Even if you’re only planning to visit top places of interest in Indonesia‘s Java Island, Yogyakarta with its magnificent temples Borobudur and Prambanan and picturesque volcano Mount Bromo most probably will be on your list. Yogyakarta and Mount Bromo are quite far from each other so let's check all options how to get from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo.
Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo Distance
The distance from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo is around 350 kilometers. However, depending on the type of transportation and connections used, the distance you need to travel can easily be more than 400 kilometers.
Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo Directly
What options you have to choose from when planning to travel from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo directly? As there are no direct public transportation routes connecting these popular tourist destinations on Java Island, you can choose to join one of the organized tours or take a taxi / private car all the way to Mount Bromo.
Tour from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo
The easiest and most comfortable way for getting from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo is joining one of the organized tours. There are several tours from Yogyakarta that include a visit to Mount Bromo in their itinerary.
If you will choose to experience the awe-inspiring Mount Bromo Tour from Yogyakarta, one day will be used for traveling to accommodation and on the second day you will be able to enjoy a spectacular sunrise and explore the dramatic volcanic landscape on this unforgettable adventure.
The most popular option is traveling to Bromo and Ijen on a 3-day trip departing from Yogyakarta, as it takes you to explore two of the most beautiful volcanoes on Java island and you are accompanied by experienced tour managers and guides, from the start to the end of your trip.
In case you have more time, at first discover the Tumpak Sewu Waterfall, then see the sunrise at Bromo, and hike to the blue flames of Ijen on a 4-day adventure trip from Yogyakarta.
Taxi/Private Car from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo
Another easy way but not necessarily the fastest way is taking a taxi or private car directly all the way from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo. Tour companies in Yogyakarta can help you with arranging it but don’t expect it to be cheap.
Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo via Probolinggo
Almost all other transport options include going to Probolinggo, which is the nearest town to Mount Bromo, first and then taking a bus from Probolinggo to Mount Bromo. Keep in mind that buses between Probolinggo and Mount Bromo operate only until 16:00, so you need to arrive to Probolinggo earlier than that. Otherwise, you will be stuck in Probolinggo for one night and there’s really not much to see and do in the town.
Bus from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo
Some of the buses going from Yogyakarta to Bali stop at Probolinggo. Bus tickets for some of the buses can be conveniently booked in advance here: Bus tickets from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo.
Buses in Java are unreliable and depending on traffic the trip by bus from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo might take 10-12 hours or sometimes even more. This way of traveling from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo might be one of the cheapest (costs about 150,000 IDR) but it won’t be comfortable and the time of your arrival can be unpredictable. Even if you will take a bus very early, you still risk missing the last bus to Mount Bromo.
Train from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo
There are currently 4 daily trains going directly from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo but they all come too late for catching a bus to Mount Bromo on the same day.
A direct train to Probolinggo leaves from the main train station of Yogyakarta (Tugu Station). Ranggajati train departs from Tugu Station at 11:38 and is expected to arrive at Probolinggo train station at 18:47 as the trip should take 7 hours and 9 minutes. Normally the trains in Java come on the schedule, unlike the buses. The trip on this train can cost from around 200,000 IDR to 500,000 IDR, depending on seat class and availability. The cheapest seats are usually sold out first so don't be surprised if you will only be able to find tickets priced from 280,000 IDR and above.
There's also a new train Wijayakusuma that also leaves from the main train station of Yogyakarta at 18:40 and arrives in Probolinggo at 01:47 after midnight. The pricing of this train is similar to Ranggajati train and can reach up to 500,000 IDR.
Logawa train leaves from Yogyakarta Wates train station at 07:58 and goes directly to Probolinggo with no stopover in Surabaya. The train should arrive at Probolinggo at 16:31. The trip on this train can cost from 180,000 IDR to 280,000 IDR, depending on seat class and availability. The train also makes a stop at Lempuyangan Station in Yogyakarta.
There is also 1 economic train to Probolinggo departing from Lempuyangan Station in Yogyakarta. Sri Tanjung train is the earliest available train leaving Lempuyangan Station in Yogyakarta at 7:20 and arriving at Probolinggo at 15:56. Taking this train is the cheapest way to get from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo as the ticket costs only 88,000 IDR.
Train from Yogyakarta to Surabaya + Train or Bus to Probolinggo
There are plenty of direct trains running between Yogyakarta Tugu Station and Surabaya Gubeng Station. However, if you are willing to take a morning train from Surabaya to Probolinggo at 07:10, you will have to take an overnight train from Yogyakarta to Surabaya. Traveling at night helps you to save time and money on accommodation but taking an overnight train in Indonesia isn’t comfortable, as even the most expensive executive class trains here don’t have sleepers. The distance between Yogyakarta and Surabaya is 308 km and the journey by train takes from 4 to 5.5 hours, depending on the train.
Overnight business / executive class trains that can be used for traveling from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo leave Yogyakarta Tugu Station at 22:15, 23:33, 00:24 and 03:04. All these trains reach Surabaya Gubeng Station early in the morning but only with the first three can guarantee connection with a train going to Probolinggo at 07:10 from the same railway station as the train departing at 03:04 is scheduled to arrive at 07:08 and you can easily miss the train.
