If you’re planning on hiking Mt. Bromo, there are several destinations that you can make your base camp before setting off early in the morning to begin your adventure. You can stay in Surabaya, Probolinggo, Malang, or in the village right next to Bromo: Cemoro Lawang. Lastly, you can also book an organised tour from Yogyakarta.
Each of these locations has its own pros and cons, which is also why there is no single best place to stay when visiting Mt. Bromo.
In short, the answer is as follows:
- Want to minimize travel time? -> Stay in Cemoro Lawang (the town next to Bromo)
- Travelling solo? -> Stay in Probolinggo
- Want to visit Sewu waterfalls? -> Stay in Malang
- Is Bromo the only reason for your trip to Java? -> Stay in Surabaya
- Don’t want to hassle with organizing transport -> Book a tour from Yogyakarta
Bonus: At the end of the article, we also share two organised trips that include stops at the Sewu waterfall and Ijen volcano.
Tour packages to visit Mt Bromo
Here is an overview of the best prices we could find for Bromo tours (including entrance fees) from each of the basecamps:
1. Which basecamp to choose when visiting Mt Bromo?
Now that you have an idea of the prices for the Bromo tours from each of the basecamps, let’s find out which base camp will be ideal for you.
As a bonus, we’ll also discuss how to get to Bromo from each of the base camps.
1. Cemoro Lawang
If you value every hour of sleep you can get, stay in Cemoro Lawang. From here, tours depart between 02:00 and 03:00, which is a lot better than the midnight departure from Malang or Surabaya.
Cemoro Lawang is a small village located at the edge of the caldera with plenty of hotels and guesthouses. Most of the accommodations, especially those in the town itself, are basic and can be overpriced for what they are. That being said, you can find some better-value accommodations along the road to Cemoro Lawang if you’re looking to save money.
Pros
- Located next to Bromo
- Possible to do an independent sunrise tour (just start walking from the village)
Cons
- You’ll have to travel back to Probolinggo to continue your trip to Ijen or Bali
Bromo tours from Cemoro Lawang
When I visited Bromo in November 2022, I stayed with my family in Gubuk Ndeso Homestay. While it was not directly located in Cemoro Lawang, it was only a 30-minute drive to Bromo. The owner was super helpful and organised the tour (including pick-up) for a competitive price, which wasn’t more expensive than the tours sold in the main town.
We paid 200,000 IDR ($13) for a taxi from Probolinggo train station to the accommodation, close to Cemoro Lawang.
The jeep (up to 5 people), which picked us up and guided us around the hotspots of Bromo, cost only 600,000 IDR ($39), including the driver. Typical rates for Jeep rental from Cemoro Lawang cost 700,000 IDR ($45.50).
The entrance to Bromo is 220,000 IDR ($14) per person on weekdays and 320,000 IDR ($20.50) during weekends. In a group of 4 people, the total cost was 425,000 IDR ($27.50) per person.
2. Probolinggo
If you’re a solo traveller, the public transport to Cemoro Lawang is a bit tricky, and costly with private transport. If you stay in Probolinggo, you are still pretty close to Bromo. Located on the way from Java to Bali, it’s only about a 1.5-hour drive on a quiet road to Bromo.
There isn’t much to do in the town itself, so don’t plan too much extra time here. From Probolinggo, it’s easy to organise a tour, and it’s not much more expensive than it would be from Cemoro Lawang.
Pros
- Located on the way to Ijen and Bali
- Only a 1.5-hour drive to Bromo (50 km)
Cons
- Limited choice of accommodation
- Slightly more expensive than tours from Cemoro Lawang
Bromo tours from Probolongo
Just like in Cemoro Lawang, it’s quite easy to organise a tour from Probolinggo. Tours usually start about 1-1.5 hours earlier compared to Cemoro Lawang.
If you look for a local tour in town, you might find better rates, but if you want to secure your trip in advance, here are the best tours we could find online:
Java Adventure Trail sunrise tour from Probolinggo
- 675,000 IDR ($43.50) per person in a group of 5
- Hotel pick-up in Probolinggo at 01:30
- Entrance fee not included
Bromo Tours sunrise tour from Probolinggo
- 750,000 IDR ($48.50) per person in a group of 5
- Hotel pick-up in Probolinggo at 02:00
- Entrance fee included
3. Malang
If you want to visit Sewu waterfalls, stay in Malang. No discussion needed. Malang is located 35 km west of Bromo and about a 2-hour drive from Sewu waterfalls, which makes the city a great base camp to visit both.
Malang is a student city with a vibrant coffee shop and fashion scene, and it’s much less traffic-clogged than most Indonesian cities, like Surabaya.
An advantage of staying in Malang is that it offers the largest choice of accommodations for all four base camps. On the downside, due to its popularity as a base camp for Bromo and the traffic this causes, the ride to Bromo takes over 3 hours. This means you’ll have to depart from Malang around midnight.
