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Kawah Ijen has a fixed closure day, the first Friday of each month, which the park calls Ijen Rijik. In 2026 it also closed for a week in February and for 24 days in September, neither of which anyone saw coming.
This post lists the official dates for the rest of 2026, the first Fridays of 2027, and the other reasons the gate can stay shut. Checked on 20 October 2026.
The quick answer
The park closes all day on the first Friday of the month: in 2026 that leaves 6 November and 4 December. In 2027 the rule gives 1 January, 5 February, 5 March and so on, but the park has not published 2027 dates yet, so confirm on the official portal. A Friday closure kills the hike that would start in the early hours of Friday, so the Thursday night pickup is the one you lose. Park tickets are non-refundable; tours booked here cancel for free up to 24 hours before.
When is Kawah Ijen closed in 2026 and 2027?
On the first Friday of each month. Left in 2026: 6 November and 4 December. In 2027 the first Fridays start with New Year's Day, 1 January.
The official park page lists the 2026 dates: 5 June, 3 July, 7 August, 4 September, 2 October, 6 November and 4 December. It adds that the park may also close at any time for weather, volcanic activity, field conditions or management policy.
The 2027 dates below follow the rule. They are not yet on the portal, so check it before you lock in a date, especially for 1 January.
| Closure day | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 6 November | 2026 | Official |
| Fri 4 December | 2026 | Official |
| Fri 1 January | 2027 | Follows the rule, confirm |
| Fri 5 February | 2027 | Follows the rule, confirm |
| Fri 5 March | 2027 | Follows the rule, confirm |
| Fri 2 April | 2027 | Follows the rule, confirm |
| Fri 7 May | 2027 | Follows the rule, confirm |
| Fri 4 June | 2027 | Follows the rule, confirm |
| Fri 2 July | 2027 | Follows the rule, confirm |
| Fri 6 August | 2027 | Follows the rule, confirm |
| Fri 3 September | 2027 | Follows the rule, confirm |
| Fri 1 October | 2027 | Follows the rule, confirm |
| Fri 5 November | 2027 | Follows the rule, confirm |
| Fri 3 December | 2027 | Follows the rule, confirm |
What is Ijen Rijik, and why does the park close?
A monthly clean-up and a day off for the mountain. The trail is shut to tourists from 00:00 to 23:59 on the first Friday.
"It's a routine activity. Every first Friday of the month we close the hiking trail to tourists because we're cleaning," BBKSDA section head Dwi Sugiarto told Times Indonesia. Rangers, local groups, guides and volunteers clear rubbish from the summit down to Paltuding, and the waste goes to a sorting station in Tamansari village, where part of it becomes compost. Dwi also said the day gives the animals around Ijen "at least one day a month" to move freely.
The monthly closure started in January 2019, when the agency said it wanted to let nature rest (TTG Asia). The local name is sometimes written Ijen Rijig.
Which night hike does a first-Friday closure cancel?
The one that would reach the gate in the early hours of Friday. In practice you lose the Thursday night pickup.
Ijen hikes start at the 02:00 gate opening. A Banyuwangi tour picks you up around midnight, and the 24-hour trip from Bali picks up between 16:30 and 21:00 the evening before. With the trail shut for the whole of Friday, a hike on Thursday night is the one that does not happen.
| Your pickup | At the gate | On a closure week |
|---|---|---|
| Bali, Thursday afternoon | Friday 02:00 | Cancelled |
| Banyuwangi, Thursday around midnight | Friday 02:00 | Cancelled |
| Banyuwangi, Friday around midnight | Saturday 02:00 | Runs |
| Bali, Wednesday afternoon | Thursday 02:00 | Runs |
Night hike from Banyuwangi or Bali with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for the all-inclusive Ijen hikeWhat else can close Ijen without warning?
Fire, a search and rescue, volcanic gas and a raised alert level have all shut or limited Ijen in recent years. The crater floor can close on its own.
The scheduled day is the easy one. These are the closures from the record, with how long they lasted:
| Cause | When | What closed | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest fire | Sep 2026 | Whole park | 24 days, 4 to 27 Sep |
| Lost hiker, search | Feb 2026 | Whole park | About a week, 19 to 25 Feb |
| Sulfur pipe works | Nov 2025 to about Mar 2026 | Crater floor and blue fire | About four months |
| Alert raised to Level II | Jul 2024 | No activity within 1.5 km of the crater advised | Until lowered |
| Volcanic gas release | Mar 2018 | Trail to the crater | Temporary |
Is the Ijen park ticket refundable?
No. The official portal says tickets are non-cancellable, non-reschedulable and non-refundable "under any circumstances".
Tickets are sold online only, through the AyoKeTamanNasional platform since May 2026, and the name on the booking has to match your passport. Foreigners pay Rp150,000 a day, the rate since October 2024 (detikJatim). During the February search the park said it was cancelling online bookings already made for the closure, but the published rule is still "non-refundable".
Rp150,000 is not a fortune. The real cost of a closure is the night: the hotel in Banyuwangi, or a 22-hour round trip from Bali for nothing.
How should you book Ijen around closure days?
Book a tour that buys the ticket for you and cancels for free, avoid Thursday nights in the first week of the month, and leave a spare night if you can.
With the all-inclusive night hike, the park ticket, health certificate and mask are part of the price, from $15, and you can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before. If the park announces a closure in time, you lose nothing. If it happens on the day, the operator is the one holding the tickets, not you.
Our advice: stay in Banyuwangi rather than doing Ijen as a day trip from Bali. One spare night there turns a closure into a delay. Check the portal and the local news two or three days out, the same window as your health certificate. More on the Bali question in our guide to Ijen from Bali.
The ticket, guide, gas mask and health certificate in one booking, from Banyuwangi or Bali, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Explore the all-inclusive Ijen hike Tour detailsFrequently asked questions
Is Ijen closed on Fridays?
Only on the first Friday of each month, for the Ijen Rijik clean-up. The trail is shut all day, so the hike that would start early that Friday morning does not run.
Is Ijen open on 1 January 2027?
Probably not. 1 January 2027 is the first Friday of the month, so the closure rule applies. The park had not published its 2027 dates as of 20 October 2026; check the official portal.
What happens to my tour if Ijen is closed?
If you know in time, cancel: every tour on this site has free cancellation up to 24 hours before. For a closure on the day, contact the operator through your GetYourGuide booking.
Can I get a refund for an Ijen park ticket?
No. The official rules say park tickets are non-cancellable, non-reschedulable and non-refundable under any circumstances.
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Ijen Sunrise Hike, All Inclusive
- Park entry ticket, guide and gas mask
- Headlamp and the required health certificate
- Pickup in Banyuwangi, or Bali with the ferry
From Bali: 24-Hour Ijen Hike
- Bali hotel pickup and drop-off
- Ferry tickets both ways and the Bali tax
- Park entry, guide, gas mask and headlamp
Ijen Blue Fire Tour from Banyuwangi or Ubud
Trekking pole, gas mask and breakfast in the price
