How to Climb Mount Rinjani, Indonesia

October 2026 Update: Mount Rinjani is currently operating under limited access because of forest-fire risk. New online trekking bookings through the eRinjani system have been temporarily suspended since September 1, 2026, while previously paid bookings can still be honored. I could not find a newer official notice confirming that normal booking has resumed, so check the latest Mount Rinjani National Park announcement before making non-refundable plans.

Trekking with Rinjani Master (John's Adventure)

When I did this trek, I went with a couple of friends and booked with John's Adventure. The company is still operating today as Rinjani Master, run by PT John Adventure. Current park rules are also stricter than when I visited: trekkers must be in a group of at least two, use a guide or experienced companion, and have previous mountain-hiking experience. For most foreign travelers, booking through an established trekking operator remains the simplest way to arrange the guide, permit, porters, camping equipment, and transport.

Rinjani Master still offers several versions of the trek, including a 2-day summit trek via Sembalun, a 3-day Sembalun-to-Senaru trek covering the summit, lake, and hot springs, and longer routes. We chose the 3-day package when I visited. It turned out the schedule was too tight for us, so we reached the summit but opted out of the lake because we were too slow coming down. The loose volcanic scree made the summit push especially exhausting: whenever we climbed 2 steps up, it felt like we slid 1 step back down.

Overall, though, it was a hell of an experience, and as difficult as it may be, we eventually reached the top and got a breathtaking view of the volcano.

The 3-Day Rinjani Itinerary We Followed

This is the 3-day Sembalun-to-Senaru itinerary we attempted. Rinjani Master still offers the same general route today, but exact timings, campsites, access, and safety procedures can change. The summit version is strenuous and current park rules require previous mountain-hiking experience.

The classic 3-day route starts in Sembalun, climbs to the 3,726 m summit, continues to Segara Anak Lake and the hot springs, and finishes in Senaru. That remains one of the current multi-day itineraries offered by Rinjani Master.

Highlights: Mt. Rinjani's summit (3,726 m), Segara Anak Lake (crater), hot springs, and caves.

2026 Park Fees & Rules: For the main Sembalun, Senaru, and Torean routes, the official foreign visitor trekking fee is currently 250,000 IDR per person per day. A 3-day trek therefore carries 750,000 IDR in park-entry fees before guide/operator costs, although these fees are often bundled into trekking packages. Current rules also require a minimum of two hikers per group, a guide or experienced companion, previous mountain-hiking experience, and reusable food and drink containers.

Day 1:

1. After an early transfer to Sembalun, register for the trek and complete the required park-entry formalities before starting. Today, permits are normally handled through the eRinjani booking system or your registered trekking operator, subject to current park access and booking availability.
2. Your guide gives you briefing describes the route details, local cultural traditions and what you might see, and explains rubbish management and safety procedures. 
3. The trek starts from Sembalun Lawang with the gentle ascent walking through open grassland used as cattle grazing by local people. 
4. Resting at Pos 1 Pemantauan (1,300), after about three hours from Sembalun we reach Pos 2 Tengengean (1,500 m) enjoying the beautiful views of Mt. Rinjani summit (3,726 m). 
5. After another hours ascent to Pos 3 Pada Balong (1,800 m), we start the steep climb to the campsite at Plawangan II Sembalun crater rim (2,639 m). 

Day 2:

1. The summit push starts in the middle of the night, typically around 2:30 - 3 AM, for the steep climb over loose volcanic scree to the 3,726 m summit. Allow several hours and do not assume you will reach the top in exactly three hours.
2. Once there, enjoy the proud feelings of satisfaction and the amazing sunrise views across the Wallace Line to Bali, Mt. Agung and Sumbawa. 
3. Return down the ridge to the crater rim camp for a well-deserved breakfast. 
4. After breakfast, proceed to go down to the lake. It takes two to three hours down the steep trail to the crater lake. 
5. Enjoy the lake, swimming or exploring the caves and pilgrimage hot springs, believed to have healing powers, while our porters preparing for your lunch. 
6. After a lunch break, leave the lake and climb for two and half hours up to Plawangan 1 Senaru Crater Rim (2,461 m) for the day 2nd camp. 
7. Dinner and overnight at crater rim if weather permitted or another hour down to Cemara Lima. 

Day 3:

1. After breakfast, descend down the long trail to Senaru village (601 m), through thick tropical forests rich in flora, bird life and a variety of butterflies. 
2. Rest stops are taken along the way, with village stories and local legends related by your guide.  
3. After seven hours walk from the rim, (or five hours from Pos 3 Mondokon Lolak), the trek ends at Rinjani Trek Center at the road head in Senaru, where the car is waiting to transfer you to the airport or Senggigi 

When to Trek Rinjani: The main trekking season generally runs from April through December, with the driest and most popular period around May to October. The mountain normally closes during the wettest part of the year for safety and ecosystem recovery; in 2026, the main routes reopened on April 1 after the seasonal closure. Temporary closures or restrictions can also happen because of fires, landslides, weather, or volcanic conditions, so always check the current park status.

Day 1: Hiking to the Ridge from Sembalun Lawang

As we flew from Malaysia to Lombok, we did get a glimpse of what we would be climbing early the next day.

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As we walked out of the airport, we were greeted by our drivers, and they took us to one of the hotels owned by the same company. Lombok is not a small island. It took us almost 3 hours to get to the hotel, and by then it was so late that we went straight to sleep.

We woke up early in the morning, brushed our teeth, and had breakfast while the guides briefed us on the tour.

We also got a glimpse of how high Mt Rinjani is from sea level. Since we weren't that high from sea level at that point, I feared that our bodies might not be functioning well with such a tight schedule. I was not wrong.

