Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park has reopened on 1st April 2021. (After a 4 month closure due to Mt. Semeru's activity). Double check the status before traveling to the destination.
You still have to book your visit on-line at https://bookingsemeru.bromotenggersemeru.org/. Contact your accommodation, the staff will be able to help you out with that.
You still have to book your visit on-line at https://bookingsemeru.bromotenggersemeru.org/. Contact your accommodation, the staff will be able to help you out with that.
Mt. Bromo
Written in Nov 2020
You should definitely visit Mt. Bromo in Central Java while staying or traveling in Indonesia. It is such a unique trip to the very heart of nature!
Mt. Bromo reaches up to 2,329m. It is an active volcano, most visited in Indonesia and most famous for its magnificent sunrise.
Sometimes it is a little confusing since you are not only visiting Mt. Bromo itself but the whole area of Bromo Tengger Semeru National park.
Mount Bromo lies in the middle of a huge crater called the Savana or Sea of Sand. There are a total of five volcanoes inside the crater which is including Mt. Bromo, Mt. Batok, Mt. Kursi, Mt. Watangan, and Mt. Widodaren. All five reached up to more than 2000 m.
Since you are visiting the mountains, the weather is very unpredictable. Below you will see pictures from sunny days as same as from cloudy ones. When the sky is blue, then everything is awesome, but here, even the clouds and rain make the experience dramatic and unforgettable!
Mt. Bromo reaches up to 2,329m. It is an active volcano, most visited in Indonesia and most famous for its magnificent sunrise.
Sometimes it is a little confusing since you are not only visiting Mt. Bromo itself but the whole area of Bromo Tengger Semeru National park.
Mount Bromo lies in the middle of a huge crater called the Savana or Sea of Sand. There are a total of five volcanoes inside the crater which is including Mt. Bromo, Mt. Batok, Mt. Kursi, Mt. Watangan, and Mt. Widodaren. All five reached up to more than 2000 m.
Since you are visiting the mountains, the weather is very unpredictable. Below you will see pictures from sunny days as same as from cloudy ones. When the sky is blue, then everything is awesome, but here, even the clouds and rain make the experience dramatic and unforgettable!
On a typical tour to the area you will visit:
1. Viewpoints on Mt. Penanjakan to look back into the huge caldera and towards Bromo (the most famous view you know from all the photographs)
2. Black sand Savana and “river” and Hindu temple inside the crater
3. Mount Bromo - from Savana climb up the stairs to the rim
4. Teletubbies hills - drive further down from the Savana to reach the green picturesque hills
1. viewpoints
There are several options for watching the sunrise or not only sunrise but enjoying the epic views during any time of the day.
King Kong Hill - highest point on Penanjakan Hill, gets very crowded
Penanjakan Hill - one main viewpoint for absolutely amazing sunrise view, plus many other along the way up on the hill worth to try if you prefer to enjoy the view by yourself, not surrounded by crowds
Bukit Cinta/Love hill - climb up the steep stairs, the space is little bit too small, I would avoid for the sunrise as it can get full and you may have some bushes in the view, we went in the afternoon and we were alone and enjoyed it
Seruni point - outside of the National Park - nice way up, stairs before reaching the top, the viewpoint area is also nice and well prepared for tourists, views of the whole caldera are amazing from here and you might even bump to a professional photographer who takes romantic "wedding" pictures of you and your other half :) If you walk little bit further up, you will be on your own.
King Kong Hill - highest point on Penanjakan Hill, gets very crowded
Penanjakan Hill - one main viewpoint for absolutely amazing sunrise view, plus many other along the way up on the hill worth to try if you prefer to enjoy the view by yourself, not surrounded by crowds
Bukit Cinta/Love hill - climb up the steep stairs, the space is little bit too small, I would avoid for the sunrise as it can get full and you may have some bushes in the view, we went in the afternoon and we were alone and enjoyed it
Seruni point - outside of the National Park - nice way up, stairs before reaching the top, the viewpoint area is also nice and well prepared for tourists, views of the whole caldera are amazing from here and you might even bump to a professional photographer who takes romantic "wedding" pictures of you and your other half :) If you walk little bit further up, you will be on your own.
