25 Best Hikes In Indonesia: Volcanoes, Waterfalls, & Jungles

No hiking is required to see the classic main viewpoint at Mount Bromo, but if you want to get up close and peek inside of the smoking crater then you need to do a bit of hiking.

The full hike to the top of the Mount Bromo crater (starting from the sea of sand) takes about 1 hour, although you can speed it up if you ride a horse partway.

The last part of the hike has to be done on foot, and it’s a short but steep climb up a concrete stairway to the top of the crater.

Once at the top of the crater, you get to look directly into a smoking volcano, complete with the nasty sulfur smell!

Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

Read More: Mount Bromo Sunrise

2. Kawah Ijen (East Java)

The volcanic crater lake at Kawah Ijen is the world’s biggest acid lake, and it’s also famous for a crazy ‘blue fire’ phenomenon where you can see hot blue flame burning like lava in the dark.

Since Mount Ijen is located at the far east end of Java, it’s pretty easy to visit from Bali and other parts of Indonesia. Most people either visit Mount Ijen on an overnight tour from Bali, or do it as a road trip combined with Mount Bromo and other epic sights in East Java.

The hike to the Kawah Ijen volcano is all dirt and fairly steep, but the path is well defined and safe. You will definitely work up a sweat because of the incline, so for people who don’t do much hiking I’d rate it as moderate.

In total, the hike to see the lake takes about 1.5 hours depending on your pace. If you walk quickly I’m sure you could do it in 1 hour, and even slow hikers won’t take more than 2 hours to reach the lake.

A tour guide is not required for the hike, although it can be helpful to have one if you want to see the Kawah Ijen blue fire, which requires a midnight start, a gas mask, and some extra hiking time to go down inside of the crater.

For those of you who plan to skip the blue fire (like we usually do), you don’t need to start at midnight, although I would still recommend you start early and try to reach the Kawah Ijen crater lake for sunrise if you want the best views and pictures.

All in all, Mount Ijen is easily one of the best hikes in Indonesia!

Difficulty: Moderate

Read More: Kawah Ijen Crater

3. Tumpak Sewu Waterfall (East Java)

The Tumpak Sewu waterfall in East Java is becoming famous as one of the most amazing waterfalls in Indonesia, or anywhere in Southeast Asia for that matter.

This thing is called a waterfall, but it’s more like a thousand waterfalls put together, which is why the name loosely translated from the local Java language means ‘many waterfalls.’

These falls thunder down into a horseshoe shaped jungle ravine that looks like something right out of Jurassic Park. The end result is an unmissable natural wonder!

After you get done admiring the falls from above, there’s a hiking path to go down and see the waterfall up close.

Head down the path for about 20 minutes to reach the bottom of the ravine. The path is mostly bamboo steps with bamboo railings, and it’s a little sketchy in spots, but nothing too terrible. Just proceed carefully.

Once you reach the bottom of the ravine, you’re only a 5-10 minute walk away from the main event at Tumpak Sewu waterfall. The towering walls on either side of the ravine let you know how tiny you are, and how epic things are about to get!

Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

Read More: Tumpak Sewu Waterfall

4. Kabut Pelangi Waterfall (East Java)

The hills and mountains in Java are full of amazing waterfalls, but one of the best is Kabut Pelangi waterfall in East Java.

This one is not quite as well known as Tumpak Sewu, but it’s at least as spectacular in my opinion, and many people visit it in conjunction with Tumpak Sewu on a day trip from Malang.

The hike to Kabut Pelangi takes about 45 minutes one way, and going back takes a bit longer because it’s a steep hillside. It’s not a very difficult track to the main waterfall, but the path can be hard to see sometimes, especially if you go during or soon after the rainy season.

We went in May and things were a little overgrown in places, and there were several stream crossings that required getting your feet wet. The path should improve as this spot becomes more popular.

In any case, Kabut Pelangi is well worth the trek. If you like waterfalls, then this is definitely one of the best hikes in Indonesia!

Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

Read More: Kabut Pelangi Waterfall

5. Sikunir Hill (Central Java)

The Dieng Plateau is a natural wonder tucked in the highlands of central Java, Indonesia, not too far from the city of Yogyakarta.

