Mt Bromo: Everything You Need to Know + Avoid the Crowds

Mt. Bromo is an active volcano in East Java, famous for jaw-dropping views during sunrise. It's also a sacred spot for the local Hindu community who hold festivals and ceremonies right on its slopes. There’s even a Hindu temple right at the foot hills of the mountain.

Visiting Mt Bromo is basically taking a jeep ride across volcanic landscapes, and watching the sunrise from a mountain range across from Mt Bromo. Not much walking is involved, other than a short flight of steps up to the volcano crater rim. 

Bromo is getting incredibly crowded, but we still think it's worth visiting (try to avoid weekends though!).

It's easily one of the most stunning volcanoes in Indonesia and it's also one of the easiest to explore. The hike to the crater is manageable for most, and standing at the rim of an active volcano, feeling the ground tremble and watching smoke rise, is a rare and unforgettable experience.

Because of its accessibility, it's great for anyone who is mobile and can climb 20 minutes of steps. Although most of the experiences start early in the morning, there are a few that can accommodate sunset visits, which may be better suited for families with kids.

It's also a must for nature and landscape photographers. The light at sunrise over the Bromo volcano complex is unparalleled.

Start your journey by flying into Surabaya if you're coming from abroad, or Malang for domestic flights. From either of these two cities you can book a tour which includes a car and driver to take you either directly to the sunrise point, or to Cemoro Lawang, a small village nearby to rest for the night before heading to the view point.

Another option is to take the train to Probolinggo (going from Banyuwangi, where Mt Ijen is or Surabaya) where a few companies offer car and driver services to take travellers to Mt Bromo. 

If you are not too rushed, go for two days staying in Cemoro Lawang overnight, stopping at additional points of interest along the way, and getting a night’s sleep so that you don’t have to wake up super early. But you can technically, see Mt Bromo in one day, departing in the middle of the night from Surabaya or Malang and getting back to the starting point by the afternoon. To make the most of your trip to East Java, we recommend to connect your trip with other nearby points of interest such as Tumpaksewu and Mt Ijen.

If you are looking for the best opportunity to catch a clear sunrise, you should aim to go during dry season which is May to October, otherwise you may only get to witness a sea of clouds and fog. However, it does tend to be crowded, especially during European summer holidays, July to August. Aiming for the shoulder seasons of April-May and September-October is a good bet to avoid the major crowds while still likely getting clear skies for sunrise.

Usually the first thing that all visitors do is see the sunrise from a view point across from Mt Bromo. From there, you will be able to see three volcanoes - Mt Batok, the most prominent one, Mt Bromo, in the middle, sometimes with a bit of smoke coming out and Mt Semeru the tallest one in the background. There are a few view points to choose from, but usually your guide will have his or hers favorite one, but you can try to negotiate. We include a list of the view points later in this article for your reference.

Mount Batok is the brother mountain to Mt Bromo and is very picturesque and green during rainy season. It is also the most prominent mountain during sunrise viewing. You will also pass by it when going from the parking lot to the crater rim. There are a few one of a kind tours that offer to climb Mt Batok for those travellers that are looking for a unique experience and a completely different view of Mt. Bromo.

You will typically go up to see the rim after seeing the sunrise. It's about 245 steps to the top before which there’s a bit of an incline. Overall the climb up and down can be done within about 1-1.5hours, but depends on fitness level. There is also an option to take a horse across the sea of sand, that way you only need to climb the stairs. The price of which starts at around IDR 200K. Since we are not really sure about the treatment of the animals, we do not sell or endorse this option.

Ash coloured volcanic sand surrounds Mt Bromo which many people drive through by Jeep and stop to take photos before heading to the crater rim. The wind can sometimes pick up the sand, which makes for epic photos, but it can be quite difficult to see and breath during such an occasion.

If you are looking for a quick trip, you can do it in one day. Your hired driver or guide will pick you up in Surabaya or Malang at around midnight and take you straight to the viewing point. You will be back at the starting point by early afternoon. 

This will mean leaving early on day one from Surabaya or Malang. It will give you an opportunity to stop at places along the way like the Madakaripura waterfall as well as to get a bit more rest in the town near by, since you won’t have to wake up as early to get to the view points for sunrise. 

