What is the difference between the Ultimate Rinjani and the 3-day Summit, Lake & Hot Springs trek?

The route is exactly the same: Sembalun up, over the summit, down to Segara Anak Lake and the hot springs, out via Senaru. The Ultimate Rinjani spreads it over 4 days instead of 3, so there are no brutal days: after the summit you sleep at the lake, and the climb out to the Senaru rim gets a day of its own.

Is the Ultimate Rinjani trek less demanding than the 3-day version?

Yes. The summit morning is the same 2am push to 3,726 metres, but the days around it are shorter: you sleep at the lake after the summit and climb out to the Senaru rim the next day, so your body recovers before the climb out. No technical climbing anywhere on the route. Moderate fitness is still required.

Is the Ultimate Rinjani trek private only?

Yes. This trek runs as a private trip only, for your own group of 1 to 10 people, with your own guide and porters. There is no shared group option on this route.

How much does the Ultimate Rinjani trek cost?

The all-inclusive private package costs USD 725 per person for 1 person, USD 385 per person for 2 to 4 persons, and USD 350 per person for 5 to 10 persons, for 4 days and 3 nights on the mountain.

What is included in the price?

Private transport with pick-up anywhere on Lombok and drop-off in Mataram, Senggigi, or Bangsal Harbor, one night accommodation in Senaru village before the trek, all meals during the hike, snacks and drinks, full camping gear, an experienced guide and porters, and the Rinjani National Park entrance fee and permits. Travel insurance is not included and is required for every trekker.

Who is the Ultimate Rinjani trek for?

For trekkers who have the time and would rather experience the mountain than rush across it: anyone who finds the 3-day crossing too heavy, photographers who want good light at the lake, and swimmers who want an afternoon at the water and the hot springs.

Ultimate Rinjani: 4-Day Private Trek from USD 350

Same summit, same lake, same hot springs as the three-day crossing. What changes is the rhythm. The summit morning is still the summit morning, but after it you stay at the lake: an afternoon at the hot springs and a night on the shore. You climb out of the caldera the next morning on rested legs, instead of on summit day. It runs private only, so the days bend around your group.

Why this trek

A night at the lake

After the summit you stay down there: lunch at the water, the hot springs for as long as you like, and the lake at its stillest in the morning.

You climb out rested

On the three-day route the climb to the Senaru rim comes the same afternoon as the summit. Here a night at the lake sits in between, and your legs know the difference.

Nothing left out

Summit at 3,726 m, crater rim, Segara Anak, the hot springs and the forest descent to Senaru. The full crossing, just without the grind.

Your own group, your own days

Private only. Your guide plans the days with you, around your pace and what you want most from the lake.

Route map of the 4-day crossing: in at Sembalun, over the summit at 3,726 m, a night at Segara Anak lake and out over the Senaru rim — In at Sembalun, a night at the lake, out at Senaru. Tap to enlarge.

At a glance

Days

3,726 m

Summit

2,000 m

Crater lake

~3,210 m

Total ascent

Nights camping

Apr–Nov

Dry season

Day by day

Four days across the mountain, with a night at the lake. Times are typical: your guide sets the pace on the day.

The day beforePickup anywhere on Lombok → Senaru

The night you arrive

We pick you up wherever you are on Lombok: the airport, Bangsal harbour, Senggigi, Mataram, Kuta or your hotel, at a time we agree with you. From there it is a drive to my guesthouse in Senaru, included in the price. If you are in Senaru by around 14:00, there is time for the two waterfalls in the village, Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep. You can walk there on your own, or go with a local guide for a small fee. You check in, meet your guide, get the briefing and sleep. Shoes, poles, jacket and headlamp can be rented here that evening.

The open savannah trail climbing towards the Sembalun crater rim

Day 1Sembalun gate → crater rim

Up through the savannah

Breakfast at the guesthouse, then a 45 to 60 minute drive to the Sembalun gate for registration at 8:00. The walk begins across open savannah with the volcano ahead of you. Lunch at Pos 2 around midday, where grassland gives way to loose rock. The last stretch to the rim is the steep part, and camp is waiting on the edge by mid-afternoon, with the caldera and the small cone of Barujari below.

~10 kmDistance

+1,485 mAscent

7–9 hrsWalking

2,641 mCamp

Trekkers silhouetted on the summit ridge above a sea of cloud at sunrise

Day 2Crater rim → summit → Segara Anak lake

The one hard morning

Up at 2:00, on the trail by 2:30, three hours of steep volcanic scree in the dark. The summit at around 5:30, as the sun breaks the horizon and the shadow of the mountain runs west across the sea. Back down to camp for breakfast, pack up at 9:00, then the switchbacks into the caldera to the lake shore. Lunch at the water, hot springs in the afternoon, and unlike the three-day route you are not climbing out today.

3 kmSummit push

+1,085 mAscent

10–12 hrsWalking

2,000 mLake camp

Segara Anak crater lake, still and blue, with the caldera walls reflected in it

Day 3Segara Anak → Senaru rim

Up to the Senaru rim, rested

No 2am alarm today. Breakfast by the lake while the light comes over the crater walls, then the climb out of the caldera to the Senaru rim, about three hours, with fixed ropes on the steepest rock. You do it on legs that slept, not on summit day. Camp on the rim, with the crater below you.

