Kudus is a city in northeast Central Java in Indonesia.

Understand

The Kudus mosque

Kudus has two main claims to fame. The first is as the cradle of Islam in Java. It was in the then port towns of Kudus and Demak to the west, that the nine religious leaders arrived, who introduced Islam to Java. They are now referred to as the Wali Songo, and are revered as saints.

The second claim to fame is as Indonesia's capital of the clove cigarette, kretek. The town is home to one of the biggest brands, Djarum, employing 75,000 workers.

Get in

The nearest airport and railway station are in Semarang, 1-2 hours to the west.

A Semarang taxi should be willing to take you to Kudus if picking you up either at the airport or railway station in Semarang.

If travelling in by bus from the west, the buses depart from Terboyo bus station on the eastern side of Semarang.

Road travel from Surabaya to the east will be around six hours.

Get around

By ojek

Using ojek (motorcycle taxi) is more flexible to go to tourists or public objects.

By ride-hailing app

There are some online ride-hailing apps such as Gojek. You may choose to go by motorcycle or car.

See

• 1 Kudus Mosque (Masjid Menara Kudus), Jl Menara. Built by Sunan Kudus in 1549 AD/956 H. The architecture is an amalgam of Islamic and Hindu styles. 
• Old Town - also known as Kauman
• Kretek (clove-scented cigarette) factories
• 2 Kretek Museum, Jl Getas Pejaten No. 155. Presents the history of the cigarette industry in Kudus. Rp3,000. (updated May 2020)
• 3 Tomb of Sunan Kudus (Makam Sunan Kudus) (in the Masjid Menara Kudus complex). (updated May 2020)
• 4 Montel Waterfall (Air Terjun Montel), Japan (on the slopes of Mount Muria). A single waterfall with a height of about 50 m. The water flow is very clear and clean, out between the towering cliffs. Entry: Rp7,500. (updated Sep 2022)
• 5 Gerbang Kudus Kota Kretek, Jl. AKBP Agil Kusumadya No.160, Jati. Modern gate to the city, built to resemble a tobacco leaf and colorfully illuminated at night. A city landmark. (updated Sep 2022)

Joglo Pencu, a traditional house of Kudus

• 6 Joglo Pencu Kudus (In Kretek Museum Area). A building made of teak wood with a tile roof called atap pencu, decorated with simple carvings typical of Kudus Regency, a blend of styles from Javanese (Hindu), Persian (Islam), Chinese, and European (Dutch) cultures. (updated Sep 2022)

Do

Mountaineering

Hiking to Mount Muria peak (1,700 masl) via Rahtawu village.

Buy

Sugary jenang, a good pick-me-up during a long road trip

• Jenang — this palm sugar and coconut milk confection is the gift of choice for visitors wanting to take something back for family or friends. There are a plethora of small stalls clustered around the mosque, selling religious paraphernalia, but also jenang.
• Soto Kudus spices — if you wander in to the maze of streets to the side of, and behind the mosque, you may see signs offering the spices for Soto Kudus, for sale. You'll get a little twist of paper with enough ground spices for one dish. Sauté onion and garlic in a splash of oil, add the contents of the wrapper, and cook until smelling delicious. Add meat or vegetables of your choice, enough stock to cover, and simmer until done. That's probably how the recipe goes. Grease it up with some coconut milk if you have any. Remember, no beef please, but buffalo is OK if you have it.

Eat

The dish which bears the town's name is Soto Kudus, a soup served with rice. This is the local version of the generic dish that is found across the archipelago in a myriad of local varieties. In Kudus the meat tends to be chicken of buffalo. There seems to be a local presumption against eating beef from cows, perhaps in recognition of the town's pre-Islamic Hinduism. The spicing for the soup is heavier with the warm notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, reminiscent of the curries of south Asia.

• 1 Lentog Tanjung, Demangan, Kota Kudus. from 06:00. Serves lentog, a rice cake with sayur lodeh (veggies soup) and tofu. 
• 2 Opor Sunggingan, Jl Nitisemitro Kios 10-12, Ploso, ☏ +62 291 441125. from 06:30. Serves opor bakar, a specialty chicken dish from Kudus. It is eaten with a spoon made from banana leaves called suru. Rp8,000-15,000. 
• 3 Pindang Kudus Pak Sulichan, Kompleks Taman Bojana Simpang 7, ☏ +62 852 262 67777. 07:00-21:00. Nasi pindang is one of the local specialties, like most food in Kudus, it contains no bovine meat (which is considered sacred). It is rice with chicken or water buffalo served with godhong so/melinjo (gnetum leaves). 
• 4 Rumah Makan Kenari, Jln Sosrokartono 31a, Barongan, ☏ +62 291-439932. 10:00-21:00. A family restaurant. 
• 5 Sate Kerbau Pak Min Jastro, Pertokoan Agus Salim Blok C, Jl. Agus Salim, Getas Pejaten, Jati, ☏ +62 813 256 18904. A Kudus water buffalo satay. (updated Jul 2022)
• 6 Soto Kerbau Pak Di, Pasar Kliwon, Jl. Cempaka, Rendeng, ☏ +62 813 257 17938. 16:00-22:00. A type of Soto Kudus with water buffalo meat. Start from Rp14,000. (updated Jul 2022)
• 7 Super Penyet, Jl. Kyai H. Agus Salim No.222, Getas, ☏ +62 291 2913699. 09:30-21:30. Serves ayam penyet and sambal. 

Drink

Try local wedang (hot drink).

• Wedang pejuh, is made from pomelo, ginger, lemongrass, and also sweetened condensed milk.

Sleep

• 1 @HOM Kudus, Jl. Tanjung No 14-16, ☏ +62 291 4258999, reservation@hotelhomkudus.com. Built in 2013. (updated May 2020)

Connect

The telephone area code of Kudus is 0291.

Go next

• East
  • Pati
  • Rembang
  • Surabaya
• North
  • The mountain village of Colo lies on the slopes of Mount Muria around 45 minutes drive north of Kudus. Garden restaurant Waroeng Keboen Iboe is a pleasant escape from the heat of the lowland plains.
  • Jepara
• South
  • Grobogan
• West
  • Demak, once the center of Demak Sultanate.
  • Semarang, capital of Central Java.

Routes through Kudus

Anyer ← Demak ←

W  E

→ Pati → Panarukan