Visiting Kiawah Ijen by Yourself

Do you need a guide?

Absolutely not!

Personally, I think it's easier and better to go by yourself, especially if you're comfortable riding a motorbike and are interested in spending more than 24 hours in the area. There are countless tours that offer trips up Kawah Ijen. You can opt for a tour if you don’t want the headache of organising it yourself, but be prepared to spend a lot more, and to be stuck with the tourist crowds. The benefits of going alone mean that you can visit at your own pace, go early to avoid the tour groups, and you’ll have the freedom to change plans or decide not to go if the night you originally planned is rainy and stormy. 

Between 500 and 1000 people climb Kawah Ijen every night (more on weekends). Perhaps for convenience, but everyone seems to think you need a guide. We spotted one solo European and ourselves, but all the other European travellers had guides. Quite a few of the local visitors didn’t have guides, and some of the young Chinese ones were in their own groups, but there are so many people who travel up the volcano every night that it’s impossible to get lost on the path to the crater’s rim. It’s also a singular path with no forks going up. 

When you descend into the crater, you’re walking down rubble and lava channels. There are two paths here and all the guides know them well. There’s so so so many guides though that you really don’t need your own. At different times in our hike, we fell into step behind guides and occasionally listened into their conversations. For the first ten minutes of our descent, we were listening to a very funny guide, although we stopped for some water and he continued off with his clients. We did try clamber down the rocks ourselves from there but realised that it would be more effort to find our own way over the large boulders than it would be to wait 2 minutes for the next guide to come past and follow them along the trail. You really couldn’t get lost on the descent if you tried though - it’s straight down and there are so many other people going down at the same time. 

Toxic Gas & Safety 

You can ask your homestay for current information on safety at the volcano as many of the homestay owners have group chats where they share information if the volcano is emitting toxic gas, especially amongst the homestays that are situated further up the volcano. If there is lots of toxic gas, the miners will stop working. In this situation, you will not be able to go down into the crater. Your gas mask will help you breathe through the normal gas, but it will be absolutely useless against toxic gas, and if you are told at the top that you cannot go down, you need to listen. These workers have been on the volcano for years and will advise you. 

You may hear that there is toxic gas, but get conflicting reports as to whether you can go into the crater or not (we arrived 6 days after toxic gas had emerged and weren’t sure). Upon arrival though there were plenty of miners going into the crater and they said it was fine as long as we had the masks. 

Lamborghini & Ferrari Trolleys to the Crater’s Rim

Along the way you will see many of the locals advertising “Lamborghini” and “Ferraris” to the top. The work as a miner can be incredibly strenuous and grim, and many have decided that it is better to try their luck carting foreigners up and down the hill than it is to mine the sulphur and cart it down. 

A lift up includes you sitting in a cart while two men (or three if you’re between 80kg-100kg) pull you up the hill. For this, they charge 800,000, which is an insanely low fee. Nonetheless, the average miner makes 250,000 in one night, and many would prefer to cart a foreigner up the hill in a single trip - half the work for twice the cost. On the way down it is 300,000, although the closer to the bottom you get the cheaper it is. There are men all along the path hoping to catch a foreigner eager to spend some easy cash, so it’s not just at the start. 

If you are considering this, please don’t barter with them over the price, or even consider paying them more as it is strenuous work. Our local friend (an ex-miner) told us that usually only the Chinese tourists do this, but that sometimes European foreigners do too. We counted 5 on our way up (although we were well ahead of the crowds and amongst the first to leave and were ahead of the crowd for most of the trek up). We saw a lot more people take this offer up on the way down. 

**Note, these will take you to the rim of the crater. The descent into the crater and to the blue lava is very rocky and you will have to climb this part yourself. Many people do not go all the way down though as it is a challenging climb, and you have to leave early to arrive in time to see the blue lava. As soon as there is any trace of sunrise/light, the blue lava is no longer visible. 

Things to know before you go 

First - you need a health certificate to climb Kawah Ijen (more below)! 

Second - Kawah Ijen is closed on the first Friday of every month for cleaning! With so many visitors, lots of people throw their rubbish on the side of the path. So once a month the volcano is closed for a cleaning crew to come through and collect the rubbish.  You can't sneak up this night without trying to make your own way, off the path, through dense undergrowth. And if you get caught, you risk getting the local workers in trouble. Not worth it. 

Fridays and Saturday nights are the busiest nights to visit. Try plan to visit during the week. There ranges between 500 and 1000 people climbing Kawah Ijen every night. We ended up visiting on a Saturday 

The tour groups start their climb when the volcano track opens at 2am. If you want to go solo, you can hire a motorbike in town and drive to stay at a home stay closer to the volcano summit. This gives you a bit more time to sleep before you start your ascent. If you’re going solo, head to the gates at 1:30am so that you can sort your ticket and be the first group in - they do let people start climbing slightly before 2am. You can also get ahead of the crowds by leaving at this time, and ensure that you see the blue lava before the sun rises (groups that start at 2:30am and 3am often miss the blue lava, depending on hiking speeds).

