--- title: "Is Ijen Crater Open? 2026 Reopening, Closure Dates and Online Booking Explained" type: "TravelGuide" lang: "en" canonical: "https://www.geokepo.id/en/panduan/ijen-crater-reopened-2026-closure-dates-online-booking-guide" html_url: "https://www.geokepo.id/en/panduan/ijen-crater-reopened-2026-closure-dates-online-booking-guide" category: "Nature & Adventure Guides" guide_type: "guide" summary: "Ijen reopened on 28 September 2026 after a wildfire closure. See the remaining cleaning-closure dates, how online ticketing works, and what to pack for the blue fire hike." covers: ["https://www.geokepo.id/en/lokasi/banyuwangi", "https://www.geokepo.id/en/lokasi/bondowoso"] published: "2026-10-23T00:09:19.786219+00:00" updated: "2026-10-23T00:13:31.490596+00:00" author: "GeoKepo Editorial Team" publisher: "GeoKepo" license: "Editorial content © GeoKepo. Cite the canonical URL." --- # Is Ijen Crater Open? 2026 Reopening, Closure Dates and Online Booking Explained ## Short Answer: Ijen Is Open Again, With Conditions Kawah Ijen Nature Tourism Park (TWA Kawah Ijen) reopened to visitors on 28 September 2026. It had been closed since 4 September, when the East Java Natural Resources Conservation Center (BBKSDA Jawa Timur) shut the park during forest and land fires around the crater, which sits on the border of Banyuwangi and Bondowoso regencies. Local reports say the fires were out before the gate reopened, but access stayed closed for several more days while officials ended the emergency response and checked the hiking trail for safety. The reopening announcement covers nature tourism, hiking, research and education for the general public. Tickets for the first days back went on sale online on 25 September. So if you find a trip report saying "Ijen is closed" and it is dated September 2026, it is out of date. One caution before the rest of this guide: the status of Indonesian volcanoes can change within days. Treat this article as the map, and the park's own notice on the day you travel as the live signal. ## What Happened in September, in Plain Terms The dry season is when fire risk in East Java peaks, and 2026 was no exception. Around the same time, the Forestry Ministry announced temporary closures or restrictions on hiking in nine national parks from 1 September to reduce fire danger. According to the reports I found, that list includes Bromo Tengger Semeru, Gede Pangrango, Kerinci Seblat and Leuser. Ijen is a nature tourism park run by BBKSDA Jawa Timur, not a national park, and those reports did not name it among the nine. Its own closure came three days later, triggered by fires on the slopes around the crater. Two practical lessons follow. First, Ijen can close for reasons that have nothing to do with the volcano's alert status. Second, a fire closure can outlast the fire. The flames were reported out while the gate stayed shut, because the trail still had to be assessed. ## The Closure Dates You Can Plan Around Apart from emergencies, the park publishes a fixed list of cleaning closures for 2026. According to the park's official page, the remaining dates this year are: - 6 November 2026 - 4 December 2026 Earlier dates this year were 5 June, 3 July, 7 August, 4 September and 2 October. All of them fall on the first Friday of the month. The 4 September cleaning day happened to be the same day the fire closure began. The same page adds that the park can close at any time because of weather, volcanic activity or management policy. A fixed calendar therefore tells you when you will certainly be turned away, not which other days are safe. The effect on a blue fire trip: the night hike starts after midnight, so the pre-dawn hours can land on a closure day. If your plans sit near those dates, ask your operator or the park which night counts as closed. Do not guess. ## How Ticketing Works Now Ijen is moving to the national AyoKeTamanNasional platform run by the Forestry Ministry. According to the park's official page, a trial of online entrance booking through that platform began for visit dates from 18 May 2026, and the older ticketing app stays usable until the new platform is fully in place. After the September reopening, tickets were again sold online through the official site. The hiking gate hours listed on the park page are 02:00 to 12:00 WIB. That window is what makes the blue fire hike possible: you walk up in the dark, see the flames, and come back down as the crater fills with daylight. On price, the most recent figure I could confirm is from late 2024. Reports on the new government tariff (PP 36/2024) put the foreign-visitor fee at Rp150,000 per person, the same on weekdays and weekends. Older listings showing Rp100,000 on weekdays are likely outdated. I found no 2026 price change, so treat Rp150,000 as a planning figure and check the booking page before you pay. Entrance payment has also gone cashless, with QRIS in use at the park since early 2025, so do not count on paying cash at the gate. If you book through a tour, the operator usually handles the ticket. Ask whether the entrance fee is included in the quoted price. Tours from Malang and Banyuwangi treat this differently, and some include it while others do not. ## What to Bring, According to the Reopening Notice Park officials asked visitors to bring three things: a flashlight, a mask and warm clothing. They also asked people not to light campfires, which is sensible advice in a place that just burned. Here is a more detailed version: - **A headlamp, not a phone torch.