Mount Batur Hike: Conquer an Active Volcano
Mount Batur is one of the most popular hikes in Bali, and for great reason! It's a favorite among nature lovers and Instagram users looking for the next great photo, and it isn't overly strenuous. If you've got a moderate level of fitness and are wanting to experience one of the best views of your entire life, then a Mount Batur hike is for you! Most tour operators offer a sunrise tour of Mount Batur, leaving from the very early morning so that you can see the sun burst on the horizon just after you reach the summit.
- Reece Harrison-strati
- From England
Highlights
- Once-in-a-lifetime sunrise views from the summit as the sky changes from black to orange
- Experienced guides easily available for motivation
- Spectacular views of Mount Abang and Mount Agung in the distance, with the surrounding caldera lakes shimmering below
- See the starlit sky as you climb your way up the volcano
- Watch the mountain monkeys scrambling around the peak
- Enjoy an egg breakfast, boiled in Mount Batur's volcanic steam
Lowlights
- The summit can become quite crowded during high season (June to August), as the hike to Mount Batur is a very popular one
- It can be very cold at the top as you wait for the sun to rise, so be sure to bring some warm clothing, gloves, a hat, and anything else you need to wrap up warm
Mount Batur Hike Facts
| Trek difficulty: | Moderately difficult. Starts off easy but becomes slightly steeper and more slippery as you continue. Be sure to bring good boots or walking shoes. |
| Trek duration: | About 1–2 hours to reach the summit and another 1–2 hours to come back down. Allow for at least an additional hour to really enjoy the view from the top. |
| Remoteness: | Approximately an hour's drive from Ubud. The mountain is surrounded by two calderas, one of which is populated by a total of 15 villages including Kedisan, Songan, Trunyan and Toya Bungkah. |
| Starting and maximum altitudes: | 1,000 m above sea level at the base of the mountain, climbing to 1,717 m above sea level at the peak. |
| Best season: | April – September. This is considered to be Bali's dry season, so your hike to Mount Batur will be more enjoyable and the views more pleasant. You can also hike during wet season, however, as the rains tend not to start until the afternoon. Since Bali is so close to the equator, sunrise tours operate around the same time year-round. November to March are the wettest months, while June to August are the busiest. |
| Start / end locations: | Different tours take alternative routes, but generally starting and finishing in Toyabungkah village. If you’re not taking a tour, you can easily reach Mount Batur from Ubud by driving north for just over an hour (40.9km), passing Tegalalang on your way. You will see the volcanoes in the distance after just 30 minutes! |
| Permits required: | There is an entrance fee of about USD 2.25 per person required to be paid before entering the Kintamani Area, which is where Mount Batur is located. This fee includes a registered guide. Bear in mind that it is not a requirement by law that you hike Mount Batur with a guide. If you book in advance with a tour agency, they will usually register a permit for you. Otherwise, you will have to pay at the Gunung Batur car park. |
| Physical fitness: | This is a moderately difficult hike, so an average level of fitness is beneficial. The initial part of the Mount Batur hike is relatively easy, but the incline increases quickly and can be exhausting near the top so endurance is a must. Most guides will stop for breaks every 20 minutes or so, but you can skip these if you are very active (the guides do this every day so they don't mind!). |
| What to bring: | Layers of warm clothing and gloves (it can be cold before the sunrise), a torch/flashlight, comfortable shoes with good grip, and your camera of course! Also bring some breakfast if you’re not planning to buy at the peak. |
Mount Batur Hike Itinerary
If you want to hike Mount Batur at the very best time possible, you'll have to be prepared to wake up very, very early. Most tours will pick you up to begin your Mount Batur hike between 1:30 am and 2:30 am, depending on where your hotel is located. If you are based in Ubud, it will be about a one-hour drive to Toyabungkah village at the base of this mountain, where you can usually enjoy a hot drink before setting off on your hike.
To reach the summit of Mount Batur, you will climb an incline of just over 700 meters and it will take you anywhere from one to two hours , depending on your level of fitness. Tour guides will typically provide you with flashlights so that you can make your way through the trail in the dark, but bring your own if you can just in case.
At the top, you will wait for the sunrise. Slowly you will see flecks of orange, pink and yellow creep up around the horizon as you look out over to Mount Abang, cone-shaped Mount Agung, and the caldera lakes spread out on either side of Mount Batur. Take some time here to enjoy the view, snap as many photos as you can, and enjoy a breakfast. For a truly unique experience, try boiling an egg in the volcanic steam around you — your guide will likely have brought some along. Hot drinks and fried bananas are also available for sale at the top so you can warm up - keep your treats away from the monkeys that are sure to be hanging about.
There are three craters that you can visit on your trek back down Mount Batur and you will be sure to see some recent lava flows on the mountain's surface. It will take you another one to two hours to descend, eventually arriving back at Toyabungkha village.
Just because your Mount Batur hike has ended doesn't mean your experience has to finish there! Visit the nearby Batur Natural Hot Springs to soak your aching muscles and tired feet. As you swim around in the naturally heated and cool freshwater pools, you can take in the stunning views of the Danau Batur caldera lake before you.
If spas aren't your thing, other tours will instead bring you to a traditional Bali coffee plantation, where you can see how Coffee Luwak, the world's most expensive coffee, is made. You can also try some other Balinese coffees and herbal teas.
As you can see, anyone with even a moderate level of fitness will thoroughly enjoy hike to the top of Mount Batur. Though you may have to bundle up and wake up at the same time you would normally be going to sleep, the spectacular sunrise view waiting for you at the top makes it well worth it. We dare you to find a more rewarding hike in Bali than Mount Batur!
If you are interested in volcanoes spead across Indonesia, then check out these volcano tours in Indonesia.
For a country made up of 17,000 islands and sun-kissed climate all year-around, Indonesia is definitely one of the best tropical vacation spots in the world. Check out some of the best tours in Bali that we offer — from road trips to dolphin watching! If you are looking for more, find out the some of the top things to do in Bali.
