Why go
- Capital and largest city of East Java, Indonesia.
- Served by Juanda International Airport (SUB).
History
Surabaya is the capital and largest city of East Java province and the second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strait, it is one of the earliest port cities in Southeast Asia. According to the National Development Planning Agency, Surabaya is one of the four main central cities of Indonesia, alongside Jakarta, Medan, and Makassar. The city covers a land area of 334.50 km2, and had a population of 2,874,314 within its city limits at the 2020 census. With 3,003,860 people living in the city as of mid 2025 and over 10 million in the extended Surabaya metropolitan area, according to the latest official estimate, Surabaya is the second-largest metropolitan area in Indonesia. Surabaya metropolitan area also has ASEAN's 6th largest economy, ahead of Hanoi. In 2023, the city's GRP PPP was estimated at US$150.294 billion.
Restaurants & places to go
292 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →
Airports
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 17 airlines, 25 direct destinations
- Lion Mentari Airlines JT (737-900, 737-800, ATR) · 15 routes: Ambon, Balikpapan, Bandung, Banjarmasin, Batam, Denpasar*, Jakarta, Kupang, Manado, Palangkaraya, Praya, Semarang*, Taraken, Ujung Pandang, Yogyakarta*
- Garuda Indonesia GA (CRK, 737-800, A319, A320, A330-200, 747-400) · 12 routes: Ambon, Balikpapan, Bandar Seri Begawan*, Bandung, Banjarmasin, Denpasar, Jakarta, Jeddah, Praya, Semarang, Singapore, Ujung Pandang
- Citilink Indonesia QG (A320) · 10 routes: Balikpapan, Banjarmasin, Batam, Denpasar, Jakarta, Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, Kupang, Manado, Praya
- Indonesia AirAsia QZ (A320) · 9 routes: Bandung, Bangkok, Denpasar, Jakarta, Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Singapore, Ujung Pandang
- Sriwijaya Air SJ (735, 737-300, 734) · 7 routes: Balikpapan, Jakarta, Kupang, Manado, Semarang, Ujung Pandang, Yogyakarta
- AirAsia AK (A320) · 1 route: Kuala Lumpur
- Cathay Pacific CX (A330-300, 777-200) · 1 route: Hong Kong
- China Airlines CI (A330-300) · 1 route: Singapore
- EVA Air BR (A330-200) · 1 route: Taipei
- Illinois Airways IL (737) · 1 route: Pangkalan Bun
- Interlink Airlines ID (737-900) · 1 route: Jakarta
- Qantas QF (A320) · 1 route: Singapore
- Royal Brunei Airlines BI (A320) · 1 route: Bandar Seri Begawan
- SilkAir MI (A319, A320, A330-300) · 1 route: Singapore
- Singapore Airlines Cargo SQ (A330-300) · 1 route: Singapore
- Tiger Airways TR (A320) · 1 route: Singapore
- Valuair VF (A320) · 1 route: Singapore
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 3 airlines, 2 direct destinations
- Garuda Indonesia GA (737-800) · 1 route: Jakarta
- Lion Mentari Airlines JT (ATR) · 1 route: Denpasar*
- Sriwijaya Air SJ (737-300) · 1 route: Jakarta
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Getting there by ferry
Where things are
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
The warmer, longer-day half of the southern-hemisphere year.
Milder and quieter, with better value.
The southern winter — check local conditions before travelling.
Getting there & around
Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Juanda International Airport (SUB); 2 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: SUB has direct flights to 25 destinations on 17 airlines (incl. Singapore, Jakarta, Balikpapan, Denpasar, Ujung Pandang…). By water: 6 ferry terminals within 20 km (nearest: Taman Ekspresi, 2.1 km); routes include Kalimas Boat Ride, Pontianak-Surabaya, Surabaya - Pontianak.
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Surabaya (East Java). Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.