Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo
Last updated: October 4, 2013
There is no cheap and easy way.
Many people like to travel overland from Jakarta to Bali, with stops at Yogyakarta and Mt Bromo.
View Ways to Mt Bromo in a larger map
Mt Bromo is the most well-known and widely-visited of Indonesia’s 129 active volcanoes, due to its relatively easy access and proximity to airports in Surabaya, Malang and Bali. There are also train services from Surabaya and Bali (Banyuwangi) to the nearest station: Probolinggo.
Unfortunately, travelling from Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo is more difficult.
The only direct train is an economy class service that – unlike business and executive class trains – cannot be booked in advance and arrives in Probolinggo too late to get a connecting bus to Mt Bromo. Bus services reportedly finish each day around 16:00.
The three trains from Yogyakarta to Malang are all overnight trains. As explained here, Indonesian trains don’t have beds/sleepers/couchettes. This route is therefore not recommended for light sleepers, especially the night before a 03:30 start for the Mt Bromo sunrise.
Also, the three trains that operate each day from Yogyakarta to Surabaya do not connect with a suitable train to Probolinggo that arrives early enough to get a connecting bus to Mt Bromo.
There is no cheap and easy way from Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo, so here are some suggestions to maximise comfort or minimise cost.
1. FLY TO SURABAYA, TAXI TO SIDOARJO, TRAIN TO PROBOLINGGO
Cheap? NO Comfortable? YES
You can take the 06:00 flight to Surabaya on Wings Air or Xpress Air, then a taxi to the nearest train station (Sidoarjo – directions) where you can get the 09:00 train to Probolinggo, arriving at 10:58.
Yes, the early start sucks, but it is good practice for the 03:30 start the following morning.
A small variation would be to take the DAMRI airport bus to the nearby Surabaya’s Bungarasih Bus Terminal, then get a bus to Probolinggo. This would be cheaper overall for the solo traveller.
 Flight Enquiry |
 Train Enquiry |
2. BUS TO PROBOLINGGO
Cheap? YES Comfortable? NO
Buses from Yogyakarta to Denpasar (Bali) will usually stop in Probolinggo, but check first.
The trip would be 10-11 hours and the Giwangan bus terminal is 5km from central Yogyakarta, so again it would be an early start to ensure you arrive in Probolinggo by mid-afternoon.
Bus tickets cannot be booked in advance.
3. TRAIN TO SURABAYA, BUS TO PROBOLINGGO
Cheap? YES Comfortable? YES & NO
The most popular choice is to take the 07:25 train to Surabaya, then travel by bus or taxi to the Bungarasih bus terminal (near the airport) and get a bus to Probolinggo.
Please note that direct buses to Bungarasih rarely travel past Gubeng Station in Surabaya; if you are keen, you would exit the station from the west/left side of the train. Alternately, you can take a taxi a short distance to Jl Panglima Sudirman (Jl = Jalan, Street); there are more buses to Bungarasih – including air conditioned coaches – passing by here.
Taxis are available on the east/right side of the train; the most reliable are Bluebird taxis, waiting across the road from the car park.
Train Enquiry |
4. TRAIN TO SURABAYA, TOUR TO MT BROMO
Cheap? NO Comfortable? YES
Many operators offer tours from Surabaya to Mt Bromo. These range from 12-hour overnight tours (starting at midnight from Surabaya, paying for just transport and park fees) to multi-day tours finishing in Bali with trips to Ijen Plateau and the famous turtle hatching area of Sukamade.
Prices for tours vary significantly according to the number of passengers, level of comfort and standard of hotel.
Mau Ke Mana books tours for clients with only trusted, reputable operators; there is no fee for clients who book train or flight tickets. A 50% deposit is often required when booking, with the balance paid in Rupiah cash during the tour.
Train Enquiry
You can also use this form to make a tour enquiry,
in the box titled “Anything you’d like to ask or specify?”.
Whichever way you go, you are likely to enjoy reaching the final destination. Most people go at sunrise, but it is also possible to visit at sunset, or any other time of day. The active can also walk across the “Sea of Sand” to/from their hotel.