This former caldera complex has everything from active volcanoes to ancient Hindu temples, smoking sulfuric springs, multicolored lakes, fresh mountain air, sunrise views, and endless terraces covering the hills in every direction.

Dieng means ‘Abode of the Gods,’ and that name seems about right for the incredible scale and mystery of this place!

One of the main attractions of Dieng Plateau is watching the sunrise over Mount Sundoro, one of Java’s active volcanoes.

The popular spot to do this is on Sikunir Hill, at the eastern edge of the plateau. Your driver can help you find the trailhead, and the path itself is pretty easy to follow.

From the car park, it’s a steep but short hike to the top of the hill, and only takes about 30-45 minutes. Even on a foggy day, the sunrise was beautiful!

Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

Read More: Dieng Plateau

6. Stone Garden Citatah (West Java)

The Stone Garden Citatah is a popular tourist attraction in West Java where you can see a nice ‘garden’ of limestone rocks and peaks. The park can be reached in about 1 hour of driving from Bandung city.

Sadly this area is being overtaken by chalk mining factories, so it really needs better conservation. The air is even smoky and dark from the chalk factories.

There are a number of short and easy walking paths in the Stone Garden, including a bat cave called Gua Pawon, which has wild monkeys and interesting prehistoric artifacts inside.

If you really want the best views of the whole area then you have to climb Tebing Masigit, the main peak in the park. The path starts near a little shack at the entrance of the rock park.

It’s steep and very overgrown, with weeds slapping you in the face, but you can reach the top in about 30 minutes. At the very end, you’re crawling on exposed limestone karsts, so it’s dangerous.

Proceed at your own risk! This peak is so small only one or two people can sit on it at a time. The views are amazing.

Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

7. Curug Cikanteh Waterfall (West Java)

Curug Cikanteh is one of the biggest waterfalls at the Ciletuh Geopark in West Java, and it’s truly a giant.

10. Komodo Island (Komodo)

The Komodo National Park in Indonesia is famous for being home to the beastly Komodo dragons, the world’s biggest lizard. It’s the only place in the world where you can see these animals.

You’ll go ashore at one of the two main islands where the dragons live in Indonesia (Rinca or Komodo island) and do a short trek looking for dragons while accompanied by a park ranger.

The trekking path is flat and suitable for all fitness levels.

11. Padar Island (Komodo)

Even though Padar is one of the smallest islands in the Komodo National Park, this scenic viewpoint has become a famous natural landmark of Indonesia, even being featured on the 50,000 Rupiah cash note.

This place looks just like dinosaur country, with rocky hills and giant bays and beaches that stretch out in all directions. The island looks like it has a giant X shape, with three bays where you can see a white beach, black beach, and pink beach.

Each of those sand colors is pretty special in itself, but to see all of them in one place is crazy. This is probably the only place in the world where you can witness that!

The hike to the top of Padar Island is easily one of the best hikes in Indonesia, and it only takes about 20-40 minutes depending on your pace.

There’s a cobblestone path all the way to the top now, but it’s still a pretty steep and exhausting climb. Along the way, there are some viewpoints where you can stop to rest as you work your way to the top for the best view.

A tour of the Komodo islands wouldn’t be complete without doing this trek! You can visit Padar Island on a day tour, or you can spend a few days on a liveaboard boat seeing lots of islands.

The north side of Padar Island even has a pink beach with unique reddish sand that’s become another famous sight for tours in the Komodo National Park.

Difficulty: Easy

Read More: Padar Island Hike

12. Bukit Holbung (North Sumatra)

Bukit Holbung is a beautiful grassy green hill in North Sumatra where you can get panoramic views of Lake Toba from above.

A little known fact about Indonesia is that Toba is actually the biggest volcanic lake in the world, and Bukit Holbung has to be one of the best viewpoints along the outer edge of the lake!

The road to Bukit Holbung is very rough, so it’s not motorbike friendly. Better to come in a car. There’s a small entrance fee and then you’re free to roam.

Even a short 15 minute walk at Holbung gives you wonderful views without too much work, or if you’re a fit hiker you can reach the top of the hill in about 1 hour.

