Bukit Batu Kursi, Pemuteran: Sunrise Route from Lovina

To catch sunrise on Bukit Batu Kursi you need to leave Lovina around 4:30 am. It is about 45-50 km west, and the car park at the foot of the hill (Banjar Dinas Palasari, Pemuteran village, Gerokgak) is roughly 1 hour 10 minutes away. From Singaraja add 20-30 minutes.

At the top stands Pura Bukit Batu Kursi, named after a large chair-shaped boulder that is considered sacred. According to detikBali, locals come here to pray for success at work, which is why it is nicknamed the temple for "asking for a promotion". Visitors enjoy the view from the outer courtyard.

The morning route, hour by hour

• 04:30 leave Kalibukbuk, Lovina, on the Seririt-Gilimanuk main road. It is wide and empty at this hour but dark; watch for trucks heading to Gilimanuk port.
• 05:40 arrive at the car park. There is a small warung and a toilet at the bottom.
• 05:45-06:10 climb about 700 concrete steps with iron railings. The path is lit and has a few gazebos for breaks.
• 06:10-07:00 sunrise is around 6:00 am in late September. You look over Pemuteran Bay, fishing boats and savanna hills.
• 07:00 head down before the heat sets in.
• 07:45 breakfast in Pemuteran, a 5-10 minute drive.
• 09:00-11:00 snorkel straight from the beach at the Pemuteran Biorock reef.
• 11:30 stop at Pura Pulaki by the main road heading east; keep sunglasses and food away from the monkeys.
• 12:30 lunch, then drive back to Lovina (about 1 hour), arriving around 2:00 pm.

Prefer the afternoon? Go up after 4:00 pm and come down before dark; the path is lit, but the night drive back to Lovina is tiring. Starting from Singaraja? Leave at 4:00 am. If you only have half a day, skip Biorock and head back after Pura Pulaki; you will still be in Lovina before lunch.

Who should skip this hill

Seven hundred steps with almost no shade are hard on knees and impossible with a wheelchair or stroller. Shade trees have only been planted by the local tourism group since 2017, so after 8:00 am the stairs are in full sun; a hiker who climbed in August 2026 recommends coming before 8:00 am or after 4:00 pm. In the dry season (roughly June-October) the savanna is golden brown, not the green seen in rainy-season photos online. The inner temple is for worshippers only.

Donation, what to bring, location

• Entry: donation-based according to detikBali; a hiker's August 2026 account mentions about Rp15,000-20,000 per person. Bring small cash (checked September 2026).
• Hours: detikBali says the hill is open 24 hours, so pre-dawn climbs are possible.
• Bring: rubber-soled shoes, water, and a sarong and sash if you want to enter the temple courtyard. Carry your rubbish down.
• Location: View on Google Maps
• Recent visitor photos: search on Instagram

If a 4:30 start is too much

Spending one night in Pemuteran cuts the dawn drive to 10 minutes and leaves time for an afternoon snorkel; you can compare North Bali stay vouchers on AccessiaPass first. From Pemuteran, Banyuwedang hot spring is only about 15 minutes west for a soak after the climb.