Batur Crater Rim Cycle

By Vicky · Published Aug. 1st, 2022 · Updated Nov. 21st, 2022

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Cycle around the rim of Batur Crater, through fields, up slopes, and visit a temple, all with splendid views of Mount Batur.

Get the route by downloading the .gpx or .kml file below. For navigation with Maps.me on your mobile phone, simply download the .kml file and open to add it to the Maps.me bookmarks.

Location

This cycle ride starts from C.Bali Canoeing & Cycling in Kesidan, at the southwest end of Lake Batur. You can rent bikes from here (see below).

This is a free, self-guided cycle tour that loops around the rim of Mount Batur crater. In this region you can also take a guided cycling tour* of the black lava fields by the volcano itself.

Cycle Route of Batur Crater Rim Cycle

From C.Bali Canoeing & Cycling, start by riding towards the volcano, and at the main road turn right. Cycle along the main road, with nice views over the lake and to Mount Batur. After about 8 km you’ll be in the middle of Songan Village.

Push Bike Rental near Mount Batur:
We rented bicycles from C.Bali Canoeing & Cycling (location, website). They were very professional, and we got good mountain bikes that were very well-maintained.
We stayed for two nights near Mount Batur in Black Lava Hostel* in Batur town. When arriving in the area we were dropped off at the bike rental place. We then cycled, following this route, but made a quick stop at Black Lava Hostel to drop off our luggage. We rented the bikes for two days and cycled back to our hostel at the end of the circuit, keeping the bicycles with us overnight. The next day, after hiking up Mount Batur, we cycled a longer loop along the outer rim of the crater before ending at the bike rental place.

Head right and immediately left at the T-junction. Follow the main road as it bends right, then take the first left. This smaller road then continues through some fields as a good dirt track. To your left are the vertical walls of the crater – you’ll be cycling up these soon!

Cycling Up to the Crater Rim

Around the corner the road becomes paved again and heads uphill. It goes upwards extremely steeply, I had to get off and push. It was so steep it was easier to push my bike with my head/helmet on the handlebars rather than my hands.

After that rather steep section, we reached a flatter, but still uphill section through the countryside, where every kind of vegetable was growing in the little fields next to the road. We turned left at a junction and soon reached the rim of the crater. There were great views from here of Mount Batur.

The route continues on a road along the edge of the crater, with great views all the while. Eventually, the road heads away from the edge and towards the walls of the outer crater in the distance. The road heads straight towards this wall and then starts zigzagging up it.

It was very steep. After pushing for a few zigzags, I decided to cycle each turn and then have a break on every short flat section. There were many, many turns, and after an extremely long time we reached a fairly flat road at the top and headed left. This is the highest point of the cycle route, on the rim of the outer crater. Since you’re now quite high up, there are great views.

At the Top and the Descent

The road now heads along the edge of this rim, sometimes heading slightly away from it, and then the long descent starts. Get ready, it’s a long way down and there’s no reason to stop (except to take photos).

Cycling through Kintamani Town

After whizzing down the fun road, we cycled into Kintamani town and pulled up right outside Pura Ulun Danu Batur Temple. This temple was quite nice, but some aggressive women made us buy sashes before we could enter. Everywhere else we’d only worn sarongs and that had been fine, but they needed something to sell us. Additionally, in the temple an old man insisted on giving us a ‘free’ tour by leading us to a man selling paintings we were pressurised to buy.

After the temple we continued through Kintamani and went to a cafe on the left of the road. It had great views, and there were many people taking selfies. After a short break, we continued to the Museum Geopark Batur. This closes at 4pm (2pm on Saturdays) and we only arrived shortly beforehand. Some exhibits were interesting, some less so, and some were only in Indonesian.

After the museum we got back on our bikes again and headed down the steep hill into the crater. At the junction, we turned right into Kedisan to return our bikes, after a fun but tiring cycle ride around the outer crater rim.

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If you like cycling, try an easier cycle around Mount Batur Inner Crater, or if you like hiking, try our Mount Batur Hike, or for more hikes and bike rides check our Hiking Bali page.