I love this hike. The scenery is like something from a fantasy movie — perfect green hills in all directions!

Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

13. Bukit Lawang (North Sumatra)

The sleepy little village of Bukit Lawang sits on the edge of the Gunung Leuser National Park, a big rainforest where you can go trekking and see all kinds of wonderful animals.

In two treks at Bukit Lawang we saw orangutans, gibbons, thomas leaf monkeys, long tailed macaques, monitor lizards, giant ants, a spectacular banyan tree, and other jungle sights.

Bukit Lawang is a great place to see orangutans in the wild, and even though you need to hire a local guide, it’s still pretty budget friendly.

If you want to see wildlife, a trek at Bukit Lawang is hands down one of the best hikes in Indonesia.

The jungle trekking difficulty at Bukit Lawang is not too bad, but it’s harder than I expected. This isn’t like Tangkoko National Park where you can walk on flat ground all the way and burn minimal calories while enjoying the wildlife.

There are some steep hill sections at Lawang where your legs will get a big workout, and the ground can be muddy and nasty sometimes with thorns and leeches. The daytime humidity can also be crazy.

Don’t let this scare you away! It all adds to the experience. If you don’t think your fitness level is there, I’d recommend doing the 1 day trek instead of 2 days. You’ll still most likely see orangutans!

Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

Read More: Bukit Lawang Trekking

14. Sipiso Piso Waterfall (North Sumatra)

The Sipiso Piso waterfall is a 120 meter (400 foot) giant that flows into the famous Lake Toba in North Sumatra, surrounded by farms and highland scenery.

It definitely belongs on any road trip itinerary for Lake Toba or Sumatra, and you can even visit it on a day trip from Medan city.

You get nice panoramic views from the parking lot, but the hike down to the bottom of the falls is also worthwhile if you have time.

Hiking to Sipiso Piso waterfall only takes about 30-40 minutes each way, and you can get some even better pictures at the bottom. The path is pretty worn, but still mostly paved.

There are a bunch of scenic viewpoints along the way to Sipiso, but the most amazing thing is to see the waterfall up close.

You can walk directly to the edge of the falls, where there’s a huge amount of wind and spray!

Difficulty: Easy

Read More: Sipiso Piso Waterfall Hike

15. Batu Baginda (Belitung)

The Batu Baginda hike may be one of the shortest trails I’ve done in Sumatra, but it’s still one of the best hikes in Indonesia.

The views are so extraordinary. This hike on Belitung island takes you to the top of an incredibly massive granite boulder overlooking the jungle.

The views from the top are nice, but if you have a drone that’s even better, because you can take some aerial selfies to see how tiny you look on top of the boulders!

The hike to the top of the Baginda rock is short, but steep. If you keep a good pace, it only takes about 15 minutes or so.

Once you reach the rock, there’s a ladder and rope to climb. It looks scary at first, but it’s actually not hard to manage.

At the top, there’s a nice breeze and you have views of the mountains to the north, the Java Sea to the south, lots of jungles and palm oil plantations below, and another giant rock in the distance!

Difficulty: Easy

Read More: Batu Baginda Hike

16. Balancing Rock (Belitung)

This is another short and easy hike in Belitung island where you can see some giant granite boulders.

The balancing rock is not too far from Belitung’s popular Tanjung Tinggi Beach, so it’s easy to combine with other sights on the island.

From the road, it’s just a short 10 minute hike to reach the rock, and at the top you get nice views of the surrounding countryside too.

This boulder is massive, and great for pictures from pretty much any angle!

Difficulty: Easy

Read More: Belitung Island

17. Mount Karangetang (Siau)

Gunung Karangetang is a beautiful Jurassic Park-looking volcano that dominates the island of Siau in North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

You can’t go anywhere on tiny Siau island without seeing this majestic volcano and its twin smoking craters. If you’re lucky, you may even get to see it spouting molten lava and rock bombs at night, which it does pretty often.

Karangetang is a highly active volcano — probably one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The local guides are knowledgeable and any seismic activity is monitored by the Indonesian government, but there is still plenty of risk involved in climbing this mountain.

