Even if you’re only planning to visit top places of interest in Indonesia‘s Java Island, Yogyakarta with its magnificent temples Borobudur and Prambanan and picturesque volcano Mount Bromo most probably will be on your list. Yogyakarta and Mount Bromo are quite far from each other with no direct routes between them, making traveling from Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo quite an adventure.
What options you have to choose from when planning to travel from Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo?
Taxi/Private Car from Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo
The easiest, most comfortable but not necessarily the fastest way is taking a taxi or private car directly all the way from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo. Tour companies in Yogyakarta can help you with arranging it but don’t expect it to be cheap.
All other transport options include going to Probolinggo, which is the nearest town to Mt. Bromo, first and then taking a bus from Probolinggo to Mt Bromo. Keep in mind that buses between Probolinggo and Mt Bromo operate only until 4 pm, so you need to arrive to Probolinggo earlier than that. Otherwise, you will be stuck in Probolinggo for one night and there’s really not much to see and do in the town.
Bus from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo
Some of the buses going from Yogyakarta to Bali stop at Probolinggo but you need to check at the station first as bus tickets can’t be booked in advance. Buses in Java are unreliable and depending on traffic the trip by bus from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo might take 10-12 hours or sometimes even more. This way of traveling from Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo might be one of the cheapest (costs about 150000 IDR) but it won’t be comfortable and the time of your arrival can be unpredictable. Even if you will take a bus very early, you still risk missing the last bus to Mt Bromo.
Train from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo
There are 3 daily trains going directly from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo but they all come too late for catching a bus to Mt Bromo on the same day.
A direct train to Probolinggo leaves from the main train station of Yogyakarta (Tugu Station). Ranggajati train departs from Tugu Station at 09.56 and is expected to arrive at Probolinggo train station at 18.14 as the trip should take 8 hours and 18 minutes. Normally the trains in Java come on the schedule, unlike the buses. The trip on this train can cost from 185000 IDR to 315000 IDR, depending on seat class and availability as cheapest seats are usually sold out first.
There are also 2 economic trains to Probolinggo departing from Lempuyangan Station in Yogyakarta: Logawa and Sritanjung. Taking one of these trains is the cheapest way to get from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo as the ticket costs only 74000 IDR or 94000 IDR.
Logawa train leaves Yogyakarta at 08.57 and goes directly to Probolinggo with no stopover in Surabaya. The train should arrive at Probolinggo at 17.35.
Sritanjung train is the earliest available train leaving Lempuyangan Station in Yogyakarta at 7:00 and arriving at Probolinggo at 16.10.
Flight from Yogyakarta to Surabaya + Train or Bus to Probolinggo
You can fly from Yogyakarta Adisutjipto International Airport (JOG) to Surabaya as there are plenty of direct flights between these two cities.
Some of the flights are early enough for you to catch a morning train from Surabaya to Probolinggo which departs at 09.00. Another option is taking a bus from Surabaya to Probolinggo.
Current schedule of Indonesian domestic flights can be found and flight tickets can be booked here: Flights from Yogyakarta to Surabaya.
The price of the flight isn’t the only downside of this way of traveling from Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo as you will additionally need to arrange transportation from central Yogyakarta to Yogyakarta airport and from Surabaya Airport to the train or bus station in the city.
Train from Yogyakarta to Surabaya + Train or Bus to Probolinggo
There are plenty of direct trains running between Yogyakarta Tugu Station and Surabaya Gubeng Station. However, if you are willing to take a morning train from Surabaya to Probolinggo at 09.00, you will have to take an overnight train from Yogyakarta to Surabaya. Traveling at night helps you to save time and money on accommodation but taking an overnight train in Indonesia isn’t comfortable, as even the most expensive executive class trains here don’t have sleepers. The distance between Yogyakarta and Surabaya is 308 km and the journey by train takes from 4.5 to 5.5 hours, depending on the train.
