Mount Merapi and Merbabu: Differences for Visitors

Mount Merapi and Merbabu stand side by side in Central Java, close enough that the Jakarta Post called Merapi’s smoky peak a stone’s throw from Merbabu’s summit, yet visitors use them in opposite ways. Merapi is the active volcano whose summit is closed, and you see it from the lower slopes on a jeep tour. Merbabu is the taller, dormant neighbour in a national park, and you hike it. This guide compares Mount Merapi and Merbabu on status, access and effort, with the situation checked in October 2026.

Mount Merapi and Merbabu at a glance

Heights, names and eruption history below come from Wikipedia unless a different source is named.

Merbabu is the taller of the two by 177 m using Merapi’s 2,968 m, or by 215 m using the 2,930 m figure. Going by the rock ages in Wikipedia’s infoboxes, Merbabu is also the older volcano.

The saddle between the two mountains

Wikipedia describes a broad saddle about 1,500 m high between Merbabu and Merapi, home to the village of Selo and fertile farmland. Selo also hosts one of Merapi’s monitoring stations. For years hikers used Selo as a base for both mountains, and the Jakarta Post wrote in 2014 about the “2M” trek, Merbabu followed by Merapi, which could be done in three days excluding road time. That combination is no longer possible, as the next sections explain.

Mount Merapi: closed summit, open lower slopes

Yogyakarta’s disaster agency BPBD says Merapi has been on Level III (Siaga) since 5 November 2020. A report on BPPTKG data in Suara Garut said the monitoring centre kept Level III for 8 to 11 October 2026 (checked 14 October 2026). It listed potential hazard distances of up to 5 km along the Boyong, up to 7 km along the Bedog, Krasak and Bebeng, up to 3 km along the Woro and up to 5 km along the Gendol, plus 3 km for explosive ejecta. See Mount Merapi alert level explained.

The summit is closed. In June 2026 the national park authority said, as reported by detik, that climbing has been not recommended since 22 May 2018 and that it remains closed with no end date. A viral video had suggested residents would reopen the Selo route themselves, and the authority replied that climbing was still closed. Backindo adds that people climbing despite the closure does not make the hike legal, and that foreign travellers may face problems with insurance and emergency help. For the full answer, read can you hike Mount Merapi.

What you can do is a jeep tour on the lower southern slope. Telkomsel’s 2026 guide describes routes of 1.5 to 3.5 hours through lava-flow areas, with stops linked to the 2010 eruption. Its estimates are about IDR 400,000 to 750,000 per jeep depending on route, and our reference prices on the tour packages page run from IDR 500,000 to 750,000 per jeep, to be confirmed. Telkomsel recommends 06:00 to 10:00 for clear skies and also lists a sunrise trip starting at 04:30; see our sunrise jeep tour.

Mount Merbabu: the hiker’s mountain

Wikipedia calls Merbabu a dormant stratovolcano, with two peaks, Syarif at 3,119 m and Kenteng Songo at 3,145 m, and a 57 square kilometre national park declared in 2004. The park has five official routes, according to detik: Thekelan and Cuntel in Semarang district, Selo in Boyolali, and Suwanting and Wekas in Magelang. Hikers must book online through the park’s website.

Routes can close even though the mountain is dormant. The park closed Thekelan from 1 to 4 October 2026 and Wekas from 5 to 31 October 2026 as wildfire prevention in the dry season, reported detik on 29 September. Tribun Travel stressed that the other routes stayed open. Check the park’s announcements for November.

When did Mount Merbabu last erupt?

Wikipedia lists two known moderate eruptions, in 1560 and 1797, with the 1797 event rated 2 (explosive) on the volcanic explosivity index. It adds that an unconfirmed eruption may have occurred in 1570.

How difficult is Mount Merbabu?

It is a serious hike. Wikipedia gives 8 to 10 hours from Kopeng to the Kenteng Songo summit, although the figure has a citation-needed tag. The Jakarta Post called the Wekas route the shortest yet toughest and steepest way up, at about eight hours. It also noted that Merbabu has several false summits. One hiker told the paper he ended up in three different places on three descents via Selo, a good reason to go with a guide.

A Singapore operator sells a two-day trek from the Suwanting trailhead at about 1,300 m, with 7 to 8 hours to a camp at about 2,700 m and a summit climb from 03:00 on day two. It says anyone with good fitness and hiking experience should cope, lists May to October as the climbing season and warns that it can get very cold and rain even then.

The 2M trek and why the Merapi half is off the table

For years Mount Merapi and Merbabu were hiked together. The Jakarta Post described the 2M as a three-day challenge, with Merapi taking around five hours on a steeper route from Selo. That article dates from 2014. Under the current closure, Merapi’s summit is not recommended for any hiker, and Backindo says the old route lies inside the danger zone. Treat any offer that includes Merapi’s summit with suspicion, and ask how the company handles the national park’s rules.

Which of Mount Merapi and Merbabu should you choose?

Mount Merapi and Merbabu do not compete for the same day. A jeep ride takes 1.5 to 3.5 hours, so it can fill a separate morning before or after a Merbabu trek. If you are comparing wider options, see volcanoes near Yogyakarta.

Planning a visit to Mount Merapi and Merbabu

For Merapi, read is Mount Merapi safe to visit and the Mount Merapi destination page, then compare the routes on the tour packages page or send your dates through the contact page. We do not run Merbabu hikes, so ask a licensed local guide or the national park about those.