Is Mount Rinjani significantly more difficult than the Mount Ijen crater hike?

Yes, Rinjani is significantly more demanding than the Ijen crater hike, and the numbers are not close. The Ijen approach from Paltuding is roughly 3 kilometers to the rim, about 2 hours uphill with roughly 2,000 feet of climbing. Rinjani’s measured three-day Sembalun-to-Senaru summit traverse covers about 33.74 kilometers with roughly 4,200 meters of cumulative ascent, reaching 3,726 meters.

What each outing asks of you differs in structure. Ijen is one sustained uphill, often done at night for the blue fire and the dawn lake view, followed by a descent on the same path; going down inside the crater, where sulfur hazards are a real concern, is a separate decision with its own risks. Rinjani is several efforts stacked: the long walk to the rim camp at about 2,639 meters, a roughly 4-hour predawn summit push on loose scree, the descent to the lake at about 2,010 meters, and the climbs and descents of the walkout days. Ijen spends you once; Rinjani keeps spending you.

The multi-day effect is the real difference for most people. On Rinjani you sleep cold in a tent, wake in the dark on day two or three, and start walking on legs that already did a full mountain day. Foot care, layering and pacing become daily disciplines rather than one-morning concerns. Trekkers who found Ijen manageable usually have the uphill engine for Rinjani; what they have not yet proven is recovery and descent tolerance over consecutive days.

Use Ijen honestly in your preparation. It is a strong half-day test of your willingness and your climbing engine, and it is a beautiful mountain in its own right. Before booking a Rinjani summit itinerary, add the training the local plans emphasize: two long days back to back and deliberate practice descending on tired legs. And if you want Rinjani’s caldera scenery without the summit commitment, a rim-only itinerary exists that pairs the camping experience with a gentler schedule, which is often the right first meeting with this mountain.