Please remember that Mt Bromo remains an active volcano; it last erupted in 2011. You can check the current status for Mt Bromo (and other volcanoes) here, at the bottom right; at the time of writing, Bromo was on Level 2 of 4. Trips to Mt Bromo should be postponed if the status is Level 3 or 4.
You can also check the weather forecast at the nearest town of Probolinggo here.
119 Comments on “Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo”
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Hi Shadhat,
BALI TO BROMO
You can take the train from Banyuwangi (09:00) to Probolinggo or a flight from Denpasar to Malang.BROMO TO YOGYAKARTA
There is an economy class train called Sri Tanjung (11:04) from Probolinggo to Banyuwangi, but tickets on 25.10 are sold out because of the public holiday that day.There are a few seats left on the executive class train Malioboro Ekspres from Malang (08:00) to Yogyakarta. You would need to travel by bus from Probolinggo to Malang on 24.10.
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Pascal says:
Hi there,
First of all great site with by the looks of it some excellent advise and tips!
I could use some advise on the following itinerary:
– Travel by car from Yog to Malang with a stop at Prambanan and therefor arriving in the evening at Malang.then either
– Visit Bromo immediately the following early morning, what departure time with a tour would be expected?
– Fly out the following afternoon at 14h25 to Denpasar and relax in Malang before for a couple of hoursor
– Relax in Malang full day after long travel from Yog
– Visit Bromo following early morning and get back in time to fly at 14h25 to Denpasar. Do you think this is feasible and would you recommend a guided tour, or use rental car?Thank you so much for your advise,
Pascal
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Hi Pascal,
Cars with driver aren’t a good idea for one-way trips, because you have to pay for the driver and car to return empty to the point of origin.
I would:
1. Visit Prambanan as a sunrise round trip.
2. Take the afternoon/evening train from Yogyakarta to Surabaya. (You aren’t going to be in Malang long enough to enjoy it).
3. Join a midnight tour – see section 4 of this post – to Bromo, returning to Surabaya Airport in the early afternoon.
4. Fly to Bali at 16:00 or later.
We can assist with 2, 3 & 4.
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Sughontha says:
Hey!
Nice website here :)I will be arriving at surabaya on the 15/12 early in the morning, and I need to get to Mount Bromo and then to yogja by the 17th morning..
What do you think is the best cost- efficient method to do this?
Thank you very much, and keep up the fabulous work
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Hi Sughontha,
15/12 SURABAYA TO PROBOLINGGO/MT BROMO
You have two choices:1. Take a taxi to Sidoarjo Station, then board the 09:00 train to Probolinggo at Sidoarjo Station; it departs there at 09:25. At Probolinggo Station, take local bus D to the bus terminal and get a bus to Cemoro Lawang.
2. Take the DAMRI Airport Bus to Bungarasih Bus Terminal. Any bus to Jember/Banyuwangi/Bali will stop in Probolinggo. Then the same as #1 to Cemoro Lawang.
16/12 MT BROMO TO YOGYAKARTA
Return to Probolinggo Station, then get the 11:04 Sri Tanjung economy class train to Yogyakarta. -
Chan Soak Fong says:
Hi,
I am Chan from Malaysia. We, a ground of 5 people plan to visit Yogyakarta and Mt Bromo from 3 to 7 March 2015. Below is our proposed itinerary, would you please advise if it is feasible and if you have any reliable tour agents that can assist with the Yogyakarta – Mt Bromo – Yogyakarta.YOGYAKARTA – BOROBUDUR – MT. BROMO – YOGYAKARTA
Day 1: Arrive Yogyakarta by noon (flight), visit Prambanan Temple
Day 2: Borobodur sunrise tour, and some sight seeing (please recommend places we can visit within a day tour).
Day 3: YOGYAKARTA – MT.BROMO (please advise on transportation and accommodation) .
Day 4: MT.BROMO (sunrise) – back to YOGYAKARTA
Day 5: Be at airport by 9am to catch flight homeYour kind assistance will be very much appreciated. Thank you.
