If you’re planning a trip to the Indonesian island of Java, you’ve no doubt heard of Mount Ijen and its famous “Blue Flames”. But is Mount Ijen really worth waking up at 1am for? Every day hundreds of people make the ascent of Mount Ijen in the pitch black of night, shuffling like livestock up to the summit, all crammed onto a small path only to “maybe” see the famous blue flames, then queue for 30 minutes to get a picture of the lake without the crowds. We found a better way to experience this mountain in all its beauty. Keep reading to find out more about visiting Ijen after sunrise.
- The problem with Mount Ijen for sunrise- the crowds
- The truth about the blue flames – or lack of
- Hiking Mount Ijen after sunrise – the positives
- How to get to Mount Ijen
- Where to stay in the Mount Ijen area
- The best time of year to visit Mount Ijen
- Need to know! Your FAQs about Mount Ijen answered
- Where to go after visiting Mount Ijen – What to do next
The problem with Mount Ijen for sunrise- the crowds
Because of its popularity, Mount Ijen is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the whole of Indonesia.. If you have read anything online it will no doubt have recommended a sunrise tour of Ijen to see the blue flames, starting around 12-1am (depending on where you are staying). Every day hundreds of these tours pick up people from the Ijen area and take them to the start of the trail head to begin the hike up Ijen.
This means that everyone begins hiking at around the same time, leading to traffic jams and excessive amounts of people all hiking up the mountain at once. The Indonesian government puts no limits in place for how many people can visit Mount Ijen in a day, so during peak times there can be literally thousands of people on the volcano at a given time.
Once you reach the top as part of a sunrise tour, you will then have to wait in line to go down into the crater to try and see the blue flames, then wait in line again to take the famous picture of the dead tree overlooking the lake. Not exactly a very peaceful way to experience this incredible mountain!
The truth about the blue flames – or lack of
Everything you read online will tell you about the blue flames of Ijen, but most of this information is misleading or out of date. Since around 2015, the blue flames have been unpredictable, and far less impressive than in the past. Changes to the crater following minor eruptions mean that the blue flames are only really visible 30-40% of days, and when you can see them they are only a few feet across (around a metre in length); nothing like the pictures you will see online if you check.
In our opinion, the view of the acid lake in the early morning is by far the most impressive part of Mount Ijen, which leads us to our recommendation.
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Hiking Mount Ijen after sunrise – the positives
We visited Mount Ijen in September of 2024, and we opted to visit just after sunrise (around 6am). This is what we learnt from our experience.
1. There are no crowds after 6am
We arrived at the starting point of the trek a little after 6 am. During our drive up to the mountain, we passed many many minibuses and taxis ferrying people back down the mountain after finishing the sunrise trek. Once we started trekking we realised how few people there were left on the trail! Hiking up the summit was easy, uncongested and very straight forward.
2. You will have the views of the summit entirely to yourselves
Once we arrived at the summit around 7:30 am there were only maybe 10 people left taking pictures. Compared to the hundreds that would have been there just one hour before, this was the perfect peaceful way to experience the crater, lake and views of the surrounding area.
3. You can make your own way to the summit, instead of hiring expensive transport
Taking a private car or a sunrise tour to visit Ijen can cost between 400-800k IDR (25-50 euros) per person from the Ijen area, or way over 100 euros per person for an all inclusive tour from Yogyakarta or Bali. As soon as the sun comes up you can hire a Grab or Gojek for half this amount! We opted to hire a scooter and drive there ourselves for just 150k IDR for the day (roughly 8.5 euros). This also gives you the opportunity to make stops along the way and see other things in the national park area.
4. Most people don’t see the blue flames anyway!
We asked some people that were on their way down from the summit if they had seen the blue flames and most of them said no. A few of them saw some but they were mostly unimpressed. We checked the instagram stories for Mount Ijen the few days we were staying in the area and barely anyone seemed to have seen them!
