Mount Batur Guide: I’ve climbed the ever-active volcanic peak as a kid. But next time I visit Bali, I wouldn’t mind another ascend, it’s quite something. The sunrise, the smoke from the crater at the top, the feeling of being above clouds, and the exhilirating trek itself. Here goes my Mount Batur trekking guide.
We woke up at 3 in the morning to start early for the trek. The main feature of this trip is to breathe in the morning’s beauty at the top – the sunrise.
The hike isn’t difficult as long as we’re able and fit. For amateurs, it’s best to get a guide along for safety. Not many speak English (most speak broken English in my experience), but the Indonesian language isn’t that tough. Learn some basic phrases before you leave.
But lets get into this Mount Batur guide first:
Mount Batur Guide: The Itinerary
Climbing Mount Batur should absolutely be on your Bali Itinerary. However, it takes a whole morning and a good rest after the trip.
Mount Batur is around 40 km from Ubud, the popular hub among tourists for traditional crafts and dances. It’s a 1 hour 30 minutes drive from Ubud. For the early sunrise trek, it’s best to leave for the trek’s starting point around 2:00 – 2:30 a.m. Most visitors begin their trek around 3:30 to 4:00 am.
It’s more or less a 2 hour 30 minutes hike up to the peak. Getting tiny eateries are optional but I’d recommend getting water bottles along – it gets tiring as the trail becomes steeper.
Beginning a trek before dawn makes it necessary to get your own light source, so keep a torch handy when climbing.
There are 2 area points on the trek where one can choose to stop. While both points let you peek into the live crater and also let you experience the mesmerizing sunrise, the second point is significantly at higher altitude. There’s a coffee shop with limited supplies at the top here.
Some of us were exhausted at point 1, so they stayed back while we continued ascending to the peak edge of the crater.
Key Points for Itinerary:
- Trek duration: 2.5-3 hours
- 40 km or so from Ubud, Bali (1.5 hour drive)
- For sunrise trek, begin trek at 3:30 to 4:00 am.
Mount Batur Sunrise Trek Guide Packages (Klook)
The entry fee to Mount Batur costs Rp. 100,000/person (SGD $9). But with the hike that lasts 3 hours with steep edges along the way, there are many locals that facilitate as guides till the top.
With the language being a barrier when speaking to locals, many agencies offer the whole Mount Batur Sunrise trek as a package. Klook is one of the most trusted sites in Indonesia (and most of SE Asia) for its travel facilities.
Skimming through, I found this custom package to Mount Batur with their trusted guides. It even offers a pick-up and drop facility from your stay! There are some considerable add-ons along with the trek (like breakfast) for no more than SGD $48.
Check out your preferred deal at Klook.com below!
Klook.comWhat to Wear/Pack for Mount Batur Sunrise Hike
I did witness few trekkers climbing with agility with no more than flip-flops. But for amateurs, I’d highly recommend wearing sports shoes. The ascend begins with just inclined walking and ends up with jumping sharp rocks and avoiding slippery soil.
Stretchable pants or shorts will do for the trail. As for the early morning, keeping a jacket helps you keep warm while ascending. Most begin the climb with jackets zipped up and later tied around their waist while descending. Speaking of descending, begin alighting early as it gets hot quick after sunrise.
And of course, beginning the trek before dawn will need torches to light up the trail before you.
Some people brought climbing sticks along for stable grip. Get one (or better yet, find one) for yourself if you need it. I carried one only to realize later I held it to look – aesthetic as a trekker.
What to wear/pack for Mount Batur Trek:
- Sports shoes
- Jacket/Sweater
- Comfortable pants or shorts
- Water bottle(s)
- Torch
- Climbing stick (optional)
Sure there are big steps while hopping up rocks. But you don’t need special hiking gear to climb Mount Batur. Rigid sports shoes, a torch, and a jacket (if you feel too chilly) are sufficient if your body is in good shape. The locals who guided us up the mountain barely wore shoes.
A small backpack with a water bottle, torch and a camera should do!
Sunrise Hike: Accommodation nearby Mount Batur
When visiting Bali, you have two options when it comes to accommodation:
- Reside at one resort for your whole vacation and travel during the day. For a short duration holiday, staying at one place is cheaper.
- Change stays every time you’re visiting a new spot. Accommodations in Bali are abundant. For the Mount Batur sunrise hike, it’s closest place to reside is Kintamani, Bali. For lengthy stays in Bali, check out different stays as different resorts offer different luxuries.
However, Ubud being a tourist capital of sorts, it offers a variety of stays. Based on my experience of Bali, here are some stays I handpicked in Ubud, Bali on Booking.com. Go check them out!
Mount Batur Guide: Stays in Ubud, Bali:
- Arimba at Bisma
- Desak Putu Putera Cottages
- The Runik Ubud
- Outpost Ubud Coliving Suites
- Saren Indah Hotel
- Jati 3 Bungalows
Kintamani is 11 kilometers away from the active volcano – get there by minibus (it’s cheap). With accommodation there, leave at 3 am to begin your hike. Here are various accommodations from Booking.com for stays around Mount Batur – Kintamani:
How about staying with Mount Batur itself at its backdrop? I’ve loved HostelWorld.com for their stay management any place you go to. All stays here are focused on solo-travelers and budget backpackers while keeping their accommodation top-notch.
That brings me to tell about the Latengaya Bungalow property located in Kintamani. The stay being offbeat to most travelers make it the best part, not many are aware of the treasure yet. The pricing is pretty reasonable too!
I have yet to plan my next Bali trip but I urge you to check out the property if you’re leaving!
Mount Batur Trekking Guide: Common FAQs
Many aware of the active volcano trekking in Bali, some commonly researched phrases are bali volcano trekking and volcano ubud sunrise.
I hope mentioning them here lets people find this post. Here are some FAQs about Mount Batur:
How high/tall is Mount Batur?
Mount Batur is 1717 meters (5633 ft.) from the sea level. You don’t need any equipment for breathing at this altitude.
Age restriction to climbing Mount Batur
There’s no rule as such for children. As long as they’re able to climb, they can join. A child over 8 years of age should be eligible to come along.
Are there many trekkers climbing Mount Batur in the morning?
Beginning before dawn, you’ll see dozens of other tourists along with their guides also climb at the same time. You’ll see torch lighting up the trail ahead from other groups going up.
Conclusion: Hopping all the way down
This brings us to the end of this Mount Batur trekking guide. After the whole scenic view with the sunrise, it was time to finally come down. While coming down, the guide wasn’t around anymore. We didn’t need guides by then. The sun was out and we made our way down.
I had a thick jacket on when I began up Mount Batur. I was sweating and had my jacket tied around my waist when coming down.
And that’s a wrap for this hiking experience. I hope you enjoy your sunrise hike up Mount Batur!
We visited many other places in Bali, check out my Bali Travel Blog here.
Other blogs to check out:
- A local guide to Batam Riau Islands, Indonesia
- India(from my native) to Indonesia: A 23-hour journey
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