Sunrise Majesty at Mount Batur

Great destination! Enjoyed the open trail and peaceful outdoor atmosphere.

We arrived at the volcano expecting a short hike. At the entrance, we were told we needed to buy a ticket, and then, once we reached the base, they demanded we pay for a guide. We were told the entire hike there and back would take about 45 minutes and that we could see hot volcanic rocks at the top. In reality, things turned out to be quite different. The guide turned out to be a 15-year-old boy who spoke practically no English. He couldn't explain what was up there, where we were going, or why we were facing such a long climb. The worst part was that no one warned us about the difficulty of the hike. The path is very dangerous: the volcanic rocks are constantly crumbling and slippery underfoot; several times we almost fell, and I even twisted my ankle. We arrived in regular clothes and shoes (sneakers and Crocs) because we were told it was an easy hike. Instead of the promised 45 minutes, we climbed for over an hour and a half and didn't even reach the summit. It was getting dark, and the guide told us there was at least another hour of climbing ahead. When we decided to turn back, he initially suggested we descend the dangerous rocks on our own. Only after much persuasion did he agree to go down with us. The descent took place in complete darkness. The guide had no flashlight, no water, and no equipment of any kind. As a result, we practically had to find our way up the very dangerous slope ourselves. The views are truly beautiful, but the organization leaves much to be desired. Tourists are misled about the difficulty of the route and the climb time, they charge extra, and there's no safety whatsoever. There are no guardrails, no safety nets, no warnings, or other safety measures along the entire route. If we had been honestly told how difficult and dangerous this route was, we would never have agreed to undertake it.

A genuinely 10/10 experience with Mount Batur Sunrise Hike. The whole tour was well-organised, easy to book, and ran seamlessly — top-notch customer service from beginning to end. Every stop was wonderful and we were treated so well throughout. The standout, though, was our driver Mangkok. Clean, comfortable, air-conditioned car, and a driver who was respectful, hilarious, and completely dedicated to making sure we had a great time. He happily went out of his way for our requests, shared interesting facts about Bali, asked us about our own cultures, and even enjoyed our music with us. Truly above and beyond. If you book with Mount Batur Sunrise Hike, ask for Mangkok — you won’t regret it. Highly recommend!

I recommend the beautiful view, and it's worth coordinating with a guide so that after watching the sunrise you can walk around the summit for a while instead of just lingering at the benches. Beware of monkeys, who like to snatch things and live at the summit. It's worth wearing hiking boots; the approach is easier; the ground is rough in places and you could injure yourself.

Good