Samarinda: 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.
Samarinda is a city of 865,306 people in Indonesia (East Kalimantan), 24 m (79 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport (BPN), 91 km (57 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 75 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Samarinda runs from about 12 h 8 min a day in late June to 12 h 11 min in late December (computed for -0.49° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Samarinda is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport (BPN), 91 km (57 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,202 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Aji Pangeran Tumenggung Pranoto International Airport (AAP, 17 km).
Flights to Samarinda: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Samarinda · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 75 places to stay in Samarinda. Of the 69 with a star rating, the largest group is 2-star (41). Guests have left 630 reviews in total.
Hotels in Samarinda: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Balikpapan, 93 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Palu, 307 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Loa Janan, 12 km
- Bontang, 79 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Nusantara, 72 km — buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Semarang, Makassar.
Common questions
Which airport serves Samarinda?
Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport (BPN), 91 km (57 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Samarinda?
About 865,306 people live in Samarinda, across 783 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Samarinda in?
Asia/Makassar, currently UTC+8.
What currency is used in Samarinda?
The Rupiah (IDR). Traffic drives on the left.
How many hotels are there in Samarinda?
Our booking partner lists 75 places to stay in Samarinda, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Samarinda?
Balikpapan (93 km), Palu (307 km), Loa Janan (12 km), Bontang (79 km), Nusantara (72 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 13 September 2026. Hotel 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.