After a 2-hour drive from the hotel to the national park office, we got our permits and headed to the trail's head. The trail started off with mostly steep paths and a few small climbs. We were expected to climb for 7-8 hours on our first day. Be ready for the sun as there will be little to no shade during the first few hours.

After a 3-hour walk, we eventually arrived at our first stop. This stop is a common place for lunch, so you will be eating with people from other tours. The lunch consisted of basic macaroni and Prego sauce combination.

After lunch, we continued up another inclined path, through tall grasses. As I walked, I occasionally saw the remnants of a wildfire. It was extremely dry and there had been very little rain during my time there.

It was not until two-thirds of the trek that the trail started to become steeper and steeper. I was starting to feel slowed down by the ground as it got finer and finer as I approached the volcano.

After 8 hours of walking, we eventually arrived at the ridge where we were to camp that day. This was the view of the summit from the ridge. The guide said it would only be a 3-hour walk. I refused to believe this, and I was not wrong.

And here was our camping ground. The guy was digging our toilet for the day. Who would have thought that our lives would depend on this little hole the next day.

No matter where you camp, the view from your tent will never fail to impress you.

Our camping ground had a view of both the lake and the summit, not to mention a perfect spot to watch the sunset! All the pain went away for a moment there.

Since there was a full moon a couple of weeks ago, I thought we wouldn't be able to see the Milky Way. I was wrong. The Milky Way presented itself to us while we were eating dinner around a campfire.

I took a stroll up the ridge to find a quiet place and there, I set up my tripod, mounted my camera, took this photo, and gazed at the universe in wonder.

Seeing the Milky Way never gets old, no matter how many times I've seen them.

Day 2: Mt. Rinjani Summit Day

And there we went, waking up at 2 am and starting the climb, hoping to arrive at the summit in 3 hours.

I don't know if it was the altitude, the bad food, or simply because of the volcanic ashes, but I was unable to maintain my breathing rhythm like I used to. The trail got even steeper (as you can see from the photo), and the more I climbed, the more I had to stop and take a deep breath. I guess this is what it's like climbing a sand dune as high as a mountain.

Four hours in, and I was still an hour away from the summit, and that last bit turned out to be horrendously steep. At this point, one of my friends had already given up and walked back down. I was sitting on one of the rocks, watching the sun rise over an ocean.

As I was sitting, trying to keep myself warm, my mind started to wander off and it just went black. I fell asleep right on the spot for god knows how long. The guide who was accompanying my other friend that went down came and woke me up. Since I had already missed the sunrise, I told him that I might give up, but he tried to encourage me to no avail.

After I was discouraged by the climb, two of my friends arrived. I told them I would give up, but they convinced me to push through. It would be a shame to come this far and not reach the summit.

It was so close, yet it felt so far. My body refused to accept it. I watched as the guides assisted and pulled my friends up the mountain. "Well, it would be a shame indeed", I told myself, and I slowly walked toward the summit with all the energy I had.

Even though it was like hell climbing that last one-hour stretch, but you gotta admit, the view from up here was magnificent.

I really pushed myself to the limit that day. I wasn't even walking; I was simply dragging my legs up a few meters per minute.

And there I was, at the summit! After a freaking 5-hour walk since 2 am, I finally reached the summit.

I did not just look like shit, but I also felt like shit up there. My body started to dysfunction as I sat and rested. For some reason, my stomach was aching, but that didn't stop me from enjoying my hard-earned time up there.

There were 8 of us in the group, and 6 reached the summit. It was a proud moment for all of us.

As my stomach got worse by the minute, I decided to walk down before everyone. I was also told that we had another freaking 8-hour hike to the lake ahead of us that day.

I could not have run faster that morning. Imagine being stuck in traffic on a highway when you really need to go number 2, but without the nice comfort of your car, and you have to walk down a mountain for 3 hours before reaching the toilet. That was what I went through that day.

I arrived at the tent around 9:30am, and I was told that if the group didn't arrive by 10, we wouldn't be able to go to the lake in time. By then, I knew that with the conditions we had, we wouldn't be able to continue anyway.

Everyone was down at the camp by 11, and we all accepted the truth that walking another 8 hours at night is just not wise. In the end, we opted out for the lake and decided to stay on the ridge another night and walk back down the same way.

That night, out of the 8 of us, 6 including myself had a really bad stomach. Everyone was at their worst condition. I literally shat 8 times that night and in the morning, the next day, I somehow felt worse than before.

Day 3: Backtracking our way to Sembalun Lawang and Admit Defeat

When I'm trekking, I usually walk fast, but that morning I couldn't walk. It was so bad that I could feel the water rumbling in my stomach with every step I took. I couldn't eat anything for several meals before, and now that my energy had run out, I started to feel tingling in my fingers.

My mouth was so pale that the guides were extremely concerned about me. The guide was so concerned that they offered me a trekking pole and to carry my backpack. I felt defeated, but I had no choice but to try and see if it would make my stomach better.

As it turned out, the backpack was part of the culprit. Since the backpack was strapped to my bag, it forced my body into a position that put a strain on my stomach. I felt relief right after I got rid of my backpack. I wasn't proud of it, but at least I could walk as fast as before without anyone's help.

At our lunch stop, no one had the appetite to eat anything, so we decided to opt out of having lunch and pushed ourselves to the finish line once and for all. It only took us 4 and a half hours to descend, thanks to our awesome guides. I owed my life to these brave men.

And that's the end of the trek. My friends and I decided to split here as I headed to Gili Trawangan and my friends went to Bali. Along the way to the pier, we saw a bunch of teens celebrating and dancing at a wedding ceremony on the street.

They sure have got some killer moves. :)

And that is what the worst scenario would be like when you climb a mountain. As previously promised, I have brought you the most ridiculous and crazy trekking stories that even topped the one where a super typhoon hit when I was on Mt Fuji.