6 Day Java
6 Day Java
Guide
6 Day Java Guide
Java, the heart of Indonesia, is a land of rich culture, stunning landscapes, and vibrant cities. From ancient temples to breathtaking volcanoes, Java offers you a diverse array of experiences waiting to be explored. Our 6-day itinerary takes you on a journey through the heart of Java, exploring Mt. Bromo, discovering breathtaking waterfalls and climbing Vulcanoes.
Day 1 - 2
Day 1: Arrival in Surabaya
Arrive at Surabaya’s Juanda International Airport an Transfer to your hotel in Surabaya.
Spend the day exploring Surabaya’s vibrant culture and history. Visit attractions like the House of Sampoerna, Suramadu National Bridge, and Cheng Hoo Mosque. Overnight in Surabaya.
Day 2: Surabaya - Madakaripura Waterfall - Mount Bromo
Depending on how you want to travel you can either rent a scooter or get an driver that gets you around for your whole stay on Java. Depart early morning from Surabaya towards Madakaripura Waterfall in Bromo Area. The drive takes about 2:30 hours. Explore the enchanting Madakaripura Waterfall, surrounded by lush jungle and towering cliffs. You have to pay a small entrance fee to get to the Waterfall. A local Guide will accompany you. Getting to the waterfall involves a moderate trek (20-30 minutes) through a narrow canyon and across rocky terrain, which can be challenging for some people. Prepare to get wet on the way. Madakaripura is Indonesia’s tallest waterfall, with water cascading down from a height of over 200 meters (656 feet) located inside a cave. It makes a spectacular picture.
After visiting Madakaripura Waterfall make your way to Mount Bromo area which takes about another hour to reach. The entrance fee on weekdays is typically around IDR 220,000 to IDR 320,000 per person. On weekends and national Holidays it might be more expensive. You need to bring cash for those fees.
Check into your hotel near the crater rim of Mount Bromo and relax and enjoy the stunning views of the volcanic landscape. When you don’t want to walk to the sunrise point of Mount Bromo it is best to arrange a driver (car or motorbike) for the next morning. Many people will be going to the sunrise point in the moring and it might be hard to get someone to drive you spontaniously. In the bigger Hotels you have a restaurat that you can go to for dinner. As sunhrise is really early and you get picked up at around 3 AM go to bed early to get some rest.
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Day 3 - 4
Day 3: Mount Bromo Sunrise Tour - Transfer to Tumpak Sewu Waterfall
Rise early for a sunrise tour at Mount Bromo and get to the viewpoint Penanjakan (also known as Kingkong Hill) or Seruni Point to watch the sunrise, offering panoramic views of Mount Bromo, Mount Semeru, and the surrounding Tengger Caldera. You can either walk, take a car or Motocicle or Horseback to get to the different viewpoints. You can also climb the crater rim of the vulcano were you will have a different perspective of the whole area. To reach the crater of Mount Bromo, visitors must hike a short but steep trail. Alternatively, some people opt for a horseback ride to the base of the stairs leading to the crater.
The weather at Mount Bromo can be unpredictable, with temperatures ranging from cool to chilly, especially in the early morning and evening. It’s advisable to dress in layers and bring warm clothing, as temperatures can drop significantly on higher grounds.
After taking your time to get some beautiful pictures and enjoying the sunrise, return to your hotel for breakfast.
Check out from your hotel at Bromo region and drive to Tumpak Sewu Waterfall, located near Lumajang (apprx. 3-3.5 h). They driving time is always more on Java than what Google maps says so always be prepared that it takes longer than you thought. Arrive at Tumpak Sewu Waterfall and check into your accommodation nearby (like Tumpak Sewu Homestay). Spend the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying the tranquil surroundings.
When to visit:
Plan your visit to Mount Bromo during the dry season (typically April to October) for the best chances of clear skies and optimal viewing conditions. Arrive early at sunrise viewpoints to secure a good spot, as they can get crowded, especially during peak tourist seasons. Everyone is fighting for a good space right in the front.
When you don’t have much time and only want to see Madikaripura Waterfall and Mount Bromo you can book guided tours from Surabaya that take you to both attractions with one overnight stay.
Day 4: Tumpak Sewu Waterfall Exploration - drive to Ijen Crater
Wake up early to get to Tumpak Sewu right after Sunrise. The Trail down to the waterfall has opening hours so take that to mind when visiting (7AM to 3PM). You need to pay for the parking at the Waterfall wich is about 5-10.000 IDR depending on the size of the vehicle. When reaching the valley down at the Waterfall you have to pay an enrance fee about 20.000 IDR per person to get to the waterfall. But before going down check out the viepoint, where you get a first impression of how beautiful this waterfall is. When the weather is clear you can see Mount Semeru in the background of the waterfall. The drone perspective makes this more visble. The view is like out of a fairytail.
After seeing Tumpak Sewu Waterfall from above it is time to go down to the valley. The way down is an adventure of its own. There are some steep stairs you need to take but also just rocks and at some points you have to climb down a smaller waterfall where you can hold on to a rope to get down. We saw people going back up as there were scared to go down but in our opinion it isn’t that hard. You just have to be prepared to get wet and muddy. We managed to get down with only our Flip Flops on so don’t be scared. Inside the valley you also have to pass through a river so here it is best to take off your shoes. I almost lost my Flip Flops as I didn’t take them off. The view you get from underneath the Waterfall is as breathtaking as from above. Be careful with your step here as everything is wet and slippery.