If you don’t mind spending a night in Surabaya, you can take train from Yogyakarta Tugu Station at 06:45, 11:30, 12:59, 13:38, 17:15 and 18:40.
The journey by business / executive class trains costs from around 200,000 IDR up to even more than 1 million IDR for a compartment. As always, the price depends on the seat class and availability as cheapest seats are usually sold out first. Train tickets on this route can be booked online here: Train from Yogyakarta to Surabaya.
Staying overnight in Surabaya might be avoided by taking 06:45 train from Yogyakarta and traveling from Surabaya to Probolinggo by bus but in bad traffic conditions you might find yourself in a race with time.
There are several economy trains running daily between Lempuyangan Station in Yogyakarta and Surabaya Gubeng station. The journey by economy trains take from 5.5 to 6.5 hours. The fare starts from 88,000 IDR. However, none of these trains will suite you if you are not willing to overnight in Surabaya.
There are few trains going from Surabaya Gubeng Station to Probolinggo. However, only business / executive train departing from Surabaya at 07:10 and economy train departing at 05:35 are suitable for getting to Mount Bromo from Probolinggo on the same day. The train ticket price varies from 27,000 IDR in economy class up to 375,000 IDR for executive class.
If you will miss these trains, get a bus going from Surabaya to Probolinggo instead as they are much more frequent. You can also book bus tickets online here: Bus from Surabaya to Probolinggo.
To make things more simple, you can choose to take Mount Bromo Sunrise 1-Day Trip from Surabaya to get picked up from Surabaya and witness the breathtaking sight of the golden sunrise rising behind Mount Bromo with sulfur steam and the Sea of Sand stretching out around you.
Flight from Yogyakarta to Surabaya + Train or Bus to Probolinggo
Previously you could fly from Yogyakarta Adisutjipto International Airport (JOG) to Surabaya by a direct flight between these two cities. However, now you can only take a connecting flight that wouldn't help you save time or money.
To check if the route wasn't reopened, check the current schedule of Indonesian domestic flights on this route here: Flights from Yogyakarta to Surabaya.
The price of the flight isn’t the only downside of this way of traveling from Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo as you will additionally need to arrange transportation from central Yogyakarta to Yogyakarta airport and from Surabaya Airport to the train or bus station in the city.
Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo via Malang
You can also choose to travel from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo the other way - via Malang City.
You can find different options and book tickets for trains and minivans operating on the route here: Travel options from Yogyakarta to Malang.
For getting up to the top of the mountain, normally jeeps are picking up travelers in Malang and bringing all the way from there - you just need to book 1-Day Mount Bromo Shared Trip from Malang.
Best Way to Travel from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo
What is the best way to travel from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo?
Actually there is no correct answer as it subjectively depends on your priorities. However, taking a bus all the way is really not recommended.
Private car will be really expensive, especially if you’re a solo traveler. Joining a Mount Bromo tour from Yogyakarta in such a case would be more convenient.
By taking a direct train you will be stuck in Probolinggo for one night so consider this option only if you have plenty of time to waste or like visiting ordinary towns and looking for a real local feel.
If you’re a heavy sleeper and don’t need much comfort for sleeping, taking an overnight train to Surabaya and morning train to Probolinggo can save you one night at hotel and let you reach Mount Bromo on the same day.
Surabaya has much more to offer for tourists than Probolinggo so you can plan a stopover in the second largest city of Indonesia. You can take a day train from Yogyakarta to Surabaya, spend a night there and next morning get on the early train or bus to Probolinggo. Staying overnight in Surabaya can be avoided by taking 06:45 train from Yogyakarta and traveling from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo by bus.
As there are no longer direct flights from Yogyakarta to Surabaya, you would need to connect somewhere and that would take lots of time so it can hardly be the best way to travel to Mount Bromo. After taking a connecting flight to Surabaya you will also spend lots of time for getting to the station and taking a train or bus to Probolinggo from Surabaya.
Our Choice
We always try to use public transportation whenever we travel. It’s normally the cheapest and most environment friendly way of traveling, giving you the best local feel. That’s why taking a private car for such a long distance wasn’t even considered.
Our Indonesian trip schedule was very tight so we tried to avoid staying overnight in Surabaya and Probolinggo at any cost. This condition automatically took all direct trains and buses out of the list.
One thing is common between all ways of traveling from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo, whatever transport you will be taking, if you want to reach Mount Bromo on the same day, you need to wake up early.
As we are not light sleepers and can take a good nap even while sitting, there was little difference between waking up very early and sleeping on overnight train, especially when spending the evening at Malioboro night market the night before leaving Yogyakarta was an important part of our trip plan. In this case we have chosen the most wallet friendly option – taking overnight train to Surabaya and morning train to Probolinggo.
How did it go, read here: From Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo by Overnight Train.
Tips
It is advisable to book your train tickets online in advance as the cheapest seats sell out quickly in Indonesia and there's a risk to miss out getting on the particular train as seats are limited.
To enhance your experience, travel to Bromo and Ijen accompanied by experienced tour managers and guides with a 3-day trip departing from Yogyakarta, as it takes you to explore two of the most beautiful volcanoes on Java island.
Useful tips for traveling in Indonesia can be found here: Indonesia Travel Tips.