Get in Jakarta

Get in Jakarta

By Plane

Soekarno Hatta International Airport (IATA: CGK; ICAO: WIII), at Tangerang, Banten. All international and nearly all domestic flights land here 20 km (12 miles) to the northwest of the city. The unintuitive airport code comes from Cengkareng, a district near the airport. During the rainy season the road to and from Cengkareng can be flooded, so be prepared and allow more time to reach the airport if you have a flight to catch.

The Soekarno Hatta airport has two terminals, further split up into subterminals, which are really just halls in the same building. Terminal 1 (A-B-C) is used by domestic airlines except Garuda, while Terminal 2 is used by all international airlines (D-E) and Garuda domestic flights only (F). A free but unreliable shuttle bus runs between the terminals; if you're in a hurry, it's a safer bet to take a taxi, although they'll ask for a rather steep Rp50,000 for the service (not entirely unjustified, as half of this goes to paying their parking fees).

For many country's citizens, visas on arrival are available at the airport, see the main Indonesia article for the details of the rules. If possible, use exact change (in US dollars) and ignore any requests for bribes. ATMs and currency exchange services are available in the baggage claim hall, and Terminal D has a left luggage service.

To get to the city, the easiest option is to contact your hotel to pick you up in the airport, as many hotels in Jakarta provide free airport transfers. If you want to take a taxi, follow the "Taxi" signs out of the terminal and take a taxi from the Silver Bird counter; ignore the many touts. Silver Bird is a very reliable operator but pricier than the rest at around Rp 120,000 to the Golden Triangle (including airport surcharge and tolls). You can also take Blue Bird taxi, a cheaper one under same management with Silver Bird. Blue Bird management handles some brands like Morante, Cendrawasih, Pusaka Group (Pusaka Nuri, Pusaka Lintas, Pusaka Satria, etc).

Notice carefully, some other taxi operators use the same color as Blue Bird to cheat you. Check www.bluebirdgroup.com for details & recognizing Blue Bird taxi. Other operators will charge you in the vicinity of Rp 70,000-90,000.

Xtrans, Telephone: (62)-(21)-5296-2255 and (62)-(21)-5296-4477. Provides airport shuttle service from Soekarno Hatta airport to major hotels in Sudirman and Thamrin Street in Jakarta and Bumi Xtrans in Cihampelas Street in Bandung. Cost: US$3.30/adult and US$2.20/child. Schedule: once every hour from 0500h to midnight. Xtrans booth are available at Terminal IA, IB, IC and IIE.

If you have more time than money, hourly DAMRI shuttle buses connect to Jakartan destinations Rawamangun, Pasar Minggu, Blok M and Gambir (Rp 20,000) as well as directly to the neighboring cities of Bekasi and Bogor (Rp 30,000).

For overnight transits, there are a few hotels near the airport:
Sheraton Bandara Hotel Bandara Soekarno-Hatta (3 km from airport), Jakarta 19110, Indonesia. Phone:(62)(21) 559 7777. Sheraton Bandara is a 5-star hotel with 205 Deluxe rooms and 15 Suite rooms. Rooms have Sheraton Sweet Sleeper beds and 32" LCD TVs. Complimentary shuttle airport pick-up and drop off and a private lounge at the airport. Check the special offers on the hotel's website to find special packages such as day use, special rewards and offer on related deals. US$100 and above.

Departure taxes
As of November 2006, Soekarno-Hatta Airport charges departure taxes of Rp 100,000 (USD 10) for international flights and Rp 30,000 (USD 3) for domestic flights, payable in cash only. You cannot pay in any foreign currency. Forgetting this could be very awkward!