Mount Rinjani trek or Senaru waterfalls: routes, permits and closures

Should you commit to the Rinjani trek?

Rinjani is the second-highest volcano in Indonesia, and the trek is a real expedition, not a long day walk. The Ministry of Tourism says reaching the summit from Sembalun usually takes two days and one night. A full crossing goes down to the crater lake and out through Senaru, which takes three to four days in total. The ministry's older route notes describe the same shape: a three-day trek from Senaru to the crater rim, down to the lake and on to Sembalun Lawang. A four-day version, best started at Sembalun Lawang, adds the summit.

The two main routes feel very different. The Sembalun trail starts gently across open savanna and then gets long and hard towards the summit. Its campsite, Plawangan Sembalun, sits at about 2,639 metres, and from there the summit attempt starts. The Senaru trail climbs through dense forest. It is steeper and shorter, and the ministry puts the climb from Senaru village to the Senaru crater rim at about 8 to 10 hours. Even the rim alone is a full day's climb with a night at a campsite, so neither side offers a short rim walk.

The park's own rules decide whether this trip is for you. Every group must have at least two people. Each group must go with a guide or an experienced hiker, and every hiker must have climbed other mountains before and be able to prove it with photos, a certificate or an interview. Hikers under 17 must be accompanied and carry a letter from a parent or guardian. If you have never camped at altitude or walked steep, loose ground, the Senaru-only plan below is the better trip, not a lesser one.

Booking, fees and the rules on the mountain

All hiking permits go through the park's eRinjani app, which the park says is on Google Play and now also the App Store. The park's site lists recommended trekking organisers. When the park reopened in August 2025 after a temporary closure that followed accidents on the trails, it revised the hiking SOP. The revision included reclassifying the trails as grade IV, a guide ratio, a new insurance system and safety contingency plans. The full SOP can be downloaded in the eRinjani app.

When we checked on 2026-10-03, the park's official site listed entry for foreign nationals at Rp 250,000 per day on the Sembalun, Senaru and Torean trails. The less-used Timbanuh, Tetebatu and Aik Berik trails cost Rp 200,000 per day. Insurance was listed at Rp 10,000 (regular) or Rp 290,000 (premium). These are park fees only; check what any trekking package adds on top.

The park enforces its rules with a public blacklist. When we checked, it named hikers banned for four years for carrying wet wipes up the mountain, and others banned for five years for coming down with less rubbish than they took up. You must carry reusable food and drink containers. In the dry season, rangers search bags for anything that could start a fire, and the park asks hikers not to burn rubbish, to put out every cigarette and to cook only on a stove well away from dry grass.

• Book through eRinjani; reschedules are possible only once per ticket, and the hiker's name cannot be changed.
• Bring your passport; the park's registration requirements list it for foreign hikers.
• Check closures on rinjaninationalpark.id the week you travel, not only when you book.

Closures, fires and the volcano: what to check first

Rinjani's season is set by the park, not by the calendar alone. The park closes all hiking trails at the start of every year because heavy rain makes the trails slippery, brings thick fog and raises the risk of hypothermia. In 2026 that closure ran from 1 January to 31 March, and the last bookings for the 2025 season closed on 28 December 2025.

The dry season brings fire risk. From 1 September 2026 the park opened only on a limited basis: patrols and bag checks were stepped up, and new eRinjani bookings were suspended until fire risk is judged safe again. Bookings already paid before that date are still honoured. On 22 September 2026 a forest fire broke out at Bukit Setampol in the Torean sector, and the Torean trail was closed from 23 September. In its update of 29 September, the park said about 1,098.75 hectares were affected and that the Torean and Senaru trails remained temporarily closed as entry and exit points. They will reopen only after the trail, the slopes and any burnt trees have been assessed. If you hold a Torean ticket, the park asks you to reschedule or switch to another trail.

Rinjani is also an active volcano. When we checked on 2026-10-03, Indonesia's volcanology agency (PVMBG, on MAGMA Indonesia) listed Rinjani at Level II (Waspada). Its daily report allowed hiking, but no activity or camping anywhere on Barujari or within 1.5 kilometres of its crater, because the lava there is still hot and unstable. The agency also advised visitors to carry a mask and eye protection in case of ash. Check the level again before you go.

Senaru without the summit: waterfalls, the old village and Bayan

Senaru is a tourism village in Bayan district, North Lombok, at the northern foot of the mountain. You can spend a rewarding day here without setting foot on the trekking trail. Sendang Gile waterfall is about a 15-minute walk down a flight of steps, according to the Ministry of Tourism, and Tiu Kelep is another 30 to 45 minutes beyond it. Both are fed by springs on Rinjani, and the ministry recommends them for travellers who are not hiking. The park's October 2026 closure notices concern the Senaru hiking trail. They do not mention the waterfalls, but ask in the village before you set out.

The village also has one of Lombok's oldest groups of traditional houses: bamboo walls and pillars on stone or clay foundations, under alang-alang thatch, with a small gazebo (beruga) for receiving guests. Nearby Masjid Kuno Bayan Beleq dates from the 16th century and is one of the oldest mosques on Lombok. It is built of timber under a thatched roof, still hosts annual customary ceremonies and is used for Eid prayers. Dress modestly and ask before entering.

Senaru has homestays as well as lodges, so you can sleep in the village and see its daily life. The ministry mentions weaving and traditional dances such as Bisoq Menik, which is inspired by the rice-washing ritual of Bayan's customary ceremonies.

Sembalun: the eastern trailhead and its valley

Sembalun Lawang, in a high valley on the east side of the mountain, is where most summit treks begin. The Ministry of Tourism says Senaru and Sembalun both have plenty of hotels, lodges, local eateries, guides, porters and operators. That makes Sembalun the sensible place to sleep before an early start, meet your organiser and sort out gear.

Even if you do not climb, the valley is worth the drive. The national park lists the Propok savanna and Bukit Kondo in Sembalun among Lombok's newest popular viewpoints, for the scenery they open up below the mountain. The road in is long. The ministry estimates about four hours from Mataram, or four to five hours by car from the airport or Mataram, so do not plan Sembalun as a quick detour.

Segara Anak and Barujari: what is inside the crater

Segara Anak, 'child of the sea', lies at about 2,010 metres in the caldera. The Ministry of Tourism gives its area as 11 square kilometres and its depth as up to 230 metres. From the Senaru rim it is a sharp descent of about 600 metres to the shore. The lake water stays at about 20–22°C because hot water seeps in from the volcanic system under Barujari. Hot springs by the lake draw hikers who believe in their healing powers. Tilapia and carp have been bred in the lake since 1985, and fishing is popular.

The lake is sacred. The ministry notes that Balinese Hindus hold an annual ceremony here for the mountain's spirit, and that Wetu Telu followers pray by the lake on full-moon nights. The park also notes that indigenous communities use the Senaru trail for rituals at the summit and the lake. Behave at the shore as you would at a shrine.

Barujari is the active cone on the east side of the caldera; the Ministry of Tourism says it rose from a series of eruptions in the 1990s. You see it from the rim and the lake, but you may not climb it. At Level II, the volcanology agency keeps everyone off its slopes and out of a 1.5-kilometre radius around its crater.