Balikpapan Airport (BPN)
Balikpapan Airport (BPN)
East Kalimantan
Easy
5 Days & 4 Nights
ATB 102
Mahakam River Tour offers an unforgettable journey into the heart of East Kalimantan, exploring the mighty Mahakam River, its unique wildlife, traditional Dayak culture, and remote riverside villages in Borneo.
This immersive river cruise reveals how the Mahakam River connects remote communities, traditional longhouses, rainforest landscapes, and diverse wildlife. Travelers can experience the vibrant culture of the Dayak people through welcoming ceremonies, local handicrafts, traditional architecture, and everyday village life.
Along the river, the scenery unfolds through winding waterways, lush forests, and peaceful riverside settlements. Wildlife enthusiasts may have opportunities to spot proboscis monkeys, macaques, kingfishers, and other fascinating species in their natural habitats.
More than a river cruise, the Mahakam River Tour offers an authentic Borneo adventure where nature, culture, wildlife, and local traditions come together to create a memorable travel experience.
A Mahakam River Tour is an excellent way to discover the authentic side of Indonesian Borneo. From exploring traditional Dayak villages to observing river wildlife and experiencing local customs, this journey offers a deeper connection with the natural and cultural heritage of East Kalimantan. Each Mahakam River Tour provides opportunities to appreciate the river landscapes and the communities that depend on them.
River • Wildlife • Culture • Adventure
3 nights on a houseboat + 1 night at a Long Bagun guesthouse (twin-sharing / double room)
Tours and transfers as mentioned, by private vehicle, houseboat, and speedboat.
Entrance fees for all listed visits are included.
The cook will prepare all meals.
Experienced English - speaking guide. (for other languages supplements apply)
Meals other than those mentioned
Services other than those mentioned
International & domestic flights
Travel insurance
Telephone calls, Laundry services & Personal expenses
Alcoholic beverages & soft drinks.
Upon arrival at A.M. Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport in Balikpapan, meet your local guide and travel by vehicle to Loa Janan, where your Mahakam River journey begins. Board your traditional houseboat and settle in as you begin cruising upstream. Enjoy lunch on board, relax on deck, and watch the landscapes of East Kalimantan unfold around you. As the river carries you toward Muara Muntai, settle into the timeless rhythm of life along the Mahakam.
The boat is equipped with mattresses, pillows and toilet.
.Meals, coffee, tea, and mineral water are prepared on board.
Arrive in Muara Muntai in the morning and step ashore to explore this charming riverside village, where traditional wooden houses line the waterways. Continue by motor canoe across Lake Jempang toward Mancong, passing riverside communities and glimpsing the everyday rhythm of life along the waterways.
Enter Ohong Creek, where rainforest surrounds the winding waterway and wildlife may appear along the riverbanks. Look out for proboscis monkeys, macaques, kingfishers, egrets, and other birdlife. In Mancong, experience a traditional Dayak Benuaq welcome ceremony at the longhouse and discover the cultural traditions of this riverside community.
In the late afternoon, continue by motor canoe to Tanjung Isuy for a glimpse of village life before returning to the houseboat. As the boat continues upstream toward Melak, settle back and enjoy the changing scenery of the Mahakam River.
Breakfast & dinner are served on board
Packed lunch is served en route.
After breakfast, drive from Melak to Eheng Village, home to the Dayak Tunjung people and their traditional communal longhouse.
Continue to Kersik Luway to explore its forest landscape and look for the rare black orchid, which blooms seasonally when conditions are right.
Return to Tering and board a speedboat for the journey upstream toward Data Bilang. As the Mahakam River becomes narrower, the surrounding landscape becomes increasingly remote and dramatic.
Arrive in Data Bilang and enjoy lunch at a floating restaurant. After lunch, visit the traditional rumah adat and explore the village while learning about the local Dayak culture and traditions.
You may also meet Dayak women who maintain the traditional practice of ear elongation, an important cultural heritage of the community.
Continue upstream toward Long Bagun, passing the impressive Batu Dinding, a striking rock formation along the Mahakam River.
Arrive in Long Bagun and check in at the guest house.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner are served on board
After breakfast, board the speedboat and begin the downstream journey toward Rukun Damai Village. As you travel with the current, enjoy the changing scenery of the upper Mahakam and the rhythm of life along its remote riverbanks.
Stop in Rukun Damai, a beautiful and peaceful riverside village nestled along the Mahakam River. Take time to explore its quiet surroundings and experience the simple rhythm of life beside the river, far from the bustle of the outside world.
Continue downstream to Data Bilang, where you can stop for lunch at the Data Bilang Floating Restaurant, enjoying a meal above the river and taking in the surrounding scenery.
After lunch, continue by speedboat downstream to Tering. From Tering, travel by vehicle to Melak, where you board the houseboat once again and continue your journey downstream.
Settle in on board and enjoy the final stretch of the Mahakam River, watching the landscape gradually change as the river widens on its way downstream.
Breakfast at guest house
Lunch at Data Bilang floating restaurant
Dinner on board
Enjoy breakfast on board before arriving in Tenggarong, the former seat of the Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate. Step ashore to explore the town’s royal heritage, visiting the historic mosque, the royal family’s graves, and the former palace. Discover a collection of royal heirlooms, ceramics, and traditional Dayak art and cultural artifacts that reflect the rich history of East Kalimantan.
Return to the houseboat and continue cruising downstream toward Loa Janan, enjoying the final stretch of your Mahakam journey. As the river widens and the landscapes gradually change, take in the last views of life along the Mahakam River.
Upon arrival in Samarinda, disembark and transfer by vehicle to Balikpapan for your onward flight.
End of the Mahakam River Odyssey
Breakfast and lunch are served on board
Upper Mahakam Expedition
Travel deep into the upper Mahakam, where the river becomes narrower and the landscape increasingly remote.
Data Bilang & Remote Villages
Experience remote riverside communities and traditional Dayak life far from the main tourist routes.
Dayak Cultural Heritage
Visit rumah adat, meet local communities, and encounter traditional cultural practices.
Long Bagun
Journey into Long Bagun, a gateway to the remote upper Mahakam and surrounding wilderness.
Rukun Damai Riverside Village
Discover the peaceful riverside village of Rukun Damai, surrounded by the quiet landscapes of the upper Mahakam.
Batu Dinding
Pass the dramatic Batu Dinding rock formation along the upper Mahakam River.
Mahakam River Odyssey
Experience the Mahakam beyond the usual river cruise, combining remote landscapes, Dayak culture, wildlife, and an extended journey into the heart of Borneo.