You can climb to the top of Karangetang if you’re feeling extra crazy, but to be safe most people only hike partway up the mountain and peep at the smoking craters from a distance (and even that’s a bit risky).

Climbing any volcano in Indonesia carries some danger obviously, but this one is unusually active, so proceed at your own risk.

When I hiked Karangetang in 2021, no one had done the climb recently because of the lack of tourists during the pandemic, so the jungle was extremely overgrown and the guides had to hack through it with machetes.

We started our hike in the early morning and it took about 2.5 hours going up. For safety reasons we didn’t go to the top of the summit, but instead stopped at a vantage point below it where I could fly my drone up and look at the summit safely.

The sunrise on Karangetang was amazing, and so were the drone pictures! It was one of my favorite experiences in Sulawesi, and that’s why I rate it as one of the best hikes in Indonesia.

Difficulty: Moderate / Hard

18. Tangkoko National Park (North Sulawesi)

This park covers more than 8,700 hectares (21,000 acres) of fantastic jungle, and there are hundreds of unique animal species living in the area. It’s a great place for jungle trekking in Indonesia.

The best part about the Tangkoko Nature Reserve is that it’s super easy to visit on a budget, and wildlife sightings are practically guaranteed. This park is a 1 hour drive from Manado.

The only way to explore Tangkoko park is on a guided walking tour that lasts about 4 hours. Hiring a guide is required for this, but any hotel or lodge at Tangkoko can easily arrange a guide for you.

The jungle walk is pretty straightforward and not strenuous at all. It follows a flat path through the jungle that is mostly paved at first, and then at times cuts through the trees on a dirt path.

I spent two days exploring the park, and in total I saw at least 50 black Sulawesi macaques, rare birds (kingfishers, owls, and hornbills), lizards, snakes, cicadas, tarsiers, and more!

Difficulty: Easy

Read More: Tangkoko National Park

19. Mount Lokon (North Sulawesi)

Mount Lokon is an active volcano crater in Tomohon, about 1 hour of driving from the main city of Manado in North Sulawesi.

You can reach the crater at the top of the mountain after about 60-90 minutes of uphill hiking, so it’s not too difficult, although a guide can still be helpful for navigation.

For most of the hike, you’ll be walking through an old lava flow that looks pretty neat but can be slick when it’s wet. We’ve gotten rained on every time we’ve climbed Lokon.

Overall, it’s a great hike to do in North Sulawesi, and it’s one of the easier volcano hikes in Indonesia!

Difficulty: Moderate

20. Rammang Rammang Village (South Sulawesi)

Rammang Rammang Maros is a special village in the karst mountains of South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

The scenery at this place is really mind blowing. Watch out for dinosaurs. You never know what you might see here.

This is one of the biggest karst areas in the world, right behind the Tsingy area in Madagascar and Shilin in China.

The best way to explore Rammang is on foot and by traditional boat. There are walking paths that you can use to reach all of the main objects of interest, and the trails are pretty flat. The only challenge is the midday heat, which can be pretty intense.

You can see many of the highlights of the Rammang area in one full day trip from Makassar city, but if you want to see everything you’ll need a couple days.

It’s a spectacular area where you can see karst mountains, prehistoric cave art, a green lake, and a sparkling limestone cave. This village trek is one of the best hikes in Indonesia.

Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

Read More: Rammang Rammang

21. Mount Batur (Bali)

Mount Batur in Bali is probably the most popular hike in Indonesia, at least for international tourists. The views honestly aren’t near as amazing as some of the other volcano hikes in Indonesia, but it’s still a very nice trek.

One of the great things about the Batur volcano hike is that it’s not very hard and you don’t need to be super fit to do it. The entire hike takes about 2 to 4 hours roundtrip, depending on your pace.

At the top of the volcano, you can see lots of cheeky monkeys and even cook eggs for breakfast by using heat vents from the active volcano.

Lots of tour packages for Mount Batur are available that include hotel pickup and dropoff, plus a guide for the trip.

The locals in Kintamani actually force you to hire a guide for this hike, even though it’s not really necessary at all. There are ways you can do it without a guide if you’re feeling sneaky and know the right route.

Sunrise trekking is especially popular at Batur because you can catch amazing views of the sunrise from the top of the mountain, usually in a sea of orange clouds.

