{"schema_version":"v1","type":"trip_article","slug":"waisak-borobudur","locale":"en","canonical_url":"https://www.voucherdata.asia/trips/waisak-borobudur","updated_at":"2026-10-13T15:00:00+00:00","headline":"Vesak at Borobudur 2027: 20 May full moon, monks' procession and lanterns","one_sentence_summary":"Vesak at Borobudur falls on Thursday, 20 May 2027. A procession leaves Mendut temple in the morning, meditation follows in the afternoon, and ticketed lanterns go up after dark. 2026 was 31 May.","facts":[{"label":"Date","value":"Thursday, 20 May 2027, a national holiday under Indonesia's SKB 3 Menteri decree, with 19 May as collective leave. The 2026 edition took place on 31 May.","source":"https://setneg.go.id/baca/index/inilah_skb_3_menteri_libur_nasional_dan_cuti_bersama_2027","sourceLabel":"setneg.go.id"},{"label":"Location","value":"Borobudur in Magelang, Central Java, built in the 8th and 9th centuries under the Sailendra dynasty and one of the largest Buddhist monuments in the world.","source":"https://www.indonesia.travel/hk-en/destination/java/central-java/borobudur-trail-of-civilization","sourceLabel":"indonesia.travel"},{"label":"Moment of Vesak","value":"In 2026 the moment of Vesak fell at 15:44:44 WIB. Worshippers meditated in the temple courtyard, led by a senior monk, and finished by walking clockwise around Borobudur three times (pradaksina).","source":"https://www.metrotvnews.com/read/b2lC6j1G-detik-detik-waisak-2570-be-2026-berlangsung-khidmat-di-borobudur","sourceLabel":"metrotvnews.com"},{"label":"Procession","value":"On 31 May 2026 the procession left Mendut temple at about 10 a.m. and walked about 3 km to Kenari Field in Zone 1 of Borobudur, carrying the eternal flame from Mrapen, holy water from Umbul Jumprit and Buddha relics.","source":"https://injourneydestination.id/en/2026/05/31/Thousands-of-local-residents-welcomed-the-Waisak-procession-at-Mendut-Temple--Borobudur-Temple/","sourceLabel":"injourneydestination.id"},{"label":"Lantern tickets (organiser)","value":"In 2026 the Buddhist council MBMI (Majelis Agama Buddha Mahanikaya Indonesia) sold tickets on its website under \"Donasi Tiket\". The minimum age was 7, and each lantern was shared by at least four people.","source":"https://news.detik.com/berita/d-8447585/info-tiket-lampion-waisak-borobudur-2026-simak-juga-ketentuannya","sourceLabel":"detik.com"},{"label":"Lantern tickets (site operator)","value":"Borobudur's operator, InJourney Destination Management, also sold lantern and grandstand tickets on its own ticketing site. Sales for 2026 opened on 18 April.","source":"https://www.metrotvnews.com/read/bzGCeaZB-penjualan-tiket-lampion-waisak-borobudur-2026-dibuka-harga-mulai-rp65-ribu","sourceLabel":"metrotvnews.com"}],"city_tabs":{"borobudur":{"title":"Central Java · Borobudur","bullets":["Borobudur is in Central Java and was built in the 8th and 9th centuries under the Sailendra dynasty","It is one of the largest and best-known Buddhist monuments in the world, and the main Vesak rites take place here"],"source":"https://www.indonesia.travel/hk-en/destination/java/central-java/borobudur-trail-of-civilization","sourceLabel":"indonesia.travel"}},"faq":[{"q":"When is Vesak in 2027?","a":"Thursday, 20 May 2027, a national holiday under the Indonesian government's SKB 3 Menteri decree, with 19 May as collective leave. The 2026 edition took place on 31 May.","sources":["https://setneg.go.id/baca/index/inilah_skb_3_menteri_libur_nasional_dan_cuti_bersama_2027"]},{"q":"What does Vesak commemorate?","a":"It is the main Buddhist holy day, marking the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing together. The date follows the full moon.","sources":["https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesak"]},{"q":"Where do you buy lantern tickets?","a":"In 2026 there were two channels: the organising Buddhist council, MBMI, sold tickets at mbmi.or.id under \"Donasi Tiket\", and Borobudur's operator, InJourney Destination Management, sold them at ticket.injourneydestination.id. Sale dates for 2027 have not been