We got up well before dawn to trek to the summit of Mount Batur, an active volcano that rises to 1,717m. The Batur caldera has been a UNESCO Global Geopark since 2012, and it gets cold at the top in the hours before sunrise.
Reaching the top just as the sun lit up the caldera was a real highlight. Before the sun came up the horizon glowed orange, with a crescent moon above and the lights of distant towns showing below the cloud. A hot coffee and breakfast up there, looking across to the peaks of Lombok, made it even better.
Good to know
- The climb: Batur is 1,717m high. Most groups set off between 2am and 4am, take an hour and a half to two hours to climb, and are back down after four to five hours in total. Treks use local guides. Bali Conservation Agency
- UNESCO: the Batur caldera has been a UNESCO Global Geopark since 2012.
- What to wear: it’s cold at the top before sunrise. Take a warm layer, a head torch and proper shoes.
We checked these details in October 2026. Times, prices and rules do change, so it’s worth a quick look at the official sites before you go.