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This 5 days itinerary, provides a mix of cultural exploration, natural wonders, and heritage sites. Visit the Borubudhur and Prambanan Temples followed by Tumpak Sewu waterfalls and the chance to witness stunning sunrises at Mount Bromo and the blue flames at Ijen Crater.
Day 1-2 : Yogyakarta’s Hidden History
Begin your adventure in Yogyakarta, where ancient traditions, awe-inspiring architecture, and magnificent temples await. Dive into the heart of Javanese culture and artistry.
Day 1: Sumur Gumuling, Taman Sari Castle and City Walk
All our flights were delayed and so we had to skip our Day-1 plan, but here is what we had planned for Day 1.
Sumur Gumuling, also called "the underground mosque", is located within the Taman Sari Water Castle in Yogyakarta. The place is opens at 9 am and closes by 3 pm. Check the open hours and visit accordingly. Reach early to avoid crowds. After this, the rest of the day is at leisure. Walk the streets of Yogya, and look out for bright beautiful, graffiti on walls around town.
Day 2: Borobudur and Prambanan Temples
Borobudur Temple
Wake up early (3.30am) and head to Borobudur temple to watch the sunrise. Its a 1.5hrs drive from Yogya.
If you are travelling by yourself, buy tickets online and book your slots in advance. The tickets sometimes run out for specific slots during the holidays and weekends.
There are 2 types of tickets , 1 to only visit the ground floor of the temple and another that includes the top floor as well.
Over 1.6 million blocks of andesite - a volcanic rock - were used in Borobudur's construction.
The Borobudur temple is one of the oldest Buddhist monuments built in the 8th or 9th centuries AD. It was actively used for worship till the 15th centuries, after which it was abandoned. Borobudur lay hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth until It was rediscovered by a British expedition in the 19th century and restored after. The site still continues to be restored , as several pieces (stones and architectural pieces) still need to find their place. The temple lies in an area between two volcanoes - Mt. Sundoro-Sumbing and Mt. Merbabu-Merapi.
You can easily spend between 1-2 hours exploring the Borobudur temple. Stop for a quick snack and then head to Prambanan.
Prambanan Temple
Prambanan is known for its stunning architecture and rich history. The temple complex was constructed to honor the Hindu Trio, the divine trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, which is reflected in the three main temples dedicated to each of these deities.
You can plan and book your tickets for Prambanan online too, here.
Folklore: The legend of the slender virgin, or Roro Jonggrang, is a famous story about a clever princess who tricked an evil king. The king wanted to marry her, but she challenged him to build a thousand temples in one night to avoid the marriage. With the help of supernatural beings, the king almost completed the task. To stop him, the princess and the villagers created an illusion of dawn, causing the demons to flee. The last temple remained unfinished, and the king turned the princess into a statue, which is believed to be part of Prambanan Temple.
Spend your evening in one of the vibrant street cafés on Prawirotaman street, bustling with backpackers from around the world. These charming cafés not only tantalize your taste buds but also provide a backdrop of beautiful live music, which is the perfect finishing touch to your evening in Yogya.
Head to the railway station to take your train to Malang for your onward journey!
You can take the night or day trains from Yogyakarta to Malang. Its a 6 hours journey in total, and tickets can be booked online.
Day 3: Malang - Tumpak Sewu Waterfalls
The night train journey from Yogya brings you to the charming town of Malang in the early hours of the morning, at about 3am. The pickup for the Bromo-Ijen tour is typically scheduled between 5am and 6am. The tour operators are flexible to accommodate any delay, so nothing to worry.
We needed some time to freshen up at our hostel in Malang before our tour pickup due to delayed flights and continuous journeys. We started our tour at 6am instead of 5am.
First Stop on your Bromo - Ijen Tour, is the maginificent Tumpak Sewu waterfall. Tumpak Sewu is a 2hrs drive from Malang.
The first view point give you a panoramic view of the magnificent water fall. Tumpak Sewu means "a thousand waterfalls" , which rightly describes he multi-tiered waterfall plunging from the lush green cliffs , creating a breathtaking curtain of water. More often than never, you will spot a rainbow formed around the waterfall.
The hike down to the foot of the waterfall is an exhilarating experience. Its a steep walk down 30-45mins (depending on your fitness level) on man made ladders in some places going thorough small water falls heading down with you.
