Ijen reopens after the fire

When did Kawah Ijen reopen after the 2026 forest fire?

On 28 September 2026, under a circular from BBKSDA Jawa Timur, the conservation agency that runs the park. Online tickets opened on 25 September.

Rusdi Santoso, head of TWA Kawah Ijen, told JawaPos that visits would reopen on 28 September "in line with the BBKSDA Jawa Timur circular". The reopening covers nature tourism, hiking, research and education. It came after the emergency response was formally ended and the trail was checked for safety.

It took a while. On 17 September the fire inside the park was already out, but Rusdi told reporters that visits were "still closed" and no circular had been issued yet (Katadata, via Antara). A fire on the northern slope of Merapi Ungup-ungup, just outside the park, was still burning that day. The agency waited for that one too.

What happened on the Ijen trail during the fire?

The fire spread from the Merapi Ungup-ungup area to the slopes around Pondok Bunder, the rest stop on the climb to the rim. Steep ground made it hard to reach.

The closure letter, signed by BBKSDA Jawa Timur head Nur Patria Kurniawan, gave the reason in one line: to "minimise the risk to visitors" (Koran Jakarta). Partana, head of the Banyuwangi disaster agency, described cliffs and ravines that kept vehicles away from several fire points. Crews set up a monitoring post at Paltuding, brought around 15 jet pumps and asked the province for help from the air.

The helicopters came on 6 September. Two days later the Banyuwangi regent, Ipuk Fiestiandani, visited and said the fire points on the hiking trails had dropped, with some spots still smoking (Katadata). The provincial disaster agency put the burned area in the Ijen area at about 20 hectares. It was not the only fire that week: BNPB listed Semeru, Arjuno-Welirang and Wilis among the East Java mountains burning at the same time.

What are the rules at Ijen now that it has reopened?

Bring a headlamp, a mask and warm clothes, follow the hiking SOP, take your rubbish down and do not light any fire. Campfires are banned.

The reopening notice in JawaPos lists those points, and the campfire one is spelled out: "jangan menyalakan api unggun", do not light a campfire. After a month of fire on these slopes, that rule will be enforced.

The standing rules did not change. From the official park page:

• Health certificate issued no more than 3 days before your visit. Tours usually arrange it.
• Gate hours 02:00 to 12:00 WIB.
• Tickets online only, in the name on your passport, and non-refundable. Foreigners pay Rp150,000 a day (detikJatim).
• Not advised with heart disease, asthma, a chest infection or breathing problems.
• Gear: shoes with grip, a warm jacket and a mask.

What changed at Ijen after the fire, and what did not?

The night itself is the same: 02:00 gate, about 3 km and 500 m up to the rim, sunrise over the acid lake. The blue fire is still decided on the night.

None of the reopening notices mention a new route, new hours or a new price. Expect to walk past scorched ground near Pondok Bunder, since that is where crews fought the fire.

The crater floor is a separate story. Going down to the blue fire was already restricted before the fire, and an October report speaks of a ban on approaching it. We cover that in the blue fire descent in October 2026. Book the hike for the rim, the sunrise and the miners. If the fire is on and the rangers let groups down, treat it as a bonus.

Why was Ijen also closed in February 2026?

A 16-year-old hiker went missing on 18 February. The park stopped all hiking the next morning so search teams could work, and reopened on 26 February.

The climb was halted at 08:00 on 19 February, day two of the search, and bookings already made online were cancelled for the time being, according to BKSDA section head Dwi Putro Sugiarto (Times Indonesia). The search team found the teenager, from nearby Tamansari, alive but weak that afternoon on a cliff area about 890 m from where he was last seen (Antara).

Afterwards the agency put the blame on "human error" or breaking the hiking SOP, and repeated its advice: buy the official ticket, which includes insurance, hike with a licensed guide and do not split from your group (Times Indonesia). A guide is not a published legal requirement for the rim. After February, we would not go without one.

What does the reopening mean for my Ijen tour booking?

Book a tour with free cancellation, keep a spare day if you can, and steer clear of the night before a first Friday.

Ijen has now shut twice in 2026 for reasons nobody could plan: a lost hiker in February and the fire in September. Guests on the budget 2-day Bromo and Ijen trip who travelled in September report that Ijen was closed by the wildfire. Add the monthly clean-up day and you get a simple rule: do not let Ijen be the one night your whole trip hangs on.

Every tour on this site cancels for free up to 24 hours before. Your own park ticket does not, which is one more reason to let an operator buy it. From Banyuwangi, the all-inclusive night hike starts at $15. The closure dates are in our post on Ijen closure days.

Midnight pickup in Banyuwangi or an afternoon one in Bali, with guide, gas mask, headlamp, park ticket and health certificate included.

★ 4.9 · 9 to 23 hours · from $15

Explore the all-inclusive Ijen hike → Tour details

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