Juanda International Airport

Juanda International Airport (SUB) serves Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city and the capital of East Java. Located 20 km south of the city center in Sidoarjo, it's the gateway to Mount Bromo, East Java's culture, and Indonesia's second economic hub.

The airport has two terminals: Terminal 1 (domestic and international) and Terminal 2 (domestic). Modern facilities handling growing traffic.

Key airlines: Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Citilink, AirAsia, Singapore Airlines, and various Asian carriers.

SUB is south of Surabaya:

• To Surabaya city center: 20 km, 30-50 minutes
• To Tunjungan Plaza area: 18 km, 30-45 minutes
• To Mount Bromo area: 100 km, 3-4 hours
• To Malang: 100 km, 2.5-3 hours

Grab and Gojek operate in Surabaya.

• To city center: IDR 80,000-120,000 (~$5-8 USD)
• To Tunjungan: IDR 70,000-100,000

Airport taxis (Blue Bird):

• Metered, reliable
• Slightly more expensive than apps

Damri Bus

Damri airport buses connect to Surabaya:

• Route: Airport → Purabaya Bus Station → City
• Journey time: 45-60 minutes
• Cost: IDR 30,000 (~$2)
• Limited schedules

Train

Train from Juanda station to Surabaya Gubeng station is available but requires transfer.

Type	Daily Rate	Notes
Covered	IDR 100,000/day	Terminal adjacent
Open	IDR 60,000/day	Short walk

SUB has good dining:

Terminals:

• Indonesian restaurants
• Javanese cuisine
• Fast food
• Cafés (J.CO, Starbucks)

Try: Rawon (black beef soup), Surabaya's specialty.

Network: SUB Airport WiFi

• Cost: Free
• Speed: Adequate
• Registration may be required

SIM cards from:

• Telkomsel, XL, Indosat shops
• Prices: IDR 50,000-100,000 (~$3-6) for prepaid with data

ATMs in both terminals.

Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). Approximately 15,800 IDR = 1 USD.

• Duty-free
• Indonesian products (batik, handicrafts)
• Coffee and snacks

Concordia Lounge

• Access: Priority Pass, business class, or purchase
• Amenities: Indonesian food, drinks, WiFi

Garuda Indonesia Lounge

• Access: Garuda Business, SkyTeam Elite Plus

Hotels in central Surabaya. For Bromo, consider staying in Malang or Probolinggo.

Surabaya is Indonesia's hero city—a gritty port with colonial heritage and gateway to East Java's spectacular volcanoes:

Surabaya attractions (with travel time from airport):

• House of Sampoerna: 40 min—clove cigarette factory, museum, café
• Surabaya Submarine Monument: 40 min—WWII Soviet submarine
• Arab Quarter (Ampel): 45 min—oldest mosque, Arabic character
• Tugu Pahlawan: 40 min—Heroes Monument, independence history
• Chinatown: 45 min—temples, food, traditional character

Mount Bromo (the main attraction for many):

• Sunrise at Bromo: 3-4 hour drive to viewpoint, then hike
• Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park: Active volcano, ethereal landscape
• Jeep tours: Standard way to experience the caldera
• Best from Cemoro Lawang or Probolinggo: Closer base towns

East Java beyond Bromo:

• Malang: 2.5 hours—pleasant colonial hill town
• Ijen Crater: 5-6 hours—blue fire, sulfur miners
• Trowulan: 1.5 hours—Majapahit Empire ruins
• Madura Island: 2 hours—bull races, unique culture

Food & drink:

• Rawon: Black beef soup with keluak nut—Surabaya's dish
• Rujak cingur: Mixed fruit and cow nose salad
• Soto Lamongan: Chicken soup with koya
• Lontong balap: Rice cake with tofu and beansprouts
• Es campur: Mixed ice dessert

Local tips:

• Bromo sunrise: Leave at 3 AM; book jeep tour in advance
• Hero city: Surabaya was center of independence resistance (1945)
• Hot climate: Surabaya is hot and humid year-round
• Ijen blue fire: Visible only at night; requires overnight trip
• Traffic: Surabaya traffic can be challenging
• Bromo dry season: April-October best; rainy season can obscure views
• Grab/Gojek: Essential for getting around
• Industrial city: Not traditionally touristy, but authentic Indonesia
• Surabaya is usually a gateway rather than destination itself
• The name means "shark and crocodile"—from a local legend