Ijen Blue Fire Trek from Seminyak: Private Overnight with Ferry

Hands grip a flashlight at 1:30 AM on Java's highest volcano

You're picked up from your Bali hotel in the late afternoon, driven to a ferry crossing, and guided up Ijen Crater in the dark to witness blue fire at 1:30 AM. A five-hour trek with professional equipment and an English-speaking guide. Breakfast and dinner are provided, along with all transport and entry fees. You return to your hotel by early afternoon the next day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Ijen Blue Fire Trek and Return

• 16:30 Pick up from hotel
• Drive to Gilimanuk Harbour
• 20:30 Dinner at local restaurant
• 21:30 Take ferry to Ketapang Harbour
• 22:30 Arrive at Ketapang Harbour
• Meet guide at Ketapang Harbour
• 23:40 Drive to Paltuding start point
• 01:00 Arrive and prepare trekking gear
• 01:30 Begin Ijen volcano trekking
• 07:00 Return to Banyuwangi city
• Have breakfast in Banyuwangi
• 09:00 Depart to Gilimanuk port Bali
• 09:30 Arrive Gilimanuk and meet driver
• 13:00 Arrive back at Bali hotel

The experience

The pickup comes at 4:30 PM from your Seminyak hotel, or Canggu, Ubud, Sanur, wherever you're staying in Bali. Your driver, English-speaking and unhurried, takes you west toward Gilimanuk Harbour. You'll stop for dinner at a local restaurant around 8:30 PM, then board a ferry that crosses the strait between islands. By 11:30 PM (Java time now), you're in Ketapang, meeting your trekking guide on the dock. The drive to Paltuding, the trailhead, takes another hour. You arrive at 1 AM, collect your equipment (flashlight, rain cover, mask), and get a briefing on what's ahead.

The trek itself starts at 1:30 AM and runs about five hours. You're climbing toward the crater rim of Ijen, which sits at 2,386 meters above sea level. The blue fire (sulfurous gas igniting as it emerges from the volcano) is visible in the dark, a phenomenon most people never see. Your guide leads the way with a headlamp, pointing out the terrain and the glow ahead. The air gets thinner and cooler as you climb. By 7 AM, you're heading back down toward Banyuwangi for breakfast, then returning to Ketapang Harbour for the 9 AM ferry back to Gilimanuk. You reach your Bali hotel around 1 PM, having been awake for nearly 24 hours but with something most travelers never witness.

The whole thing is private: your car, your guide, your pace. You're not waiting for a group or adjusting to strangers' fitness levels. Breakfast and dinner are included, as are all entrance fees, the ferry tickets, and the trekking gear. Mineral water comes with you. WiFi works in the car. The ferry itself is comfortable, not a cramped speedboat. What you're arranging yourself is only sleep the night before and the willingness to start moving at 4:30 PM and not stop until you're back in your room the next afternoon.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup in a private air-conditioned car with an English-speaking driver, dinner at a local restaurant in Gilimanuk, ferry transport to Java, an English-speaking trekking guide on Ijen Crater, all trekking equipment (flashlight, rain cover, mask), breakfast in Banyuwangi, return ferry to Bali, and bottled water throughout. The guide provides a safety briefing and leads the five-hour trek to witness the blue fire.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 16:30

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (10 to 85 years) · Child (5 to 9 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Endag Bali Tour

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Ijen's blue fire without arranging your own transport across two islands, hiring a guide, or figuring out the ferry schedule: the private pickup and fixed itinerary handle all of that, leaving you to sleep beforehand and show up ready to climb.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 9 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What time do I need to be ready at my hotel?

Pickup is at 4:30 PM from your hotel lobby in Seminyak or surrounding areas (Canggu, Ubud, Sanur, Kuta, Ubud, Lovina, and others).

How long is the actual trek up Ijen?

About five hours from start to finish, beginning at 1:30 AM and returning around 7 AM.

What's included in the price?

Private car and driver, English-speaking trekking guide, all entrance and ferry tickets, trekking equipment (flashlight, rain cover, mask), breakfast, dinner, and bottled water.

Do I need my own trekking boots?

The tour provides a mask and trekking equipment. Bring sturdy footwear suitable for volcanic terrain.

How do I get from Bali to Java?

By ferry from Gilimanuk Harbour in west Bali to Ketapang Harbour in Java. The crossing takes about one hour and is included.

What time do I return to my hotel?

Estimated arrival is around 1 PM the next day, depending on traffic and ferry schedules.

Is there WiFi during the tour?

Yes, the car has free WiFi on board during the drive portions.

Can I do this trek if I'm not very fit?

The tour requires at least moderate physical fitness. It's not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, cardiovascular issues, or pregnancy.