A Mount Rinjani hiking trip is not for the unfit, for casual walkers, or for those with a cavalier attitude. It’s a major undertaking that will challenge you, take you out of your comfort zone and test your strength and fitness. But if you’re ready for it in mind and body, then it’s an epic experience.
The hike up to the top is grueling if you’re not an experienced mountaineer. It starts with a climb of 1485m to the Samalas crater. Most of that elevation occurs in the steep final four kilometres, which take about four hours to hike – one kilometre an hour. There is hardly any trail maintenance, and the route is sandy and slippery. To push for the top in time for sunrise, you get up in the middle of the night. There’s another 1000 metres to climb, and the trail is on slippery loose scree. It’s freezing cold.
The steep slippery trails are hard on the descent as well, jarring your knees and putting your tired body on the line in a downhill trek that goes on for hours. If you’re not an experienced super-fit mountaineer, the trip will exhaust you.
So why do it? The simple answer is because it will be an amazing, unforgettable experience. When you get to the Somalas caldera the rock and black soil of the mountain climb give way to a beautiful, wide, verdant green and purple valley with a shimmering turquoise lake, a lost world above the clouds. But rising out of the lake is a menacing, sulphurous cone, steaming and smoking, an active volcano that could erupt any time. All around you the vistas stretch away to the far horizon. And at night, far away from the lights of civilisation, the black sky is thick with more stars that you have ever seen before, and the Milky Way is dramatically beautiful.
Mount Rinjani guided tours
Hiking Mount Rinjani without a guide is not allowed by the authorities. Technically you could get away with doing so, but the trails are steep and slippery with the potential for falling, and you would be on your own without help if you got into trouble. Going with an established tour package is the only sensible option.
There are two main established entry points to Mount Rinjani National Park and the trails to the summit, Senaru Village and Sembalun. Recently two other places have set themselves up as lesser-known and less-frequented entry points, Aik Berik village and the Torean valley. Most people will want to use the main established routes, as they have the best set-up, the most experienced guides and the best-equipped tour packages.
The Torean valley however has some of the best scenery. It’s a deep mountain valley between steep slopes down which a river runs, cascading over a series of waterfalls (Penimbungan Waterfall is the most scenic). The hike is overall less steep but longer in distance than the other two hikes. Half-way between Senaru and Sembalun to the north of the island, the Torean route is a less-developed but dramatic way to go. It has traditionally been the route taken by pilgrims ascending on full moon nights to pray at the Crater Lake, but has now been opened up to tourism. It is also used as a back-up descent route should the steep sandy slope down to Sembalun become problematic in bad weather.
Tour packages can range in price from $80 to $450. It is strongly recommended that you do not take one of the cheap options (often touted from roadside stalls on the Gili Islands as well as on Lombok). They are ill-equipped, unprofessional, unsafe, and accustomed to leaving trash on the mountain. The more expensive options have certified guides with safety training, full cooking facilities, and the tours are equipped with such luxuries as toilet tents, without which you will spend two nights and days relieving yourself in whatever undergrowth you can find. These professional tour operators ensure that all trash is taken back down the mountain.
You can book two, three and four day hikes. The two day option, from base to top and back down again in 32 hours, is a hard, bruising push for super-fit experienced mountaineers. Most people will do best to spend two nights on the mountain, allowing time for rest. Sembalun is 500 metres higher up the mountain than Senaru, so the uphill slog is shorter if you start from there. Expect to pay on average around $210 for the 2 day / 1 night package with a professional operator and $380 for the 4 day / 3 night package, with the most-chosen 3-day package somewhere in between.
The hike is in two distinct parts, and you don’t need to do both. The experience of visiting Sembalas Caldera, the Crater Lake, the active volcanic cone, and the amazing sunset and sunrise, is an unforgettable one without needing to do the hard, steep night-time push to the summit. Many people, especially the less experienced and less mountain-fit, opt for the crater hike only. The caldera is home to several hot springs, making it an amazing place to go swimming. But for those who are happy to be dragged out of their sleeping bags at 2 am to go on the cold, dark, steep hike to the very top, the experience of sunrise at the top of the world is amazing.
