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Where to go in Indonesia in the school holidays?
It depends which holidays: Australia's winter (late June to July) and spring (late September to early October) breaks, and the UK and US summer holidays, all fall in Indonesia's dry season, so almost the whole country is at its best; only Raja Ampat and Maluku are wet then. Australia's Easter break lands at the tail end of the rainy season, and the long summer break in its heart.
Holiday by holiday:
- Australian winter holidays (late June to July): perfect weather, but also Bali's busiest weeks, as they overlap with Indonesian school holidays (late June to mid-July). Head for Java (Borobudur, Bromo, Ijen), Flores and Komodo, southern Lombok or Sumatra (Lake Toba, Bukit Lawang) for fewer crowds.
- Australian spring holidays (late September to early October): arguably the best of the lot. Still dry, quieter than July and August, with Komodo's golden hills and calm Bali beaches; Raja Ampat's good season is just beginning.
- Easter and the autumn holidays (April): the end of the wet season, with green rice terraces, fewer people and lower prices; expect some showers. Mount Rinjani reopens around the start of April.
- UK and US summer holidays (July and August): dry season at its peak and the busiest time of year in Bali and the Gilis. Toraja in Sulawesi is in its funeral-ceremony season and Tanjung Puting, in Kalimantan, is ideal for a klotok (riverboat) trip. If you're there on 17 August, Independence Day brings parades, red-and-white flags and village games like panjat pinang, a greasy-pole climb.
- Australian summer holidays (December to January): the wettest months, with Bali packed and pricey over Christmas and New Year. It's the right time for Raja Ampat and Maluku, though. See whether the rainy season is worth it.
Whatever the break, school holidays mean trains, ferries and domestic flights sell out earlier, and rooms in Bali and the Gilis can cost far more than in May or September (see the budget guide).
Verdict: the late September to early October break is the best family window; in the July holidays, swap a few days of Bali for Java, Flores or Lombok to escape the crowds.
Tip: book accommodation and domestic flights three to six months ahead for any school holiday trip: the best family rooms in the Gilis or Labuan Bajo go first, and prices climb as the dates get closer.
Information checked in November 2026; confirm before you travel.