2. Exploring the savana
After enjoying the view of the caldera from the top, you will continue going down to the black sand Savana. The jeep will drop you off, and you can explore the huge area on foot. The views are as breathtaking from here as they were from the top points. The kids have so much fun running around, playing with the black sand, exploring the “river” formed by the lava and the statues on its edges. Just walk around, take beautiful pictures, the kids can ride the horses that are brought by the local people wearing colorful sarongs against the low temperatures. There are a few warungs at the parking place.
3. Climb up to MT. Bromo
After exploring the Savana, climb up to the rim of the crater of Mt. Bromo itself! The stairs are sandy, steep, and narrow. It takes about 20 min to climb up.
Be extremely cautious when up at the rim. The rim is only about 1m wide. You can even walk all around the crater, but the railing is only at the beginning, at your first few steps. Watching deep down into the smoky crater with the smell of sulphur can almost cause you vertigo. While it is so interesting, and you really feel like you have never been so close to a real volcano or to the earth itself, it can be scary! Sometimes a thick smoke is coming out, and you may even hear sounds of small eruptions.
I was honestly quite happy that the rim was closed during the time of Pandemic when we visited with kids :) But it really depends on how brave you are!
Be extremely cautious when up at the rim. The rim is only about 1m wide. You can even walk all around the crater, but the railing is only at the beginning, at your first few steps. Watching deep down into the smoky crater with the smell of sulphur can almost cause you vertigo. While it is so interesting, and you really feel like you have never been so close to a real volcano or to the earth itself, it can be scary! Sometimes a thick smoke is coming out, and you may even hear sounds of small eruptions.
I was honestly quite happy that the rim was closed during the time of Pandemic when we visited with kids :) But it really depends on how brave you are!
4. TELETUBBIES HILLS
After enjoying the black sand Savana, you can to drive another about 20 minutes to get to this surprisingly green area. It truly reminds you of the kid’s story after which it got its name! You can walk around and take some beautiful pictures. If you are already tired, feel like you have seen a lot and the weather is not on your side, skip it. You have already seen all the highlights!
Jeep Ride
Entering the National Park, you need to hire a jeep as the roads are not convenient for a regular car. Typically, the 4x4 jeep would pick you up in your hotel.
The jeep ride is either one of the highlights of your trip, or you would rather skip it :-)
I experienced both when visiting three years ago, there was a jeep traffic jam at 2 am in the morning leading to the Penanjakan hill for sunrise and I was exhausted by the pollution and tired by riding on bumpy roads.
The last time we visited with kids in the Pandemic time and we were the only jeep in the whole area, we had lots of fun (despite being separated by plastic curtains inside the vehicle) and my husband was even let to drive the jeep by himself for a while!
There is an interesting fact about the jeeps in the Bromo area as it the largest number of jeeps concentrated in one relatively small area apart from the USA, about 1500 cars, all from the 1970s or 80s.
The jeep ride is either one of the highlights of your trip, or you would rather skip it :-)
I experienced both when visiting three years ago, there was a jeep traffic jam at 2 am in the morning leading to the Penanjakan hill for sunrise and I was exhausted by the pollution and tired by riding on bumpy roads.
The last time we visited with kids in the Pandemic time and we were the only jeep in the whole area, we had lots of fun (despite being separated by plastic curtains inside the vehicle) and my husband was even let to drive the jeep by himself for a while!
There is an interesting fact about the jeeps in the Bromo area as it the largest number of jeeps concentrated in one relatively small area apart from the USA, about 1500 cars, all from the 1970s or 80s.
SUNRISE
You will be picked up at about 1-2 am from your hotel (depending on where you stay and depending on the time of the year, it usually gets busier in August ), or it can be 3 am at this time as the number of tourists decreased greatly.
The jeep will take you directly to the National Park to the viewpoints on Penanjakan hill to enjoy the breathtaking sunrise. You still need to walk to the top points, usually on a paved road or via easy stairs, along warungs which already serve hot tea, coffee or soup.
The views are spectacular. The sun is rising above the tops of all five mountains in the caldera sitting in the sea of sand with a panorama of Mt. Semeru (the highest volcano on Java) in the background. The clouds start slowly ascending, and the overall scenery nature creates is incredible.
Mind, that it can get extremely cold at the viewpoints at 5 am, and you might be surrounded by lots of people.
