Thinking of adding Bromo and Ijen to your Indonesia route but finding it hard to pick the ideal mode of transport?
If you're traveling independently, you have up to 4 options to choose from:
How to visit Bromo and Ijen
Most travelers visit Bromo and Ijen as a one-way trip heading toward Bali (or on their way back).
At least, that was the case for 99% of the travelers we met along the way.
However, we went for an alternative to Bali that was way less crowded and, as a result, a bit harder to reach. 😉
So we decided to do a round-trip (circular route) Surabaya-Bromo-Ijen-Surabaya, but we only had 3 days and 2 nights to make it happen.
Is it doable? Absolutely!
In fact, you have up to 4 ways to do it:
1. Local travel agencies
This is your best bet if you have:
- A higher budget.
- Little time before and during the trip.
- Low interest in customizing the route.
Here are a few quotes we received by email for the 3D/2N Surabaya-Bromo-Ijen-Surabaya tour:
Please note: these are prices and conditions from 2012, so they may have changed quite a bit.
2. Public transport
This is your best bet if you have:
- A tight budget.
- Plenty of time during your trip.
- A desire to explore 100% on your own terms.
Since I didn't take this route myself, I can't share first-hand details, but I can give you the basic pointers I gathered while planning the trip.
You can enter Bromo National Park from Probolinggo, Wonokitri, and Ngadas, with the first being the easiest option by public transport.
So to get to Probolinggo:
- From Surabaya airport, take a bus to Purabaya station, located 10 km south of the city center, which means you'll likely need to transfer.
- At Purabaya, catch a bus to Probolinggo (a 3-hour ride). They supposedly run every 30 minutes, but traffic jams and delays are pretty common.
- In Probolinggo, you can stay the night and take tours from there or keep going to Cemoro Lawang, one of the park's main gateways, by hopping on the private minibuses running between the two spots (chartered by agencies).
3. Car or scooter rental
Up for driving in Indonesia?
Then renting a scooter is the most popular choice, and it's the right fit if:
- You have a medium-to-low budget.
- You're after a serious adrenaline-fueled adventure.
- You want total freedom to go wherever and whenever you like.
Dealing with the traffic in parts of Java, like the road from Surabaya to Probolinggo, is quite an ordeal.
On more remote roads, though, having your own scooter and cruising at your own pace while soaking in the landscape must be incredible.
I wouldn't do it myself, but I know people who highly recommend it.
So the choice is yours. 😉
4. Private driver from Surabaya
And finally, the option that suited my trip best: hiring a private driver.
This is the way to go if you have:
- A medium-to-high budget.
- Limited time before and after the trip.
- A wish to fully customize your itinerary 100%.
Plus, I didn't need to lock this down in advance; I could simply negotiate it once I landed in Surabaya.
How?
Here’s the full scoop:
How to hire a driver at the Surabaya airport tourist info desk
When you arrive at Surabaya airport, head towards the exit.
Right as you walk out the doors where eager family members, drivers holding signs, and other folks trying to sell you a ride are waiting… right there on the right, you'll spot the tourist information office.
It's a small booth with one or two people inside who, in our experience, will be super helpful and speak great English.
After telling them we only had 3 days (2 nights) and wanted to do a loop route to see Bromo and Ijen, ending up back in Surabaya on the third day, here is what they offered us:
- First, they explained how to get to Cemoro Lawang by taking 4 buses.
- Then they offered us one-way or round-trip transport to Bromo (€49 and €82 respectively).
- One of them pitched their tours, but none included Ijen.
- The final offer was the winner: a private driver for 3D/2N (gas and the driver's meals included) for 1,900,000 IDR (€154).
If you check the price table from the agencies, that price for 2 people was a total steal, even without meals or park entrance fees included.
Plus, it gave us the freedom to travel on our own (no big tour groups) and right on our own schedule.
So… sold!
Our experience with a private driver in Java
Our driver, Abdul, didn't speak English. They told us it was better that way so he wouldn't ask us for extra cash. But it did make communication a bit tricky at times.
The car didn't have AC, but as soon as we got closer to Bromo that wasn't an issue at all, since temperatures are much cooler up there.
Along the way, we noticed that if we didn't invite our driver to eat, he wouldn't get anything whenever we asked to pull over for a break. So we started inviting him to eat with us (sometimes he'd accept, but he would sit at a different table—we never quite figured out why).
This was never a problem because he always stopped at super affordable spots where we paid €3.50 for a meal for 3 people.
He also tried to steer us toward very specific hotels.
For instance, at Bromo he wanted to take us to Cemara Indah, but we said no and asked for Cafe Lava instead, since we knew it was cheaper.
Apparently, since he didn't have a deal or "commission" with them, he ended up sleeping in the car that night. We felt bad for being so stubborn, so we decided to let him pick the accommodation for Ijen.
He took us to Catimore…
The next morning Abdul looked so much better: he'd gotten a great night's sleep in a room reserved for drivers and they'd given him dinner.
However, our own experience there wasn't great, more due to bad luck than anything else. But I'll tell you all about that in the route summary. 😉
As a driver in Indonesia? A solid 10/10.
Abdul got us everywhere we wanted to go in record time, conquering massive traffic jams, navigating pothole-ridden roads, and even dodging a bus driving the wrong way down our lane that nearly swallowed us whole.
Talk about a close call!
The only real downside I could mention is that, on one occasion, he started smoking inside the car (with the windows rolled down). It happened right after the freezing night he'd spent sleeping in the car by Bromo, so we just let it slide even though we weren't thrilled about it.
Conclusion
The choice is yours, but if you want to plan your own trip to Bromo and Ijen, here's my advice:
- Do you like having everything sorted for you? Book an organized trip through a local agency. There are plenty of options in the table, ask them for a quote!
- Traveling on a backpacker budget? Then take public transit (if you have the time) or rent a vehicle (with steady nerves and a serious taste for adventure).
- Want to travel independently, short on time, and prefer to play it safe? Hire a car with a driver at the tourist office and enjoy the ride!
Useful links
- Cafe Lava.
- Cemara Indah.
- Catimore.
- Other accommodations in the area.
- Flights to Indonesia: Trabber, eDreams, and Momondo.
- 5% discount on your IATI travel insurance when booking from here.
Road tripping through Indonesia? Then you'll love these:
- 3-day, 2-night itinerary through Bromo and Ijen.
- 3-week road trip through Indonesia: Java and Borneo.
- 4-day klotok boat trip through Borneo: encounter wild orangutans.
- Experience a sunrise from Borobudur temple.
- Meditate with Buddhist monks at Mendut temple.
- Prambanan, Indonesia's largest Hindu temple.
- Selogriyo: a Hindu temple tucked among rice paddies.
- Pulau Derawan: how to get there and spend 7 days on the island.
Map
Know of another way to plan a visit to Bromo and Ijen? Still not sure which option fits your style best?
Let me know in the comments. Maybe my tips and those of other readers can help you find your perfect fit. 😉