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Driving and Rest Patterns of Homecoming Travelers

The 2026 Lebaran homecoming (mudik) has once again mobilized millions of people simultaneously to their hometowns. The heavy flow of traffic makes taking a brief stop to unwind a primary necessity throughout the journey.

Jakpat conducted research to determine the trends of the 2026 Lebaran mudik via land routes from west to east. This report, involving 500 respondents, is presented to capture the movement trends and resting habits of the mudik travelers.

Traveler Journey Profiles: Modes and Destinations

Seven out of 10 respondents admitted to going on mudik by private car. Other land transportation used included buses (21%) and travel cars/shuttles (7%). Regarding the route, more than half admitted to completely passing through the Trans-Java Toll Road (56%). Meanwhile, 44% passed through a combination of toll and non-toll routes.

The duration of the mudik journey varied, with an average of 10 hours. As many as 27% of respondents traveled for 3-5 hours. One out of 4 travelers traveled for 9-12 hours. A total of 46% of respondents admitted to stopping 2-3 times during the 2026 Lebaran mudik journey, indicating a tendency to take breaks periodically.

Northern Central Java became the most frequent mudik destination with a share of 19%. Other top mudik destination regions were Central Java Solo Raya (18%) and DI Yogyakarta (14%).

Traveler Needs During Journey Stops

Various activities were carried out during the mudik journey. All respondents admitted to stopping by rest areas. Furthermore, the majority also stopped to buy food or drinks (78%) as well as to pray at places of worship (76%). In addition, there were also those who listened to music/radio (76%) and accessed social media (73%).

In general, travelers’ decisions in choosing a stopping place were highly dominated by the factors of basic facility availability and cleanliness aspects. Adequate toilets were the primary consideration (74%), followed by the presence of a mushola (prayer room) (72%) and the cleanliness of the facilities (65%).

This data aligns with Jakpat’s findings, where the majority of travelers utilized rest areas to fulfill their basic physical and vehicle needs during the journey. Sanitation and worship facilities were the most visited, with public toilets occupying the top position (81%), followed by musholas (76%). Other facilities that were also widely visited were gas stations and dining places (restaurants, cafes, etc.), with a percentage of 69% each.

“The majority of travelers nowadays travel for hours with their families using private vehicles. Because the journey takes quite a long time, stopover points play an increasingly important role in supporting comfort during the trip. This is reflected in the high expectations of travelers for facilities capable of fulfilling essential needs, both physically and spiritually, such as clean toilets, comfortable rest areas, as well as adequate places of worship,” said Jakpat Lead Researcher, Farida Hasna.