Mount Rinjani Trekking Expedition
Mount Rinjani trekking takes you through Indonesia's second-highest volcano, reaching 3,726 meters above sea level with panoramic views of Lombok and Segara Anak crater lake. The route passes through tropical rainforest, savanna zones, and volcanic summit terrain. Mount Rinjani trekking tours typically include porter support, camping gear, and meals during multi-day ascents from Senaru or Sembalun villages.
Mount Rinjani National Park protects 41,330 hectares of montane forest and volcanic terrain on Lombok, with the 3,726-metre summit standing as Indonesia's second-highest volcano.
The caldera holds Segara Anak, a crescent lake formed 13,000 years ago when the original cone collapsed, leaving a six-kilometre-wide basin now filled to 2,000 metres elevation. Within the lake rises Gunung Baru, a new cone that emerged in 1847 and has erupted intermittently since, most recently sending ash plumes in 2016. The Sasak people consider Rinjani sacred, and pilgrims still leave offerings at hot springs on the crater floor.
Mount Rinjani trekking departs from two trailheads — Sembalun on the eastern flank offers open grassland and faster altitude gain, while Senaru on the northwest climbs through dense rainforest with waterfalls visible in the first hour. Both routes converge at Plawangan Sembalun, the crater rim camp at 2,639 metres where most trekkers sleep before the pre-dawn summit push. The final ascent crosses loose scoria on a 45-degree slope, with fixed ropes installed on the steepest sections. Cloud cover typically forms by mid-morning, making early starts essential for visibility.
The conservation entry fee of 150,000 IDR per person per day funds trail maintenance and waste removal — porters carry out all non-organic refuse under park regulations established in 2010. Trekking companies operating within the national park must employ certified guides registered with the Rinjani Trek Management Board, and all camps use designated sites to limit erosion. The park closes entirely during the monsoon months of December through March, when landslides render trails impassable. Outside this window, mount rinjani trekking tours run daily, with the dry season from June to August seeing the highest volume.
The crater rim offers views across Lombok to Bali's Mount Agung in the west and Sumbawa's peaks to the east. Segara Anak's turquoise water contrasts with the black sand beaches along its shore, where hot springs emerge at 60 degrees Celsius. Trekkers descending to the lake add a full day to their itinerary, crossing 600 vertical metres from rim to water. The lake sits within a collapse scar that geologists estimate removed two cubic kilometres of material, reshaping Lombok's water table and creating the springs that now feed the Kokok Putih waterfall below Senaru.
48 hr
