One of the world’s biggest cities with no traffic, thousands of locals exercising, street performers, and Jakarta completely transformed.
When our Indonesian friends told us we had to experience Jakarta’s Car Free Day, we weren’t entirely sure what to expect. A road closure didn’t sound that exciting… We couldn’t have been more wrong.
Watch Our Full Experience At CFD Jakarta
Why We Visited Jakarta’s Car Free Day
Jakarta is one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world.
On any normal day, the city’s main roads are packed with traffic, motorbikes and commuters. It’s not unusual to have standstill traffic for hours! But every Sunday morning, something pretty incredible happens.
Large sections of Jakarta’s main roads close completely to vehicles, giving the city back to pedestrians, runners, cyclists and families.
After hearing local friends rave about it, we decided to check it for ourselves.
First Impressions: We Had No Idea It Was This Big
We grabbed a Grab and headed towards the city centre early on Sunday morning.
When we stepped onto the main boulevard, we were stunned.
The road stretched into the distance in both directions, completely filled with people walking, jogging, cycling and enjoying being outside.
It felt like giant city-wide festival vibes.
The Hydration Stations
One of our favourite parts of the morning was discovering what we started calling the hydration stations.
Every few hundred metres, there seemed to be another mini hub filled with food vendors, drinks, electrolytes, sportswear and local businesses.
Many had music playing, fitness classes taking place and crowds of locals dancing, exercising and having fun. Each stop felt like its own little party.
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Coffee Had To Be Part Of The Plan
Anyone who follows our travels knows we are incapable of starting a day without coffee.
Luckily, Jakarta’s Car Free Day had us covered.
While exploring, we stumbled across a coffee stand run by Beska Coffee.
Not sponsored. Not planned. Just perfect timing.
The team showed us their beans, chatted with us about coffee and served exactly what we needed to start the day properly.
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Exploring Jakarta With Our Friend Jarr
Partway through the morning, we met up with our friend Jar.
If you’ve watched our Jakarta videos before, you’ll probably recognise him.
What started as a guided tour years ago turned into a genuine friendship, so it was great to reconnect and spend another morning exploring together.
After grabbing him a coffee for the road, we continued wandering through the crowds, checking out the market stalls and soaking up the atmosphere.
Incredible Value Everywhere
One thing that surprised us was how affordable everything was.
Many stalls were selling sports clothing, trainers and activewear at unbelievably low prices compared to what we’d pay back home or even in Bali.
Some stalls were offering multiple items for around 100,000 IDR. So even if you came just for the markets, it would be worth it.
Things We Loved
- Completely free to experience
- A chance to see Jakarta from a local perspective
- Fantastic atmosphere
- Plenty of food and drink options
- Great people watching
- Family friendly
- Easy to combine with a Jakarta city tour
Things To Know Before You Go
- Car Free Day Jakarta takes place on Sunday mornings
- It starts around 6am and finishes around 10am
- Arrive early for the best atmosphere
- Wear comfortable walking shoes
- Bring some cash for snacks and drinks
- Expect large crowds
- The event is spread across a surprisingly large area
Our Verdict
This ended up being one of our favourite mornings in Jakarta.
Not because of a famous landmark.
Not because of a bucket list attraction.
But because it felt like we were seeing the city exactly as locals experience it.
For a few hours every Sunday morning, one of Asia’s busiest cities slows down, gets active and comes together.
It’s wholesome, unique and completely free.
If you’re visiting Jakarta on a Sunday, we genuinely think it’s worth making time for.
A Great Way To Visit The Car Free Day
There are loads of really affordable Jakarta city tours. If you are in Jakarta on a Sunday, you can customise a tour to include the car-free day. This is a great option if you are nervous about exploring Jakarta solo.
You could also start the day car free (pun intended) before jumping on a city tour afterwards.
Great Jakarta City Tours
Useful Information
How To Get There
Car Free Day takes place along Jalan Jenderal Sudirman and Jalan M.H. Thamrin, two of the city’s busiest roads. The easiest option is to take a Grab directly to the Car Free Day route.
Even if you simply ask your Grab driver for “Car Free Day Sudirman-Thamrin”, they’ll know exactly where to take you.
Traffic is usually lighter early in the morning, making it an easy journey from most parts of Jakarta.
Best Time To Visit
Arrive as early as possible.
The atmosphere builds throughout the morning, but most activities wrap up around 10am.
Cost
Free.
You only need money for food, drinks or anything you decide to buy from the market stalls.
Where We Stayed
During our time in Jakarta, we stayed at My Capsule Jakarta.
It’s budget-friendly, centrally located and has a genuinely lovely atmosphere for travellers.
One of our favourite touches was the communal dinners, which made it really easy to meet other travellers without feeling like a party hostel.
It’s also conveniently located for reaching Car Free Day by Grab in around 15 minutes.
Related Experiences
Here are some of our other adventures from our time in Jakarta. There are so many amazing things to do, so feel free to check them out!
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Final Thoughts
A Sunday morning coffee, a completely car-free city centre, thousands of locals enjoying themselves and a chance to experience Jakarta from a totally different perspective.
Not bad for a free activity.
If you’re lucky enough to be in Jakarta on a Sunday, don’t sleep in.
Car Free Day might well become one of your favourite memories from the city.
Big Love
Beth and Denz