All in all, we think that visiting Mount Ijen during the daytime, after sunrise, is the best way to see this incredible place, and not only is it less busy, it’s less expensive, less crowded and more enjoyable!
How to get to Mount Ijen
Depending on where you are coming from in Indonesia, you have a few different options. If you are planning to visit from the island of Bali, you will first have to get a ferry over from the town of Gilimanuk to Ketapang in Java. From Ketapang it is just an hour by car to the mount Ijen area.
If you are coming from central or west Java, such as Jakarta, Surabaya or Yogyakarta, the best options are to take the high speed train system, or a bus. We chose the latter option to save money and took a shared minibus from Mount Bromo to Mount Ijen, costing around 200k IDR (11 euros). You can check bus and train times and prices here on 12go.asia.
When booking train and bus tickets abroad, we always use 12go.asia. You can check timetables and prices online and it’s often cheaper than booking in person! Check our 12go.asia here.
Alternatively, if you are in a group and planning a trip around Java or Bali, you can rent your own car. This is by far the cheapest and easiest way to explore Mount Ijen and means you can visit everything at your own pace, avoiding long public transport journeys. Check car rental prices in Indonesia here.
Renting your own car when traveling gives you the freedom to discover the country at your own pace, and it’s often cheaper too! When travelling we always use DiscoverCars.com. They check all the local companies and find you the best car at the cheapest price! Check out DiscoverCars.com here.
Where to stay in the Mount Ijen area
The nearest city to Mount Ijen is Banyuwangi and there are many homestays and hotels in this area. We chose to stay in the small village of Licin which is around 45 minutes drive from Ijen and surrounded by endless ricefields and nature. Staying in Licin or the area around it is perfect as you can explore the rice fields and local villages as well as visiting Mount Ijen. We stayed at Shanti Homestay, which was right in the middle of the beautiful rice terraces of Licin.
Here are our top picks for where to stay in the Mount Ijen area. All our recommendations below are rated 8+/10 on Booking.com and most come with free breakfast!
Hotels in Licin View all
The best time of year to visit Mount Ijen
✅ Due to its altitude, Mount Ijen is visitable all year round. The dry season in east Java is between April and October, when the weather is best and you are most likely to have a dry day and clear skies. Check the weather forecast before you visit and plan your trip accordingly.
❌ The rainy season in Java runs between November and March so visiting Ijen during this period is more difficult. East Java generally receives less rain than the rest of the island but you will have to keep an eye on the weather forecast to find a good weather window to visit in.
Need to know! Your FAQs about Mount Ijen answered
How long does it take to climb Mount Ijen?
In our opinion Mount Ijen is a relatively easy and short hike, taking around 1.5 hours to reach the top. During the daylight it is very straight forward but if you are hiking in the dark it could take up to 2 hours.
Is Mount Ijen worth it?
In our opinion, yes! But not for sunrise! It is well worth it to see this incredible volcano but not with the massive crowds that hike up for sunrise.
Is it safe to go to Mount Ijen?
Yes, but you need to undergo a medical exam first at a local doctor. This is really just a formality as the doctor checks your height and blood pressure then gives you a certificate. At the top of the volcano you should be careful not to breathe in the sulphur fumes.
Is it hard to hike Mount Ijen?
It is a very easy and straightforward hike, on a well maintained path.
How tall is the hike to Mount Ijen?
The hike to Mount Ijen is around 6 kilometers long, with 500 vertical meters of elevation.
Where is Mount Ijen?
Mount Ijen is situated in Indonesia, on the east side of the island of Java.
Where to go after visiting Mount Ijen – What to do next
After Ijen it’s just a short ferry ride to the Indonesian island of Bali. There are a number of hikes you can do in Bali such as Mount Batur, or the tallest volcano on the island, Mount Agung. Read all about our trip up Mount Agung here on the blog!
Alternatively if you’re heading further into Java you can visit Mount Bromo to watch the sunrise, or visit the trendy city of Yogyakarta!
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