The hike to the summit of Mount Batur is one of the most popular hikes in Bali, and not one to undertake if you’re looking to avoid the crowds (the considerably higher and more challenging Mount Agung will have a lot less people). Although often described as the the second highest mountain in Bali at 1,717m above sea level, it’s actually the 12th highest peak… which doesn’t sound quite as exciting! But the views are still pretty impressive.
It also means a very early morning start; 2am from my Nusa Dua hotel to be precise, to catch the sunrise from the summit (more at the bottom on the pros & cons of doing Mount Batur as a sunrise hike). The hike up takes one to two hours depending on the start point – there are a few trails up – but the most common route takes about 1.5 hours to cover the 4km to the highest point. I set-off with my guide Ijro Lanang (Jro) at 3:45am, which allows a bit more time than we need to reach the top.
As the trail gains altitude – and gets increasingly steep – there are some vantage points to the east over Danau Batur (Batur Lake) and out the coast. (It’s still dark, but a thunderstorm over the ocean provides flashes of light.)
Another brief stop at Jero Wan Warung (or Sunrise Point) offers a view of the 2,151m Mount Abang, and behind it the 3,031m Mount Agung, on the other side of Lake Batur. Both mountains hold special significance for the Balinese community and are considered “lingga buana” or natural phallic symbols: Mount Agung is considered as the embodiment of Purusha (male energy) and Mount Batur he manifestation of Pradhana (female energy). Geologically, both mountains lie on the same tectonic plate line and were formed by volcanic eruptions. Mount Batur was once significantly higher, but multiple eruptions reduced its height.
You would get almost as good a sunrise view from Jero Wan Warung as from the top, but Jro is keen to push on to the top. This last section is short, but steep, and about 20min later we’ve reached Jero Wage, the north summit – which is considered one of the best places to watch the sunrise from Mount Batur. To the east on the Lombok is the Mount Rinjani – it’s 2km higher, and the summit can be reached by by a demanding two-day hike.
Across Lake Batur is Mount Abang and Mount Agung, both significantly higher than Mount Batur.
There are hundreds of people enjoying the view, but spread out across multiple peaks along the caldera so it doesn’t feel crowded – Jro tells me there would be twice as many people in the peak hiking months between June and September, when there’s an average of 600 climbers a day.
While enjoying the vista, Jro disappears for a few minutes, before re-appearing with two boiled eggs and a hot tea… Jero Wage has a few stalls where you can buy drinks, and eggs cooked in one of the steaming vents of the volcano. (The Jero Wage summit is also known as the “Hot Steam Place”!)
We resume our hike about half an hour after sunset, continuing around the outer rim of the caldera. Mount Batur is an active stratovolcano, which has vents over much of its inner caldera releasing hot air from deep underground. Mount Batur has erupted 26 times – the last time in 2000, and before that in 1917, 1926, 1959, 1963, 1994 and 1999. It’s one of the oldest mountains on the island and the most active volcano.
As we head towards the Kaja Kauh summit which is just ahead of us, we can see the many people lined up along the Nang Dip summit and the crater rim just below it.
The Kaja Kauh summit offers a great view of the Nang Dip summit on the opposite side of the Mount Batur crater, and the two peaks of Abang and Agung.
As the trail continues along the narrow lip of the caldera, there are some nice views into the crater with its many steam vents.
We’re soon nearing the West Summit, which offers a great outlook – but is not so good for catching the sunrise, as the Nang Dip Summit blocks the view to the east.
Mount Abang and Mount Agung are constant landmarks from the crater rim, but from the western side you can see of the mountains near Lake Beratan.
To the west is Mount Pengelengan (2,102m), Mount Pucak Mangu (2,096m) and Mount Batakaru (Bali’s second-highest peak at 2,276m above sea level).
From the West Summit the trail descends fairly steeply towards the southern end of the Mount Batur crater. This section of the trail is course gravel – easy when descending, but it would be hard work doing the crater loop in a clockwise direction and walking up the loose scree.
Looking back up towards the West Summit shows you the steep route, which follows the narrow crater rim.
We’re soon back at the Nang Dip Summit, with its small hut overlooking Lake Batur.
A small clearing next to the crater has a large sign, and a bunch of long-tailed monkeys which feed off the scraps from the many tourists. They’re said to be somewhat aggressive, but these were happy to watch us walk past…
We reach the steep trail that we took up from Jero Wan Warung to the northern peak (Jero Wage), which is where we veer down the trail that will take us back down to the bottom of Mount Batur.
Compared to our route up the mountain, this trail zig-zags down the eastern flank of Mount Batur, and has a very gentle gradient (some trekking companies use this as the route up and down). You can even take a motorcycle taxi (about 500K rupiah return) if you don’t want to walk…
Near the bottom of the trail we pass Tampuryang Temple, before finishing the Mount Batur hike at Toyabungkah.
The entire Mount Batur hike was about 9km, and took four hours – a little under three hours of walking including the loop around the crater and an hour on the North Summit taking photos. There are much shorter routes that you could take, and the crater loop is optional – but well worth doing.
Do you need a guide for Mount Batur?
Technically, no. The trails are obvious and in any case, you’ll be following a line of people… But there are many reports of foreigners being hassled if they try to hike Mount Batur without a guide, and paying a relatively small amount for a guide helps support the local economy. If you really want to avoid paying for a guide, avoid the most common starting points, especially Toyabungkah.
Most of the tours pick you up and return you to your hotel, taking the hassle out of getting to the start of the trail, and provide a head-torch if you haven’t brought your own (plus water and breakfast). I went through Mount Batur Sunrise Trekking and organised a solo hike, with a customised itinerary as I wanted to visit the Munduk waterfalls after Mount Batur.
Best time to hike Mount Batur?
In general, the “dry season” (May to October) is best for hiking, with a much lower chance of rain and a higher likelihood you’ll have clear skies. You’ll share the trails and summit with even more people in the peak tourist months of May and September/October.
A few blogs suggest being clever and avoiding the “sunset hike” crowds by hiking up late in the day and being at the top for sunset. Which is not a bad idea if the weather is very clear – but there’s a much higher likelihood of a cloudy or rainy afternoon. On my early December hike, by 8am after I’d finished the hike and was enjoying breakfast, the top of Mount Batur was shrouded in cloud.
More information
- Batur UNESCO Global Geopark – Mount Batur and Mount Agung From Local Perspektif
- Mount Batur Sunrise Trekking
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