Mount Batur Sunrise Trekking – Most Important Things To Know

Shaughan Schultz

December 8, 2019

Mount Batur is an active volcano, sitting 1,717m above sea level. It’s the most visited volcano in Bali. Witness a genuinely breath-taking scene as you stand on the summit at first light, watching sun rays burst out from behind Mount Agung. Adding to this beautiful scene is the low hanging mist stretching over a still Lake Batur situated just in front.

Where Is Mount Batur

The active volcano is north-west of Mount Agung, as shown on the map.

How To Get To Mount Batur

Your private driver or tour guide will pick you up and take you to the base or a central meeting point 20 minutes away.

From Seminyak, it’s a 1.5-hour drive, and you can expect to be picked up from your accommodation around 2 am. If you’re staying in Ubud pick up time is usually around 2:30 am.

Cost

Group tours and private tours come in at the same price between 600,000 and 800,000 IDR per person. Both options include pickup and drop off, a guide up the mountain, water, flashlights and simple breakfast at the summit. If you book a private tour with a local company like Mount Batur Sunrise Trekking you can go up the volcano at your own pace and be taken for lunch at a nearby restaurant afterwards.

We tried to hike without a guide or pre-organised tour and landed up paying the same price and being grouped with the masses anyway. We recommend Arranging everything in advance and have a tour guide pick you up from your accommodation.

Mount Batur Sunrise Trekking

What To Expect

If you book a group tour, you’ll arrive at the central meeting point, and be offered pancakes, coffee, and the option of hiring warmer clothes (but not necessary). After everyones is accounted for, you’ll head off in cars to the base of Mount Batur. From the bottom, it takes 1-2 hours to reach the summit just in time for the sunrise at around 6:00 am. You’re probably wondering why the big adventure starts around 2:30 am then?

When 1000 people are walking up a volcano’s single, rocky path (in the dark), it takes much longer to reach the top. Even though you’re sharing this experience with crowds, the view from the summit with the sun peering around Mount Agung will make you forget about everyone else. Before heading back down, explore the crater, mingling with happy hikers, sit with monkeys, and like most hobbits, enjoy second breakfast.

Other Things To Note:

Wear proper walking/trekking shoes and take a warm but thin long-sleeve top. The temperature is cold at first but as things warm up, so do you, and you don’t want to be left carrying a huge jacket.

For a different experience and If you’re more interested in photography, a more secluded volcanic sunrise might be your preference. You don’t need to join the masses and walk single file up a volcano. Away from all the crowds and a view arguably more spectacular is the view at the village of Pinggan. This more isolated village is one of the oldest communities in Bali and is a 1-hour drive from Ubud.

At this destination, a thick fog covers the centre in the early hours of the morning, adding an element of mysticism to this natural spectacle. As the mist forms a blanket around lake Batur and the shape of Mount Batur comes into being at sunrise, this quaint village looks spectacular at first light. For the most beautiful fog scenery, visit Pinggan village from September to November.

If you’re the adventurous type and want to explore more of Balis landscapes and seascapes check out our posts on The Best Waterfalls In Bali and Balis Hard To Reach, Secret Beaches, reserved for the fit explorers.

Mount Batur Sunrise Trekking
Mount Batur Sunrise Trekking
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