** The trail is steep and rocky in the dark, and you need both hands free. - **A proper gas mask.** The crater releases sulfur gas, and a cloth scarf does little when the wind shifts. Masks are often rented at the post or by guides. Make sure the rental is a real respirator and not a paper dust mask, and check it before you start climbing. - **Layers.** The crater rim is cold before sunrise, then warms quickly. - **Spare batteries** for the headlamp, since cold air drains them faster. - **Water and a small snack.** Almost nothing is on sale along the trail at 3 a.m. ## Getting There and Timing the Trek Most visitors start from Banyuwangi city or the Licin area and drive to Paltuding, the trailhead. From Paltuding it is about 3 km to the crater rim, which usually takes around one and a half to two hours going up. The blue flames show best in full darkness, so most people aim to be at the rim before the first light. If you are still sorting out a bed, our guide to [where to stay before the Ijen blue fire trek](/en/panduan/where-to-stay-ijen-blue-fire-trek-paltuding-licin-banyuwangi) compares Paltuding, Licin and Banyuwangi city. ## What the Blue Fire Is, and Why It Calls for Care The blue glow comes from sulfur gas escaping through cracks in the crater and burning when it meets air. You only see it in the dark, which is why the hike starts at midnight. The same gas stings your lungs and eyes, and the wind can change direction without warning. A few habits make sense on the crater floor: - Follow your guide, especially on the steep, slippery section down toward the flames. - Keep your mask on the whole time you are down there. If breathing gets hard or your eyes burn badly, climb up and away from the smoke instead of waiting it out. - Give way to the sulfur miners carrying heavy loads on the same path. They are working, not part of the show, so do not block them for a photo. - Leave drones and open flames out of the area. ## Mistakes First-Timers Often Make Most problems at Ijen come from preparation, not the mountain. These come up most often: - **Arriving without a booked ticket.** With sales moving to an online platform, do not count on buying at the gate. Have the ticket or your operator confirmation before you leave your lodging. - **Wearing shoes with worn soles.** The path down toward the crater floor is rocky and slick, especially after rain. Grip matters more than style. - **Taking the mask off.** People rent or buy one, then pull it down because it feels stuffy. The gas is strongest near the blue flames, which is exactly where the mask matters most. - **Starting the hike exhausted.** The climb begins after midnight. If you just arrived from Bali by ferry or from Surabaya by train, sleep a few hours first. - **Having no backup day.** The park was shut for more than three weeks this season, so leave one spare day in your itinerary in case the status changes again. ## Should You Go This Week? A Short Decision Guide - If your hike falls on the night before Friday 6 November or 4 December, ask your operator and consider moving it by a day. - If you booked a tour for September dates while the park was shut, ask for a reschedule. The reports I read did not mention a refund policy from the park, so that is between you and your operator. - If the dry season drags on and new fire alerts appear in East Java, check the BBKSDA notice before you leave Bali or Surabaya, not after you reach Banyuwangi. ## Where to Check Current Status - **BBKSDA Jawa Timur's official announcements** and the TWA Kawah Ijen page on AyoKeTamanNasional. - **The ticket booking page.** If the date you want cannot be booked, the park is most likely not open that day. - **Local operators in Banyuwangi**, who usually hear about a status change within a day or two. - **PVMBG** for volcanic alert status, because Ijen is still a volcanic site even though September's closure was caused by fire. Check within a week of your date, then once more on the day you travel. ## If Ijen Is Closed on Your Dates You have options in East Java. Bromo has reopened after its own wildfire closure, and we cover the new rules in our [Bromo reopening guide for 2026](/en/panduan/mount-bromo-reopening-2026-jeep-drone-rules-guide). For Semeru there is a [guide to checking trail status](/en/panduan/mount-semeru-2026-trail-closure-status-guide). And not far from Banyuwangi, [Baluran National Park](/en/panduan/a-guide-to-baluran-national-park-java) works as a full-day backup. ## The Bottom Line Ijen has been open again since 28 September 2026, tickets are sold online, and the remaining routine closures this year fall on 6 November and 4 December. The dates are not the only thing that changed. How you book is changing too, as the AyoKeTamanNasional platform replaces the old system. Bring a headlamp, a mask that actually filters gas and warm layers, skip any open flame, and check the official notice on the day you travel. The blue fire is still there. What you need to confirm is that the gate is open on your night.