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

Mount Rinjani Trek Guide
Dawn light over the caldera rim, with the lake and the Barujari cone below

Getting to the Rinjani trailheads

From the Gili boats or the airport straight to the trail

Photo: César González Palomo / CC BY-SA 2.0

You can reach either main trailhead in one morning from wherever you land on Lombok. Senaru is about 61 km from Bangsal harbour, where the Gili boats come in, and Sembalun is about 79 km from the airport. Routing software puts those drives at 55 min and 1 h 12 min with no traffic. One operator quotes 2.5–3 hours from Mataram or Senggigi to Sembalun, so allow a long morning.

By Mount Rinjani Trek Guide team Updated

Distances and drive times

Driving to the trailhead villages: distance and free-flow time
FromTo SenaruTo Sembalun
Senggigi183 km, about 1 h 11 min101 km, about 1 h 19 min
Mataram286 km, about 1 h 17 min86 km, about 1 h 12 min
Bangsal harbour361 km, about 55 min78 km, about 1 h 4 min
Lombok International Airport4111 km, about 1 h 41 min79 km, about 1 h 12 min
Computed by the OSRM routing engine on OpenStreetMap roads, village centre to village centre. These are free-flow times with no traffic or stops; one operator site (mount-rinjani-trekking.com) quotes 2.5–3 hours from Mataram or Senggigi to Sembalun, so treat these as a floor.Checked · 1 source, source · 2 source, source · 3 source, source · 4 source, source

The free-flow times come from routing software and assume no stops, no traffic and no slow trucks on the hill roads. Treat them as the fastest possible drive. If your trek starts at dawn, sleep in Senaru or Sembalun the night before.

Which hub for which start

Arriving from Nearer trailhead Why
Gili boats at Bangsal Senaru, 61 km 17 km closer than Sembalun
Lombok International Airport Sembalun, 79 km 32 km closer than Senaru
Mataram Either, about 86 km Same distance; Sembalun is a few minutes quicker
Senggigi Senaru, 83 km 18 km closer than Sembalun

Tip. On a Sembalun-to-Senaru traverse, you finish 61 km from Bangsal, so you can go straight on to the Gili boats. Transfers are part of the trek cost.

Southern trailheads

Timbanuh, Tetebatu and Aik Berik are on the south side of the mountain, in East and Central Lombok. They are much closer to Mataram and the airport than Senaru or Sembalun are.

Driving to the southern trailhead villages: distance and free-flow time
Trailhead villageFrom MataramFrom Lombok International Airport
Timbanuh158 km, about 55 min51 km, about 55 min
Tetebatu248 km, about 43 min40 km, about 44 min
Aik Berik329 km, about 28 min30 km, about 40 min
OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap roads, village centre to village centre, with no traffic or stops. The trail gate may be further up the road.Checked · 1 source, source · 2 source, source · 3 source, source

Aik Berik is the closest trailhead village to Mataram, about 29 km away. See the southern trails for fees and status.

Questions about Mount Rinjani

By the guide team

Is there a public bus to Sembalun?

One operator site says there is no scheduled bus into the Sembalun valley, and we could not find a timetable from a transport authority. Plan on the operator's transfer, a chartered car or a motorbike.

Which trailhead is closest to the Gili boats?

Senaru. It is about 61 km from Bangsal harbour by road, against about 78 km to Sembalun.

How long is the drive from Lombok airport to Sembalun?

About 79 km. Routing software gives about 1 h 12 min with no traffic or stops, so allow longer.

How far is Senggigi from Sembalun?

About 101 km, or 1 h 19 min in free-flow traffic by routing software. One operator quotes 2.5–3 hours from Mataram or Senggigi to Sembalun.

Which Rinjani trailhead is closest to Mataram?

Aik Berik, on the south side, about 29 km and 28 minutes away by routing software. Senaru and Sembalun are both about 86 km from Mataram.