Pros
- Perfect to combine with a visit to Sewu waterfall
- Largest choice of accommodation
- A nicer place to stay compared to the other base camps
Cons
- +3-hour drive to Bromo (35 km)
Bromo tours from Malang
Although the distance from Malang to Bromo is only about 60 km, many tours depart at a similar time from Malang to Bromo every night. All the jeeps driving in a queue to Bromo is a specular sight, but it also means the journey will take even longer.
To ensure that travellers arrive before sunrise at the viewpoints in Bromo, tours have to leave around midnight.
- 690,000 IDR ($44.50) per person
- Entrance fee included
- Hotel pick-up from Malang between 00:30-01:00
- 800,000 IDR ($52) per person
- Entrance fee included
- With 1-night accommodation in Malang
- Departure for Bromo at 00:00
4. Surabaya
Located about 120 km distance from Bromo, Surabaya is the capital of east Java. As the second-largest city in Indonesia, the city is conveniently home to an airport with many connecting flights. However, it’s not a typical destination where you’d want to spend your holiday. It’s a very busy city with traffic and a large population.
You might be able to find a good deal for your hotel, but the higher costs of tours going to Bromo will still make it more expensive. We only recommend staying here if you arrive by plane and aren’t planning to spend any more time in east Java, aside from visiting Bromo.
Pros
- Surabaya has an airport
- Plenty of hotels to stay in
Cons
- +4-hour drive to Bromo (120 km)
- Very busy city
Bromo tours from Surabaya
While it’s possible to make the round trip in one day, the trip to Bromo will take over 4 hours, plus another 4 for the return journey. Spending 6-8 hours in a van as part of the Bromo tour is pretty long.
Also, keep in mind that tours from Surabaya are less common and typically more expensive.
- 1,330,000 IDR ($86) per person in a group of 5
- Entrance fee included
- Hotel pick-up from Surabaya at 23:30
5. Yogyakarta
Although Yogyakarta is not really a basecamp to visit Mt Bromo from, several travel agencies also offer complete packages that include the trip from Yogyakarta to Bali with one night of accommodation around Bromo (Cemoro Lawang) and potentially also the Ijen Volcano.
These 2D1N or 3D2N tours used to be quite popular before the pandemic, but when I visited Yogyakarta in late 2022, it was hard to find an agent offering this tour.
Either way, instead of joining an organised tour from Yogyakarta, we think you will get better value when booking your own (more comfortable) transportation, hotels, and tour to Mt Bromo from one of the basecamps.
Pros
- No need to make separate bookings
- Transfers are organised
Cons
- Transportation might not be as comfortable as taking the train
- Accommodation will be assigned by the tour operator
- More expensive
Bromo tours from Yogyakarta
Considering the long-distance travel from Yogyakarta to Bromo, you won’t be able to do this trip in one day. The most common tours are a 2D1N tour to Bromo, or if you also want to visit Ijen, 3D2N, including the ferry journey to Bali.
The tours typically depart from Yogyakarta in the morning and arrive at the hotel in Cemoro Lawang in the afternoon. Depending on the tour, you will be transported by private transport for the entire journey or a combination of private transport and the train.
Here is a selection of three different tours we found:
- 1,850,000 IDR ($120) per person in a group of 5
- Entrance fee included
- With 1-night accommodation near Bromo
- Morning departure from Yogyakarta by private transportation
- Departure for Bromo at 03:00
Bromo and Ijen Tours from Yogyakarta
Java Adventure 3D2N Jogja-Bromo-Ijen-Bali (train + private transport)
- From 3,265,000 IDR ($210) per person
- Jogja to Surabaya by train (morning departure)
- Surabaya to Bromo by private transport
- 1-night accommodation near Bromo + sunrise tour
- 05:00 departure for Ijen or midnight departure for Blue Fire Tour
- Free hotel drop-off in Bali
- Entrance tickets to Bromo and Ijen not included
Pepe Java Tours 3D2N Jogja-Bromo-Ijen Bali (private transport)
- From 3,500,000 IDR ($225) per person
- Jogja to Bromo hotel by private transport
- 1-night accommodation near Bromo + sunrise tour
- Midnight departure for Ijen with breakfast on box
- End tour at Gilimanuk Port, no hotel drop-off in Bali
- Entrance fees to Bromo and Ijen included
Tour packages to visit Mt Bromo & Ijen
If you are planning to visit both Mt Bromo and Ijen volcano, you have two options:
- Plan your own transport from Bromo to Ijen
- Book an organised tour so everything is organised for you
In the table below, we summarised the best Bromo and Ijen tours, including a stop at the Sewu waterfalls.
The cost above includes all entrance fees, accommodation, transportation, and additional amenities. When you plan this individually, you will be able to save some money and select your own accommodation, but it will also require a lot more planning.
