Mount Tambora

Information

Elevation

2.851 m

Country

Indonesia (ID)

Location / Range

Sanggar Peninsula, Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara

Mountain type

Active stratovolcano

Volcanic?

Yes — volcano

Coordinates

-8.2479, 117.9951

Difficulty

Moderate–Hard — volcanic sandy terrain; the Pancasila route requires 3 days and 2 nights; Doro Ncanga is shorter (2 days); Piong can be done in 1 day

Best Season

May–October (dry season); best July–August

Permits & Rules

Tambora National Park entry permit (PNBP) is mandatory; report to the ranger post; a local guide is mandatory; activity is at Level II (Alert) since 10 March 2026 — climbers are barred from within 3 km of the crater and from descending into the caldera floor

Hazards

Volcanic gas (SO₂) around the Doro Afi Toi and Doro Afi Bou craters; landslide-prone volcanic sand; fast-changing weather; scarce water on the trail; strong wind near the summit; active volcanic alert (Level II, 2026)

Description

Mount Tambora is an active stratovolcano standing 2,851 metres high on the Sanggar Peninsula of Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara. It holds the record for the most powerful volcanic eruption in documented human history: the April 1815 VEI-7 event ejected 37–45 km³ of dense-rock-equivalent material, slashing the summit from roughly 4,300 metres to its present height and carving a caldera roughly 6 km wide and over 1 km deep. The eruption's atmospheric effects caused the "Year Without a Summer" (1816) across the Northern Hemisphere, triggering crop failures and widespread famine. Designated Tambora National Park in 2015, the volcano is accessible via four official trails: Pancasila (3 days/2 nights, 5 checkpoints to the caldera rim), Doro Ncanga (4WD access to 1,150 m then on foot to the south caldera at 1,950 m, ~2 days), Piong (off-road, possible in 1 day), and Kawinda To'i. As of March 2026 Tambora is at Alert Level II due to elevated deep volcanic seismicity; trails reopened 14 April 2026 with a 3 km exclusion zone around the crater.