Mount Agung Trekking

Mount Agung, Bali, rises up over 3,000 meters above sea level. The peak of Agung volcano is the tallest point on the island. Like Mount Olympus the history of the volcano is entwined in myths and legend. Many still believe that the Hindu God Pasupati formed the volcano. On the slopes of Mt Agung is Besakih, the most important Hindu temple on the island.

The second thing that you need to keep in mind is that Mount Agung is an active volcano. You should check the activity levels of the volcano, before hiking Mt Agung. You can check the activity levels for all of the volcanoes around Indonesia here.

Trekking Mt. Agung
Standing at the top of Mt Agung (3142 meters above sea level).
Mt. Agung: Routes to the Top

There are two main routes for people hiking Mount Agung. One trail is from the South. This route leaves from Pura Pasar Agung and ends at the crater rim. The second route is from the West and leaves from Pura Besakih (start point is Pura Pengubengan) and goes to the summit of the volcano, this is the trail I had taken.

The Pura Pasar Agung Trail

The Pura Pasar Agung trail takes between 4-5 hours to climb depending on your fitness level. The trek starts at 1,700 meters above sea level and ends at Mount Agung crater rim, which is 2,866 meters above sea level. Out of the two trails this is the more popular route. It is the easier and shorter climb. If you take this route then you will start the hike at around 2:30am.

The Pura Besakih Trail

The Pura Besakih trail takes 6-8 hours to trek to the summit. The trek is more difficult that the Puru Pasar Agung trail. The trail starts at 1,200 meters and takes you to the absolute summit of Mount Agung (3,142 meters above sea level). This is a hard climb and it’s only recommended for people who are physically fit and well prepared. The bonus of this route is that there will be almost no other tourists at the summit.