Best regards,
Chan -
Hi Chan,
To my knowledge, tour operators in Yogyakarta don’t do trips to Mt Bromo. (If they did, I would have mentioned it in the above post). It would be better to:
1. Use a tour operator in Yogyakarta for the trip to Borobudur, then
2. Use a tour operator in Surabaya for the trip to Mt Bromo.
3. Travel between Yogyakarta and Surabaya on the train.We are happy to book tour operators to clients who first book train/flight tickets. If you would like to know more, please send an enquiry.
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Marian says:
Hi Chris,
My friend and I would be arriving Bali on 27Jan15 750am until 31Jan15 835am.
What would be the cheaper itinerary and the possible train or bus that would take. Do you have any idea about the recent fare for a public bus or train ride and schedule.
Option 1
Day1: Arrival Bali, flight to Yogyakarta,
Day2: Catch sunrise in Borubodur then travel to Mt Bromo
Day3: Catch sunrise in Mt. Bromo the travel back to Bali
Day4: Bali tour
Day5; Out BaliOption 2
Day1: Arrival Bali, travel straight to Surabaya then oernight Mt. Bromo
Day2: Catch Sunrise in Mt. Bromo then travel to Yogyakarta
Day3: Catch sunrise in Borobudur then travel back to Bali
Day4: Bali tour
Day5: Out BaliYour reply would be highly appreciated.
Thank you so much.
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Hi Marian,
Option 2 is better.
Day 1: Buses from Bali to Surabaya stop in Probolinggo (close to Mt Bromo) on the way.
Day 2: You can take an economy class train from Probolinggo to Yogyakarta
Day 3: Only Garuda has an afternoon flight; AirAsia has early morning flights only, while Garuda & Lion Air has an evening flight.
We can assist with train & flight tickets. If you would like a quote, please send an enquiry.
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Darren says:
Hi Chris,
Great site and loads of information.
I am finishing up in Indonesia in the coming weeks and have decided on a trip across Java to Bali and one week in Bali before flying out. Planned start date is Monday 02nd Feb.
This is currently my planned Itinerary:Day 1 – Jakarta to Yogyakarta, staying in Yogya
Day 2 – Sunrise Borobudur and day/night in Yogya
Day 3 – Train to Surabaya and then onto Probolinggo and onto hotel near Mt. Bromo
Day 4 – Sunrise over Mt Bromo and then down and up to the Mt Bromo crater, stay nr Bromo
Day 5 – Train to Ketapang and onto BaliDoes this look achievable to you?
Also any information for the Surabaya part and the hotel near Mt. Bromo would be welcoming as well as travel from there to the port over to Bali.Much appreciated
Darren -
Hi Darren,
Yes, it’s achievable as long as you realise that Borobudur is 42km from Yogyakarta. You need to either stay near Borobudur or get up very early on Day 2. (Maybe it’s good practice for Day 4, when you get up at 03:30).
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Lena says:
we are planning our april trip. Jakarta- train to Yoguakarta. next stop Bromo. is it worthy checking out private /group transport directly to Bromo? over 7 hes drive? is it worth it, the time spent in the car/bus, i mean? or is flying to Surabaya a better way for a time conscious traveller? we are on a budget, yes, but since we travel THAT far from Europe, i’d rather be sure of comfort and convenience and be ready to pay a bit more. much appreciate your suggestions!
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Hi Lena,
The most popular options are #3 (Train + Bus) and #4 (Train + Tour). Yogyakarta doesn’t have many Bromo tour options because other cities (Surabaya, Malang) are closer.
#3 is cheaper than #4.
Flying isn’t necessarily more convenient due to the small baggage allowance on Wings Air (10kg) and is certainly a lot more expensive than the train.
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Abhishek Ghosh says:
Hello,
Please tell me the economical way to reach from surabaya airport to Lava cafe Hostel near Bromo
I am solo traveler Will reach surabaya in Morning ,
From surabaya airport —— Bungur Asih Bus Terminal ——- Probolingo– Cemaro Lawang
If it is the route kindly guide me about availability of Buses .
From Cemaro Lawang how far is Lava cafe Hostel ?
please let me know,,
thank you
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Hi Abhishek Ghosh,
1. Surabaya Airport -> Bus terminal
Airport bus2. Bus terminal -> Probolinggo
Bus3. Probolinggo -> Cemoro Lawang
MinibusYou can probably ask the driver to drop you at Lava Cafe Hostel.