Here is an estimation of when you would plan it yourself, based on a group of 5 people on weekdays:
- Bromo: 425,000 IDR ($27.50)
- Ijen: 350,000 IDR ($22.50)
- Basic 2-night accommodation: 400,000 IDR ($26)
- Transport: around 500,000 IDR ($32.50)
- Total: 1,675,000 IDR ($105)
As you can see, the price difference between organizing everything yourself or booking a tour package isn’t that significant. If I had known before how much effort it would take to book everything individually, I would have been more than happy to pay a little bit more for an organized tour to visit Bromo and Ijen (plus Sewu waterfalls).
Not having to think about every next step during your journey and just having your private transportation for the entire journey makes a huge difference. I learned it the hard way, so take advantage of this and search for a package where everything is organized for you.
Below, we listed three great options that were recommended to us by other travellers. If you know another company we should share with our travellers, please let us know in a comment below.
Bromo and Ijen Tour from Malang
Are you planning to visit Ijen after Bromo? Getting from Bromo to Banyuwangi (the main basecamp for Ijen) can take around 7 hours. Quite a distance, after doing a sunrise tour, right?
A great alternative is to book a tour that includes a visit to both Bromo and Ijen, with accommodation in Cemoro Lawang and Bondowoso. Bondowoso is located on the west side of Ijen, but the travel time to Ijen is around the same as from Banyuwangi. The great advantage of staying in Bondowoso is that it only takes about 3 hours from Bromo!
Plus, the views of the route from Bromo to Bondowso are just fantastic. Think of rice fields, views on the Argopuro mountain, and several other mountain views along the way.
See below two tours that include a visit to Bromo and Ijen. Prices are almost the same, but the first one includes a visit to Sewu waterfall (highly recommended!) and a drop-off at the harbour to catch the ferry to Bali.
3D2N tour from Malang, including a visit to Sewu waterfall and Ijen
- 1,850,000 IDR ($120) per person in a group of 5
- Visit Sewu waterfall on the first day (departure at 06:00)
- Accommodation near Bromo and Ijen
- Bromo + Ijen tour
- All entrance fees included
- Drop-off at harbour for the ferry to Bali
- 1,900,000 IDR ($120) per person in a group of 5
- Accommodation near Bromo
- Bromo + Ijen tour
- All entrance fees included
Bromo and Ijen Tour from Bali
Are you already in Bali and do you want to explore the east coast of Java? Instead of flying to Yogyakarta first, you can also join this 4D3N tour from Bali. With this tour with Dee, everything will be organised so you don’t need to worry about anything.
You have the choice to be dropped off in Bali again or in Malang. If you want to visit Yogyakarta after this east Java tour, you can take a bus or train from Malang to Yogyakarta.
Travel with Dee 4D3N East Java
- 2,400,000 IDR ($155) per person, shared trip
- Shuttle transport for 4 days
- 3 nights of accommodation
- Free breakfast, snacks, and drinks
- All entrance fees included
- Bromo + Ijen Tour
- With tour guide
Rounding it up
Bromo is known as a sunrise spot and that means you will have to get up early. The closer you are located to the Bromo, the more sleep you can get. While you will need to leave around midnight from Surabaya or Malang, tours from Cemoro Lawang typically leave between 02:00 and 03:00.
For that reason, we recommend most travellers stay in Cemoro Lawang. If you travel solo, stay in Probolinggo, and if you want to visit the Sewu waterfalls, stay in Malang. Surabaya is only a good base camp to stay in if you visit Java for one or two days. Last, Yogyakarta should only be considered if you don’t want to organize your own transport.
In case you want to visit both, Bromo and Ijen Volcano, we suggest booking an organized tour.
About the author(s)
Based in Bali, Maarten’s passion for travel is undeniable. In 2016, he decided to quit his job as a stock analyst and started doing what he always dreamed of: travelling through South East Asia and helping other people plan their trips. When he is not working on Gecko Routes, you’ll find him surfing in the ocean or exploring the best gems of Indonesia.
Abby is a writer who finds joy in mountains, beaches, and road trips. She considers her solo backpacking trip to the rice terraces of Bontoc one of the most fulfilling moments in her life. She’s loyal to the islands of her home country, the Philippines, but Thailand’s beaches also have a special place in her heart.
Hello, YOU ARE LITERALLY THE BEST. We are currently planing our trip, and you are the only blog who made us feel confident and not overwhelmed!!
I do have a question, is climbing to mount bromo has a fees? and is there any way to avoid them?
(It may sound silly but travelling on a low budget, also if you ever put Egypt on your list, don’t hesitate to text me)
Hello Asma, thank you so much for leaving this comment. I quoted the official entrance fees of Bromo in this post, but yes, there have been travellers who reach one of the viewpoints without paying. However, this is not something we would like to encourage. By joining a tour with a jeep, you’ll also get to see the sunrise from a beautiful spot which is hard to reach if you want to do everything independently. PS: If you want to save money, make sure to visit Mt Bromo during a weekday as the entrance fees are higher during the weekend.