Overview
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About the Ijen Crater
Kawah Ijen, also known as the Ijen Crater, is one of the 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Literally translated, Kawah Ijen means ‘lonely crater’. This volcano has some features that make it unique compared to other volcanoes. The Ijen crater contains the largest acidic volcanic crater lake in the world. This lake is rich in sulfur and has a very beautiful turquoise color. On the crater floor are sulfur mines, where miners daily extract sulfur from the mines. When visiting the Ijen Crater, you will see the miners carry out the sulfur from the crater. These miners work in very challenging conditions, carrying heavy loads of sulfur up steep paths. The sulfur is then used in various industries, including the production of cosmetics and fertilizers.
But there’s more. Due to the combustion of sulfur gases that emerge from the cracks of the volcano at high temperatures creates, these beautiful ethereal flames arise, called the Blue Fire. The phenomenon is most visible in the dark and so that’s why it is such a popular place to visit right before sunrise. You can visit the crater during the day as well, but then you might not be able to see the Blue Fire.
Practical
Kawah Ijen Entrance fee
Weekday: 100.000 IDR
Weekend: 150.000 IDR
Daily: 02.00am - 11.00pm
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Kawah Ijen Hike - What to expect
The Kawah Ijen hike can be quite challenging, because some parts are very steep. It takes around 1,5hr to reach the acidic crater lake along a well-defined path. If you want to see the Blue fire, you should start hiking around 2am. If you want to skip the blue Fire, you can start hiking a bit later, around 3 or 4am.
The first part of the trail goes up gently, but after a few hundred meters it suddenly goes up much steeper. The first 2 kilometers are the steepest.
After around 1hr, you reach the top of the crater. If you don’t plan to see the Blue Fire, you can just walk along the crater rim, find a good spot and wait for sunrise. You won’t see a spectacular sunrise, as the sun rises behind you, but the colors above the lake are truly magical
The total hike takes 3-5 hours, depending on how much time you spend at the crater. There’s a height difference between lowest point (1865m) and the highest (2300m) of around 435m. This means from start to the top of the crater, you climb 435m and does not include the hike into the crater to the lake. The total elevation gain, so up the mountain and back up from the lake, is around 630 meter.
Note: If you are not into hiking up yourself, you can have someone carry/push you up the hill in a trolley. Three men will then push and pull. you up the mountain and it costs around 1.000.000 IDR. We definitely don’t recommend this because it looked terribly hard for these people. If you don’t want to or can’t walk up there yourself, it’s better just not to visit.
The Blue Fire
If you want to see the Blue Fire, you have to walk a few hundred meters along the edge of the crater to the path that descends to the lake. This Ijen crater hike is a steep and rocky path and it takes around another 20-30 minutes to reach the bottom. Here, you’ll be able to see the Blue Fire burning. You can then choose to go straight back up and watch the sunrise from the crater rim. Another option is to wait at the bottom of the crater until the sun starts to rise to hike back up and enjoy the views on the way back up.
Along the way, you will sometimes see baskets with sulfur. The miners here do this path several times a day with these baskets, which weigh about 40-80 kg and without any protection against the poisonous sulfur gases. They are paid very little for this hard work. If you like to take a photo of them, it is certainly appropriate to give a little tip.
Descending into the crater and see the Blue Flames is completely optional. The path down is very steep, rocky, sometimes slippery and it can get very crowded. You’ll also need a gas mask for the poisonous sulfur gases.
We hiked up the mountain pretty fast and were the first one descending into the crater. so we had the path down completely to ourselves. The way back up was extremely busy with hundreds of people descending while we tried to get back up. So, if you really can’t handle crowds, we recommend that you skip the Blue Fire. We do recommend that you climb the mountain before sunrise, because it is truly magical to see the colors of the sunrise over the beautiful turquoise Ijen crater lake.
Note: If you have breathing problems, we strongly advise against visiting the Blue Fire. The sulfur gases in the crater can be very strong. Even with the gas mask, it can get very hard to breath. Even we had trouble breathing with our gas mask on the way back up.
If you have the option, try to bring and wear goggles. The gasses can reallly iritate and stin your eyes.
About the Kawah Ijen hike
6 km return
435 m
435m without blue fire
630m with blue fire
3 to 5 hours
Out & Back
Easy - Moderate - Difficult - Expert
Activities & Tours
Discover the best organized Ijen crater tours here!
How to get to Kawah Ijen
There are two ways to visit the Kawah Ijen volcano, depending on where you are coming from.
The first option is to visit Kawah Ijen from Banyuwangi, from where it is about a 1hour drive to the Ijen Crater. You can either fly to Banyuwangi or take the train from other major cities on Java. If. you are coming from Bali, you can also take the ferry. From Banyuwangi, you can either join a tour or get to Ijen yourself.
The second option is to join a multiple day tour from different places in Java, that includes a visit to Kawah Ijen and other interesting places. Most of these tours depart from Surabaya, Malang or Probolinggo and include a visit to Mount Bromo as well.
We don’t often visit places with a tour, but in this case it seemed like the easiest and best way to fully enjoy the experience. We opted for a Mount Bromo and Ijen tour from Malang and did some other great things in this city as well.
Kawah Ijen Tours
You can book one day and multiple day tours to Kawah Ijen from Banyuwangi and Bali or multiple day tours from Surabaya, Malang and Probolinggo. Generally, all these options include a visit to Mount Bromo as well. Some of these tours also include a visit to the Tumpak Sewu waterfall or some other beautiful waterfalls in East-Java.
We went on a private tour to Bromo and Ijen 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, if you want, even Tumpak Sewu Waterfall, against very fair prices! You can contact him on Whatsapp +62 853-7700-0773 and tell him hi from us!
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How to visit Kawah IJen without a tour
If you don’t want to join a tour and visit Kawah Ijen by yourself, you should base yourself in Banyuwangi. You can either get here by plane, train or ferry if you’re coming from Bali. In Banyuwangi, you can rent a motorbike and drive to the entrance of Ijen where you can start your hike to the top of the crater. Don’t forget to bring a flashlight.
A guide is not mandatory, but if you want to see the Blue Fire it might be recommended to find the right path down. Don’t forget to rent a gas masks, and if possible goggles, if you want to descend into the crater.
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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 Kawah 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 Kawah Ijen, it will be extra busy these months.
Rainy season runs from November to April. You can still visit Kawah Ijen during these months, but there is a greater chance for bad weather.
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 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 Kawah Ijen. Sunrise is without a doubt the busiest time of the day, because everyone wants to see the Blue Fire. If you go during the day, it will be a lot less busy, but you will not be able to see the Blue Fire properly and it can get really hot. The best alternative to skip the crowds if you want to see the Blue Fire is going their for sunset. Another tip we can give is try to avoid weekends and public holidays.
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Where to Stay
The best place to base yourself to visit Mount Ijen is in Banyuwangi. It is also possible to visit Ijen on a multiple day tour from Surabaya, Malang and Probolinggo. Normally, all these tours include accommodation for your overnight stays between the different sights.
In Banyuwangi, you find different descent accommodations, such as hotels, guesthouses and homestays.
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Other things to do near Ijen
Two toher great things to do near Ijen and Banyuwangi in East Java, Indonesia is the magical De Djawatan Forest and the Jagir Waterfall. You can easily rent a scooter and explore the area by yourself.
Many travelers chose to combine a visit to Kawah Ijen with a visit to Mount Bromo. The easiest way is to visit these two incredible volcanoes on a multiple day tour, including transport and accommodation!
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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!
