Visiting the Bromo and Ijen crater is one of the popular reasons to visit Java in Indonesia. It is best to do this Bromo and Ijen tour via Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Malang, or Bali. You can expect three days full of adventures and natural wonders. Drive across the wide-stretched sea of sand at Bromo, visiting the Tumpak Sewu waterfall and Madakaripura waterfall.
Day 1 – Waterfall, Hill Farms & Savannah
The drive from Malang, Yogyakarta, or Surabaya to Cemoro Lawang (Bromo village) is a beautiful three-hour drive with a car. You will need a four-wheel-drive car since you will be climbing a lot towards Cemoro Lawang village. before entering the Cemoro Lawang Probolinggo region, you can visit the Madakaripura waterfall.
This 3-day Bromo and Ijen tour route starts in Malang, Surabaya, or Yogyakarta but can be done the other way around, starting at Ijen from Bali.
Cemoro Lawang Village is a vegetable area (farms) located on steep hills. Not many foreign tourists pass this route as it is not a well-known way to follow the Bromo and Ijen tours.
Day 2 – Sunrise at Bromo
Bedhead early on day one and set the alarm at 2:45 AM. At 3 AM, your jeep will take you up to one of the viewpoints into the Bromo volcano. Followed by visiting the actual crater and looking inside an active volcano.
On that same day, make your way towards Ijen with a stop at the second-highest waterfall in Indonesia. The Madakaripura waterfall. As water cascades from all sides, your camera will get wet. From Bromo to Ijen is a 4-hour drive.
Day 3 – Sunrise on Ijen
For your trip to the Ijen Crater Lake, you start hiking at 2 AM to experience the ‘Blue Fire’ or at 4 AM to experience the sunrise on the lake. It is a 1.5-hour walk, so make sure to leave on time not to miss one or both of the moments mentioned earlier at Ijen.
A Bromo and Ijen tour in many ways. If you are not on a super strict budget, we recommend you book a tour since it saves so much time and hassle.