Hiking Mt. Batur: Bali’s Beautiful Sunrise
Preperation
Mount Batur is not Bali’s biggest or grandest volcano. In fact, it’s only the 9th-tallest peak on the island. It is popular because it’s a relatively easy hike compared to the other mountains, which are at least 1000m taller. It is possible to hike the mountain all day, but the sunrise hike offers the best view. The hike is about an hour, so in order to see the sunrise, you have to leave around 3am.
It is possible to hike the mountain on your own, but there are several issues. First, the trails are unmarked, making it possible to get lost or not reach the summit on time without guidance. Guides provide coffee and snacks before setting off, expert guidance and local knowledge while hiking, and breakfast at the summit. Additionally, locals will heckle people trying to hike without a guide. We think it’s good to support the local economy, and the price of a guided tour is quite cheap and well worth it. Our guide was absolutely amazing, and we still talk about her to this day.
Getting to Mt. Batur
The volcano is not near many other destinations in Bali, about 1 hour and 30 minutes north of Ubud. Since the hike is so early, we recommend staying somewhere nearby so you can get as much sleep as possible. We can only safely recommend this hike if you have a car, bike, or arrange a ride, because it is very challenging to get there at such an early hour. We chose to drive, meaning we had to get up at 1 am. I had gotten only 3 hours of sleep, and by this point, at the end of our week’s trip, I was feeling incredibly sick from exhaustion. By the time we arrived, I had a fever, but I decided to press on because we were so close.
Hiking Up Mt. Batur
When we arrived at the base, we met up with our guide, Dia. They had coffee, tea, and cookies prepared, which was great in the chilly morning. The guides provided everyone with headlamps and walking sticks and we headed off. We quickly learned that Mount Batur is very dusty from so many hikers on the soft dirt trails, and within minutes we were covered in dust. The morning is chilly, so definitely wear warm clothes that you can strip off, but also make sure they’re easy to wash out.
Slowly, we made our way up the mountain. There are a few places to rest, and locals selling drinks all the way up. Dia gave us some extra water and was happy to match our pace. Our group had a couple of girls from Britain on summer break from university, and they really brought the energy. By the end of the hike, we were all best friends and joking with Dia. But at the start, we were all struggling to survive as we trekked up.
The hike isn’t all that difficult, it’s only an hour one way. However, the combination of being in the middle of the night, incredibly dusty, and being very sick made it a brutal climb. Even the rest of our group who weren’t sick were still struggling. I’ve seen people say Mount Batur is a “relatively easy” hike, but that’s only relative to the other 3km mountains in Bali. It’s nothing to sneeze at, and I don’t recommend this hike unless you are reasonably fit and able to climb without issue. If you are not able to hike, there are plenty of volcanoes that are accessible by drive, like Tangkuban Perahu in Java.
Mt. Batur Sunrise
Finally, we approached the peak just as the first tiny crack of light rose over the horizon. At the top there are plenty of benches so getting a good view isn’t an issue. Mount Batur is an active volcano, having last erupted in 2000. This means there are active steam vents all over the peak, which the guides used to steam eggs for breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, our tour included a warm breakfast with a hot drink of our choice, steamed egg, banana, citrus, breakfast bar, and some sort of sandwich. It was pretty modest, but the perfect amount for directly after a hike. We happily ate our food, and waited for about 30 minutes for the sun to come up.
After nearly falling asleep waiting, the sun finally arrived. There’s not much I can say, other than it was one of the most stunning sunrises of our lives. Not only was the sky beautiful, but the mountains all around and in the distance poking above the clouds brought the view to a new level. As the landscape was illuminated, we realized the mountain is entirely in a massive caldera, with a large lake surrounding the city at the bottom. It’s quite a hike, and viewing the incredible scenery really gave us a great sense of accomplishment. From the top we could even the opposite side of Mount Agung, where we were the day before at Pura Lempuyang. Our British friends pulled out a Bluetooth speaker, and we all had a dance party in the rising sun to celebrate.
Hiking Down Mt. Batur
Getting down was thankfully a lot easier. Heading down we had the energy of the sun on our side, which meant I slipped a few times getting dust absolutely everywhere. With the sun out and all downhill, we quickly made it to the base. All along, we were joking and laughing with our new friends. At the base, we had one more chance to look back at the mountain we had conquered. Again, not the hardest hike in the world, but certainly one of the most rewarding.
Final Thoughts
Hiking Mt. Batur was an experience we will never forget. It was a challenge to get ourselves up so early, but we’re so glad we did. If you want to have a unique and beautiful view of Bali, we can’t recommend hiking Mt. Batur enough.
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