Hiking Trunyan Hill: Bali’s Most Underrated Trail

 Trunyan Hill is an underrated hike in Bali with amazing views of Mount Abang and the Batur caldera. It looks like a Jurassic landscape!

This trail is located near the popular Mount Batur volcano, but it’s much less crowded and most foreign tourists don’t even know about it.

I did the hike recently and it was a wonderful experience, with plenty of challenge and some of the best scenery on the island.

Quick Stats*

• Distance: 5.8 kilometers (3.6 mi)
• Elevation Gain: 770 meters (2,526 ft)
• Max Altitude: 1,820 meters (5,971 ft)
• Duration: 4 – 6 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate / Hard  

*These are the roundtrip stats for the hike if you start from Trunyan village  

Trailhead: How To Get There

Trunyan Hill is located in the Kintamani area of northeast Bali.

It’s a 1 or 2 hour drive from touristy places like Ubud, Sanur, Canggu or Kuta in south Bali.

The whole drive is paved, but the last part requires a bit of care because the road is curvy, steep, and bumpy with potholes.

There are two possible starting locations for the hike:

• In Trunyan Village. This is the main trailhead and it’s the one I used. The trail starts from a narrow alley in the middle of Trunyan village, and it’s marked with a sign by the road. Map here.
• Above Trunyan Village. This is an alternate trailhead partway up the hill. If you start here, the trail is a bit easier because it shaves off about 2 kilometers of hiking and 200 meters of elevation gain, but it also takes a bit more driving to reach since it’s outside the caldera. Map here.

If you’re still feeling unsure of the route and want some help, here’s a guided sunrise trekking tour for Trunyan Hill that also includes a swim in the hot springs at Lake Batur afterwards.