Whatever hiking tour you pick, if you book with a professional company you will get looked after with full bed and board. Every time you stop for a meal, from lunch half way up the mountain on day one, the porters will set up full camp kitchens and cook big traditional Indonesian meals: fried vegetables and meat with as much rice as you can eat, and huge plates of fruit.
The porters will also carry tents and bedding up to the top, including freshly-laundered sleeping bags and pillows. Each porter carries 40 kilograms of gear with the sole intention of making you comfortable and well-fed, so please do make sure that you tip them generously at the end of the trip.
The best tour operators include the following in their hiking packages:
- Transportation from anywhere on Lombok
- Hotel stay in Sembalun or Senbaru the night before the hike
- Rinjani National Park Entry Permit
- One licensed, experienced English-speaking guide
- One porter per person
- Full cooked meals and drinking water
- Tent, sleeping bag and pillow
- A toilet tent
Rinjani Dawn Adventures were Luxury Travel Guide’s Adventure Tour Operator of the Year 2019/20. Not only do they provide all the above, but they also organise rubbish collections from the mountain, and support the local community with the Sasak Warriors charity.
Hajar Trekking is a smaller, local outfit that is also strongly recommended. Hajar grew up in Senbaru, knows every inch of the mountain, and is professional and patient, prioritising the safety and comfort of his clients.
Green Rinjani offer all three main routes, Senaru, Sembalun and Torean, including a tour that starts with the main Sembalun to the Crater and Summit route (see below) but then returns via the scenic Torean valley. Green Rinjani are dedicated to sustainable ecotourism, and are committed not just to leaving no footprint on the mountain but to remove that of people without such commitments. To acieve this each porter take a sack and collects rubbish for removal from the mountain with every trip.
Halomi Trekker and Jou Trekking are other recommended local companies.
Whoever you choose to go with, there will always be formalities to go through when entering the National Park. You will need to undergo a medical check-up, then register and sign in at the Geopark Office before going to the official hiking entry point. Your guide will help with these formalities, and you will be able to use the toilet before setting out – the last time with a real toilet until you return.
Rinjani Hiking Packages
There are several options to choose from, depending on whether you want to do a two, three or four day trek, whether you want to just go to the crater lake or whether you want to push on for the more strenuous and difficult summit climb, and which of Senaru and Sembalun you want to start and finish at.
2 Day / 1 Night Samalas Crater Rim Hike
Day 1: Senaru to Samalas Crater Rim, overnight camping at the Crater Rim.
Day 2: Samalas Crater Rim back down to Senaru.
This hike starts in Senaru Village, from where you climb all the way up to the Crater Rim, which is a long hike from Senaru, arriving in time for the sunset views. You sleep there overnight, get up for the sunrise, then go back down to Senaru. There is no summitting of Mount Rinjani with this option.
Elevation Gain: 2,040 metres from 601m to 2,641m. Hiking distance 20 km.
The hike starts at The Rinjani Trek Centre, which is located at the top of Senaru village at the trailhead. The centre has tourist information about the Rinjani Trek, the National Park, Sasak culture and ecotourism activities available. National Park entry fees are paid here, registration and sign-in are completed, and all porters have to be hired from the Senaru Porters Group based in the Rinjani Trek Centre.
The hike is a full day ascent starting early and arriving in the late afternoon, around nine and a half hours’ duration. Most of the ascent takes place within the forest so for the majority of the day you will not see any views, but you will be immersed in the natural world which here is full of monkeys. There are three scheduled stops along the way, established positions with cooking facilities, seats and basic toilet cubicles referred to as “Pos One”, “Pos Two” and “Pos Three”, where you can take on water and on eat – Pos Two is for lunch, where your guides and porters will prepare a meal.
The first section of the hike is through tropical rainforest. Here you can listen out for the rare and shy lutung. Between Pos Two and Pos Three you can enter cloud and mist, at which point the trek will become wet and muddy. It can rain during this section of the ascent.
In the afternoon you will reach the treeline, the forest will end to be replaced by dusty savannah, and the wonderful views begin. The trek becomes ever steeper, at a 45 degree angle, and inexperienced hikers may find themselves clambering over rocks on all fours.
