In this quick guide, you’ll find useful info on exploring the beautiful Mount Bromo in Java – Indonesia, and take amazing pictures of the crater.
Mount Bromo is simply one of the most beautiful and unreal places on earth; there isn’t any other way to put it.
Whether you are a photographer or a selfie enthusiast, witnessing the sun slowly rising over the crater will surely be a scene you will remember for a long time. It’s not just about the volcano itself but the entire tableau—the vast Sea of Sand, the play of light and shadow at dawn, and the human element of the Tengger people who have called this harsh yet beautiful land home for centuries. Mount Semeru is in the background, regularly spitting a cloud of smoke. Everything is just perfect.
Well, almost everything, because as you can expect, since this place is so amazing, you’ll not be the only person there. This is possibly the most touristy place I’ve ever visited, and I have been all over China, where the density of tourists is crazy.
Here are some quick facts about Mount Bromo:
- Location: Mount Bromo is located in East Java, Indonesia, within the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.
- Height: It is approximately 2,329 meters (7,641 feet) above sea level.
- Active Volcano: Mount Bromo is an active volcano in the Pacific Ring of Fire.
- Interesting Fact: There are no sources of water on the mountain, and people depend on water being brought there daily. Also, I was told that real estate properties cannot be sold or purchased; they can only be passed on to other family members.
- Cultural Significance: The Tenggerese people hold Mount Bromo sacred, and an annual ceremony called Yadnya Kasada is held, during which offerings are thrown into the volcano to appease the gods.
Best Time to Visit
The dry season, spanning from April to October, is generally considered the best time to visit, with the peak season being around July/August. During these months, the skies are clearer, offering better chances for those epic sunrise shots that Bromo is famous for. Mount Bromo is open all year round except for some holidays when it closes for religious purposes. So you better check ahead so that your trip doesn’t happen on those specific days.
The downside of visiting during July/August is that they are also the most crowded, and everything is more expensive. But the upside is that if you’re after that iconic shot of Bromo shrouded in mist, the cooler temperatures during these months often create an ethereal fog that swirls around the volcano’s base, perfect for creating moody, atmospheric images.
How to Get to Bromo
Most people start their trip to Bromo from Surabaya, East Java’s capital city. Remember to book your flight with Trip.com to enjoy up to two free VIP Airport Lounges per year.
A second option is coming from Malang (which is what I did).
- The DIY Approach: Rent a car and drive yourself. It’s a 4-5 hour journey through winding mountain roads.
- The Local Experience: Take a bus from Surabaya to Probolinggo, then switch to a minibus to Cemoro Lawang (the town next to the Bromo crater). This option is budget-friendly but also the slowest.
- The Comfortable Choice: Hire a private car with a driver. This was my go-to option. It’s more expensive, but the convenience and ability to stop whenever I want to take a picture without stressing about driving is priceless. The price for a driver varies greatly depending on the month, with pricing per day starting at around 40$.
If you arrive from Malang, don’t forget to visit the Rainbow Village, located very close to the train station.
Whichever route you choose, have your camera ready. The journey to Bromo offers many photographic opportunities, from misty rice terraces to colorful roadside warungs (small family-owned businesses).
Where to stay and for How Long
The village near the crater is called Cemoro Lawang, and that is where you want to stay for the night. There are a few homestays available online, which you can check here, but the quality of the option is, on average, quite low.
Your driver might recommend a few other places that are not listed on any booking website and they will not be much better than what you can find online.
Cemoro Lawang lies at an elevation of about 2200 meters. This means that it can get quite cold during the night, and most guest houses don’t have a heating system or hot water. Remember this when you pack your luggage, especially if you want to stay in a cheap place.
Most people stay only one night in Bromo, and that is enough to see one sunrise and then move on to the next location. I stayed a bit longer to photograph the sunrise from two different viewpoints.
How does the Bromo Excursion Work?
