Lombok, Indonesia08°24.7′ S · 116°27.5′ E

Mount Rinjani Trek Guide
Rinjani summit cone above the open grassland of the Sembalun trail

Senaru vs Sembalun

Forest to the lake rim, or grassland to the summit

Photo: Giovari max / CC BY-SA 4.0

Pick Sembalun if you want the summit, and Senaru if you want the lake view without a night climb. The summit push leaves from the Sembalun crater rim, so a 2-day Senaru trip stops at its own rim. The common 3-day trek goes up from Sembalun and comes down through Senaru. Both trails were operating on 3 October 2026.

By Mount Rinjani Trek Guide team Updated

Senaru and Sembalun treks

Lake views from Senaru, the summit from Sembalun, or both in three days.

Segara Anak lake and the Barujari cone seen from the summit of Mount Rinjani

Top pick

Mount Rinjani summit trek, 2 days 1 night

Rated 4.8 out of 5. 311 reviews2 days

The shortest way to stand on the 3,726 m summit: up to the crater rim camp on day one, a pre-dawn summit push on day two. The most-reviewed Rinjani listing on GetYourGuide when we checked.

from $144

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  • Segara Anak lake inside the Rinjani caldera, seen from the crater rim

    Rated 4.9 (118)2 days

    2-day trek to the Senaru crater rim

    No summit night: you climb through forest from Senaru and sleep on the rim above the crater lake. The highest-rated multi-day listing when we checked.

    from $150

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  • Hikers on the grassy track between Segara Anak and the Plawangan Sembalun rim

    Rated 4.6 (28)3 days

    3-day full crossing: Sembalun up, Senaru down

    The classic traverse: start on the Sembalun side, summit, and walk out through the Senaru forest, so you see both sides of the mountain.

    from $150

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Side by side

Senaru (north) Sembalun (east)
Regency North Lombok East Lombok
Park fee, foreigner Rp 250,000 per day Rp 250,000 per day
Crater rim camp 2,641 m 2,639 m
Summit from this rim No Yes, 3,726 m
Typical first day Forest climb to the rim Grassland, then a steep climb; about 8–9 h and about 1,500 m of ascent to the rim
Status, 3 Oct 2026 Reopened after the fire closure Operating
Nearest hub by road Bangsal harbour, 61 km Lombok International Airport, 79 km

Status from the trail list, distances from the road table.

Key heights on the Senaru and Sembalun trails
PointHeightNote
Summit13,726 mReached from the Sembalun side
Senaru crater rim22,641 mCamp at the end of day 1 from Senaru
Sembalun crater rim (Plawangan Sembalun)32,639 mLast camp before the summit
Sembalun village41,156 mAnother operator gives 1,100 m
Heights as published by trekking operators and guides; the park office has not published its own route profile online.Checked · 1 source · 2 source · 3 source · 4 source

Choose Senaru if

  • You have two days and want the caldera view without a night summit climb. The Senaru rim looks down on Segara Anak lake.
  • You are coming from the Gili harbour at Bangsal. Senaru is the closer trailhead, about 61 km by road.

Choose Sembalun if

  • The summit is the point of the trip. The Sembalun crater rim is the last camp before the summit push.
  • You have only two days and still want the top. Some operators sell a Sembalun-to-Sembalun 2D1N summit trek, for example from USD 215 at Green Rinjani as advertised on 21 Oct 2026.
  • You are flying in. Sembalun is about 79 km from the airport, while Senaru is about 111 km.

The 3-day traverse

The common 3D2N summit trek starts at Sembalun and finishes at Senaru. That puts the summit on the second morning and the lake on the way down. Green Rinjani advertised this trek from USD 270 per person on 21 October 2026, and a 4D3N version from USD 350. Because you finish on the north side, you need a pickup in Senaru.

For the quieter southern trails, see Timbanuh, Tetebatu and Aik Berik.

Questions about Mount Rinjani

By the guide team

Can you reach the summit from Senaru?

Not directly. Operators start the summit push from the Sembalun crater rim. One 2-day summit itinerary that collects trekkers in Senaru drives them round to Sembalun village to start walking.

Which side is cheaper?

The park fee is the same, Rp 250,000 per day for foreigners, because both are Class 1 trails. One operator's advertised prices start at USD 190 for the Senaru rim (2D1N) and USD 215 for the Sembalun summit (2D1N).

How high are the Senaru and Sembalun crater rims?

Operators give 2,641 m for the Senaru rim and 2,639 m for the Sembalun rim. The summit is 3,726 m, reached only from the Sembalun side.

Can you do Rinjani in 2 days?

Yes. A 2D1N trip goes from Senaru to the Senaru rim and back, with no summit. A 2D1N Sembalun trip camps on the Sembalun rim and climbs to the summit on the second morning.

What is the 3-day Rinjani route?

The common 3D2N trek starts at Sembalun, reaches the summit on the second morning, drops to the lake and finishes at Senaru. Green Rinjani advertised it from USD 270 per person on 21 October 2026.

3 picks · from $144

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