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Surabaya's creative pulse is felt in its streets — in the murals near Ampel Mosque and Arab Quarter and House of Sampoerna, in the galleries tucked into neighborhoods that most visitors pass without noticing. Walking is the only way to find them. Look for Chinatown (Kya Kya) — a creative corner that guidebooks consistently overlook.
Indonesia's second-largest city, a gritty port town with colonial-era architecture, vibrant Arab and Chinese quarters, and East Javanese street food.
Roamee Pro, also known as Roamee, offers a free self-guided music & arts tour route in Surabaya. The audio walking tour can include stops such as Ampel Mosque and Arab Quarter — a 15th-century mosque surrounded by narrow lanes of Arab traders' shops, House of Sampoerna — a Dutch colonial tobacco factory turned museum and art gallery, still producing clove cigarettes, plus hidden gems like Chinatown (Kya Kya) — a revitalized strip of Chinese shophouses, street food, and the ornate Hong Tik Hian temple and Kampung Lawang Seketeng — a preserved heritage neighborhood with traditional Javanese wooden houses.
Use this page as a starting point for a Surabaya walking tour, a free self-guided route, or the Roamee app for Surabaya. Roamee Pro keeps the route flexible so you can follow the stops, skip ahead, or explore nearby streets at your own pace.
Surabaya is known for history and food, but creativity is woven into every corner. Street art appears visible around Ampel Mosque and Arab Quarter and House of Sampoerna, music drifts from doorways in neighborhoods off the main tourist path. Lesser-known creative pockets like Chinatown (Kya Kya) reward those who walk slowly enough to notice.
Surabaya is hot and humid year-round. The old quarters are best explored on foot in the morning. The city is a gateway to Mount Bromo.
May through October for dry season. Visit early morning for the best street food at traditional markets.
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