Semarang is the major hub city of Central Java. From Semarang you can go to Dieng Plateau to a small town named Wonosobo for a one day sightseeing ancient hindu temples/candi in a former ancient city which lies in the misty plateau.
Alternatively, within one and a half hours you can go to Borobudur temple in Muntilan and then to Prambanan temple in Klaten and buy some antiques and batik in Yogyakarta. It takes less than 2 hours to drive from Semarang to Yogyakarta. Solo is also only a one and half hour drive from Semarang.
You can also go further southward to some small towns like Ungaran, Salatiga, Ambarawa, Kopeng and Bandungan. It will take at least a one day tour but is really worth it. You will see beautiful scenery on the way between Semarang, Salatiga and the adjacent cities like Solo and Yogyakarta. You can reach Solo sometimes called Surakarta or Yogyakarta in less than 2 hours.
Karimunjawa - A marine national park in the small islands north of Semarang.
Kudus - the centre of Indonesia's cigarettes industry, where some prominent manufacturers are located, of which 'Djarum' is the most famous.