Mandatory Medical Certificate (Certificat Dokta) to Climb Ijen

As of January 2024, everyone MUST have a doctors certificate (Certificat Dokta) to climb Mount Ijen. If you don't have this, you'll be deniedentry and have to wait another night. The doctor we visited told us that this is because of a man who died on the mountain. He was apparently a lecturerer at the Military University, but was old, had high blood pressure, and fainted in the crater, later sadly passing away. Since then there are certain requirements that the doctor must sign you off for. If you don't meet these requirements, you won't be able to climb: 

• Anyone who has had a heart attack

• Anyone who is over 100kg 

• Anyone who has asthma

• Anyone who has high blood pressure (if you’re unsure if this applied to you, message one of the homestays on WhatsApp and ask them for their advice, or for the contact of a local doctor who can advise)

• Pregnant women

• Babies and children under 3 years of age. 

These checks should cost 25,000-40,000 in Banyuwangi, and 50,000 if you get one at a small doctor half way up the volcano. A foreign doctors certificate or one from anywhere outside of Banyuwangi will not be accepted, as they will want to ensure that everyone climbing Kawah Ijen has been checked off by a doctor who understands the risks of climbing the volcano. 

Some places you can get the doctors’ certificate include: 

1. Yasmin Hospital
   Jl. Letkol Istiqlah No.80-84, Singonegaran, Kec. Banyuwangi, Kabupaten Banyuwangi, Jawa Timur 68415

2. Klinik Shinta
   Jl. Gajah Mada No.45, Lingkungan Mojoroto R, Mojopanggung, Kec. Giri, Kabupaten Banyuwangi, Jawa Timur 68422

3. Klinik Brawijaya
   Jl. Brawijaya No.46B, Kebalenan, Bakungan, Kec. Glagah, Kabupaten Banyuwangi, Jawa Timur 68431

4. Puskesmas Mojopanggung
   Jl. K.H. Agus Salim No.106, Lingkungan Cungking, Mojopanggung, Kec. Giri, Kabupaten Banyuwangi, Jawa Timur 68425

5. Klinik Prambanan
   Jl. Prambanan No.1, Penganjuran, Kec. Banyuwangi, Kabupaten Banyuwangi, Jawa Timur 68416

What Can You Buy At The Entrance to Kawah Ijen?

There are a few warungs that rely on the morning hikers to buy snacks and breakfast from them, and here you can buy cute “Kawah Ijen” beanies for only 25,000. I normally don’t like tourist things like this, but I was literally the only person we saw on the volcano with this beanie, and it will definitely be coming home with me. 

You can get gas masks, beanies, and torches from many of the vendors at the base of Kawah Ijen. It may be marginally cheaper to bring your own or hire them in Banyuwangi or from your homestay. You cannot hire a gas mask once you reach the crater though, so make sure you pick one up before the entrance to the hike. We got ours from our homestay for 25,000. 

The shops at the entrance to Kawah Ijen sell water, meals, hot tea (teh panas dangan susu dan gula = hot tea with sugar and milk, it’s very yummy and warms you up!). They sell beanies and gloves, and rent gas masks and torches. 

Motorbike Hire in Banyuwangi

Not every place will let you hire a motorbike to go up the volcano. It is simply not safe to drive a 100cc bike up to the summit as these roads are steep, wet, and high risk for accident if you're driving a small motorbike. There are motorbike hire places for the volcano at Banyuwangi Kota Train Station and this is the more well known and common area to find hire bikes. 

We also found a local hire place down a back alley street that had excellent. Large automatic motorbikes for 150,000-170,000, in addition to scooters for 100,000-120,000 per 24 hours. This place was great. As always, I recommend you book directly through WhatsApp and pay cash on arrival, as that way all the profits go directly to the local family without booking platforms taking a percentage. This rental place is called: 

Duta Rental Motor

+62 813 3656 9988

Can I ride to Ijen as soon as I arrive in Banyuwangi?

We read plenty of blogs from people who arrived in Banyuwangi before midnight, hired a bike, and drove straight to the top - the ride only takes 1 hour from Banyuwangi. However, the second half of the ride is a lot wetter, steeper, and during the night when all the bus loads are coming up - a lot more dangerous. We are confident riders but I wouldn’t want to do it in the night, it seems slow, stop and start, dark, wet, dangerous, and uncomfortable. Plus, the last 30 minutes was one of the most beautiful rides we’ve done in Indonesia, and it was so much nicer when we drove up to Ijen in the light because we were fully excited and could take it all in. It was still nice on the way down, but not as good as going up. You can do it if you’re a confident driver and pressed for time. However, if you’re a bit nervous, are new to riding, can count how many times you’ve ridden a bike, or have never ridden a motorbike in the dark or in the rain, we strongly recommend you just stay the night in Banyuwangi and go up the next day.