You can also opt to add some other stops after you visit Mount Bromo. Lots of travellers like to add on a visit to Tumpaksewu Waterfalls which are another 3 hour drive away, but well worth the drive for the epic views. Many others will also go all the way to the eastern tip of Java Island to visit Mt Ijen to get a peek at the Blue Flames and travel inside the Ijen crater. 

In addition to Tumpak Sewu and Ijen, if you are making your way across east Java, you can consider stopping at Sukamade, a secluded and protected beach, where turtles come to lay their eggs. With the guidance of a park ranger, you can get fairly close to see this incredible sight. 

If you are looking for an extra challenge and a unique point of view of Mt Bromo, you should consider climbing Mount Batok, the neighboring mountain to Mt Bromo. It’s not a very long hike, but the trail is picturesque and you get a great, up close encounter with Mt Bromo. This climb also requires additional permits, thus making it a less frequented route.

Baluran National Park has a unique landscape in Java, an African like savannah where you can find mouse-deer, peacocks and buffaloes. It’s a great addition to appreciate the extremely varied Indonesian natural landscape. This National Park is located close to Mt Ijen, so only makes sense to visit if you are going all the way across east Java.

You can! You can start from Bali or Banyuwangi or even Yogyakarta. Although you will typically incur additional charges. If you are coming from Bali or Banyuwangi, you might as well combine your trip with Ijen and Tumpak Sewu Waterfalls. 

You can manage with a driver only, however we recommend getting a guide as well because the driver will not be accompanying you for the full duration of the trip. For example they will need to rest when you are going to switch to a jeep tour and you will be taken to the sunrise view by a local Jeep driver. With a guide you will be accompanied for the entire duration of the trip which makes for a much more informative trip. Driver level of English also tends to be quite a bit poorer than those of professional guides. 

There are many opinions on this, however after trying quite a few of them, we think that King Kong is the best as it has multiple viewing platforms so that visitors can split up and not crowd in one place. If you are going with a good guide, he can also take you from King Kong to Seruni viewing point via a quick 15-20 minute hiking path. This will give you a slightly different perspective and perhaps a better view depending on the weather. 

Here is the run down of all the view points:

Bukit Penanjakan I & II - the highest view points, not too far from each other, I being slightly further back then II. In our opinion little too far away to catch the best views.

King Kong Hill (has 3 gathering areas) - good because visitors can distribute around the various areas; very easy to get to and lots of shops near by including toilets (during the morning, closed in the afternoon)

Seruni - closets, but quite a few trees in the way; connected to King Kong Hill, so a good option for people looking to maximise the number of views for photos (can be trekked between the two in about 20-30 minutes)

Lovehill - good view, but quite crowded; very easy to walk to from where the Jeep drops off.

We say it’s quite easy, relative to other mountains like Mt Batur in Bali. It requires a bit of an uphill climb from the base (around 15-20 minutes) followed by 245 steps to get to the rim. We find that most people will manage this quite fine.

Layers, layers and more layers! During the night and early morning at the top of the viewing points, the temperature drops quite a bit. Do make sure to bring some long sleeves and trousers. Also bring a rain jacket because you never know in South East Asia! A head lamp is definitely helpful during night trekking. Some water and snacks are also a good idea if you get peckish easily as it might be some time between meals. It’s not a super serious hike, most likely you don’t need proper hiking shoes. Some trainers are likely to suffice. But if you like your ankles safe, you can bring something with ankle support. Hat, sunscreen and all the usual tropical weather gear is a good idea.

Mt Bromo is located within the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. Park entrance fees for foreigners ranges from IDR 220-330K, based on the day of the week.

We recommend going during shoulder season which is March-May and September-October. Of course you can try to go during rainy season November-March, however you are risking not seeing the best of the views. You can also try to go during sunset, which will offer you the an alternative view. Although it might not be as impressive as sunrise, but you will definitely avoid the crowds. Finally make sure to avoid weekends and the Eid (locally known as Raya) Holidays, when it's super popular for locals to go.

Although you may find that some travellers are flying drones, technically the park authority does not allow drone flying at the sunrise view points or the crater rim. As there are a lot of people and some areas are actually quite hazardous to not be paying attention to your step, we highly recommend to not fly your drone here.