Palu: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Palu is a city of 389,959 people in Indonesia (Central Sulawesi), 9 m (30 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Mutiara - SIS Al-Jufrie Airport (PLW), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 51 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Palu runs from about 12 h 6 min a day in late June to 12 h 13 min in late December (computed for -0.91° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Palu is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Mutiara - SIS Al-Jufrie Airport (PLW), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 6,781 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to Palu: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Palu · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 51 places to stay in Palu. Of the 47 with a star rating, the largest group is 2-star (23). Guests have left 268 reviews in total.
Hotels in Palu: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Samarinda, 307 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Balikpapan, 341 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Toli-Toli, 241 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Loa Janan, 311 km — buses · car rental
- Gorontalo, 390 km — buses · car rental
- Bontang, 289 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Palopo, 235 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Parepare, 346 km — buses · car rental
- Nusantara, 352 km — buses · car rental
Common questions
Which airport serves Palu?
Mutiara - SIS Al-Jufrie Airport (PLW), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre.
How big is Palu?
About 389,959 people live in Palu (GeoNames).
What time zone is Palu in?
Asia/Makassar, currently UTC+8.
What currency is used in Palu?
The Rupiah (IDR). Traffic drives on the left.
How many hotels are there in Palu?
Our booking partner lists 51 places to stay in Palu, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Palu?
Samarinda (307 km), Balikpapan (341 km), Toli-Toli (241 km), Loa Janan (311 km), Gorontalo (390 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.