Depending on the overall fitness level of the group you will arrive at the crater rim one to two hours before sunset. From here looking west you will be able to see as far as Mount Agung on Bali on the horizon, with the Gili Islands and the Lombok Strait in between. To the east is the Crater Lake and Rinjani Peak. In the afternoons there is often a layer of cloud over the tropical forest below, so you may not see the Gili Islands yet.
As you enjoy the views your guides and porters will set up camp and prepare dinner. After sunset everyone turns in, to be woken just before daybreak to enjoy the beautiful sunrise. This is the time for the best views, as there are no clouds yet and the view is clear all around the mountain, including down to the Gili Islands.
Once the sun is fully up your guides will prepare breakfast. Then you will begin the hike back down, which takes around six hours, with fewer rest stops than on the way up, but always with a stop for lunch.
2 Day / 1 Night Summit Hike
The quickest there-and-back hike starts at Sembalun.
Day 1: Sembalun to Samalas Crater Rim, overnight camping at the Crater Rim.
Day 2: Samalas Crater Rim to Rinjani Summit; then all the way back down to Sembalun.
Elevation Gain: 2,570 metres from 1,156m to 3,726m. First day hike a gain of 1,485m, the following morning a gain of 1,085m. Hiking distance 32 km.
Starting early in Sembalun, you will climb all day through the forest trails on the east side of the mountain until you pass the tree line and see the views to the south and east. There are four official rest stops on this route, Pos One to Pos Four.
You will arrive in time to see the sunset at the crater rim before getting an early night. You will be woken very early – half past two in the morning, to make the summit push guided by flashlights. The climb takes around three hours, arriving at daybreak. From there you will get a full 360-degree panorama of the whole of Lombok Island, the surrounding sea, Bali to the west and Sumbawa to the east.
When the sun is fully up and all photos have been taken, you will make the descent down to the summit camp, where you can rest and eat brunch. When everyone is rested and ready you will hike back down to Sembalun.
3 Day / 2 Night Rinjani Summit Hike
Day 1: Sembalun to Samalas Crater Rim, overnight camping at the Crater Rim.
Day 2: Samalas Crater Rim to Rinjani Summit for sunrise, then back down to Samalas Crater Rim, down into the caldera to visit the Crater Lake, then back up for overnight camping at the Crater Rim.
Day 3: Samalas Crater Rim to Senaru Village.
This is the standard route for those that want to summit Mount Rinjani and enjoy spending time on the mountain. The hike starts at Sembalun because it’s higher up the mountain and the trek to the summit isn’t as taxing as it is from Senaru. Then on the third day you hike back down a different route to the ascent, ending in Senaru. For those not planning to stay long exploring the area, this is a great option because it enables you to visit both Sembalun and Senaru during your trip.
Day One and early morning Day Two are the same as the 2 Day / 1 Night Summit Hike, following the trail from Sembalun. However, after resting when back down at the crater rim, you will go down into the caldera to the crater lake, where you will have lunch. The descent is very steep, but there are steps and a handrail. You will later hike up to the opposite rim of the crater for a second night’s camping. In the morning you will hike down to Senaru, using the same trail as the 2 Day / 1 Night Samalas Crater Rim Hike. The full hiking distance is 36 km.
4 Day / 3 Night Rinjani Summit Hike
Day 1: Sembalun to Samalas Crater Rim, overnight camping at the Crater Rim.
Day 2: Samalas Crater Rim to Rinjani Summit for sunrise, then back down to Samalas Crater Rim, down into the caldera to visit the Crater Lake, overnight camping at the Crater Lake.
Day 3: Crater Lake to Samalas Crater Rim, overnight camping at the Crater Rim.
Day 4: Samalas Crater Rim to Senaru.
This option allows you to spend time in Samalas caldera, enjoying the Crater Lake, the Hot Springs, swimming and taking in the views and the experience. It is also good for the less experienced and fit hikers who can rest in the caldera for a day after hiking up and before going all the way down to Senaru. The hike is essentially the same as the 3 Day / 2 Night Rinjani Summit Hike, but with a night camping inside the caldera added.
