Becky

Becky joined the Experience Travel Group team in July 2012, but was an explorer from a young age, thanks to her globe-trotting parents. Southeast Asia was where her young journeys began and later, combining her passion for history with travel, she delved into the culture, religions and traditions of Asia and the Middle East. Becky also spent a year studying at the University of Otago, in New Zealand, as part of her History degree. 

... Read more

Call Becky

020 3598 2075

As Featured In

Start your journey

Each journey with ETG is different. Let us know your needs, hopes and fears, and our friendly travel team will help you discover your ideal holiday.

Get in Touch

Call us 020 7924 7133

The ETG Newsletter

Your fantastic fortnightly round-up of everything new and newsworthy in travel. Expect the latest experiences, hotels and advice from our travel experts - not to mention exclusive special offers

Sign up Here

Experience Travel Blog

Get in Touch
How it works
  • Why choose us?
  • Booking with confidence
  • How much does it cost?
  • Trip planning process
  • Financial protection
  • What happens if something goes wrong on my holiday?
  • Working with in-country partners
  • My Booking
  • Contact Us
About Us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Reviews
  • Our Promise
  • Our Press
  • Contact
  • Jobs
Useful
  • Your Protection
  • Travel Insurance
  • Our Rating System
  • Exclusive Signature Experiences
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Website T&C's of Use
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Package Travel Regulations
  • Belgrade Office
  • Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) Travel Advice
  • Site Search
  • Covid-19
Get Social

facebook.com/experiencetravel twitter.com/ExpTrav instagram.com/experiencetravelgroup

  • Visit us on Facebook
  • View @ExpTrav Twitter Feed
  • Visit our Travel Blog
  • Follow our Instagram page
  • Newsletter
  • Book Club

© Experience Travel
Registered in England, Company No. 5071391 | ABTA Member | 9324 ATOL Protected
Site by Livingstone Creative

Experience Travel Group

020 7924 7133 Get in touch

Call
  • Destinations
    • South Asia
      • Sri Lanka
      • The Maldives
      • India
      • Bhutan
    • South East Asia
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
      • Cambodia
      • Laos
      • Myanmar
      • Indonesia
      • Malaysia
      • Borneo
      • Indochina
    • Middle East
      • Oman
  • Holidays in Indonesia
    • By Island
      • Bali & Lombok Holidays
      • Holidays in Java & Beyond
      • Flores & Komodo
      • Holidays In Sulawesi
      • Borneo & Beyond
    • By Theme
      • Classic Indonesia Holidays
      • Ultimate Indonesia Holidays
      • Wildlife Holidays
      • Family Holidays
      • Multi-Country Holidays
  • Guide to Indonesia
    • Why choose Indonesia
    • Weather & When to go
    • Hotel inspiration
    • Experiences inspiration
    • Free Country Guide Download
  • Regions of Indonesia
    • Bali
      • South Bali
      • East Bali
      • Central Bali & Volcanoes
      • North Bali
      • West Bali
      • Ubud
      • Kuta & Southwest Beaches
      • Bali's Islands
    • Java
      • West Java
      • Central Java
      • East Java
      • Jakarta
      • Yogyakarta
      • Borobudur
      • Java Volcanoes
      • Java National Parks
    • Kalimantan
      • North & East Kalimantan
      • Central Kalimantan
      • West Kalimantan
    • Komodo & Flores
      • Komodo & Rinca
      • Labuan Bajo
      • Manggarai Country
      • Bajawa
      • Ende
      • Kelimutu & Around
      • Maumere
    • Lombok
      • West Lombok
      • South Lombok
      • Rinjani & Around
      • Sekotong & The Islands
      • Gili Islands
    • Maluku Islands
      • Morotai
      • Halmahera
      • Ternate & Tidore
      • Ambon
      • Seram & Buru
    • Raja Ampat
    • Sulawesi
      • South Sulawesi
      • Southeast Sulawesi
      • West Sulawesi & Togean Islands
      • Central Sulawesi
      • North Sulawesi & Offshore
      • Tana Toraja
      • Minahasa Highlands
      • Tangkoko National Park
      • Gorontalo & Bogani Nani Wartabone
    • Sumatra
      • North Sumatra
      • West Sumatra
      • Sumatra National Parks
      • Banda Aceh
    • Sumba
      • East Sumba
      • West Sumba
      • Sumba Beaches
    • Sumbawa
      • West Sumbawa & Moyo Island
      • East Sumbawa
    • Timor
    • Timor-Leste
    • West Papua
  • About us
    • Our Story
    • Our Team
    • Our Reviews
    • Our Press
    • Our brochure
    • Our Blog
  • How it works
    • Why choose us?
    • Booking with confidence
    • How much does it cost?
    • Trip planning process
    • Financial protection
    • What happens if something goes wrong on my holiday?
    • Working with in-country partners
    • My Booking
    • Contact Us
  • Holiday Types
    • The Revitalise Collection
    • Immersive Escapes
    • Honeymoons
    • Family Travel
      • Holiday Inspiration by Theme
      • Where to go when
  • Inspiration
    • Inspire me
    • Travel Soon
    • Plan Ahead
    • Month by month weather guide
    • Free Country Guides
  • Sustainability
    • Travel Better
    • Our Counter-Carbon Pledge
    • One bottle at a time
    • Building a Sustainable Future
    • Giving Back
  • Search
  • Contact Us
  • My Booking
  • Brochure
  • Blog