Overview
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Day 1: Mount Bromo
Rise and shine in the middle of the night in order to make it to Mount Bromo before sunrise. We started our tour in Malang and were picked up at 00.00 midnight. If you are staying closer to the Mount Bromo area, in Probolinggo or Cemorolawang, you can stay in bed a bit longer and wake up at 02.45am. When your tour includes a visit to Tumpak Sewu on the first day, you will probably stay in Cemorolawang.
At around 3am, you start the drive up with a 4×4 jeep to one of the viewpoints to watch the sunrise over the Mount Bromo area.
After watching a magical sunrise, you can cruise over the sea of sand at the base of the volcano during a 4X4 jeep safari and climb your way up to the top of the crater and see this impressive volcano crater from closely. For more detailed information, you can read our blogpost about visiting Mount Bromo.
After your visit to Mount Bromo, it is time to start the 4-5 hours drive to Bondowoso, where you can stay the night. Depending on how much time you spent at Mount Bromo, you will arrive here sometime in the early afternoon. The rest of the day is free and you can rest or walk through the village.
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Day 2: Kaway Ijen
On the second day, you will have to set your alarm early again. It is best to leave Bondowoso at 00:00am, to start the hike up Mount Ijen around 02:00am if you want to see the Blue Fire. If you only want to see the sunrise over the crater lake, you can stay in bed a bit longer and start the hike around 04.00am. For more detailed information, you can read our guide about visiting Kawah Ijen.
You will be back down from Kawah Ijen around 7-8am. From here, there are different options. You can either continue your journey to Bali or visit Banyuwangi and take the train to another place on Java.
Book a Mount Bromo and Ijen tour
You can either organise this Bromo and Ijen tour by yourself or you can book a share or private tour to Mount Bromo and Ijen from Surabaya, Malang, Probolinggo, Banyuwangi and even Bali. From Banyuwangi and Bali, you will probably do this tour in reverse order. Some of these tours also include a visit to Tumpak Sewu waterfall or some other waterfalls in the area.
We went on a private Bromo and Ijen tour from Malang with our awesome guide Ferdy from Bromolandscape. He is friendly, speaks very good English and we definitely recommend his tours. He offers different packages including Bromo and Ijen and even Tumpak Sewu Waterfall, if you want, against very fair prices! You can contact him on Whatsapp +62 853-7700-0773 and tell him hi from us!
Tickets
Discover Mount Bromo during a spectacular organized tour!
Best time to visit
Indonesia, and therefore also Java, has only two seasons: dry season and rainy season. Although Java is a popular destination all year round, the best time to visit Mount Bromo and Kaway Ijen is during dry season, from May to October. During these months, you can expect sunny and dry weather, perfect for exploring!
July and August are considered peak tourist season on Java. Although it will never be quiet on Bromo and Ijen, it will be extra busy these months.
Rainy season runs from November to April. You can still visit Mount Bromo and Kawah Ijen during these months, but there is more chance that it might be raining and cloudy.
Overall, Java has a tropical climate, which means it can be very hot and humid and the average temperature is 27°C all year round. However, early in the morning it can be very cold at Mount Bromo and Kawah Ijen, between 0 and 10°C, so prepare yourself! As soon as the sun rises, temperatures rise quickly.
It is hard to almost impossible to avoid the crowds at Bromo and Ijen. Sunrise is without a doubt the busiest time of the day. If you go during the day, it will be a lot less busy, but you will also miss the magical sunrise and/or the Blue Fire at Ijen and it can get really hot. The best alternative to skip the crowds is to visit at sunset. Another tip we can give is try to avoid weekends and public holidays.
Where to Stay
To start a Bromo Ijen tour, you can base yourself in Surabaya, Malang, Probolinggo or Banyuwangi.
Surabaya and Malang are the bigger cities, where you’ll find plenty of accommodations, including luxurious hotels but also budget guesthouses and hostel. Probolinggo is smaller, but you will also find many options in different price ranges. We chose to join a tour from Malang because we wanted to do some other fun things to do in and around this lovely city.
If you are visiting Bromo and Kaway Ijen by yourself, you might want to stay a night in Bondowoso in between. There are not that much accommodations in Bondowoso, so you might want to book in advance.
Hotels
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Win-Win for everyone
Did you know that, if you buy or book something through our links, we receive a small commission?
However, you still pay the same and therefore have no extra costs! So a win-win for everyone. This way, we can continue to add even more travel inspiration and tips to this blog for your next adventure. Thanks a lot!