3 hrsClimb out

+641 mAscent

2,641 mSenaru rim camp

Porters carrying loads along the trail out of the caldera

Day 4Senaru rim → Senaru village

Out through the forest

Breakfast on the rim and a last look into the crater. From there it is a long descent through tropical forest, roots and vines and filtered light, nothing like the savannah you came up. Senaru gate around midday, transfer included.

5–6 hrsJungle descent

−2,040 mDescent

601 mFinish

Effort & who it's for

Moderate

The summit morning is the summit morning: 2 am start, steep scree, 3,726 metres. That does not change. What changes is everything around it. The days are shorter: the summit day ends at the lake, and you climb out of the caldera the next morning on recovered legs instead of the same afternoon. If the three-day crossing sounds too heavy, this is the same mountain without the grind. No technical climbing anywhere on the route. The difficulty page compares this with the three-day crossing, if you are choosing between the two.

A good fit if

You want the full crossing but not back-to-back long days
The lake is the reason you are coming, not just the summit
You are travelling as a couple, family or group of friends
You would rather pay more than be rushed

Think twice if

You are short on days, the three-day route covers the same ground
Serious altitude has troubled you before, the summit is 3,726 m
You want comfort, this is three nights of camping
You are travelling solo on a budget, private solo is USD 725

What's included

Every trek is all-inclusive: one price covers your guide and porters, transport, all meals on the mountain, camping gear and the national park fee.

Included

Experienced guide and porters
Private transport: pickup anywhere on Lombok, drop-off in Mataram, Senggigi or Bangsal harbour
One night in my Senaru guesthouse before the trek
All meals on the mountain, plus snacks, fresh fruit and drinking water
Full camping gear: tent, sleeping bag, mat, toilet tent and cooking gear
National park entrance fee and trekking permit

You bring or pay

Warm jacket, hiking shoes and trekking poles, all rentable at the guesthouse the evening before
Headlamp with spare batteries, sunscreen, sunglasses and personal medication
Travel insurance that covers trekking to 3,726 m, checked before your permits are arranged
Tips for your guide and porters, if you want to
An extra porter for personal belongings, optional

Elevation profile

Ultimate Rinjani

4 days · 3 nights

3,726 mHighest point

How you go

This route runs private only. Slower days only work if the group sets the pace together. The cost page puts this price next to the shorter routes.

Private

From

USD 350 pp

Your own guide and porters, on the date you choose, for a group of 1 to 10. Prices are per person and all-inclusive: the more of you go, the less each person pays.

Transport there and back is yours alone, no shared van
Chairs and a table at camp, so meals are not eaten sitting on the ground
More room between the tents
USD 725 for one person
USD 385 per person for 2 to 4
USD 350 per person for 5 to 10
Any start date you like in the open season
Good for couples, families and friends
Same guides and the same kit as every other trek we run

What happens after you book

Usually the same day. I confirm, and USD 30 per person holds your place. It comes off the trek price.
After your deposit. On your own trek page you tell me what you eat and what you want to rent.
The day before the hike. We pick you up, and you sleep at my guesthouse in Senaru. That night is part of the trek price.

From USD 350 per person

The price is all-inclusive: guide, porters, all meals, camping gear and the national park fee. Sending a request is free. I confirm your date, usually the same day, and then you reserve with a USD 30 deposit per person that comes off the price. The rest is cash to your guide on Lombok. And changing your date afterwards is free.

See dates → Compare all five treks

Good to know

Is this worth the extra day?

It depends on why you are coming. If you want the summit and a good story, three days does it. If you want to actually be at the lake rather than pass through it, the fourth day is the whole point.

What is different from the three-day trek?

After the summit you stay at the lake: the afternoon for the hot springs, a swim or photographing Barujari across the water, then a night on the shore. The climb to the Senaru rim comes the next morning instead of on summit day. Your guide plans the details with your group.

Do we always come out at Senaru?

Usually, yes. Senaru is the normal way out: the climb from the lake to the rim, then a long descent through tropical forest to the village. There is a second way down. From the lake the trail can also follow the Torean valley, north through running water and waterfalls, on a side of the mountain far fewer people walk. Of the two, Senaru is the harder way down and Torean the lighter one. You do not have to decide when you book. With a night at the lake there is time to talk it over with your guide, once you know how your legs feel and what you want from the last day. Your transfer is included either way, it just leaves from a different village.

Will I get altitude sickness?

Some people feel it above 3,000 m. Sleeping on the crater rim first helps you acclimatise, and your guide keeps an eye on everyone during the summit push. You can always turn back: the mountain is not going anywhere.

What about food and allergies?

Your porters cook fresh on the mountain: rice, noodles, vegetables, eggs, fruit, and plenty of it. Tell me about allergies or a vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free diet when you book and we cook around it. Because this trek is private, the team shops and cooks only for your group. Our food and diets page covers what you eat up there and how we handle allergies.

How basic is it?

This is real camping, three nights of it. The tent, sleeping bag and mat are provided and carried for you, and the toilet is a simple toilet tent. The lake camp is warmer and more sheltered than the rim.