The situation is different in the current time, but still, you need to count the number of visitors going to see the spectacular show.
We and our friends with kids actually also visited the viewpoints at other time of the day (they left Jiwa Jawa hotel at 7am), and the view was still awesome, plus there were no other tourists. However, check the weather forecast, as it might get cloudy after 8am.
After the sunrise, you can still visit other viewpoints and then go down to the Savana where you can hike to the rim of the crater of Bromo.
The jeep will take you directly to the National Park to the viewpoints on Penanjakan hill to enjoy the breathtaking sunrise. You still need to walk to the top points, usually on a paved road or via easy stairs, along warungs which already serve hot tea, coffee or soup.
The views are spectacular. The sun is rising above the tops of all five mountains in the caldera sitting in the sea of sand with a panorama of Mt. Semeru (the highest volcano on Java) in the background. The clouds start slowly ascending, and the overall scenery nature creates is incredible.
Mind, that it can get extremely cold at the viewpoints at 5 am, and you might be surrounded by lots of people.
The situation is different in the current time, but still, you need to count the number of visitors going to see the spectacular show.
We and our friends with kids actually also visited the viewpoints at other time of the day (they left Jiwa Jawa hotel at 7am), and the view was still awesome, plus there were no other tourists. However, check the weather forecast, as it might get cloudy after 8am.
After the sunrise, you can still visit other viewpoints and then go down to the Savana where you can hike to the rim of the crater of Bromo.
Bromo on motorbikes
A tip for motorbike fans and adventurous dads!
Some of our husbands and friends flew to Malang, rented motorbikes there and then explored the whole area on two wheels. Led by a local guide, they had great fun and were able to discover hidden roads avoiding the crowds.
Recommended motorbike rental : www.sawojajaradventure.com
Tel.: 087859001844
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2hPyNwiqgiYr3vLJ9
Some of our husbands and friends flew to Malang, rented motorbikes there and then explored the whole area on two wheels. Led by a local guide, they had great fun and were able to discover hidden roads avoiding the crowds.
Recommended motorbike rental : www.sawojajaradventure.com
Tel.: 087859001844
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2hPyNwiqgiYr3vLJ9
Is it safe to visit Mt. Bromo?
It is safe to visit Mount Bromo, but depending on the level of activity, sometimes the Bureau of Meteorology issues warnings about visiting. Always double check when planning the trip.
www.bmkg.go.id/
Best time to visit:
The National Park is open all year-round. The best time to visit is definitely during the dry season, April to October. We had some rain at the end of October but the kids loved it and enjoyed the cool weather so much! They kept saying to everyone that it was snowing - it was actually just drizzling but the raindrops were huge :). Other time in April few years ago we also had clouds and it was raining black! We still enjoyed. My husband visited twice in March and August, and both times, he was lucky to experience sunny weather and a blue sky.
Temperature:
The temperature early in the morning can get as low as 5-10 degrees Celsius. If the weather is not especially pleasant, you might be cold even in the afternoon.
Bring layers of warm clothes and you can always remove them. Long pants and jackets and even a beanie could be useful while waiting for the sunrise. (In Indonesia you can get those surprisingly easily in any outlet store as many young Indonesians like to hike and they need to be ready for the cool weather in the mountains.) Always pack a raincoat.
Also, after the sunrise, it becomes quite hot again so do not forget to bring sunscreen and a hat.
How to get there:
By plane:
Fly to Malang, arrange a car to pick you up.
If you fly to Malang, you might want to consider to stay the night and visit the legendary hotel Tugu, have breakfast or lunch here, walk around the Malang square and visit the new attractions of Jodiapan and Kampung Tridi villages, famous for their street arts.
From Malang, the car will take you directly to the National Park. It will take you about 2,5hrs through beautiful landscapes where you can admire the farming on the steep hills.
This is a very nice smaller road to the Bromo area, which might not suit someone who feels sick in the car as it is quite a curvy road.
Fly to Surabaya, arrange the car in advance to wait for you and then continue by car directly to Probolingo and further to your hotel in Ceromo Lawang, which will take again about 2,5hrs.
By car:
Take the highway to Surabaya and then continue to Probolingo, the entrance town to the Bromo area.
The whole journey takes about 10hrs from Jakarta but you can split the trip in half, drive 5hrs to Semarang or Mesastilla resort in Central Java and then continue another 5hrs to Probolingo.