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May says:
Hi Chris,
I only have 3 days , arrive in Yogyakarta 1st day at 12pm, mainly to visit Borobudur and Mount Bromo and have to go back to Yogyakarta 3rd day to catch up flight at 5pm, is it possible to visit these 2 spot in 3 days? -
Hi May,
It’s possible, but it’s a lot of travelling.
DAY 1
Borobudur, stay in YogyakartaDAY 2
Travel to Mt Bromo by train and bus, stay nearbyDAY 3
Travel to Surabaya by bus or train, then FLY Wings Air to Yogyakarta at 11:10 or 13:25. (You won’t arrive at Yogyakarta Airport in time by bus or train). -
Lucia says:
Hi, we are planning to start our juorney at Yogja on day 1 but sleeping at Borodurur to see the sunrise next morning on day 2. The afternoon of day 2 we would visit Prambanan temple and stay that night at Solo city.
Do you know if there is a train from Solo to get to Bromo on day 3? I think that We have to get the train to Surabaya and then all you have said in this blog. Do you know the schedule of the train Solo/BROMO?
On day 4 we would start at the top of Bromo and during the afternoon, we would do Ijen.
Do you know what is best to get to Bali from there? Bali is our next destination!
Thank you
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Hi Lucia,
To answer your questions:
1. Yes, the train from Yogyakarta to Bromo also stops at SOLO BALAPAN station. Before 1 April, the train departs Solo Balapan at 07:50, starting 1 April (new schedule) at 07:44.
2. On Day 4, you can take the train at 11:00 from Probolinggo (nearest station to Mt Bromo) to Banyuwangi (nearest station to Ijen). It is a 4½ hour journey.
3. You can get a return trip to the Ijen trailhead on the morning of Day 5 by ojek (motorcycle taxi) or 4WD Jeep. Ferries from Banyuwangi to Gilimanuk (Bali) operate 24 hours, but connecting buses to Mengwi (the main lnog-distance bus terminal in Bali) go from early morning until the mid-afternoon.
If you would like a quote for the trains, please send an enquiry.
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Akarit says:
Hi
I will travel from yogyakarta to mt bomo on the night of aprill 10,2015.
Is there any late night train from yogya to surabaya so i can sleep on the train and arrive at surabaya in the early morning.THANK YOU
AKARIT -
Hi Akarit,
The journey from Yogyakarta to Surabaya is 5 hours, which may be too short for a good sleep.
Overnight trains from Yogyakarta to Surabaya have started in Jakarta or Bandung and stop in Yogyakarta around midnight or 1am. We don’t recommend it because the train operator charges the same fare even if passengers board the train in Yogyakarta, not Jakarta.
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Christian says:
Hi Chris,
Great read, thank you so much for this, as I am planning to travel from Yogyakarta to Mt. Bromo and then to Bali. Two quick question, you write that there are tours going from Surabaya to Mt Bromo: 1) Are there any operators that you could recommend in particular? 2) Would you recommend using a tour all the way to Bali (incl. Mt Bromo)?
Thx!
Cheers,
Chris -
Hi Christian,
1. We only recommend local tour operators we know and trust. One is a large tour/travel agent based in Surabaya, the other is a premium/luxury operator based in Bali. For more information, you will need to send an enquiry.
2. Most tour operators run a return journey (i.e. start and finish at the same place). The luxury operator from Bali offers a tour from Surabaya that finishes with a transfer to the hotel of your choice in Bali, but it’s significantly more expensive. It would still be cheaper to use the Surabaya-based operator then fly to Bali.
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Gillian says:
Hi Everyone,
We need your help.
My friend and I will be traveling to Indonesia mainly to see Borobodur and Mt Bromo.
We will have 3 days. Arriving in Jakarta at 12MN June20 and departing June23rd at 11PM.
