MOUNT BATUR Sunrise Trekking Experience + Things you need to know
Mount Batur is an active volcano located in the Bangli Regency of Bali, Indonesia. It is one of the highest peaks in Bali standing at 1,717 meters or 5,633 feet above sea level. Although classified as an active volcano, its last major eruption was in 2000 and it is still closely monitored for any signs of volcanic activity.
Mount Batur is popular for its sunrise trekking tours, with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, Lake Batur, and even Mount Agung on clear days which I experienced during this hike.
Mount Batur is one of the highlights of my recent trip to Bali, Indonesia.
I have done a few hikes before but this is my first active volcano hike. Sounds mindblowing if you ask me!
So for those who will visit Bali, I highly recommend adding this to your itinerary because it is amazing! I am very sure that you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Here are some of the important things you need to know before Mount Batur sunrise hiking.
Getting to Mount Batur
Mount Batur is just an hour or two drive away from anywhere in Bali. This is a sunrise hike so you get up at dawn if you need to arrive at the starting point.
I highly suggest getting a tour package because picking you up anywhere in Bali is already included.
We got our tour from KLOOK and they picked us up from/to our hotel for this tour package.
How Hard Is The Hike Up The Mount Batur Volcano In Bali?
I think it is important to know how difficult is the hike.
Mount Batur is 1,717 meters above sea level. It is quite tall.
A lot of people say that the hike is relatively easy. But I guess it depends on how active you really are. As for me, who doesn’t do any exercise, it was quite challenging.
At first, the hike was just more of walking, and then it got steeper and steeper as we ascended to the top. I guess it was also a bit challenging because of the fact that we were chasing the sunrise. We need to be on the top before sunrise to fully enjoy the view.
The hike is more than two hours (depending on how quickly you ascend).
In my experience, we took a few breaks which were very helpful for me to recover my swollen muscles that I do not use often. 🤣
What to wear during the hike?
I highly suggest that you should wear very comfortable clothes. Typically, clothes that you wear when you are working out or doing activities.
Wear comfortable leggings or shorts. I prefer leggings.
Bring a light jacket because there are cooler moments in the hike, probably at the beginning and at the summit. However, if you start trekking and getting your sweats you will feel a bit hot and you will probably remove the jacket. But still, having a jacket is good.
Good pair of trekking shoes. I couldn’t be happier I used a good one during the hike. There are some parts of the hike where the soil is a bit loose so having a good pair of trekking shoes really helps a lot.
What to bring during the hike?
Included in the tour package are a bottle of water and a flashlight.
Bring more water if you need it.
But if you have a headlight, you can bring it because that will be better because you can free up your hands.
I also suggest bringing some snacks with you, you will never know if you need more sugar during the hike.
Schedule
- 01:30-02:45 Hotel pick up (pick up time depends on pick up locations)
- 03:30 Short safety briefing
- 04:00 Mount Batur sunrise trek
- 07:00 Breakfast
- 10:00 Wash up
- 11:00 Hotel drop-off
My Mount Batur Sunrise Trekking Experience
Waking up at 2:00 am
My friend and I woke up very early because our pick-up schedule was 2:00 am. At this point, I wished I could have gone to bed earlier. It might have helped me have the rest I needed before this adventure started.
We got to the car, and there were two Vietnamese girls already inside.
After an hour’s drive, we arrived at a place where they gave us coffee or tea. When we got to the place, it was really cold which I already anticipated. Thank god for the tea, I felt warm and a bit more awake.
Then we were transferred to a different car that would bring us to the starting point. There were a lot of people already in the area when we arrived.
At the starting point, we had a short briefing about the hike and they gave us a bottle of water and a flashlight. Our group was composed of 4 girls plus our guide.
Start of the hike to Mount Batur
We started our trek around 4 am. At first, we were just walking on the road with no street lights. So the surroundings were dark. Eventually, we were walking on a path surrounded by vegetable crops.
With a flashlight in my hand, I kept on glancing at the area where we were walking. The stars were so bright that night as well which is a good sign of good weather. However, our guide didn’t assure us that we would have good weather when we reached the summit. I think he was just trying not to get our hopes up.
We continued our hike and slowly we were hiking towards the top. The first part of the trek was quite easy. I was wearing my light jacket at the start of the trail, but eventually, I felt warm and sweaty with all the walking.
Halfway to the top
I think 40 or 50 minutes after the trek I took off the jacket for a while but eventually put it back because I am more comfortable if I am wearing it. 😅
While climbing, we stopped by an altar and all the guides made their offerings and prayed. According to our guide, it was a good practice to give an offering and ask permission from the gods to ensure our safety as we hike to Mount Batur.
Please also know that there are a few people selling drinks and snacks along the way. So if you didn’t bring enough water or snacks you can buy them along the trail. But do know it will be quite pricy.
The trail started getting steeper and harder after the halfway point break. We took a few 5-minute breaks which were very necessary at this point. My legs were already swollen and stopping once in a while helped me a lot.
The nearer we were to the summit, the more it was like climbing stairs. It was more challenging as well because the soil was loose so we really needed to be careful with each step.
During this climb, there were a lot of people. Basically, we were just lining up one person to another as we went to the top of Mount Batur. It was hard to overtake a person because the trail was steep and narrow.
Our guide kept on saying we would reach the top in about 10 minutes, and it was a lot of 10 minutes. Hahaha. It was a funny trick that really worked.
At the Summit
Thankfully, we arrived at the top and all we needed to do was wait for the sunrise.
As part of the package, were given breakfast food consisting of boiled eggs, bananas, and bread.
Crater Rim
We went to the crater side of the mountain and saw a lot of steam holes.
Seeing the crater rim was amazing. It was also fascinating to see the white smoke coming out from the cliff.
Going down
We were really exhausted going up to Mount Batur, and we took the easiest way going down. Luckily, they have experienced motorcycle drivers who can take us back to the starting point.
I honestly feel like it was the best decision we made during that time.
Going down, the view and scenery were amazing.
We were back at our hotel at 10 am and all we did the whole afternoon was to catch some sleep and just try to gather back all our energy from the trek.
I already knew that after the climb I would be exhausted and so was I.
Nevertheless, I had so much fun doing this Mount Batur sunrise hike and I will surely do it again on my next visit.
Watch my Mount Batur Experience on the vlog!
Have you tried this before? How was your experience?
If you haven’t yet, would you want to try and hike here?
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post do contain affiliate links that I earn a small commission for, but they come at NO extra cost to you! Any purchases you make through my links help keep the site running (and help me feed to survive). Still and the same, as I’ve mentioned above, I only recommend brands that I personally use or believe in. Thanks in advance for your support!
My Travel Faves!
🌎 Safetywing: For travel insurance
✈️ Google Flights: For finding flight deals
🏨 Booking.com: For searching hotels
—
☀️ Klook: For tours and activities
📷 Canon G7X Mark II: My travel camera
🧳 Luggage: My favorite luggage
