Putri Mountain – Lembang’s Stunning Sunrise Spot

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Although Putri Mountain requires barely any effort to reach the peak, it offers one darn amazing view. Never would we have imagined such an amazing sunrise so close to Bandung City. With daunting mountain tops and volcanic fumes spitting out in the distant horizon.

Set in the mountains above the busy streets of Bandung City and somewhere in the highlands of Lembang there is Putri Mountain. This is just one of the many mountains that wrap around Bandung City.

But it isn’t just any tourist attraction in Bandung on Java island – Indonesia. Putri Mountain a.k.a Gunung Putri is one of the best places to watch the sun rising over these stunning lands as the morning rays slowly shine through the mountainous horizon view that dwarf Bandung City.

A village engulfed by the morning mountain mist dwarfed by mountain tops and a silhouette of mountain peaks in the distance.

So if you seriously want to experience one of the best things to do in Bandung, I suggest you head further above the City and into a region named Lembang.

In this part of Bandung, the climate is a lot cooler. Sometimes, at night it is actually a bit cold.

And you’ll also find some of the best activities to do near Bandung – like waterfalls, camping, and hot springs close to Lembang.

WHERE IS PUTRI MOUNTAIN

Putri Mountain which is known as Gunung Putri in Bahasa (Indonesian) is a mountain and viewpoint located in the Lembang region.

If you’re already in Bandung or are thinking of going soon, then Putri Mountain will be further north of the city. I thought I’d get that out of the way to give you some sort of perspective of where this tourist spot is compared to Bandung City.

But don’t worry too much about the distance. If you base yourself somewhere in the heart of Bandung, Putri Mountain would be a manageable 45 minute to 1-hour drive. Depending on traffic conditions.

If you go for the sunrise it would probably take less time because you wouldn’t find so much traffic. After all, it’s only a 16km ride from Cihampelas, one of Bandung’s most popular streets.

Distant mountain and a village below covered in thick fog while the sun slowly starts to rise

Is your time in Bandung Limited? Let me tell you, there are loads of things to do in Bandung and in the surrounding areas.

If you’re visiting Bandung and are short on time, the best way to get the most out of your days would be to book a tour with a reliable company. Don’t worry, tours don’t have to cost a fortune and may actually work out cheaper than doing everything yourself, especially if you’re in a group.

Before purchasing a tour make sure to shop around and know what is on offer. But keep in mind that the best offers are usually online. And in Bandung, the best tour provider that offers a wide range of options is Traveloka. we use this company a lot in Indonesia for either tours and even trains or ferries.

HOW TO GET TO PUTRI MOUNTAIN

The best ways to get to Putri Mountain is by Taxi or to rent a scooter and explore other things in the Lembang region and nearby.

If you come from Bandung, once you get out of the busy City streets, the ride up to Putri Mountain is straightforward.

The route passes through the popular area in Bandung named Dago and along loads of Cafes where university students hang out.

And a winding road goes all the way up to Lembang.

Just keep in mind to take something warm with you especially if going up there in the morning.

The climate is cool during the day. And in the morning, before the sun comes up it will be actually quite cold. Even more with the direct breeze in your face while riding a scooter.

Then, from the main road in Lembang, the route goes through the streets heading high up into the mountain.

Although the streets going up the mountain are a bit narrow, they are mostly well maintained. Just watch out for some random potholes along the way.

And while you pass through the small villages at the top of the mountain, make sure to slow down. Because those streets aren’t busy you may find people or kids walking in the street or even a random chicken running in the middle.

We dodged a few chickens along those streets while waving to all the local community that seemed very happy to see us two odd foreigners.

ENTRANCE FEE

At the end of the uphill road, there is a parking area. And if you want to buy a hot drink of milo, some other hot drink or a snack or something there are loads of warungs around the parking.

Don’t worry too much about where to park. The area is rather big and there is quite a lot of space where to park.

The parking fee is IDR 5000 ($0.35) for a scooter. And the entrance fee to the sunrise spot is IDR 10.000 ($0.70) per person.

