Mount Rinjani
Gunung Rinjani
At 3,726 meters, Mount Rinjani is Indonesia's second-highest volcano. Its crater holds a crescent-shaped sacred lake and a smoking cinder cone, and the 2–3 day summit trek is one of Southeast Asia's classic high-altitude routes.
Mount Rinjani rises to 3,726 meters, making it Indonesia's second-highest volcano. Inside its vast summit caldera lies the crescent-shaped Segara Anak Lake (“Child of the Sea”), and in its middle stands the cone of Barujari, which has erupted repeatedly since the 1990s. The lakeshore has natural hot springs. The Sasak people and Balinese Hindus revere the mountain as a sacred site, and in 2018 it was added to UNESCO's Global Geopark network.
Climbing requires registering with the national park and hiring licensed guides and porters. There are two main routes. The 2-day, 1-night summit route starts from Sembalun on the east side (1,150 m). It crosses grassy slopes to a camp on the crater rim (2,639 m), and climbers set out around 2 a.m. to reach the summit for sunrise. This is the most popular option. The 3-day, 2-night route also starts from Sembalun. It goes up and down to the lakeshore for a soak in the hot springs, then descends through rainforest from Senaru on the west side.
A package typically costs about US$200–350 per person and includes guides, porters, meals, and tents. Foreign visitors pay the national park entrance fee of Rp 150,000 per day. Book through the official eRinjani system, since daily permits are limited. The final summit push crosses loose volcanic scree, where you move “two steps forward, one step back.” The round trip takes 6–7 hours, and temperatures at the summit around dawn drop to about 0–5°C.
If you don't want to summit, you can take a half-day hike to the Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep twin waterfalls near Senaru, or watch sunrise over the volcanic valley from Pergasingan Hill above Sembalun.
Getting there: a private car from Senggigi or the Gili harbor to Sembalun or Senaru takes 2.5–3.5 hours. Trekking agencies usually include the transfer.
Tips: You need good fitness, so train before you go. Pack a down jacket, headlamp, trekking poles, and sunscreen. If volcanic activity forces a closure, follow park notices. Carry all your trash back down the mountain.
Opening hours
National park open Apr–Dec (closed to access Jan–Mar); reservation required
Nearby sights
- Lake Segara Anak
- Sembalun Valley & Pergasingan Hill
- Tiu Kelep & Sendang Gile Waterfalls
- Sendang Gile Waterfall
- Tetebatu
- Bayan Beleq Ancient Mosque
- Benang Kelambu & Benang Stokel Waterfalls
- Gili Kondo