Camp Ground

Transport from Ubud to Ijen

There are a few ways to get from Ubud to Ijen. They are as follows:

SLEEPER BUS

The Sleeper Busses are the best luxury. They cost 350,000 rupiah per person (including ferry ticket) and you have seats that fully recline. On most busses, there are two seats together on the right side (great if you’re travelling with a friend) and one seat on the left side (perfect if you’re travelling solo). They have charging ports, a small reading light, air conditioning and a fan, and curtains for your seat. Surprisingly, some also have a small TV screen with some movies pre-loaded onto it, or with the possibility for you to plug in a USB into. 

The sleeper busses depart from Terminal Bus Mengwi. On Grab or Gomel, this will come up as Mengwi Badung Terminal. In February 2025, the busses depart on the hour, every hour, from 8am until 5pm. This may change though so do be prepared that you may arrive at the bus terminal and have a while to wait. 

The bus station has some limited snacks but no substantial meals. Water is sold for 10,000 for a 1.5L bottle (instead of 6,000-7500 in Ubud), so bring your snacks with you. There is an ATM nearby (a 4 minute walk outside the terminal) but it was out of order when we were here, so make sure you bring cash for your bus fare as you cannot pay by card.

The ride to Banguwangi can vary depending on the traffic out of Ubud. In general, it’s 5 hours from Mengwi to Banyuaangi, including the ferry across (30-45 minutes), although this could go up to 7 hours if the traffic is really bad. Whilst I usually love to travel local and travel on a budget, it may be very nice to be able to recline fully and sleep during the ride, especially if you’re doing the Kiawah Ijen hike that same night. 

CHICKEN BUS

If you want to travel like a local and save some cash, you can take a chicken bus. In Bali, these are simply referred to as "local bus" or NAME, but are often referred to internationally as chicken busses. You see chicken busses in most developing countries, and the name comes from the fact that locals will bring anything on them. I’ve shared seats with live chickens, goats, frogs, babies, people, pets, fruits, foods, a television, fans, and any other array of things that people may need in their day to day. The advantage of this is that you’ll save money, and if you’re extroverted, you may make some friends. If you speak any Bahasa or are trying to learn, this is a great way to converse with locals and have a unique experience that most people miss out on when in Bali. The downside is that chicken busses usually don’t have aircons, can be very hot, it will take longer as the bus stops for locals to get on and off, and people may smoke cigarettes on them. As for the animals - it’s up to you to decide whether sharing a bus with a rooster is a positive or a negative!

Chicken busses don’t operate on a strict schedule - they go when the bus is full, as it’s not worth it for the driver to take a half empty bus and use the same amount of fuel. Look for a bus that is almost full. If you find one going to Banyuwangi that is nearly empty, tell them you will walk around and maybe come back. The fuller the bus, the sooner you leave. 

SELF DRIVE MOTORBIKE

If you are going to do a self-drive motorbike, you must fit one of two categories:

1: you’re a motorbike traveller already and have been travelling Southeast Asia on your own motorbike for a few months. In that case, you’re fine, and you can organise to take your bike on the ferry when you arrive at the port for a fee of AMOUNT.

2: You are an experienced driver, own your own motorbike at home, have a full license to drive a motorbike and have an International Drivers Permit. 

If you’re not a regular motorbike rider, it’s simply not worth it. The roads are narrow and windy, it’s a long and hot drive, it will take you longer than a sleeper bus, and once you commit to starting a long trek on your own bike, you need to get it to the end point. There are one-way-hire options, but these also have a minimum 2,000,000 fee ON TOP of the motorbike hire for the bike to be freighted back to its starting point. You also must have an IDP and full license for these companies, and they will not hire to someone without an IDP. These are proper motorbikes, not scooters. 

PRIVATE TAXI

This will cost you 1,200,000-1,300,000 using Grab or Gojek. You could could potentially barter with a taxi for a slightly lower rate. I dont know why you’d want to do this though when the sleeper busses are so comfortable. You cant recline fully in a private taxi. 

Transport from Ijen to Bromo

The best way is by train. It’s the most comfortable, easiest, cheapest, and most straightforward. You can buy your ticket from Banyuwangi Kota Train Station (Banyuwangi City Train Station on Google Maps) to Probolinggo on this website: https://en.tiket.com. For more information, visit my page on Buying Train Tickets in Indonesia.

Food in Banyuwangi

**You will not find alcohol served at any restaurants in Banyuwangi. You can only buy alcohol at major foreign resorts or at large supermarkets. This is due to strict alcohol laws in Indonesia. Bali is different due to the tourism industry. Have a break, and enjoy a tea. 

Indische 1931 Banyuwangi 

A really cute local breakfast spot, albeit a bit run down. They serve breakfast for 20,000-30,000 with a mixture of local dishes or pancakes if you prefer. They also have drinks for 10,000-20,000. 

Owing Deles Cafe & Resto

A bit more upscale, expect 25,000-45,000 for a dish and 15,000-25,000 for a drink. 

Wita Resto

Great local restaurant that is not aimed towards foreigners. There are no translations of the menu, except on the mocktails page. Expect 35,000-50,000 for a meal and 15,000-25,000 for a drink, with a huge range available. 

Top Secrets of Banyuwangi & Ijen Area