Getting from Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport to the city

Into Balikpapan

• Sepinggan is close to the city. A car takes 10 to 20 minutes.
• DAMRI runs two routes: airport to Balikpapan Kota and on to Terminal Batu Ampar, and airport to Klandasan and the Sudirman office area.
• The fare is 20,000 to 30,000 rupiah, with buses every 20 to 40 minutes, roughly 06:00 to 20:00.
• The official taxi rank uses a coupon system with fixed rates: 60,000 to 80,000 rupiah for a sedan, 80,000 to 120,000 for an MPV and 120,000 to 170,000 for a premium car.
• Grab is cheaper, 25,000 to 45,000 rupiah, from a designated ride hailing zone, and runs around the clock.
• Angkot minibuses are 5,000 to 10,000 rupiah but you have to walk out to the main road for them.

The bus to the new capital

• Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, is being built north of Balikpapan, and this airport is its nearest large one.
• DAMRI runs a service from the airport to KIPP IKN, the government core area, by way of Terminal Batu Ampar and the toll road.
• The fare is 43,000 rupiah, bought at the stop.
• It runs hourly between 08:00 and 17:00.
• The distance is 95 to 100 km and the published journey is four to five hours. That is far slower than the distance suggests, and it is the honest number to plan around.
• There is no service outside those hours, so an evening arrival means staying in Balikpapan.

Worth knowing

• The airport is often still called Sepinggan, which is the district it sits in, and both names appear on signs.
• Balikpapan is an oil town rather than a tourist one, and most arrivals are working. The transport is priced accordingly: cheap, frequent and unglamorous.