announced.","sources":["https://news.detik.com/berita/d-8447585/info-tiket-lampion-waisak-borobudur-2026-simak-juga-ketentuannya","https://www.metrotvnews.com/read/bzGCeaZB-penjualan-tiket-lampion-waisak-borobudur-2026-dibuka-harga-mulai-rp65-ribu"]},{"q":"When and where does the procession start?","a":"In 2026 it left Mendut temple at about 10 a.m. on Vesak day itself (31 May) and walked about 3 km to Kenari Field in Zone 1 of Borobudur.","sources":["https://injourneydestination.id/en/2026/05/31/Thousands-of-local-residents-welcomed-the-Waisak-procession-at-Mendut-Temple--Borobudur-Temple/"]},{"q":"What time is the moment of Vesak?","a":"It is calculated astronomically each year. In 2026 it fell at 15:44:44 WIB, marked by meditation in the Borobudur courtyard.","sources":["https://www.metrotvnews.com/read/b2lC6j1G-detik-detik-waisak-2570-be-2026-berlangsung-khidmat-di-borobudur"]},{"q":"How do you get there from Yogyakarta?","a":"Borobudur is about 40 km from Yogyakarta city, around 1 to 1.5 hours by road. You can go by private car, tourist bus or ride-hailing.","sources":["https://www.indonesia.travel/hk-en/destination/java/central-java/borobudur-trail-of-civilization"]}],"sources":["https://setneg.go.id/baca/index/inilah_skb_3_menteri_libur_nasional_dan_cuti_bersama_2027","https://www.metrotvnews.com/read/b2lC6j1G-detik-detik-waisak-2570-be-2026-berlangsung-khidmat-di-borobudur","https://injourneydestination.id/en/2026/05/31/Thousands-of-local-residents-welcomed-the-Waisak-procession-at-Mendut-Temple--Borobudur-Temple/","https://news.detik.com/berita/d-8447585/info-tiket-lampion-waisak-borobudur-2026-simak-juga-ketentuannya","https://www.metrotvnews.com/read/bzGCeaZB-penjualan-tiket-lampion-waisak-borobudur-2026-dibuka-harga-mulai-rp65-ribu","https://www.indonesia.travel/hk-en/destination/java/central-java/borobudur-trail-of-civilization","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesak"],"key_takeaways":[{"text":"Vesak 2027 falls on a Thursday, and the day before is collective leave in Indonesia, so domestic travellers start moving on the Wednesday.","date":"2027-05-20","scope":"festival","source_url":"https://setneg.go.id/baca/index/inilah_skb_3_menteri_libur_nasional_dan_cuti_bersama_2027","source_label":"setneg.go.id"},{"text":"The lantern release is ticketed. In 2026 both the organiser, MBMI, and the site operator, InJourney, sold tickets on their own websites, with a minimum age of 7.","date":"2027-05-20","scope":"festival","source_url":"https://news.detik.com/berita/d-8447585/info-tiket-lampion-waisak-borobudur-2026-simak-juga-ketentuannya","source_label":"detik.com"},{"text":"Borobudur is about 40 km from Yogyakarta, 1 to 1.5 hours by road. The late lantern session runs well into the night, so book your ride back in advance.","date":"2027-05-20","scope":"festival","source_url":"https://www.indonesia.travel/hk-en/destination/java/central-java/borobudur-trail-of-civilization","source_label":"indonesia.travel"}],"reading_outline":[{"id":"executive-summary","label":"Summary"},{"id":"city-routes","label":"Places and routes"},{"id":"rules","label":"Before you go"},{"id":"faq","label":"FAQ"},{"id":"sources","label":"Sources"}],"topic":{"chain":["trips","indonesia-festivals","waisak-borobudur"]},"status":"published","hero_image":{"src":"/hero/waisak-borobudur.webp","alt":"Ink-wash illustration of Borobudur as a distant silhouette at night with a few paper lanterns drifting up above it, Vesak at Borobudur, Central Java, Indonesia — VoucherData editorial illustration"},"editorial":{"tagline":"Three kilometres from Mendut to Borobudur","paragraphs":["The Vesak procession leaves Mendut temple and walks roughly 3 km along the road to Borobudur, ending at Kenari Field in the temple's Zone 1. In 2026 it set off at about 10 a.m. on 31 May. Vehicles near the front carried the eternal flame from Mrapen and holy water from the Umbul Jumprit spring. Behind them came Buddha relics, a palanquin bearing the Tripitaka and a group carrying farm produce.","Vesak marks the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing, and its date follows the full moon. In 2026 the moment of Vesak fell at 3:44:44 p.m. Worshippers meditated in the Borobudur courtyard, led by a senior monk, then walked clockwise around the temple three times (pradaksina).","The lanterns come after dark. In 2026 the release organised by the Buddhist council MBMI ran in two sessions, 17:30–19:30 and 21:30–23:00. Each lantern is held up by a group of at least four and let go together into the sky over Borobudur."]