Tip: A moderate level of fitness is required to be able to complete the climb down and backup after you visit the waterfall. Wear comfortable waterproof shoes/sandals as they will definitely get wet.
The steep climb down is totally worth the magnificent view of the waterfall from its foot.
You can spend about 2-3 hrs at the waterfall, and to maybe try some young coconut and snake fruit after your back up and on your way to the parking.
Stop for a quick early lunch or snack after Tumpak Sewu, and head to Bromo base camp.
You will reach your guest house/hotel in Bromo early evening. Plan for early dinner, early to bed and rise early to witness Bromo during sunrise.
Day 4: Mt. Bromo
A 4X4 Jeep will pick you up early in the morning , about 3am to take you to the view point.
Tip: Its really cold at that hour in the morning. You can carry a jacket if you have one, or choose to rent it at a nominal price. You will need the jacket only until sunrise, as the temperature quickly rises once the sun is up. We rented jackets as we were travelling light.
After the sunrise, the jeeps will take you to the Bromo crater through the beautiful sea of sands (Pasir Berbisik). Your Jeep will stop in the middle of Pasir Berbisik, allowing you to soak in that feeling of being in the middle or nowhere.
We felt like were on another planet !
After a quick stop at the Sea of sands, drive to the foot of the Bromo crater and hike up to the rim.
The hike up the crater starts with a gradual walk and ascent in the desert, followed by a flight of man made stairs to the rim of the crater. Total hike time would be between 20-30mins.
Tip: The trail is really dusty and , and as you hike up, you can smell the fumes stronger. Carry a mask, or face cover , to keep the dust and smoke away.
The rim of the crater has safety pillars so you can safely get a good look inside.
You will spend a maximum of 45min to 1hr to hike up, look around and return.
Hop into your Jeep and head back to your guest house to freshen up. The trail is extremely dusty and you'll definitely need sometime to brush that off of you. After breakfast, pack and prep for your onward journey to Ijen.
Its a 5hours drive to Bondowoso (Ijen Base) including your lunch break.
Another must see on your way to Bondowoso, is the Kalipait waterfall.
The waterfall comes down from the Ijen crater is like no other waterfall you may have ever seen before. The water is like a cascade of magic potion overflowing from a witch's cauldron, bubbling all its way down. The warm multi element concentrated water contains sulfur, fluoride, chloride and high sulfuric acid.
And No! you cannot swim in this waterfall, as beautiful and tempting as it may be!
Arrive early evening at your guest house in Bondowoso and plan to go to bed early yet again. The trek for Ijen starts even earlier that the previous day - 1am!
Day 5: Kawah Ijen
Ijen crater is known for its intense sulfur mining, the beautiful acidic blue colored lake and the mesmerizing blue fire.
Wakeup an start the hike up to the crater to see the blue flames by 2am. The flame does look as magnificent after sunrise, although its eternally burning.
Tip: The weather here is colder than at Bromo, as we start early. Wear your jacket or rent one at the camp for a nominal price. If you have a tour guide, he will arrange the gas masks for you. Gas masks are also available for rent at the base if you are doing the hike without a guide.
You can hike up half way and stop to just watch the sunrise over the crater, or descend down to see the blue flames.
Watching the blue flames is an outworldly experience and a true testament to the Earth's fascinating geological activity, so rare and magical. These blue flames are a result of burning sulfuric gases that emerge from the cracks in the volcano's surface.
The fumes emerging from the flames are extremely pungent and makes it hard to breathe even through the gas masks at times. You can move away from the flames, and choose to wait for the sunrise at the lake, or hike back up to the rim depending on the time of the sunrise.
We stayed back at the lake as we were only a few minutes away from sunrise.
Sulfur mining at the the Ijen crater is one of the most challenging and dangerous jobs undertaken in the world considering the terrain and the circumstances. Miners use primitive tools like crowbars and wicker baskets to collect and carry heavy sulfur loads(80-90kgs) on their shoulders up treacherous terrains.
Watch the sunrise and hike down. You should be back to the base 7am. Head back to the guest house to freshen up and breakfast.
You will be dropped at the Banyuwangi Ferry, a short drive from the guesthouse, where you can take a ferry towards your next destination - Bali!