It is safe to visit Mount Bromo, but depending on the level of activity, sometimes the Bureau of Meteorology issues warnings about visiting. Always double check when planning the trip.
www.bmkg.go.id/
Best time to visit:
The National Park is open all year-round. The best time to visit is definitely during the dry season, April to October. We had some rain at the end of October but the kids loved it and enjoyed the cool weather so much! They kept saying to everyone that it was snowing - it was actually just drizzling but the raindrops were huge :). Other time in April few years ago we also had clouds and it was raining black! We still enjoyed. My husband visited twice in March and August, and both times, he was lucky to experience sunny weather and a blue sky.
Temperature:
The temperature early in the morning can get as low as 5-10 degrees Celsius. If the weather is not especially pleasant, you might be cold even in the afternoon.
Bring layers of warm clothes and you can always remove them. Long pants and jackets and even a beanie could be useful while waiting for the sunrise. (In Indonesia you can get those surprisingly easily in any outlet store as many young Indonesians like to hike and they need to be ready for the cool weather in the mountains.) Always pack a raincoat.
Also, after the sunrise, it becomes quite hot again so do not forget to bring sunscreen and a hat.
How to get there:
By plane:
Fly to Malang, arrange a car to pick you up.
If you fly to Malang, you might want to consider to stay the night and visit the legendary hotel Tugu, have breakfast or lunch here, walk around the Malang square and visit the new attractions of Jodiapan and Kampung Tridi villages, famous for their street arts.
From Malang, the car will take you directly to the National Park. It will take you about 2,5hrs through beautiful landscapes where you can admire the farming on the steep hills.
This is a very nice smaller road to the Bromo area, which might not suit someone who feels sick in the car as it is quite a curvy road.
Fly to Surabaya, arrange the car in advance to wait for you and then continue by car directly to Probolingo and further to your hotel in Ceromo Lawang, which will take again about 2,5hrs.
By car:
Take the highway to Surabaya and then continue to Probolingo, the entrance town to the Bromo area.
The whole journey takes about 10hrs from Jakarta but you can split the trip in half, drive 5hrs to Semarang or Mesastilla resort in Central Java and then continue another 5hrs to Probolingo.
Where to stay:
Better to stay in a hotel in a nearby village of Cemoro Lawang, close to the entrance to the National Park. The village itself is very pretty and it almost gives you feelings like you are in the Himalayas :) The majority of people living here are Hindu.
You can walk all the way down from the National Park to the hotel through the villages and have some nice views of the local houses and mountains and farmlands in the background. Almost everyone passing by will be offering you a lift not quite understanding that you are actually enjoying walking :-)
Bromo Terrace - cozy small bungalows with awesome views and delicious huge breakfast, pleasant staff, great service
www.bromoterrace.com/
Jiwa Jawa - bigger, very nice hotel with green grounds and beautiful views, bit more pricey, slower service (just order your dinner in advance!)
www.jiwajawa.com/
You can do some nice and easy walks through the farm lands around both hotels. That would take you about up to 2hrs.
Better to stay in a hotel in a nearby village of Cemoro Lawang, close to the entrance to the National Park. The village itself is very pretty and it almost gives you feelings like you are in the Himalayas :) The majority of people living here are Hindu.
You can walk all the way down from the National Park to the hotel through the villages and have some nice views of the local houses and mountains and farmlands in the background. Almost everyone passing by will be offering you a lift not quite understanding that you are actually enjoying walking :-)
Bromo Terrace - cozy small bungalows with awesome views and delicious huge breakfast, pleasant staff, great service
www.bromoterrace.com/
Jiwa Jawa - bigger, very nice hotel with green grounds and beautiful views, bit more pricey, slower service (just order your dinner in advance!)
www.jiwajawa.com/
You can do some nice and easy walks through the farm lands around both hotels. That would take you about up to 2hrs.
What to bring:
Snacks, water bottles, raincoats, warm clothes, good shoes, shoes for change if yours get wet or very dirty from the black sand, sunscreen, hat.
Snacks, water bottles, raincoats, warm clothes, good shoes, shoes for change if yours get wet or very dirty from the black sand, sunscreen, hat.