Day1 June20
From Jakarta, plane to YOGYA
7am – Arrival at YOGYA, settle at hotel, then travel to Borobodur
3-5PM- Explore Borobodur, Sunset, explore city till evening
Day 2 June 21
7am Explore the city, Prambanan temple,ETC
2PM check out
3PM– Travel to Bromo (Train + Bus)Day 3 June 22
Wake up at 2 or 3 am- BROMO
Any other activities you can suggest?
Head to surubaya airport going back to Jakarta
Day 4- Back to Jakarta
Explore Jakarta till 7PM
10PM Flight to MLAPlease help us complete our itinerary, your response would be truly appreciated!
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Dear Gilian,
Thanks for your reply.
It seems you have most things organised. We can assist with train tickets from Yogyakarta to Surabaya, if required.
Day 3 – I would suggest resting in Surabaya after such an early start. You wouldn’t arrive back in Surabaya until the early afternoon anyway.
Day 4 – Ideas for things to do in Jakarta
#1 https://indonesiamatters.com/7681/travel-highlights-jakarta/
#2 https://indonesiamatters.com/8742/tourist-attractions-indonesia/
#3 https://indonesiamatters.com/12415/jakarta-ciliwung-train/ -
Marcela says:
Hi Chris,
we are planning our trip for June. We would like to visit Yogyakarta and than Mt Bromo and Ijen Plateau and than transfer to Bali.
I find several options:
1. travel from Yogyakarta to Surabaya by morning train (June, 14th) and transfer from Surabaya to Probolinggo. Is better to stay in Probolinggo and rent a 4WD car for the next day (June, 15th) for sunrise in Bromo, crater and return to Probolinggo or travel (June, 14th) from Probolinggo near Mt Bromo and rent a car there? We would like to continue (June, 15th) to the Ijen Plateau.
2. Is it possible to visit Mt Bromo, crater and go by train from Probolinggo at 11 a.m. to Banyuwangi? Or is it there later train to Banyuwangi?
3. Is it possible to visit Mt Bromo, crater and travel by bus to Bodowoso and the another day (June, 16th) rent a car and visit Ijen Plateau and continue do Banyuwangi by this car? Or is this varianty expensive?
Thank you for your advise!
Marcela
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Marina says:
Hi,
Our trip in Jawa will be only from 24 till 26 June to see Merapi and Bromo.
25th – sunrise on the top of the volcano Merapi
26th – sunrise on the volcano Bromo
26th – back to BaliWe need to understand the shortest way from Yogyakarta to Bromo and from Bromo to Bali.
We prefer to get to these places by plane or train. What do you recommend us to get to Yog-Bromo and Bromo-Bali the closest and the fastest way(through Malang or Probollingo)?Also, there is the flight Malang-Bali at 2.25 pm on June 26th – we need to catch up this flight. Is it possible after Bromo?
Thanks in advance!
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Dear Marcela,
1. You don’t “rent a car”, you get a seat in a jeep that is driven by a local person, shared with others. It would be better to do this from a hotel near Mt Bromo.
2. There is a later train to Banyuwangi, but it is economy (third) class. You can make the 11am train, if you need to.
3. It’s better to travel to Ijen Plateau from the Banyuwangi side, not the Jember/Bondowoso side. It’s 80km from Bonodowoso to Ijen Plateau, a 2-3 hour drive depending on the road conditions (i.e. the road is in bad condition in some places). It is closer on the Banyuwangi side.
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Dear Martina,
If you want to travel from Merapi to Bromo in a day, you will need to fly from Yogyakarta to Surabaya (option #1) or take a train then a tour (option #4).
You don’t have to fly from Malang to Bali; there are many flights from Surabaya to Bali.
Comment on “Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo”.
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Hi Chris,
we are a group of 5 people and we are planning to travel from Bali to Mt. Bromo and after that we want to go to Yogyakarta (maybe by using the train).
Our journey will start on thursday 23.10.14 and we can either take a flight to Surabaya and we would be there like 6 am or we could take a flight to Malang and would be there at 2pm.
We want to spent a night at Mt. Bromo and after that our next destination will be Yogyakarta on Saturday the 25.10.14.
Can you help me out by finding the best way for that trip, we are actually looking for a trasport service from the airport to the vulcano and from Mt. Bromo back to Malang(or even Yogyakarta).
Greetings Shadhat