Kampung Ketandan is the old Chinese quarter of Yogyakarta, tucked between Malioboro and Pasar Beringharjo. Chinese traders settled here under the early sultans; the name is usually explained by the tondo, the officials who collected tax on the Sultan’s behalf, many of whom were Chinese.
You cannot miss the entrance: a red, green and gold gateway with a tiled roof on the east side of the street. Behind it, lanes of shophouses with curved gables house gold dealers, traditional medicine shops, eateries and family businesses.
What to see and do: Kampung Ketandan (Chinatown)
Walk through the gate
The gateway on Malioboro is the photo stop; the lane behind it runs east towards the market.
Look up at the shophouses
Many façades keep their old shutters, roof ridges and shop signs, some restored in recent years.
Come for the festival
Around Lunar New Year and Cap Go Meh the lanes host the Yogyakarta Chinese Culture Week (Pekan Budaya Tionghoa Yogyakarta), with lion and dragon dances, a food market and lanterns. Dates change yearly.
Find the relocated traders
One of the newer Teras Malioboro markets for former pavement vendors has been set up in the Ketandan lanes.
How to get to Kampung Ketandan (Chinatown)
- The gate is on the east side of Malioboro, towards the southern half of the street, a few minutes’ walk north of Pasar Beringharjo.
Insider tips
- Shops keep daytime hours and many close on Sundays; evenings are quiet outside festival time.
- Combine it with Pasar Beringharjo, which is reached through the same lanes.
Best tours & tickets for Kampung Ketandan (Chinatown)
These top-rated experiences are an easy way to enjoy Kampung Ketandan (Chinatown) from a base on Malioboro:
Heritage walking tour from $17 Yogyakarta: Malioboro Heritage Walking Tour with Storyteller
One of the few GetYourGuide products built specifically around Malioboro Street: a storyteller-led walk past its colonial-era buildings, markets and kampung lanes. It is a recent listing with only a handful of reviews, so read the latest feedback before booking — but if the street’s history is what you came for, this is the closest match.
- A walk devoted to Malioboro itself
- Stories behind the buildings and side lanes
- A newer product with few reviews so far
Walking tour with tastings from $17 Yogyakarta: City Highlights Walking Tour with 5 Local Snack Tastings
A two-hour walk in the Malioboro area that pairs the main sights with five tastings of local snacks. Lighter than a full food tour and shorter than a half-day city tour, it suits a morning or late afternoon slot. Review numbers are still small.
- Five local snack tastings included
- Two-hour route through the Malioboro area
- Small number of reviews, high score
Guided walk with tastings from $15 Yogyakarta: Guided City Walk and Food Tour
A guided walk that mixes the old city with food stops, so you learn how Yogyakarta fits together while tasting local snacks and dishes along the way. A good choice if you want orientation and eating in a single outing rather than a pure food crawl. Start times and the route vary by option, so read the listing before you book.
- City sights and local dishes in one walk
- Small group led by a local guide
- Several hundred five-star reviews
