Mount Batur

Gunung Batur

A 1,717-meter active volcano. A two-hour climb before dawn reaches the summit for the sunrise over the crater lake and Mount Agung, or you can sip coffee at the Kintamani viewpoint and gaze into the distance. It is the highlight of the north route from Ubud.

Mount Batur lies in Bangli Regency in northeastern Bali. At 1,717 meters, it is an active stratovolcano (its most recent eruption was in 2000), sitting inside a giant caldera about 13 km across, with the crescent-shaped Lake Batur beside it. The whole landscape, under the name Kintamani Caldera, is included in the World Heritage area together with Bali's Subak system. The most classic activity is the sunrise hike. Leave Ubud or Kuta between 02:00 and 03:30 (a drive of 1-1.5 hours) and start climbing from Toya Bungkah village around 04:00. The trail over volcanic ash and rock takes about 1.5-2 hours (an ascent of about 700 meters, moderate difficulty), and you wait at the summit for the sunrise at about 06:00. Below you are the clouds, the crater lake and, in the distance, the 3,000-meter Mount Agung. On clear days you can see Rinjani volcano on Lombok. Guides use the volcanic steam vents to cook eggs for breakfast. On the way down you can soak in hot springs such as Toya Devasya (about IDR 150,000-250,000). Local rules require hiring a licensed guide. The association's standard price is about IDR 400,000-600,000 per person, including a headlamp and breakfast, and travel-agency packages with transfers cost about IDR 500,000-800,000. If you don't want to hike, you can view the volcano and lake from the Kintamani and Penelokan viewpoints on the caldera rim. The roadside has many viewpoint cafés and buffet restaurants, such as Paperhills and Montana del Cafe. In the daytime, it is about 1 hour north of Tegallalang Rice Terraces and Tirta Empul temple. Notes: Near the summit at dawn it is 8-12 degrees Celsius and windy, so bring a jacket and headlamp and wear hiking boots. The summit is very crowded in peak season. Climbing is prohibited when volcanic activity warnings are in effect. Kintamani often fogs up in the afternoon, so the morning has the best visibility.

Mount Batur

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Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby