Istana Bogor is one of 6 Presidential Palaces in Indonesia. The palace is noted for its distinctive architectural, historical, features, as well as the adjoining botanical gardens. Istana Bogor was opened to the public in 1968 to public tour groups (not individuals), with the permission of the then President of Indonesia, Suharto. The number of visitors annually is approximately 10,000 people.

The gardens of the palace have an area of 284,000 square metres (28.4 hectares).

The original colonial building on the site of Istana Bogor was a mansion named Buitenzorg (also Sans Souci), which was built from August 1744 as a country retreat for the Dutch Governors, including also during the period of British administration. Notable occupants of the mansion include Herman Willem Daendels and Sir Stamford Raffles.

This building was substantially damaged by an earthquake in 1834, triggered by the volcanic eruption of Mount Salak. The palace was rebuilt into its present form in 1856— this time with only one storey instead of the original three, as a precaution against further earthquakes.

Bogor (Indonesian: Kota Bogor and formerly Buitenzorg) is a city on the island of Java in the West Java province of Indonesia. The city is located in the center of the Bogor Regency (Indonesian: Kabupaten Bogor), 60 kilometers south of the Indonesian capital Jakarta. Bogor itself is a recognized as a municipality (cat); it is an important economic, scientific, cultural and tourist center, as well as a mountain resort.

In the Middle Ages, the city was the capital of Sunda Kingdom (Indonesian: Kerajaan Sunda) and was called Pakuan Pajajaran. During the Dutch colonial era, it was named Buitenzorg and served as the summer residence of the Governor-General of Dutch East Indies. The city was the administrative center of the Netherlands East Indies during the brief British control in the early 19th century.

With several hundred thousand people living on an area of about 20 km², the central part of Bogor is one of the world's most densely populated areas. The city has a presidential palace and a botanical garden (Indonesian: Kebun Raya Bogor) – one of the oldest and largest in the world. It bears the nickname "the Rain City" (Kota Hujan), because of frequent rain showers. It nearly always rains even during the dry season.