Ijen Blue Fire Descent 2026: Can You Still Go Down?

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Every Ijen tour sells the same night. Pickup, the Paltuding gate at 02:00, about 3 km and 500 m of climbing to the rim, then sunrise over the turquoise lake while sulfur miners carry their loads past you. The blue fire sits on the crater floor, about 45 minutes further down a rough path.

Whether anyone goes down there is decided on the night. Here is where that stands on 8 October 2026, and how to find out before you set your alarm.

The quick answer

Do not count on the descent. On 6 October 2026 JawaPos wrote that tourists now find it hard to see the blue fire "because there is a ban on approaching it". The volcano agency has long advised against going down to the crater floor, the fire was gone from November 2025 to about March 2026 during pipe works, and the mine puts it out to protect its sulfur. Book Ijen for the rim and the sunrise, and ask your guide at Paltuding what is allowed that night.

Can you go down to the blue fire at Ijen in October 2026?

Not reliably. The latest local report speaks of a ban on approaching the fire, and no tour can promise the descent.

The clearest recent line comes from a JawaPos Radar Banyuwangi photo caption on 6 October 2026: blue fire is "the main icon of Kawah Ijen", but "sadly, tourists now find it hard to enjoy because there is a ban on approaching it" (JawaPos). The original reads "ada larangan mendekat".

We have not found a published regulation with a number and a date behind that ban, and the official park page says nothing about the crater floor at all. In practice that means rangers, the mine and the guides decide at the rim, night by night. Some nights a group gets down. Many nights it does not.

What does the volcano agency say about the crater floor?

PVMBG, Indonesia's volcano agency, advises against going down to the crater floor. Ijen sits at Level I (Normal) in October 2026.

The advice is not new. When PVMBG raised Ijen to Level II in July 2024, the energy ministry asked visitors, residents and miners not to approach the rim "or go down toward the crater floor" and not to stay overnight within 1.5 km (ESDM; detikJatim). At today's Level I the agency still advises against the descent and against lingering close to the vents.

The reason is gas. The crater can release carbon dioxide, which is heavier than air and pools in low ground, along with the sulfur dioxide you smell everywhere. In March 2018 a gas release forced a closure and sent villagers in Bondowoso to the clinic and hospital (Suara Surabaya). The crater floor is the lowest point. Our Ijen safety guide covers masks and who should skip the climb.

Thick white sulfur steam rising from vents at the edge of a turquoise lake — The vents by the lake are where the blue fire burns, and where the gas is thickest. Illustration.

Why was the blue fire gone from November 2025 to March 2026?

PT Candi Ngrimbi, the sulfur mining company, was replacing its pipes. The crater floor was closed to visitors and tours ran to the rim only.

The blue fire did not go out on its own. The sulfur comes up through pipes over the vents, and while those were rebuilt the area around them, roughly a 500 m radius, was off limits. In January 2026 Panorama Lens Trip described sunrise tours as "crater rim only" and the flames as invisible. By April 2026 travel sites were reporting the blue fire open again.

Plenty of people still did the hike in those months and saw what Ijen is mostly about: the rim, the lake and the miners at sunrise. It is the same trip with or without the flames, which is why we say book the hike.

Why do officials put the blue fire out?

Because it burns the sulfur the mine is there to collect. A conservation official said in May 2026 that the flames are "always prevented or put out".

Purwantono, who heads the KSDA office for Region III Jember, told kumparan on 8 May 2026 that the blue fire "is always prevented or extinguished so it does not burn up the sulfur". When it is easy to see, he said, that is usually because it is not hurting production and was left alone.

In 2026 a video also went viral of a guide lighting the gas with a lighter. The KSDA side called it the guide's own initiative, and ITB volcanologist Mirzam Abdurrachman pointed out that a flame lit that way is no longer natural. He added that the fire burns day and night and is simply invisible in daylight. The tension is old. In 2022 the acting head of BBKSDA Jawa Timur said there is no blue flame attraction, "only the sunrise and the scenery" (detikJatim), and in 2023 guides who took visitors down were told to help carry 2 kg of sulfur up each time (Times Indonesia).

Bright yellow and orange sulfur crusted around metal pipes at a mining site — The mine's pipes condense the gas into sulfur. A flame on top of them burns the product. Illustration.

Book the rim and the sunrise; the descent happens only if it is safe and your guide approves it.

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What do Ijen tours promise about the blue fire?

Nothing firm, and the honest ones say so. The flagship listing offers the descent "if safe and approved by your guide".

The all-inclusive night hike from Java Expedition describes a 600 m descent to the crater, on that condition. The same operator runs the 24-hour trip from Bali and the 2-day Bromo and Ijen tour. The 3-day Tumpak Sewu, Bromo and Ijen route says you "may observe" the blue fire. If a seller guarantees the flames for a price, walk away. In 2022 detik reported visitors paying Rp2 million for early access to see them, and the agency suspected rogue individuals (detik).

Part of the night	Who decides	Can you count on it?
02:00 gate at Paltuding	Park schedule	Yes, except closure days
Climb to the rim, about 3 km	Your legs	Yes
Sunrise over the acid lake	Weather and gas	Usually
Sulfur miners at work	The mine	Usually
Descent to the crater floor	Rangers and guide, on the night	No
Blue flames visible	Mine, wind and gas	No

The rim, the sunrise and the miners are the trip. Guide, gas mask, headlamp, ticket and health certificate included from $15.

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How do you check the blue fire on the night?

Ask twice: your operator the day before, your guide at Paltuding. Then follow what the rangers say at the rim.

The day before: message the operator and ask whether groups went down this week. They know, because their guides were there.
At Paltuding: ask the guide what is allowed tonight, before you start walking. It changes how you pace the climb.
At the rim: a rope or a ranger at the top of the path is your answer. Do not slip past it.
On the floor: if you do go down, wear the mask, keep to your guide and turn back if the wind pushes the gas at you.

A writer for The Irish Times writing in May 2026, found the flame "really more of a trickle" next to the videos online, on a path with rusting metal for fencing. Worth knowing before you plan your trip around it. For the science, read why the fire is blue.

A hiker in a twin-filter gas mask standing on a crater rim at dawn — A proper twin-filter mask comes with every all-inclusive tour on this site. Illustration.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Ijen blue fire open in October 2026?

The fire still burns, but getting close is the problem. JawaPos reported on 6 October 2026 that tourists find it hard to see because of a ban on approaching it. The rim hike is open.

Is the descent to the Ijen crater floor allowed?

It depends on the night. Rangers and guides decide based on gas and the mine's work, and the volcano agency advises against the descent. No tour can guarantee it.

Can you see the blue fire from the rim?

Sometimes as a faint glow far below, on a clear, dark night with little steam. It is nothing like the close-up photos.

Is Ijen worth it without the blue fire?

For most people, yes: the climb in the dark, the sunrise over the acid lake and the sulfur miners are the main event. Our guide on whether Ijen is worth it has the full verdict.

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