Climbing Mount Rinjani in Lombok and the Gili Islands
Part of the Lombok and the Gili Islands travel guide — see every topic in All Lombok and the Gili Islands Guides.
Mount Rinjani rises to 3,726 metres and is the second-highest volcano in Indonesia. Inside its six-kilometre caldera sits Segara Anak, a crescent crater lake, and inside that a young active cone, Gunung Barujari, which erupts periodically. The trek to the crater rim, the lake and the summit is one of the great walks in South-East Asia and it is consistently underestimated: it is steep, it is on volcanic scree, the summit push starts at two in the morning, and a meaningful number of people turn back.
The routes
Two main trailheads. Senaru, on the north side, is the traditional route through rainforest to the crater rim at around 2,600 metres. Sembalun, on the east, crosses open savanna and is the standard start for a summit attempt, with a long gradual approach and then a very steep climb to the rim at Plawangan. The classic itinerary is three days and two nights: Sembalun up, summit at dawn on day two, down to the crater lake and hot springs, then out via Senaru on day three. Two-day and four-day variants exist.
How hard it is
Harder than most people expect. The summit push from the Sembalun rim camp is around a thousand vertical metres on loose volcanic scree in the dark, where each step slides back, taking three to four hours. Temperatures at the rim drop near freezing with wind. Altitude affects some people above 3,000 metres. The descent to the lake and out is punishing on knees. Reasonable hiking fitness is genuinely required, and the honest advice from guides is that the two-day itinerary is too compressed for most people.
Permits, porters and cost
Rinjani is a national park and an entry permit and registration are required; treks are organised through licensed operators and go with a guide and porters, who carry food, water, tents and cooking gear. A three-day, two-night trip runs roughly 2–4 million rupiah per person including permits, guide, porters, food and transfers. Porter working conditions have drawn criticism — loads are heavy and footwear is often inadequate — and choosing an operator that pays properly and limits loads is a real ethical choice, not a marketing one.
Season and safety
The trekking season runs roughly April to December; the park normally closes from about January to March for the rainy season, when the trails are dangerous and landslides are common. Closures also follow volcanic activity, and the 2018 earthquakes closed the mountain for months and killed hikers in landslides. Check the current park status before booking anything. Bring a proper warm layer, a head torch, gloves and broken-in boots, and take altitude and cold seriously; both cause more problems here than the gradient does.
Climbing Mount Rinjani at a glance
| Height | 3,726 m — Indonesia's second-highest volcano |
|---|---|
| Inside the caldera | Segara Anak crater lake and the active Barujari cone |
| Classic trek | 3 days / 2 nights: Sembalun up, Senaru down |
| Cost | IDR 2m–4m per person including permits, guide and porters |
| Season | ~April–December; closed in the rainy season |
| Reality check | Summit push is ~1,000 m of scree in the dark, 3–4 h |