Climbing Mount Batur is on the to do list of many Bali travelers. Not for nothing, because it only takes 1 to 2 hours to climb this mountain. You will be rewarded with a phenomenal sunrise, which you can keep watching for hours. Read on soon for unique tips to climb Mount Batur in Bali.
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Climbing Mount Batur with sunrise
Watching the sunrise from Mount Batur is a piece of pure magic. How you see the sky slowly turn to orange and everything becomes lighter and lighter… you can’t get enough of it. This is why almost every traveler climbs Mount Batur in the early morning and arrives at the summit before sunrise.
Mandatory guide to Mount Batur in Bali
It is officially mandatory to climb Mount Batur with a guide. However, there are so many people climbing up at the same time these days that it wouldn’t be noticeable if you mixed in among them. We would not recommend this, but know, for the adventurous travelers, that this might be a possibility.
We ourselves climbed Mount Batur with guide Nyoman from this provider. You will be picked up at night from your accommodation in Ubud or Canggu (so opt for the pick-up service too!) and taken to the foot of Mount Batur. Here you will get a cup of coffee or tea, after which the climb begins. You can see all the guides and providers for Mount Batur here and choose who you would like to book with.
How long does the ascent of Mount Batur take?
There are two different starting points for climbing Mount Batur. One at the base of the mountain – from here it is about a 2 to 2.5 hour hike to the summit – and one halfway. It depends on your guide where the car / minivan is parked and thus where you start hiking. We started halfway up the mountain and from here it only took us a little over an hour to climb Mount Batur.
Is it a difficult route?
No, there is only one route to follow to climb Mount Batur and you can see it very clearly. In addition, you also walk up in a train of tourists, as more than a thousand tourists a day climb Mount Batur and they all do this between 03:00 and 06:00. So you will often enough have to wait for the one in front of you.
However, it can be physically demanding because you are walking uphill nonstop. Take plenty of breaks in between and especially don’t start too fast. Then you will have to be able to sustain it well.
Arrived at the summit?
When you arrive at the top of Mount Batur, you often have to wait a while for the sunrise. This can take as long as 45 minutes if you hike a little faster, as we did. You are then in the dark, in the wind and maybe rain. It’s super super cold then so make sure you have plenty of warm clothes you can put on. You also often get a blanket here that you can wrap around you and you can buy hot tea, coffee or chocolate. Also be careful of the monkeys that are here, as they love to steal your jewelry or backpack. So keep everything close to you and don’t leave anything unattended.
Packing list for Mount Batur: what to bring?
In addition to enough warm clothing, there are a few other things that are handy to bring while climbing Mount Batur.
- Enough cash for tips, snacks and hot drinks
- At least 1 liter of water per person and possibly already some snacks (granola bar, banana) yourself
- Raincoat if rain is predicted or in the rainy season
- Long pants that you can put on at the summit
- A thick sweater
- Camera
- Possibly a good flashlight or headlamp if your guide doesn’t give you one
Climbing Mount Batur from Ubud
If you are staying in Ubud then it is still over an hour’s drive to the starting point of the climb of Mount Batur. You will be picked up at night around 02:30 and there is a good chance that you will doze off in the car. You will wake up when you arrive at Mount Batur.
Climbing Mount Batur from Canggu
From Canggu it is a 2.5 hour drive to Mount Batur, so then it is totally advisable to close your eyes for a while. Quite a drive but the climb and sunrise views make it well worth it. With this provider there is also a pick up service from Canggu and everything is perfectly arranged.
What is the best time to climb Mount Batur?
Most people climb Mount Batur before sunrise. That means starting around 4:00 a.m. and being at the summit by 6:00. The sky turns orange and red as the sun rises over the volcano, a magical sight.
Best months to visit Mount Batur:
- April to October (dry season): clear visibility and less rainfall
- June to August: very busy because it is high season, up to 500+ climbers each morning
- November to March: rainy season with possible mud and reduced visibility
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