PANDEMIC TIME
This is a good time to visit Mount Bromo bearing in mind all the necessary safety procedures. There are only very few tourists, you have the entire area almost for yourselves, which is very pleasant compared with the crowds in the past.
You need to register and pay online to be able to enter the National Park. Unfortunately you can only register for visiting one of the points. I suggest you register for one of the viewpoints on Penanjakan hill. Do not worry as for some extra payment you will be able to visit the rest of the area, too.
Check out the website and follow the instructions: https://bookingsemeru.bromotenggersemeru.org/
This is a good time to visit Mount Bromo bearing in mind all the necessary safety procedures. There are only very few tourists, you have the entire area almost for yourselves, which is very pleasant compared with the crowds in the past.
You need to register and pay online to be able to enter the National Park. Unfortunately you can only register for visiting one of the points. I suggest you register for one of the viewpoints on Penanjakan hill. Do not worry as for some extra payment you will be able to visit the rest of the area, too.
Check out the website and follow the instructions: https://bookingsemeru.bromotenggersemeru.org/
HOW TO DO THE TRIP
Option 1:
On Friday afternoon fly to Surabaya, get picked up by the car (find recommended driver and car on Trip Advisor) and go directly to Probolingo and to your hotel in Cemoro Lawang.
Saturday morning either get picked up by the jeep (the hotel will arrange that for you upon agreement) and either go for sunrise or have your early breakfast and go at around 6-7am to still catch the beautiful views of the mountains. Stop at a few other viewpoints before getting down to the Savana.
Enjoy the full day at the National Park and stay the second night in your hotel.
On Sunday morning either enjoy the walks around the farm lands close to your hotel or go back to the Seruni viewpoint which is just outside the National Park but the views are the same amazing.
Option 2:
On Saturday morning fly to Surabaya, continue by car to Probolingo and Cemoro Lawang. Have lunch in your hotel, get picked up by jeep (ideally 1pm at the latest) and enjoy the rest of the day at the Penanjankan hill viewpoints and at Savana.
On Sunday morning go to enjoy the morning view from Seruni point outside the National Park or enjoy a walk around farm lands close to your hotel. You might be able to do both if you wake up early :)
Have a late breakfast and leave for Surabaya and Jakarta.
Option 3:
On Friday afternoon fly to Malang, stay a night here. Enjoy the morning walks around the city and then continue directly to the National Park viewpoints and Savana.
On Sunday morning either go back to the National Park for the sunrise or enjoy the morning view from Seruni point outside of the National Park or walk around the farm lands. Have a late breakfast and leave for Malang and Jakarta.
Of course there might be any other option you come up with or based on what your friends recommend, depending on your number of days available and plan that suits your needs.
On Friday afternoon fly to Surabaya, get picked up by the car (find recommended driver and car on Trip Advisor) and go directly to Probolingo and to your hotel in Cemoro Lawang.
Saturday morning either get picked up by the jeep (the hotel will arrange that for you upon agreement) and either go for sunrise or have your early breakfast and go at around 6-7am to still catch the beautiful views of the mountains. Stop at a few other viewpoints before getting down to the Savana.
Enjoy the full day at the National Park and stay the second night in your hotel.
On Sunday morning either enjoy the walks around the farm lands close to your hotel or go back to the Seruni viewpoint which is just outside the National Park but the views are the same amazing.
Option 2:
On Saturday morning fly to Surabaya, continue by car to Probolingo and Cemoro Lawang. Have lunch in your hotel, get picked up by jeep (ideally 1pm at the latest) and enjoy the rest of the day at the Penanjankan hill viewpoints and at Savana.
On Sunday morning go to enjoy the morning view from Seruni point outside the National Park or enjoy a walk around farm lands close to your hotel. You might be able to do both if you wake up early :)
Have a late breakfast and leave for Surabaya and Jakarta.
Option 3:
On Friday afternoon fly to Malang, stay a night here. Enjoy the morning walks around the city and then continue directly to the National Park viewpoints and Savana.
On Sunday morning either go back to the National Park for the sunrise or enjoy the morning view from Seruni point outside of the National Park or walk around the farm lands. Have a late breakfast and leave for Malang and Jakarta.
Of course there might be any other option you come up with or based on what your friends recommend, depending on your number of days available and plan that suits your needs.