Mount Bromo

We thought a lot about whether Mt Bromo and Mt Ijen belongs on Seek Sophie, because they do get really crowded at peak season. But we do think they're beautiful and worthwhile, and wanted to find differentiated ways of doing it.

All the guides here offer small group trips (instead of soulless large bus tours which is common at Bromo), and some will help you skip the crowds at Bromo. The guides here are also more reliable and speak better English than most other Bromo guides online.

The best way to avoid crowds at Bromo is to skip peak season in July-Aug, and avoid weekends/public hols. Aim for shoulder seasons of April-May & Sept-Oct. At Bromo, there are multiple sunrise viewpoints. We have found guides who can take you to less crowded spots, and start earlier to avoid the worst of the crowds. You can also go at sunset instead of sunrise.

If you pair your trip with Mt Ijen, the crowds are far worse at Ijen! So skip Mt Ijen at peak season if you dislike huge crowds.

We know it's hard to choose a Bromo trip as they all are pretty samey! Most trips online are basically a driver who speaks basic English, who takes you to the usual sunrise spot by jeep. They mainly differ on whether they're private or join-in.

We've been to Bromo multiple times and have found the rare guides who speak good English. So they are able to share more context on what you're seeing and the local traditions at Bromo, and it becomes less of a box-ticking trip and more meaningful.

You can either do Mt Bromo as a one day trip, or pair it with Mt Ijen (an otherworldly volcano with occasional blue fire) as a 2D1N trip. Most travellers pair Mt Bromo with Mt Ijen, or for more adventurous travellers they'll add on Tumpak Sewu (most epic waterfall in East Java).

The key differences between Mt Bromo and Mt Ijen are:

• Mt Ijen is a much harder hike - it's a proper hike unlike Bromo which is basically a short flight of stairs
• Mt Ijen gets uncomfortably more crowded during peak season.

Couple more tips!

• We didn't expect Bromo to be so cold but it really was! If you go at sunrise, it is as cold as 0-14 degrees celcius. In July it can be as cold as -4 degree celcius. So pack layers and layers - especially because you'll be waiting for sunrise and not moving much, so you'll need more clothing than you think.
• Bromo doesn't require much hiking. It’s a short climb (about 245 steps, 20 minutes) up to Bromo's rim to watch sunrise.