How To Visit Mount Bromo – Budget Travel In Indonesia

Visit Mount Bromo, the most well-known and visited peak on the island of Java, Indonesia. Arrive early for an incredible sunrise.

Standing at 2,329 metres, Mount Bromo is not the tallest mountain in the region, but it is the most iconic. It is an active volcano that last erupted in Feb 2019, only 4 months before our visit. We had witnessed many amazing sunsets on our travels in Southeast Asia but somehow never quite managed the sunrises. I just don’t do early mornings. We decided to make an exception for Mount Bromo.

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Where Is Mount Bromo?

Mount Bromo  is part of the Tengger massif in East Java, Indonesia. It is a 4 hour drive from Surabaya. It is recommended to stay in one of the smaller towns closer to the mountain.

Is Mount Bromo Active?

Mount Bromo is an active mountain with irregular eruptions. At the time of writing, the last eruption was in 2019 (4 months before our visit). Depending on the mountain’s behaviour, you may or may not be able to climb up to the rim of the crator.

Mount Bromo Tour Packages

Most hotels and travel agents in the nearby cities offer package deals to Mount Bromo. Be sure to check the itinerary and always make sure you know what is included in the price.

How To Get to Mount Bromo

We decided to stay two nights in Probolinggo as this was the closest city to the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park, meaning that it would only be approximately an hour drive. Many travellers opt to stay in Cemorolawang which is even closer. This is a good option if you choose to hike independently. If you choose to hike independently, do your research if  taking a bus from Probolinggo as there are many reports of scams.

Arriving In Probolinggo

We arrived in the city of Probolinggo after a two hour train journey from Surabaya. Indonesians were still celebrating Eid so we were not expecting a great deal to be open. As we were only staying here to visit Mount Bromo, that was not a problem.

We departed the train station and headed through a local park to our hotel. We passed a row of street food vendors and then, disaster struck. Joanna was walking behind me and I turned around to see her fall. She had tripped and fallen head first into the concrete path, banging her head and arm.

We had just seen a big hole in the pavement prior to her fall. In this case, it was a nail.

You really have to watch where you are walking in Southeast Asia. I found that out almost immediately in Bangkok when I almost fell into a coffin-sized hole in the street. Joanna had grazed her forehead, her eye was swollen and her arm was sore. Not the best start to our time in Probolinggo.

Where To Stay In Probolinggo

CLICK HERE FOR ALL ACCOMMODATION IN PROBOLINGGO!

These are some of the best budget hostels in Probolinggo, according to user reviews. These are affiliate links to the Agoda web site. I found Agoda to be much better than booking.com in Southeast Asia. I receive a small amount for any bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.

• Dhika Adventure
• Happy House BnB Bromo Backpacker
• OYO 1482 Brak Residence

Colorbox Bromo Backpacker

We arrived at ‘Colorbox Bromo Backpacker’ (map) very early but I had received an email that early check-in was available. However, this did not appear to be the case. The hostel, as expected, could sort out our Mount Bromo trip so we booked to go the following morning. The staff were friendly and the hostel looked very nice; especially the outdoor communal area.  Our room was not great, however. There was no hot water and the bathroom was tiny. The flush on the toilet didn’t work and there was no toilet paper. We had to ask for a bed cover and there were lots of nails sticking out of the walls. Worse still, the WiFi didn’t work. The staff didn’t seem to be too busy but they were clearly too busy to check on their guests. Our room had barely any natural light and had a strange smell.

Setting Off For Mount Bromo

As our driver was picking us up at 2.30 am for the sunrise tour, we went to bed very early. As we had been travelling, we were quite tired so I managed to get a few hours sleep. We woke up to coffee and toast and our driver arrived on time.

After almost 90 minutes, we suddenly hit a long line of traffic. We barely moved for around half an hour. Our driver seemed to know a different route and, though the road was very bumpy, we got to the start of the hike with just enough time to reach the summit for sunrise.

What To Take To Mount Bromo

We read many blogs about what to take to Mount Bromo and, in hindsight, I think a lot of them were over the top. It really is not that extreme. Yes, it gets chilly on the top but it was still about 9 degrees and when you are climbing you are warm anyway. I had a t-shirt and a warmish jacket and I was fine: no hat, no scarf and no gloves. If you feel the cold more than most, then take a jumper. You can buy gloves, hats and scarves at the bottom of the mountain.

Our tour was supposed to include torches but they never materialized so we had to use our mobile phones instead. These were sufficient. You cannot get lost as you are part of a big crowd all heading in the same direction.

Take snacks and water, though there are stalls at various points selling these too.

Mount Bromo Sunrise

We reached the top in just under an hour. The climb itself was not difficult. You can hire a small horse to do the hard work for you but it is not recommended; the horses are not treated very well.

We stood for around half an hour watching the changing light of the sky as the sun brought in a new dawn.

Finally, Mount Bromo itself appeared in the distance.

We then headed back to our minibus who then took us into the nearest town where we transferred into a jeep and headed to the ‘sea of sand’.

Mount Bromo Sea Of Sand

The second part of the tour involved us trekking across the ‘sea of sand’ and then climbing the crater of Mount Bromo. For this part of the trip, you definitely need a face mask to protect yourself as it is VERY dusty. Sunscreen is also essential as it starts to heat up.

We then climbed up to the crater rim. We were lucky to be allowed to do this as other tourists had not been so lucky recently due to an eruption.

Selfies With The Locals

We then climbed back down the crater and headed back to our jeep. On the way, we had to stop and have a picture taken with some local youths. At first, it was just a couple but it soon became dozens! They were very appreciative that we would let them take a photo with us. It was all very bizarre!

Back To Probolinggo

We headed back to our hostel and had a few hours sleep. I went out to locate food but most places were shut because of Eid. I almost ended up in KFC but then remembered about the small street food vendors near the park. It was time to try some local dishes.

I noticed one dish that all vendors seemed to make so I decided to go for it. The internet told me it was tofu with meatballs in a beef broth. What I got was salad, with some pieces of tofu, a slimy meatball and various pieces of offal. It was disgusting. I wished I had gone to KFC!

In the evening, we relaxed and had a good night sleep. We needed it!

Is Mount Bromo Worth Visiting?

You have to visit Mount Bromo. It’s one of the must-visits when in Java. The views are amazing. How many days can you say you walked on the rim of a massive crater of a live volcano?