The Yogyakarta to Bromo tour is a popular option for tourists travelling through Java. It’s easy to understand why. Bromo National Park is famous for its amazing views. It’s really a photographers dream destination and getting there can be half the fun. So to help you plan your trip from Yogyakarta to Bromo I created this short guide. Whether you want to fly, take a train or go on a mega road trip, I’ve got you covered. Let’s get started.

General Information

Mount Bromo is located close to the cities of Malang and Surabaya. The easiest way to go from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo is via Surabaya. Bromo is located between 4 regencies: Probolinggo Regency, Pasuruan Regency, Lumajang Regency, and Malang Regency. Surabaya is further away, but it has more options of ways to travel. Malang is a bit tricky to get to, but it’s closer to Bromo and arguably a nicer place to visit. The map below should help you with the geography of East Java.

Yogyakarta to Bromo, Yogyakarta to Surabaya, Yogyakarta to Malang

Map of Central and East Java. Red lines are main roads and black and white striped lines are rail tracks.

Yogyakarta to Surabaya Flights

There are direct flights between Yogyakarta and Surabaya. The route between Yogya and Surabaya is flown by several airlines, such as Garuda Indonesia (the national carrier), Wings Air and Sriwijaya Air. If you have the money I’d recommend Garuda, followed by Lion Air then Sriwijaya Air.

Flying is easily the quickest way to get from Yogyakarta to Surabaya. The flight takes just one hour and five minutes. One thing to keep in mind if you decide to fly is that Surabaya Airport is located far out of the city. It will take you at least 30-45 minutes to reach Surabaya (city) from the airport. If you want to go direct to Bromo on your first night in the city, then I’d recommend arranging a car rental and a driver to meet you at the airport.

Train from Yogyakarta to Bromo

Yogyakarta to Surabaya & Malang by Train

It’s easy to take the train from Yogyakarta to Mt Bromo. There is a regular train service to Surabaya, Probolinggo and Malang. Trains depart from Tugu Train Station, which is located in the center of Yogyakarta near Jalan Malioboro. The Yogyakarta to Surabaya train journey takes between four to five hours.  Ticket prices start at around Rp155,000 for a return ticket.

Malang is further away from Yogyakarta than Surabaya. While it does have an international airport there are no direct flights from Yogya to Malang. If you want to visit Malang from Yogyakarta the most convenient way to get there is by train. Some trains that go to Malang pass Surabaya, but not all of them. Trains to Malang from Yogyakarta depart from Tugu Train Station.

The final option is Probolinggo, which is the closest train station to Bromo. This is the most convenient option if you want to to go directly to a hotel near Bromo. However, there are only two trains per day to Probolinggo (No anymore! You have 5 schedules per day to choose from. And also it has several class option: Economy, Business and Executive). Remember, some of the trains from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo departs from Lempuyangan train station in Yogyakarta, not Tugu train station.

Below is the timetable for Yogyakarta to Surabaya by train, Yogyakarta to Malang by train and Yogyakarta to Probolinggo by train. You can visit the official Indonesia Rail Company website to book your train ticket online. Make sure to book your ticket early and be at the train station 30 minutes before your departure time (well… I usually arrive at the train station 15 minutes before, but I always print my ticket first, for example, one day before departure). I recommend booking your ticket through Tiket.com or Traveloka.com.

Train Schedule – Yogyakarta to Surabaya

Train Departure Time Arrival Time
Bima 44 00:52 05:38
Mutiara Selatan 112  01:38 06:24
Turangga 50  03:30 08:14
Sancaka Pagi 84  06:45 11:37
Argo Willis 6  16:00 20:19
Sancaka Sore 86  16:40 21:55

Train Schedule – Yogyakarta to Malang

Train Departure Time Arrival Time
Bima 44 00:52 08:15
Mutiara Selatan 112  01:38 09:10
Gajayana 42  02:00 08:34
Malioboro Ekspres 102  07:45 15:11
Malioboro Ekspres 104  20:45 03:49

Train Schedule – Yogyakarta to Probollinggo

Train Departure Time Arrival Time
Logawa 188 08:12 17:35
Sri Tanjung 194  07:00 16:10

Yogyakarta to Bromo Car Rental

A road trip through Java is a real adventure. The best route to take if you plan to drive from Yogyakarta to Bromo is to go to Malang. The first part of the journey from Yogyakarta through to Solo is along a busy main road and there is not much to see on the way. However, once you get past Solo the trip becomes a lot more interesting and the countryside can be really spectacular. The area around Tawangmangu is one of the highlights of the trip. The area is in the highlands. The hills are covered with deciduous forest and the farmland is rich and fertile (you can buy fresh strawberries from the roadside stalls, which make for a tasty and healthy snack).

Tawangmangu, Yogyakarta to Bromo, Yogyakarta to Malang

If you drive from Yogyakarta to Malang you will pass Tawangmangu. The area is fertile and farmers’ fields carve up the countryside.

It takes about 10 hours to drive from Yogyakarta to Malang. Most tourists will stay overnight at a hotel in Malang and then leave very early in the morning to go to Mt Bromo for sunrise. This is a nice option; not only do you get a private driver who will take you where you want to go, it’s also a great way to see the countryside of Java. However, be warned: all this driving is tiring.

While it is possible to drive from Yogyakarta to Surabaya and then to Bromo the route doesn’t really make much sense. Not only is it a longer drive, but there’s less to see on the way.

Final Thoughts

There’s no ‘best way’ to go from Yogyakarta to Bromo. If you’re on a tight itinerary I’d recommend flying from Yogyakarta to Surabaya and then arranging a car rental to take you to Bromo the next morning. If you have the time, however, a road trip through Java is a great experience. Whatever option you decide to choose in the end, I hope this article helped you with your travel arrangements.

Have you followed the backpacking trail from Yogyakarta to Bromo? How did you make the journey? What form of transport would you recommend?

Still need to book your hotel for Yogyakarta? Save yourself some time! Here’s a list of the best hotels near Malioboro for every budget.