Ijen Blue Fire
Api Biru Kawah Ijen
Blue flames from sulphur gas burning on the crater floor, visible only in the darkness before dawn. A rare natural wonder found nowhere else in the world.
Ijen's blue fire is not blue lava. It is hot sulphurous gas (up to 600°C) escaping from vents on the crater floor, which ignites on contact with air, along with electric-blue flames from liquid sulphur flowing down the slopes. Very few places in the world offer a reliable view of this phenomenon. The flames are faint, so they can only be seen in the hours before dawn. The standard itinerary: stay the night before in Banyuwangi or Bondowoso, then at about 00:30 hire a driver to the trailhead at Paltuding, about 1,850 metres above sea level. Trekking opens between 01:00 and 02:00 and follows a 3 km wide dirt road uphill to the crater rim, taking about 1.5 to 2 hours. The final section is steeper, and human-pushed carts are available for a fee. From the rim, a licensed guide leads you down a gravel path to the crater floor, about 45 minutes, to see the blue flames and the sulphur miners. Note: sulphur smoke on the crater floor shifts with the wind, so a gas mask with filter cartridges is essential (guides usually provide one). Access to the crater floor has been restricted several times for safety reasons. Whether it is open, and whether a licensed guide is required, depends on the rules of the local management authority (BBKSDA). Foreign visitors pay about IDR 100,000 to 150,000 for entry, more on weekends. There is a health check at the trailhead, and the whole mountain closes when the volcanic alert level rises.
Opening hours
Trailhead opens approx. 01:00; descend by about 12:00 (per the management office)
Nearby sights
- Ijen Crater Lake
- Kawah Wurung
- Blawan Waterfall & Hot Spring
- Kalibendo Waterfall
- Taman Gandrung Terakota
- Jagir Waterfall
- Kemiren Osing Village
- Bangsring Underwater