All in all, Batur is a great introduction to volcano hiking before you start doing some of the bigger volcanoes of Indonesia!

Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

Read More: Mount Batur Hike

22. Mount Agung (Bali)

Mount Agung is the biggest and baddest volcano on the island of Bali, Indonesia, and the hike to the top is no joke.

This mountain is the highest point in Bali, and at 3,142 meters it’s also one of the top 100 prominent peaks on earth. No matter where you start, this is a very strenuous hike with at least 1,500 meters of elevation gain. Your legs will be jello.

At the top, you get to stand on the edge of the crater rim and look straight down into a huge smoking 900-meter-wide active volcano crater.

Sunrise tours at Agung start with a very early pickup (maybe 11 PM-ish) so your guide can drive you to the trailhead for a hike to the top of the volcano in time for sunrise.

This means you’ll be operating on very light sleep (if any at all), compounding the difficulty of the whole trek. Ever tried staying up all night while hiking for 8-12 hours on an extremely steep, rocky volcano in the dark? Chances are, probably not.

The last part of the hike involves scrambling up on all fours. This is the hardest part, and some spots are steep enough to be dangerous if you’re not careful, especially since you’re hiking in the dark. A good headlight and guide are essential here.

I’ll never forget the first time I climbed Agung: I was clinging to the side of a steep volcano alone in the dark, half asleep and beat to pieces, when the sky turned orange and I realized I was high above the clouds. It was a really special moment.

This is definitely my favorite hike in Bali, and it’s also one of the best hikes in Indonesia.

Difficulty: Hard

Read More: Mount Agung Hike

23. Sekumpul Waterfall (Bali)

Sekumpul waterfall is a big twin waterfall in north Bali, with two 80 meter tall (260 foot) streams pouring out of the jungle treetops.

If you’re looking for the biggest and best waterfall in Bali, this is probably it! To top it off, you get to see some of the most scenic jungles and rice terraces on the island as you hike to the falls.

The locals in this village will try to make you hire an expensive guide to go see the falls, but it’s not necessary at all unless you just want someone to take pictures for you (they’re happy to do that if so).

I wrote a dedicated blog post for Sekumpul waterfall that explains how to do the hike without hiring a local guide.

The hike to Sekumpul waterfall is pretty straightforward, although the steep path up and down is a big workout. It takes about 30-60 minutes to get there, depending on where you start.

Before you even start the hike, you’ll be taking dozens of pictures. The views in north Bali are incredible — steep green mountains and rice terraces in all directions!

There are no less than 7 waterfalls to see in the Sekumpul area, so it’s one of the best hikes in Indonesia if you like waterfalls!

Difficulty: Easy / Moderate

Read More: Sekumpul Waterfall Hike

24. Kelingking Beach (Bali)

The Kelingking Cliff in Nusa Penida island is easily one of the most famous views anywhere in Bali. If you’re staying in Bali, you should definitely go see it!

It’s possible to visit Kelingking on a day trip from Bali, or you can spend several days seeing all of the other amazing sights in Nusa Penida island, which is located near Bali.

After you’re done staring in awe at the Kelingking Cliff, there’s also a sketchy path with stairs to hike down to the pristine white sand beach at the bottom.

The Kelingking beach hike is a major workout and takes at least 2 hours roundtrip. The stairs are very steep and the drop-offs are a legit safety risk if you aren’t careful. Be safe and have fun!

Difficulty: Moderate

Read More: Kelingking Beach Hike

25. Mount Rinjani (Lombok)

Of course I can’t make a list of the best hikes in Indonesia without mentioning Mount Rinjani in Lombok!

This is an epic Indonesia volcano hike with a bunch of different trekking routes. There’s lots of elevation gain and it’s a very strenuous hike, no matter how you slice it.

A local guide is required, and they can also help carry your gear up the mountain for you. Trekking packages can be as short as 2 days, or as long as 5 days. The sweet spot is probably a 3 day trek, which allows you to see and do plenty.

On this trek, you get to climb to the summit of the Rinjani volcano, and then camp at the quiet lake inside of the crater!

Difficulty: Hard