9 Best Things to Do in Surabaya
Surabaya packs an independence-war monument, a 1911 heritage hotel, a walk-through submarine, and two of Java’s biggest volcanoes within day-trip range. These are the 9 things worth building a Surabaya stop around.
1. Stand at Tugu Pahlawan and the 10 November Museum
The 41-meter Heroes Monument, inaugurated in 1952 by President Sukarno, marks the site of the old Dutch courthouse where fighting was heaviest during the Battle of Surabaya. The museum beneath it covers the battle across two floors of photos and dioramas.
2. Have a coffee at Hotel Majapahit
Opened in 1911 as the Hotel Oranje, this heritage hotel is where Indonesian youths tore the blue stripe from the Dutch flag on 19 September 1945, a flashpoint that helped trigger the battle six weeks later. It now operates as an MGallery property, open to non-guests for the lobby, gardens, and a coffee.
3. Walk the Arab Quarter around Sunan Ampel Mosque
Surabaya’s Old Town centers on the tomb and mosque of Sunan Ampel, one of Java’s nine Wali Songo saints, ringed by narrow market lanes selling dates, perfume, and prayer items. Dress modestly; this is an active pilgrimage site, not just a sightseeing stop.
4. Tour the House of Sampoerna
An 1862 Dutch colonial compound turned kretek (clove cigarette) museum, with a hand-rolling demonstration floor, a cafe, and a vintage 1972 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow on display. Its open status has been inconsistent since the pandemic, so confirm before you plan a visit around it.
5. See the 99-meter minaret at Al-Akbar Mosque
Indonesia’s second-largest mosque after Jakarta’s Istiqlal, inaugurated 10 November 2000 to deliberately echo Heroes’ Day. Its single minaret symbolizes the 99 names of Allah, and the mosque holds roughly 59,000 worshippers.
6. Walk through a real submarine at Monkasel
The KRI Pasopati, a Soviet-built submarine commissioned into the Indonesian Navy in 1962 and decommissioned in 1994, was disassembled, moved, and reassembled as a walk-through museum in 1998. Expect tight bunks, the sonar room, and the forward torpedo tubes.
7. Cross the Suramadu Bridge to Kenjeran
Indonesia’s longest bridge, at 5.4km, has been free to cross since 2018 and leads to Madura island. Closer to the city, Kenjeran Beach and the Sanggar Agung temple’s giant seaside Guan Yin statue make an easy half-day out.
8. Shop and eat on Jalan Tunjungan
Surabaya’s grand Dutch-era commercial street, once home to the Dutch East Indies’ largest department store, still anchors downtown alongside the modern Tunjungan Plaza mall complex next door.
9. Add a day trip to Bromo or Ijen
Mount Bromo’s Sea of Sand and Kawah Ijen’s blue fire are both reachable as a long day trip or an overnight from Surabaya, and for most visitors they’re the actual reason to be in East Java at all.
Read more: our day trips guide covers Bromo and Ijen logistics in full, and the main Surabaya guide has the essentials table for planning the rest of your visit.