Multiday Shared Tour to Mount Bromo & Ijen from Surabaya or Malang

Itinerary: I was very fortunate to have Bagus as my driver this time. He spoke excellent English, was very chatty, and was warm and attentive in his interactions. I was also lucky to join a private tour arranged by his boss (who owns another private travel agency). His boss had one car for his private group, and I had my own car with my driver, making me feel like a super VIP. I received special attention throughout the trip, and it felt like sharing travel experiences and recommendations for good food and fun places with friends. They significantly enhanced my travel experience. At Mount Bromo, I got separated from my assigned guide and didn't have their contact information, but because I had a reliable driver I could contact, the problem was quickly resolved. Upon arriving at the Ijen Crater parking lot, the driver also advised me that if I was sensitive to the cold, I could rent a jacket or buy a wool hat. He even lent me his gloves and full-face goggles (to protect against the irritating gases from the blue flames). The Ijen Crater guide, under the close supervision of the boss, was a young man named ZaFranEdy. He was patient, spoke good English, and had excellent stamina, and he had been working with them for a long time. (As I mentioned, the boss had a private tour with two other travelers, making a total of three of us.) Despite our two groups having completely different energy levels and paces, the guide's stamina was so good that he could attend to the two people ahead and then quickly come back to me, who was lagging behind. When we went down to see the blue flames, he held my hand the entire way, guiding me step by step. My sneakers had poor grip on the ground, and I almost slipped several times, but the guide held me, preventing me from falling. He was so reliable it almost brought tears to my eyes! However, this trip taught me a few lessons. First, if I were a tourist already living in Surabaya, there would be no need to book a three-day, two-night tour, because the first day simply involved being picked up and taken to another hotel in Surabaya to wait until 11 PM before being driven to Mount Bromo (meaning the first day's hotel stay was a waste of money). Second, when arriving at Mount Bromo at night, the temperature was only about 10 degrees Celsius, so it's important to dress warmly. Although vendors sold wool hats on-site for only 50,000 IDR, it's always better to have your own preferred warm clothing. Third, watching the sunrise at Mount Bromo and visiting the crater are two separate journeys, both requiring climbing many stairs. No one can do the stair climbing for you, but for the path leading up to the stairs, you can rent a horse to avoid walking uphill yourself. You'll need to negotiate the price with the horseman. I didn't rent one for the first section. For the second section, which was a long stretch of volcanic ash-like ground (like walking on a beach, very difficult) leading to what was said to be 250 steps, I rented a horse for 250,000 IDR for the round trip. Fourth, the temperature at Ijen Crater might be even colder than at Bromo, and the human porters (sedan chair carriers) are much more expensive than in previous years. Two years ago, when my friend went, it was 500,000 IDR for a one-way trip and 800,000 IDR for a round trip. This year, when I participated, the boss told me it had become 1,700,000 IDR for a round trip (I don't know if the boss added a commission, but when I mentioned this to the porter, he wasn't surprised, which means this is likely the actual price). Because I could see they were exerting a lot of effort pulling me, an old, weak, and injured person, I felt the price was high, but if all that money went directly into their pockets, then such strenuous physical labor should indeed be more expensive. Remember to bring enough cash, so you don't find yourself unable to pay for tips or even restroom fees.

Thank you Ruly, Putro, and our Ijen guide Eddie for taking such good care of me! This 2D1N trip is highly recommended and perfect for anyone who wants to visit both volcanoes in the minimum amount of time. We had 7 people in our group, so the car wasn't too crowded and the ride was comfortable. Day 1 (Bromo): We didn't have an official guide on this day. The jeep driver simply dropped us off without sharing any details like where to go, what to do, or what time to head back to the jeep. Fortunately, Ruly kept in touch with me via messaging and successfully guided me to the viewpoint, so I didn't experience any trouble. We stayed at the DreamLand Hotel, which was clean, decent, and exactly as pictured. Day 2 (Ijen): The hike is exhausting for those who don't exercise or hike regularly. It's very steep at the beginning up to the volcano rim, and equally steep going down to the crater to see the blue flame. The path is narrow and crowded, so you must be extremely careful. Our guide, Eddie, was fantastic—he showed us an easier path to see the blue flame and personally helped me through the difficult, rocky sections. After the tour, they dropped me off at the port, and Putro kindly helped us with the ferry tickets. there are some extra on-site costs: health certificate IDR100K, drop off to Ketapang Harbor IDR650K, single room surcharge IDR375K (highly recommended for solo female travellers as they don't necessarily arrange same gender roommates for shared options), gear rental e.g walking stick IDR50K each

We had such a wonderful experience with the tour! Our driver Ruly, took great care of us and drove us safely to all our destinations without any delays. He was also such a fun and friendly person to be around, making the long drives more enjoyable! Our Ijen tour guide Selo, was equally amazing. The hike was challenging for us, and we needed quite a few breaks along the way. He was very understanding and patient, always making sure we were okay before continuing. He encouraged us throughout the hike and never made us feel rushed, giving us the confidence to keep going and eventually reach the top! He also helped us take lots of great photos before and after the hike. Both Ruly and Selo speak good English, making it easy for us to understand the instructions and communicate throughout the trip. Overall, this tour made our first trip here truly memorable, and we’re grateful to have met such friendly and helpful people!

