Why go
- Capital and largest city of South Sumatra, Indonesia.
- Served by Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport (PLM).
History
Palembang is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers 348.34 square kilometres on both banks of the Musi River in the eastern lowlands of southern Sumatra. It had a population of 1,668,848 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2025 was 1,829,745. Palembang is the second most populous city in Sumatra, after Medan, and the twelfth most populous city in Indonesia.
Restaurants & places to go
268 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →
Airports
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 8 airlines, 8 direct destinations
- Garuda Indonesia GA (A319, 737-800, CRK) · 3 routes: Denpasar, Jakarta, Singapore*
- Lion Mentari Airlines JT (737-900, 737-800) · 3 routes: Bandar Lampung-Sumatra Island, Batam, Jakarta
- Citilink Indonesia QG (A320) · 2 routes: Batam, Jakarta
- Sriwijaya Air SJ (735, 737-300) · 2 routes: Jakarta, Pangkal Pinang
- AirAsia AK (A320) · 1 route: Kuala Lumpur
- Mandala Airlines RI (A320) · 1 route: Yogyakarta
- SilkAir MI (A319) · 1 route: Singapore
- Singapore Airlines Cargo SQ (A319) · 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.
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 Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport (PLM); 1 other airport serves the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: PLM has direct flights to 8 destinations on 8 airlines (incl. Jakarta, Singapore, Batam, Bandar Lampung-Sumatra Island, Denpasar…). By water: 2 ferry terminals within 20 km (nearest: Pelabuhan Boom Baru, 8 km).
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Palembang (Sumatra), Indonesia. 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.