Overnight business / executive class trains leave Yogyakarta Tugu Station at 00.52, 01.38 and 03.30. All these trains reach Surabaya Gubeng Station early in the morning and you can connect with a train going to Probolinggo at 09.00 from the same railway station.
If you don’t mind spending a night in Surabaya, you can take train from Yogyakarta Tugu Station at 06.45, 09.56, 16.00 and 16.40. The journey by business / executive class trains costs from 165000 IDR to 375000 IDR, depending on the seat class and availability as cheapest seats are usually sold out first.
Staying overnight in Surabaya might be avoided by taking 06.45 train from Yogyakarta and traveling from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo by bus but in bad traffic conditions you might find yourself in a race with time.
There are four economy trains running daily between Lempuyangan Station in Yogyakarta and Surabaya Gubeng station. The journey by economy trains take from 6 to 7.5 hours. The fare varies from 74000 IDR to 104000 IDR. However, none of these trains will suite you if you are not willing to overnight in Surabaya.
There are few trains going from Surabaya Gubeng Station to Probolinggo. However, only business / executive train departing from Surabaya at 09.00 and economy train departing at 04.25 are suitable for getting to Mt Bromo from Probolinggo on the same day. The train ticket price varies from 29000 IDR in economy class up to 275000 IDR for executive class.
If you will miss these trains, get a bus going from Surabaya to Probolinggo instead as they are much more frequent.
Best Way to Travel from Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo
What is the best way to travel from Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo?
Actually there is no correct answer as it subjectively depends on your priorities. However, taking a bus all the way is really not recommended.
Private car will be really expensive, especially if you’re a solo traveler.
By taking a direct train you will be stuck in Probolinggo for one night so consider this option only if you have plenty of time to waste or like visiting ordinary towns and looking for a real local feel.
If you’re a heavy sleeper and don’t need much comfort for sleeping, taking an overnight train to Surabaya and morning train to Probolinggo can save you one night at hotel and let you reach Mt Bromo on the same day.
Surabaya has much more to offer for tourists than Probolinggo so you can plan a stopover in the second largest city of Indonesia. You can take a day train from Yogyakarta to Surabaya, spend a night there and next morning get on the early train or bus to Probolinggo. Staying overnight in Surabaya can be avoided by taking 06.45 train from Yogyakarta and traveling from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo by bus.
In case you can find a good deal for an early flight from Yogyakarta to Surabaya, this might be the best way to travel to Mt Bromo. Taking a flight to Surabaya at 06.00 will give you enough time for catching a morning train to Probolinggo. Otherwise, you can take a bus going from Surabaya to Probolinggo.
Our Choice
We always try to use public transportation whenever we travel. It’s normally the cheapest and most environment friendly way of traveling, giving you the best local feel. That’s why taking a private car for such a long distance wasn’t even considered.
Our Indonesian trip schedule was very tight so we tried to avoid staying overnight in Surabaya and Probolinggo at any cost. This condition automatically took all direct trains and buses out of the list.
One thing is common between all ways of traveling from Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo, whatever transport you will be taking, if you want to reach Mt Bromo on the same day, you need to wake up early.
As we are not light sleepers and can take a good nap even while sitting, there was little difference between waking up very early and sleeping on overnight train, especially when spending the evening at Malioboro night market the night before leaving Yogyakarta was an important part of our trip plan. In this case we have chosen the most wallet friendly option – taking overnight train to Surabaya and morning train to Probolinggo.
How did it go, read here: From Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo by Overnight Train.
Tips
It is advisable to book your train tickets online in advance as the cheapest seats sell out quickly in Indonesia and there's a risk to miss out getting on the particular train as seats are limited. Tiket is the most popular online system for booking train tickets in Indonesia and we always use it.
Current schedule of Indonesian domestic flights can be found and flight tickets can be booked here: Flights from Yogyakarta to Surabaya.
Useful tips for traveling in Indonesia can be found here: Indonesia Travel Tips.