Mount Batur Sunrise Hike with Natural Hot Spring from Ubud

Mount Batur: Bali's Most Climbed Volcano

Mount Batur rises to 1,717 metres in the Kintamani highlands of north-east Bali, standing inside a vast double caldera that formed in huge eruptions tens of thousands of years ago. It is still active: the last eruptions came in 1999 and 2000, and small steam vents near the summit remind you that the mountain is very much alive. The wider area is protected as the Batur UNESCO Global Geopark.

The Mount Batur sunrise trek is the most popular volcano hike on the island because it is short enough for most reasonably fit visitors. The trail climbs about 700 metres from the trailhead, first through farmland and pine, then up loose volcanic gravel. Our local guides have walked this path since childhood, set a steady pace for the group and carry torches so you can focus on your footing.

Sunrise at the Summit with Views of Mount Agung

You reach the crater rim in the dark and wait as the sky turns orange over the east of Bali. On a clear morning the cone of Mount Agung, the island's highest and most sacred peak at 3,031 metres, appears above a sea of cloud, with Mount Abang beside it and sometimes Mount Rinjani on Lombok far away. Below lies the crescent of Lake Batur, the largest crater lake in Bali.

Breakfast is served right at the top while the light changes, and guides often show how the volcanic steam is hot enough to cook eggs and bananas. Is Mount Batur worth it? For most visitors the answer is yes: few places in Bali give such a wide view in a single morning. The best time to climb Mount Batur is the dry season from April to October, when the summit is clearest.

The Crater Rim and the Black Lava Fields

After sunrise the group follows a path along the rim of the main crater, where yellow sulphur stains, warm ground and wisps of steam show the heat beneath your feet. Long-tailed macaques often wait near the viewpoints hoping for breakfast leftovers, so keep food in your bag. The rim also offers the best photos of the caldera wall and the villages scattered around the lake.

The descent takes a different line across a hill of black volcanic sand and old lava flows from the eruptions of the 1960s and 1970s. The landscape looks almost lunar, with twisted rock and young plants pushing through the cinders. Allow about two hours for the walk around the crater and the way down, which is steep and slippery in places, so good shoes matter more than speed.

Natural Hot Spring on Lake Batur

Once back at the bottom, the reward is a long soak in a natural hot spring on the shore of Lake Batur, where water warmed deep inside the volcano is collected into pools that overlook the lake and the mountain you have just climbed. The warm mineral water eases tired legs and is the perfect contrast to the cool early-morning air of the highlands.

Entry to the hot spring is included in the default option, so you only need swimwear and a towel or change of clothes. Plan on around an hour here to relax, shower and change before the drive back. Many travellers who search for a Batur hot spring visit on a separate day; on this tour it is built in right after the hike, when your muscles need it most.

Kintamani Highlands and the Coffee Plantation

Kintamani sits on the rim of the outer caldera at about 1,500 metres, a cool upland of vegetable gardens, citrus orchards and coffee farms. The area is known for its highland arabica, grown in the volcanic soil under shade trees. The great temple of Pura Ulun Danu Batur stands on this ridge after the old village and temple were moved up from the lake following the eruption of 1926.

On the way back to Ubud the tour stops at a coffee plantation, where you see coffee beans, cocoa, vanilla and spices growing, learn how the beans are roasted by hand and taste a selection of local coffees and herbal teas. It is a relaxed half hour before drop-off at your hotel, normally around 11:30 to 12:00 depending on traffic.