},"guide":{"lede":"Lantern tickets must be bought in advance and the minimum age is 7. The second session ends at 23:00 and the drive back to Yogyakarta takes 1 to 1.5 hours, so arrange your ride before you go.","sections":[{"heading":"Date: 20 May 2027","body":"The day is a **Thursday** and a national holiday under the Indonesian government's SKB 3 Menteri decree, with **the day before as collective leave**. The 2026 edition took place on 31 May.\n\nThe date follows the full moon, so it changes every year."},{"heading":"Getting there: about 40 km from Yogyakarta","body":"Borobudur is in Magelang, Central Java, about 40 km from **Yogyakarta** city and 1 to 1.5 hours by road. Private car, tourist bus and ride-hailing all work. The procession leaves Mendut temple at around 10 a.m., so leave Yogyakarta early if you want to see it set off."},{"heading":"Where to buy lantern tickets","body":"In 2026 there were two ticket channels.\n\n**The organiser, MBMI**: go to mbmi.or.id, choose \"Donasi Tiket\", fill in the form and pick a session and ticket type. Payment confirmation and the e-ticket arrive by email. On the day, between 09:00 and 19:00, bring the barcode and original ID to the Kampung Seni Borobudur gate or to the front of Lapangan Aksobia opposite Hotel Manohara to collect a physical ticket. Each order is capped at 10 tickets, one per person.\n\n**The site operator, InJourney Destination Management**: tickets were sold at ticket.injourneydestination.id from 18 April 2026, including grandstand seats and a viewing-only park ticket.\n\nThe 2027 sale dates are subject to announcements from both."},{"heading":"How the day runs","body":"The day runs from morning to night: the procession at 10 a.m., meditation at the moment of Vesak in the afternoon, and a second lantern session that ends at 23:00. Add 1 to 1.5 hours back to Yogyakarta and most people reach their hotel after midnight. The lantern release has a minimum age of 7, so it doesn't work for young children."},{"heading":"Etiquette during the ceremonies","body":"The procession, meditation and walk around the temple are religious rites. Don't block the procession or the monks' path, don't talk during meditation and don't use flash. MBMI recommends that lantern participants wear white."}]},"kind":"festival","available_locales":["zh-TW","en","th","id"],"event_start_date":"2026-05-31","event_end_date":"2026-05-31","dates_estimated":false,"next_edition":{"start_date":"2027-05-20","end_date":"2027-05-20","estimated":false,"source":"https://setneg.go.id/baca/index/inilah_skb_3_menteri_libur_nasional_dan_cuti_bersama_2027"},"offers":[{"id":"borobudur-prambanan","title":{"zh-TW":"婆羅浮屠（含登塔）＋普蘭巴南一日遊（日惹出發）","en":"Borobudur (with temple climb) & Prambanan day tour from Yogyakarta","th":"ทัวร์ 1 วัน บุโรพุทโธ (ขึ้นสถูป) และปรัมบานัน จากยอกยาการ์ตา","id":"Tur sehari Borobudur (naik candi) & Prambanan dari Yogyakarta"},"merchant":"klook","utility":"experience","landing_url":"https://www.voucherdata.asia/go/waisak-borobudur?o=borobudur-prambanan&locale=en&src=data","checked_at":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"borobudur-merapi","title":{"zh-TW":"婆羅浮屠日出登塔＋普蘭巴南一日遊（日惹出發）","en":"Borobudur sunrise climb & Prambanan day tour from Yogyakarta","th":"ทัวร์ 1 วัน ขึ้นบุโรพุทโธชมพระอาทิตย์ขึ้น และปรัมบานัน จากยอกยาการ์ตา","id":"Tur sehari naik Borobudur saat matahari terbit & Prambanan dari Yogyakarta"},"merchant":"klook","utility":"experience","landing_url":"https://www.voucherdata.asia/go/waisak-borobudur?o=borobudur-merapi&locale=en&src=data","checked_at":"2026-10-13"}]}