Everything you need to know about hiking Pergasingan Hill without a guide. From finding the trailhead, hike information, and what to expect at the top!
Pergasingan Hill, or Bukit Pergasingan is an epic hike located in the small mountain village of Sembalun. It is possible to do the Pergasingan Hill hike without a guide if you’re fairly confident on steep trails. However, keep in mind that many local people depend on tourism income. So, if you’d prefer to be shown the way to the top by a local, I’d recommend booking a guide by asking at your homestay. Otherwise, if you’re adamant on an unguided adventure, keep reading.
If you’re looking for more adventures or travel inspiration for Lombok, don’t miss my mega-guide to the Best Things to do on Lombok.
DO I NEED TO STAY IN SEMBALUN TO HIKE PERGASINGAN HILL?
Although it’s not the most touristy place in Lombok, there’s so much opportunity for adventure in Sembalun that I’d definitely recommend staying here for at least a couple of nights. I stayed here for three days as we climbed Pergasingan Hill, explored rice and strawberry fields, found viewpoints like Bukit Selong and even located some nearby waterfalls.
Below you’ll find a quick list of the best accommodation options close to Pergasingan Hill.
MY SEMBALUN ACCOMMODATION: Radiyah Guesthouse
This is one of the best value accommodation options in Sembalun. I’d definitely recommend them. The rooms are small, but very clean and have everything you need. There’s unlimited free coffee and tea, as well as a free breakfast included. The owner is extremely helpful and will organize to loan you a motorbike for 50 000 IDR per day.
BEST INN-STYLE ACCOMMODATION: Sembalun Kita Cottage
This is probably the place I would have booked if I didn’t stay at Radiyah. They have great reviews, decently priced rooms, and large beds. It includes a free breakfast which is ranked as “very good” on Booking.Com
BEST VALUE HOTEL: Rinjani Hill Hotel
This hotel is for the travelers that prefer a little bit of modern comfort while still sticking to a reasonable budget. The Hill Hotel has epic views of the surrounding mountains and hills, has free breakfast and the staff will organize trekking trips to Pergasingan Hill, Rinjani and Bukit Selong from their front desk.
EXPLORE ALL THE BEST ACCOMMODATION DEALS IN SEMBALUN
Do I Need a Guide to Hike Pergasingan Hill?
If you skipped the intro above, then the short answer is no. This simple guide will get you to the top of Pergasingan hill without a guide. However, if you have the money to spare and you want to support local tourism, then I’d suggest paying a guide to take you to the top.
I chose to hike Pergasingan Hill without a guide because I’d just finished the Rinjani Crater hike the day before and I wanted an unguided hike. Also, since I was already staying in Sembalun, it was easy for me to wake up and walk to the trailhead before sunrise.
If you’re not staying in Sembalun, then it’s possible to ride here yourself from Senaru or Senggigi. However, the road in is a little bumpy to say the least. In this case, I’d suggest just booking a Pergasingan Hill trek online, which will include a quick breakfast, transport, and a trekking guide.
DON’T MISS THE NEARBY WATERFALL: Mangku Sakti Waterfall, Sembalun – East Lombok
Hiking Pergasingan Hill Without A Guide
The Pergasingan Hill trek will take roughly 1.5 hours to reach the top, and about 1 hour on the way down. The exact starting point is conveniently pinned on Google Maps as: “PERGASINGAN HILL – Start point Hiking”. You’ll reach a small village where a tourism official will ask for your entry payment. From here, there’s a narrow dirt road that follows around some strawberry fields and eventually comes to a dodgy bamboo bridge.
PERGASINGAN HILL ENTRY PRICE 2019: 50 000 IDR PER PERSON
PERGASINGHAN HILL ALTITUDE: 1750M
Once you brave the bridge crossing, the trail immediately steepens as you begin climbing Pergasingan Hill. Once you’ve actually found the trail, you can’t really miss it.
The first section is steep and sandy. If you come for sunrise on a good day, you’ll get to watch the Rinjani’s summit slowly light up orange as the fog begins to dissipate over the carpet of ricefields below.
After the first climb, the trail levels and walks through an area of thick trees and bushes before finally steepening again all the way to the top.
It’s hard to tell where the actual top of Pergasingan Hill is since the ridge seems to stretch for miles. However, you’ll quickly know you’re at the top when you find the campsites below a small hill of trees.
We kept walking as the sun rose along the ridge where we found some extra viewing points to the east. Surprisingly to me, we also found some cows that seem to live up there!
CATCH ANOTHER SEMBALUN VIEWPOINT: BUKIT SELONG RICEFIELD VIEWPOINT
Pergasingan Hill GPX Map
For your convenience, I’ve included a GPX file that you can follow or download to your phone or GPS watch below. I’ve also got a link to my Strava activity which you can follow on your phone.
GPX File: Download
My Strava: Visit
Pergasingan Hill Hike After the Earthquake
Fortunately, Pergasingan Hill is still open for hiking following the earthquakes. It seems that the tracks haven’t been damaged at all, which is a good sign. However, tourism is still recovering. If you’re really set on hiking Pergasingan Hill without a guide, I’d suggest staying in Sembalun and supporting the community in the way of homestays and food.
View From the Summit
From the top of Pergasingan Hill, you’ll have sweeping views across the ricefield landscapes of Sembalun. For sunrise, you’ll hear the echoing rumble of morning prayers as they bounce around the mountain valleys.
This hilltop viewpoint is also one of the best places to see the Rinjani Summit. In fact, Sembalun is where all trekking activities to the summit depart from.
Another Option: Camping on Pergasingan Hill
Although I didn’t camp on Pergasingan Hill, another popular option is to spend the night up there. If you have your own tent, then it’s possible to camp on Pergasingan Hill without a guide. However, booking a camping trip is a good way to spend some time with locals and other tourists who love adventure!
CLICK HERE TO BOOK A PERGASINGAN HILL CAMPING TRIP
By camping at the top, you’ll get both an epic sunrise and epic sunset! The people that I’ve spoken to about Pergasingan Hill have said that camping up there beats a morning hike by far!
OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH LOMBOK: CAMPING IN THE SW GILI ISLANDS – READ THE FULL BLOG
MY CAMERA AND PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT
- Mirrorless Camera: Canon R5
- Drone: DJI Mavic Pro 2
- 360 Action Camera: Insta360 One X2
- Landscape Lens: Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L
- All-Round Lens: Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L
- Telephoto Lens: Canon RF 100-500mm f/f/4.5-7.1 L
- Long Action Pole: Insta360 Invisible Pole (BulletTime)
- Landscape Lens Filter: Hoya Circular Polarizer
- Camera Backpack: F-Stop Tilopa
- Favorite Photography Accessory: Peak Design Capture Clip
For a list of all my recommended photography gear (including what I use and why) check out my guide to camera gear for travel.
If you’d like to use any of the photographs on this website, please visit my licensing page to find out how. I also sell professional fine-art prints, visit my Print Store or contact me directly for customs prints of any images on We Seek Travel.
MORE EPIC LOMBOK ADVENTURES
Margaret
Friday 27th of January 2023
/thank you. I may not make it but your photos are so very special. I've been surfing the web on this region for 3 days and never seen any thing like your photos. Wonderful and inspiring.