When to visit: We visited Tumpak Sewu in May which was perfect as we had great conditions. Everything was green, no rain and clear skies and there was enough water coming from the waterfall. So we would say right after the dry season starts untill the end of June will be great conditions.
After your waterfall adventure, enjoy breakfast at your accommodation and check out after that. We had the most delicous breakfast at Tumpak Sewu Homestay. A traditional breakfast soup Soto Ayam.
After the meal depart for Ijen Crater, located in the Banyuwangi Regency. The drive will be very long, about 8 hours. Check into your hotel near Ijen Crater. We stayed at Andung Andung Villa. Rest and relax in preparation for the early morning hike to Ijen Crater. Our driver arranged a Guide for the next morning that will pick us up and get us to the entrence of Ijen Vulcano. We went to bed right after arriving as our wake up call is at midnight.
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Day 5 - 6
Day 5: Ijen Crater Sunrise Trek - Rest and Relaxation
Wake up in the middle of the night for a sunrise trek to Ijen Crater. (Don’t go too early as it is very cold in the morning and trail opens at around 2-3 AM). There is like a cafe/Restaurant next to the entrance of the Ijen Trecking starting point. We drank some tee and ate bananas. After a long wait and totally tired we got the gear for the treck (gas mask and Headlamp) to start the trec up to the crater rim. The entrance fee for foreign tourists to Kawah Ijen is typically around IDR 100,000 to IDR 150,000 per person. The Guide is extra. We took a Guide as we wanted to see the blue Fire and you can’t go there without a Guide. There is only one way up and it can be quite steep and sliüüery when it rained the days before. So be careful not to slip. After reaching the crater we decided not to go down to the blue flames as it was already quite crowded. As it was still very early we had a lot of time before the sun rises. Pack some warm clothes for the treck as it is really cold in the morning. We were freezing even though we did pack some warm cloths, but not enough as it seems. When the sun started to rise blue acid lake and the vulcanoes in the backround became visable.
How to get here: You can hike the Crater individually but also with a guided tour what we would recommend. The are many different kind of tours starting from Bali or Surabaya or Banyuwangi. You can also do a multi day tour that combines everything that we did. But yoou can also book tours individually for each destination.
Return to your hotel for breakfast and some well-deserved rest. Spend the remainder of the day relaxing and exploring the local area at your leisure.
Overnight near Ijen Crater.
Day 6: Departure from Banyuwangi
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel.
Drive to Banyuwangi Airport for your departure flight or take the ferry between the ports of Ketapang in Banyuwangi, East Java, and Gilimanuk in Bali. The Ferries operate the whole day every 20-30 minutes. The ferry ride typically takes around 30 to 45 minutes to cross. As for the prices, the cost for passengers is usually very affordable, ranging from IDR 6,000 to IDR 8,000 per person. The price for cars and scooters vary depending on the size.
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Travel Costs & Getting Around
Travel Costs
- Accommodation:
- Surabaya: 15-50€ per night (1 nights) – we stayed at Hotel Walan Syarih
- Mount Bromo area: 40-80€ per night (1 night) – we stayed at Homestay Dua Putra
- Tumpak Sewu Waterfall area: 30-60€ per night (1 night) – we stayed at Tumpak Sewu Homestay
- Ijen Crater area: 30-60€ per night (2 nights) – we stayed at Andung Andung Villa
- Transportation:
- Private car rental or hired driver: 50-100€ per day fuel is in most cases included in the rate.
- Meals:
- Breakfast: 4-10€ per meal
- Lunch and Dinner: 5-15€ per meal
- Entrance Fees and Activities:
- Madakaripura Waterfall: 2-3€ per person
- Mount Bromo entrance fee: 10-20€ per person
- Tumpak Sewu Waterfall entrance fee: 5-10€ per person
- Ijen Crater entrance fee: 10-20€ per person
- Local Guides:
- Mount Bromo sunrise tour: 20-40€ per person
- Ijen Crater sunrise trek: 30-50€ per person
Of course these are rough estimates and the costs depend on how you prefer to travel. When you decide to take part in a guided tour it will be around 300-400 EUR per Person depending on what you want to see and how long the trip goes. Usually these guided tours are about 3-4 days long.
Getting Around Java
When traveling around Java, it’s essential to consider factors such as distance, road conditions, and your personal preferences to choose the most suitable mode of transportation for your journey. For us the most relaxing way was to hire a private driver. You can hire one from the Big Citys on Java but you can also try to find one in Bali that drives you. We tried both and it always worked out perfectly. When getting a private driver directly at the Airport in Surabaya or elsewhere it can be that the driver won’t be able to speak the best english. But they will still be able to get you around. Make sure to negotioate the price before you get into the car.
Of course you can also drive youselfes if you feel confident about driving a scooter or car in a very remote erea but the drive is very long and the weather can change quickly. Renting a motorbike or scooter is a popular if you are looking for independence and flexibility.
The third option is to take part in a guided tour where other travellers might join you. Everything is taken care of and you have a fixed schedule. So this is a quite expensive and non flexible way to explore Java. But when you don’t have much time and don’t want to go through the hussle to take care of everything that is the best and easiest option.
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