Mount Bromo Crater & Sea of Sand
Gunung Bromo / Lautan Pasir
Cross a grey-black volcanic sea of sand, climb 250 steps to the rim of the active crater, and look down into its depths as white smoke billows up.
Mount Bromo is an active volcano within the Tengger Caldera, which is about 10 km in diameter. It is surrounded by a plain of volcanic ash known as the 'Sea of Sand' (Lautan Pasir). After the sunrise, jeeps drop visitors at a parking area in the sea of sand. From there, it is about a 30-minute walk across the sand (or a horse ride for IDR 100,000 to 150,000 round trip) to about 250 concrete steps leading to the crater rim. From the rim you can look straight into the crater, several hundred metres deep, where sulphurous white smoke rises, and hear its rumbling. The sea of sand is also home to the Hindu temple Pura Luhur Poten, belonging to the Tenggerese, a Javanese ethnic group who practise Hinduism and have lived here for generations. On the 14th day of the Tengger calendar's Kasada month (usually June to July), the Yadnya Kasada festival is held. People climb to the crater and throw vegetables, chickens and money into it as offerings to the gods, a rare folk spectacle. Notes: the sand is windy and dusty, so wear a mask and sunglasses. The crater rim has no complete railing, so do not climb or cross barriers. When volcanic activity intensifies, restricted zones are set up around the crater.
Opening hours
Open daytime (subject to volcano alert level)
Nearby sights
- Mount Batok
- Pura Luhur Poten
- Whispering Sands (Pasir Berbisik)
- Cemoro Lawang
- Seruni Point
- Teletubbies Hill (Bromo Savanna)
- King Kong Hill Viewpoint
- B29 Peak