Important notes about hiking on Rinjani
- The mountain is closed to hiking from January the 1st to March the 31st. This is partly because it is unsafe to climb in the rainy season, and partly to help the areas frequented by hundreds of tourists to recover any damaged parts of their ecosystem. Hiking restarts in April, but check with hiking tour operators first if you want to go in early April.
- April and May are great months to go because the island is lush and verdant after the rainy season, and the scenery is beautifully green. Lombok dries out to savannah conditions during the dry season.
- You are not allowed to hike Mount Rinjani on your own. You must have a certified guide.
- A maximum of 300 people can start their hikes on the mountain each day, 150 from Senaru and 150 from Sembalun. This is to avoid overcrowding on the trail routes and the campsites. This means that it is always wise to book in advance.
- All guided hikes start early, to enable safe arrival at the Crater Rim by sunrise. It is advisable to stay the night close to the start point of the hike. The more professional tour companies will arrange this for you when you book.
- Your guides and porters will bring and set up tents for you, so you don’t need to bring your own tent. But you need to make sure you bring everything else with you (see the list below).
- It’s cold at night up on top of the mountain! Bring cold-weather clothes with you. Fair weather is never guaranteed, even in the height of the dry season, so always check in advance before starting your hike, and bring wet weather clothing such as a cagoule.
- It is strongly recommended to take out travel insurance that covers multi-day hiking and mountaineering. You are given a very basic level of cover with your Mount Rinjani National Park entrance ticket, but this only covers being carried back down the mountain by the porters if you are injured. There is no helicopter mountain rescue service on Mount Rinjani.
- Be as careful on the way down as on the way up. Just because the porters do the whole thing up and down carrying heavy loads while wearing flip-flops doesn’t make it safe for you to do that.
- Hike at your own pace. Don’t worry if more experienced people stride off ahead of you. Go at the speed you are comfortable with. Your porter will stay with you.
- Be happy with not summiting. The Samalas crater is a wonderful experience, so if you planned to push for the top but find you just can’t do it, be OK with that.
Safety
Mount Rinjani is a relatively safe mountain, but still requires care and safe practice. Not too long ago a man fell to his death taking a selfie on the summit. The hike from the crater up to the top takes place in darkness along a steep slippery trail that contains several places where you could fall. You will do this having woken up from not very much sleep in a tent in the cold on the crater rim. It’s important to stick close to the guides and do what they say.
If you are not experienced on mountains there is the potential for altitude sickness, which can kick in above 2,500 metres. There have only been a few cases of sickness reported by the National Park authority, and no known hospitalisations, but it can occur, especially if you are unfit and inexperienced. If so, it’s good to get some mountain hiking practice in before attempting Mount Rinjani’s summit.
What to pack and wear for Mount Rinjani
There is a severe gradient in temperature and conditions from bottom to top. The foot of the mountain will be 30 degree savannah, while at the top it will be 5 degrees or below and windy. Start the hike in hot weather clothing but pack for cold weather and the possibility of rain.
Take as little as you can. You will feel every extra gramme! But make sure you have the following:
- A good backpack.
- Good quality hiking boots.
- Warm clothes for the top including a thermal jacket and long trousers, a woolly hat and gloves.
- A light waterproof jacket or cagoule.
- Swimwear if camping by the lake and thermal springs (the three or four-day package).
- Toiletries including wet-wipes and hand sanitiser.
- Biodegradable toilet paper suitable for leaving on the mountain.
- A first aid kit including plasters.
- Lip balm.
- Insect repellent.
- A dust mask for the sandy slopes in dry weather.
- A small towel to wipe away sweat on the climb.
- A head torch if doing the night-time push to the summit.
- A camera and lots of battery power. Use a powerbank. The last thing you want is to run out of the ability to take photographs.
- Request trekking poles from the tour company. They are invaluable not just going up (especially the steep, sandy final summit climb) but also for the slippery sandy slopes on the downward trek.
- A rubbish bag and a sanitary bag. Leave nothing behind.
Top tip: put plasters on your heels, big toes and little toes before you set out. This will save you pain and discomfort later on.
