Pananjakan (2,770m) is the classic viewpoint above Bromo, reached by jeep from Cemoro Lawang on tracks that take about 30 minutes. Jeeps depart from 3am in convoy; the viewpoint fills up before sunrise, and the crowd parts as the light hits the caldera and the volcanic cones emerge from the mist. On a clear morning it is extraordinary. On a cloudy morning it is a crowd of people looking at grey mist.
The Penanjakan viewpoint is the standard option, but smaller viewpoints along the same ridge offer similar angles with fewer people. Arriving an hour before sunrise rather than 30 minutes before gives time to find a less crowded spot on the ridge. The jeep fare from Cemoro Lawang is negotiated in advance — around 300,000–500,000 rupiah per vehicle, shared among four passengers. Bring warm clothes: at 2,700 metres before dawn, it is genuinely cold.