Things to do in Samarinda
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Samarinda
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best window, relatively driest, with the lowest flood risk and the best river and canopy bridge conditions.
Shoulder months, workable and less wet than the peak rainy season, but expect rain on some days.
Wettest months, peaking in December and January, when flooding most often disrupts roads, excursions and houseboat plans.
What's on
- Erau Around 29 September, dates vary by edition and some editions run in July
The Kutai festival in Tenggarong, with court ritual, Dayak ceremonies, the dragon ceremony and a mass water splashing finale.
- Pelas June, exact weekend set locally
Pampang's annual Dayak Kenyah harvest thanksgiving, the deepest cultural date in Samarinda's own calendar.
Best things to do in Samarinda
Masjid Baitul Muttaqien
Samarinda's grand riverfront mosque, with a 99 metre tower lift giving the best panorama of the city and the Mahakam.
Teras Samarinda
The city's living room, a riverfront promenade where Samarinda strolls, grazes and watches coal barges at sunset.
Taman Samarendah
The locals' free central park, best at dawn with the joggers or after dark when the fountain and tower light up.
Mahakam Lampion Garden
A night only lantern garden with a food court and kids rides, and the place Samarinda families go for an evening out.
Kampung Tenun Cagar Budaya Kalimantan Timur
Watch Sarung Samarinda woven on traditional looms in a working village, and buy the city's signature craft at source.
Komplek Citra Niaga Samarinda
The city's renovated souvenir complex for Dayak pattern goods, beadwork, carvings and Samarinda sarongs in one stop.
Museum Mulawarman
The Kutai Sultanate's former palace in Tenggarong, the one museum where the Mahakam's pre coal history becomes tangible.
Rumah Ulin Arya
A big green family park with a mini zoo, gardens, pool and outbound area, and Samarinda's best supported day out with kids.
Where to stay in Samarinda
Samarinda Kota riverfront centre
first trip, all round base
The riverfront, Citra Niaga, Pasar Pagi and most restaurants are close, on the higher established bank of the Mahakam.
Sungai Kunjang and Big Mall side
modern comfort and day trips west
Newer buildings with a mall under the same roof, big river views, and the quickest road access to Tenggarong and Balikpapan.
Samarinda Ulu
longer stays and value
Calmer residential streets and the city's best cheap eats geography, a short ride from everything rather than beside it.
Think twice about
- Samarinda Seberang
Low lying and flood exposed along the Mahakam, almost no visitor standard hotels, and dead after dark. Visit the weaving lanes by day, sleep in the centre.
- Loa Janan Ilir
Repeatedly named in official flood reporting, including road flooding of 30 to 50 cm in 2021, and strung along the highway away from everything a visitor needs.
- Bengkuring and low lying North Samarinda
Residential pockets that recur in the flood record, including a January 2025 inundation of about 820 houses with water up to 150 cm. Base on higher central ground instead.
Best restaurants in Samarinda
Rumah Makan Pondok Borneo
Samarinda's celebration table, famous for smoked crab feasts with salted egg prawns and grilled river fish to share.
Coto Makassar Marannu
The smartest room in town for coto Makassar, generous beef and offal in a peanut rich broth with a condiment bar.
Teras Roemah Samarinda
An evening terrace cafe above the city with hill views, live music and good cafe food at local mid range prices.
RM. Amado - Soto Banjar
One of the city's reference Soto Banjar houses, fragrant spiced chicken broth with ketupat and chicken satay in the centre.
Ayam Goreng Banjar
Banjar style fried chicken fried to a deep crunch, served fast with sambal goreng hati and a coconut milk vegetable soup.
Warung Banjar Sari
A lunch only prasmanan spread of Banjar dishes, with grilled patin and pepes patin that locals rate the best in town.
Soto Banjar Nyaman Banar
The homegrown Soto Banjar chain's clean modern room, the easiest first bowl in the city for groups and newcomers.
Tepian Mahakam
Graze the riverfront food stalls at night for grilled corn, skewers and bakso with the bridge lights and half the city.
Outdoor things to do in Samarinda
Kapal Wisata Mahakam
The shared sunset boat on the city stretch of the Mahakam, the essential first evening orientation to river city Samarinda.
Mahakam River Houseboat Cruise
A multi day houseboat charter to stilt villages and the great lakes, with a chance of seeing endangered pesut dolphins.
Desa Budaya Pampang
A living Dayak Kenyah village whose Sunday dance performance in the lamin longhouse is Samarinda's most distinctive experience.
Bukit Bangkirai
A 64 metre canopy bridge slung 30 metres up between giant bangkirai trees in protected lowland rainforest.
Pulau Kumala
A river island park in Tenggarong for the sky tower view and open space, taken with clear eyes about its tired rides.
Air Terjun Tanah Merah
The neighbourhood waterfall and swimming holes where local families picnic, a modest escape graded honestly as such.
Mesra Mini Golf
Mini golf at Hotel Mesra, the honest in city answer on golf since Samarinda has no full size visitor course.
Best hotels in Samarinda
Mercure Samarinda
The centre's safest top end stay, a modern Accor high rise with a pool and the city's most reviewed hotel operation.
FUGO Hotel Samarinda
The highest rated hotel in the city on Indonesian platforms, a modern property attached directly to Big Mall.
Hotel Bumi Senyiur
The centre's grande dame stay with large rooms, a pool and spa, billed as Samarinda's first five star hotel.
ASTON Samarinda Hotel & Convention Center
The city's convention scale hotel near the river, a dependable four star alternative when the Mercure is full.
ibis Samarinda
The rational mid range booking, compact modern rooms in the Mercure complex at a clear step down in price.
HARRIS Hotel Samarinda
A bright mid range hotel on the west bank selling the best river and bridge view in town, good for families.
Swiss-Belhotel Borneo Samarinda
The veteran international brand address in the centre of everything, a good booking when priced below the Mercure.
Zoom Hotel Mulawarman
The budget pick that reviews like a mid ranger, a clean well run sleep in the best location in the city.
Is Samarinda expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | IDR 400,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | IDR 900,000 a person |
| Splurge | IDR 2,200,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Mahakam River Houseboat Cruise: weeks ahead
- Fix a Sunday in Samarinda for the Pampang performance before booking flights, because it runs on Sundays only.
- Book Mahakam houseboat charters weeks ahead, and months ahead for private charters in the drier season.
- Book top hotels days to weeks ahead for weekend nights, when conferences and weddings fill them.
Is Samarinda safe?
- Flooding can put streets under 30 to 50 cm of water within hours, so keep itinerary slack in the wettest months and never ride through floodwater.
- Wear the helmet offered on motorbike taxis and watch pockets and bags in Pasar Pagi and festival crowds.
- Carry mosquito repellent, because dengue is present and the city parks are famous for mosquitoes. Emergency number 112.
Samarinda travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Pulau Kumala is in disrepair, so go for the river and tower view, not for rides reported closed.
- Agree Pampang photo fees before the photograph, at about Rp25,000 per person in recent reports.
- Riverfront stall prices run above city prices for the same food, so graze small from busy stalls.
Getting around Samarinda: public transport and more
- Use Grab and Gojek ride hailing as the default for getting around the city.
- For Pampang and other excursions, hire a car with driver and agree the waiting in advance, because return rides are unreliable.
- Allow bridge time when crossing between Samarinda Kota and the Seberang or Sungai Kunjang sides, especially at rush hour.
Who Samarinda suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Samarinda your trip
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