Once you’ve parked and paid the entrance fee, there is a short hike to the first viewpoint.

It should only take about 5 minutes to reach the first viewing area. And this first short hike is along a zig-zagged path through the woods on a paved path and stairs. So it’s quite straightforward.

Jacqueline walking up the path to the top of the mountain

This first stop is very interesting because there is a view of one of the steaming geysers right on top of a mountain. A local told me the steam is coming from a mountain in the Panguyahan region, somewhere further south of Bandung City.

But if you want to get higher, there is a second viewpoint further up.

PUTRI MOUNTAIN – SUNRISE AND WHAT TO EXPECT

Putri Mountain could be easily reached from anywhere in Bandung, but we decided that a few days in the City were enough. So we based ourselves in Lembang because we had a list of things that we wanted to do in the Northern part of Bandung.

From our accommodation in Lembang, Putri Mountain was just a short 15 minute uphill ride.

In order to get there before the sun came up we needed to get up super early because although we were very close by, sunrise was at about 5.15 am.

I’m not sure if the sun always rises this early in Indonesia but it’s a good thing to keep in mind.

If you want to see the sun rising and need to ride from Bandung, you’ll need to be on your way by 4:30am the latest. Because it will take at least 30 to 45 minutes to drive, park and walk up the mountain.

It only took us about 5 minutes to hike along the zig-zag path through the woods and reach the first viewpoint.

And WOW!!

The first thing we saw was a shadow of distant mountain peaks. One of the peaks had some volcanic activity going on and we could 2 fumes next to each other spitting out.

And being early morning, the tiny villages and houses below us had just started to clear up from the morning mist.

These conditions and the fact it was still early morning created a misty golden morning sight over the small towns below.

The mist covers all the mountains in front of us
Jacqueline sitting at the top of the Mountain

THE NEXT VIEWPOINT

From the first viewing area, where most of the people were and some even decided to camp, there is a trail further up the mountain.

We took the trail further up the hill. Although there is just a dirt path and it had rained during the night, the hike is quite easy although some parts were slippery.

The trail leads up to the actual peak of the mountain. And on the way, we passed through some forestry and like little terraces where I think people usually camp.

From here we got a different perspective. Because the view looks in a completely different direction from the viewpoint further below.

The last steep part of the mountain has steps carved into the soil and bamboo wood to keep the soil from sliding away during the rain
Distant mountain and a village below covered in thick fog while the sun slowly starts to rise

Although the views are similar, once we reached the top we got a wide-open view onto not-so-distant mountains.

If it was a really challenging hike to get up there it may actually not be that worth the effort. Considering the views from the first stop seem to be even better.

But since the trail and walking to the very top only takes about 10 minutes, I guess it is well worth checking out while you’re there.

FINAL NOTE

I guess that is the conclusion. But on a real final note, Putri Mountain is no doubt one stunning viewpoint. I’m not sure if it was that morning mist that we got when there. Or maybe the time of year but I can without a doubt guarantee that you’ll love the place.

And did you know that you can actually go camping on Putri Mountain?

Although it was rainy season when we went, there were quite a few groups of people there. All you need is a tent and to pay a small camping fee in the booth.

A bright red colored tent amongst all the trees at the top of the mountain
A guy chilling out on a hammock tied between two trees up on a putri mountain

If you’re considering adding Putri Mountain to your bucket list, make sure to save the URL of this page on a note or save it to Pinterest for future reference. And if you have other travel buddies or adventurous family members, share it on your socials and let your friends and family know about this amazing place and get them inspired.

One last thing – While you’re in Java make sure to visit the most impressive natural wonders in East Java because some are so unique you won’t find anything similar anywhere else.

East Java is right next to Bali, like all it takes is a 30-minute ferry to cross from one island to the other. So you could easily include some of the very best East Java attractions in a 2 or 3 day itinerary from Bali.

READ OUR EAST JAVA ROUTE GUIDE

Read All Our Indonesia Guides.

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