It was a really good experience, even better than I expected. Thank you to Mr. Ruly for taking care of me throughout the trip! 😊 I joined this activity as a solo female traveler, so I was kind of nervous at first. But the trip mates, guides, and drivers were all so kind and took great care of me, which made the whole experience wonderful! difficulty of the hike: I joined the 3D2N Bromo and Kawah Ijen tour. Bromo was absolutely breathtaking, and I enjoyed it so much! The route to the viewpoint requires a little bit of fitness, so be prepared and take care along the way haha! Also, a big thank you to our guide for taking such wonderful photos of me. I was really impressed! 😊 As for Kawah Ijen, it was a moderately challenging hike, with a steep section of around 1 km. But our guide took care of me all the way to the top, so I never felt pressured or worried at all. Overall, it was such a fun and memorable hiking experience! 😻

The 4-day, 3-night trip to Tumpak Sewu Waterfall, Mount Bromo, and Kawah Ijen was incredibly worthwhile and beautiful! Mr. Ruly was an excellent driver, and the service was superb. He answered all our questions. All the accommodations were great, clean, and safe.

an amazing experience!! our guide ruly was incredibly kind and knowledgeable. he went out of his way to make our time super fun :)) local guides eggy (bromo) & silo (ijen) were also great!! we caught an beautiful view over bromo and ijen~

You'll receive a message from the driver around noon the day before, informing you of the pickup time. The driver also arrived early for pickup. During the trip, they stopped every one to two hours for restroom breaks, and the driving speed was steady. Transfers between each part of the itinerary were also very smooth, as we typically traveled in groups of two to eight people. However, it was extremely cold during the early morning hike up the mountain, so I highly recommend bringing plenty of warm clothing. The view from the summit was truly beautiful and well worth the experience.

Agus our driver is very experienced, we feel comfortable even with the wavy mountain road. He drove us and another couple in Surabaya to Bromo. Jeep is fun and comfy, the view is spectacular although the traffic was too bad and we ended up unable to watch sunrise at King Kong hill. The crater is so cool, we chose to walk instead of take the horse ride. I specifically love the waterfall and would go again and again, it’s magically beautiful. The visit involved bike ride, trekking, cross river and walk thru waterfalls, it’s so fun and cold after getting wet. We were well served by Budi, he make sure our safety, helped us take beautiful photos and videos. The whole journey is well planned, time is sufficient and nice. it’s nice that these tourism bring business to the locals,

First of all, I would like to thank Ayyub, the pick-up driver, for his kind and safe driving, which left a lasting impression. I was amazed to be picked up from Surabaya early in the morning and experience Mount Bromo and Madakaripura Waterfall in one day. It was a great experience to feel the wonders of nature. People who don't usually exercise may have difficulty climbing to the top of the mountain, so it's best to come prepared. The mountaintop is colder than you think in the early morning. Long-sleeved tops/bottoms and a light padded jacket that can block the wind seem appropriate. You will definitely get wet at Madakaripura, so it's best to bring extra clothes and sandals. This experience has made me want to visit other volcanoes, waterfalls, and the sea. I am looking forward to my next trip.

Traveling alone, I felt secure with the driver, Agus, who took great care of me. However, there was a bit of a language barrier, and we relied on translation software. I had initially expected a Chinese-speaking guide, but surprisingly, no one spoke Chinese throughout the entire trip. So, if you have specific language needs, it's best to clarify beforehand via email (even though it was mentioned there would be a Chinese guide, there wasn't one). Despite that, the scenery along the way was truly breathtaking. Also, there's a section on Mount Bromo where you can ride horses, but the horses didn't appear to be well-cared for. There was no water or food visible, and the ponies looked very tired, with muzzles that seemed painful (they were foaming at the mouth). I would advise against paying to ride these animals. As for climbing Mount Ijen, you'll need a certain level of physical fitness and proper equipment. Wearing safe and comfortable clothing will greatly benefit you throughout the journey.