You will most likely stay in the village that you can see on the far left of the picture above (Cemoro Lawang). To visit the Crater, you have to join an organized tour unless you want to hike by yourself for hours. Normally, the tour will leave your hotel between 2:00 am and 3:00 am. You can book the tour the day before, directly with your guesthouse.
A driver of one of the over 1000 Jeeps will pick you up. There are up to 8 people per Jeep + the driver, so 9 people in total. The car will cross the crater, drive next to Mount Bromo, and then head outside the crater on the other side of the mountain to get to one of the many viewpoints. The most popular is called King Kong Hill.
There will most likely be a traffic jam, yes, even at 3:30 at night, and you’ll have to walk to the viewpoint for the last few hundred meters by yourself. Be ready to be surrounded by thousands of people.
There are several viewpoints, but they all share the same perspective: the volcano’s crater with Mount Semeru in the far background. The only difference between the many viewpoints is the number of people. Some are less crowded than others.
After seeing the sunrise, you’ll be rushed to head back to the car, which will take you down to the crater, from where you can start hiking Mount Bromo.
The hike takes about 30 minutes, and you’ll find yourself walking right on the volcano’s edge. It’s an incredible experience, especially if you have never done anything like this. You will literally hear the volcano roaring under your feet.
Photography Tips to capture the beauty of Mount Bromo
If the weather is right, it’s impossible to take ugly pictures. The place is otherwordly, and there is one main composition if you stand on the main viewpoint.
I decided to do a second sunrise directly on the top of Mount Bromo rather than from the viewpoint. I don’t recommend this unless you have already seen one sunrise from the famous viewpoints.
If you stand on Mount Bromo, you will not have a view of the crater, and that’s why I recommend seeing the sunrise from the famous viewpoint and only seeing a second sunrise if you have time. The upside of this option is that there will barely be anyone.
If you decide to stay in the Cemoro Lawang village and see the sunrise from there, you won’t have the best perspective since Semeru won’t be located behind Mount Bromo.
I recommend a wide-angle lens and a medium telephoto lens for compressing distant volcanoes or capturing details of the crater. But you’ll have way more creative options if you have a drone. This is one of those places where the perspective is quite forced unless you have the freedom to move far away, something only a drone allows you to do.
There are a few other less-known viewpoints scattered around the crater, with the highest being located over 3000 meters above sea level, but I recommend asking some locals exactly how to get there. I’m not sure if it’s worth the effort to go there, especially if you have a drone. The only main advantage is that you’ll probably be alone without tourists.
Right next to Cemoro Lawang, there is a small temple with a nice viewpoint called Seruni Point, which is more popular among locals. To get there, you won’t need to cross the crater, so it’s much faster.
Before visiting Bromo, I wondered why I couldn’t find any really good sunset pictures. That’s due to the mountain’s particular geographical location. Most days, around the late afternoon, mist comes up from the valley and fills the crater, reducing visibility. This gives a good opportunity to capture some spectacular aerial images, but it also means that visibility inside the crater is really limited, and that’s why sunrise is a much better option.
I noticed that this is the case in all the places I visited in Java. The mornings are incredibly beautiful, with a nice mist rising from the fields, and most sunsets are quite hazy and generally not well suited for landscape photography.
Since Java is located close to the equator, you will have to wake up very early every day to take good pictures. But I can guarantee you that it will be well worth the effort.
Final thoughts about Mount Bromo
Bromo is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. No picture can render justice to the magic atmosphere of a volcano roaring under your feet as the sun rises over the horizon.
I can’t stress enough that this is NOT an off-the-beaten-path place. There will be thousands of people near you, most of whom won’t be able to admire the sunrise in silence. That’s, unfortunately, the sad reality of most famous places. Don’t let this deter you from visiting Bromo at least once in your life. It will be well worth the effort, I can guarantee you that.
If you found this guide useful or have more questions, please let me know in the comment section. I appreciate your feedback. Here you can find some more pictures I took in Java and Bali. Here my travel guide to Jordan. Here’s my travel guide to Seoul.
