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Tour Overview
A three day, two night sail from Labuan Bajo is the shortest trip that still covers the whole headline circuit of Komodo National Park: the Padar ridge at sunrise, the dragons on foot, Pink Beach, and a drift snorkel over the manta channel. Two nights at anchor means two full days on the water and one half day, which is a genuinely full schedule rather than a relaxed one. If you can spare a fourth day, the Komodo Tour 4 days 3 nights liveaboard version of this route covers the same sites with the slack this one does not have.
This route is sold by almost every operator in Labuan Bajo, and the itinerary barely changes between them. What changes is the boat. The same three days run from
to
per person for a cabin on a shared departure, and from
for the whole boat if you take it privately. That spread is the only decision that really matters here, and it is why this page lists the vessels rather than a single package.
Of the
boats listed below,
sell single cabins on a shared departure and
are whole-boat charter only, so their per-person figure is the charter price divided across a full boat rather than a rate you can book alone. The boat price does not automatically include the park permit. Komodo National Park entry must be reserved before departure in SiOra against each visitor’s identity and registered visit plan. Operators normally handle the registration, while direct self-service remains available. Payment is cashless and should be completed before departure.
Quick Facts
- Tour typeOpen Trip, Private Trip
- Duration3D2N
- Start pointLabuan Bajo Harbour, Flores. Komodo Airport (LBJ) or hotel pickup between 8am and 10am on Day 1 is included by most operators.
- End pointLabuan Bajo Harbour, Flores. Alongside around midday on Day 3, with hotel or airport drop-off by roughly 1pm.
- Meeting / pick-up pointLabuan Bajo Harbour, Flores. Most operators include a Komodo Airport (LBJ) or hotel pickup on the morning of Day 1
- AccommodationOnboard - Cabin
- TransportationWooden Phinisi Boat, Luxury Phinisi
- Guide languagesEnglish, Indonesian, Mandarin, German, French
- DifficultyEasy
- Departure scheduleEveryday
- Departure daysMonday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
- Minimum guests to depart2
- Maximum guests35
- Suitable forFamily, Couples, Solo Travelers, Digital Nomads, Luxury Travelers
- From$180 per person
- Whole-boat charter$2010 total
Boats On This Route
58 boats in our directory run this route. 43 sell cabins on a shared departure, $180 to $2,455 per person. 15 are whole-boat charter only, $2,125 to $33,300 for the boat. On a cabin booking you pay per berth and share the vessel. On a whole-boat charter you pay for the boat, so a couple sailing alone pays the full rate. Prices are the published entry-level rate and move with season and cabin grade. Komodo National Park entrance and ranger fees are excluded from every figure.
Showing 12 of 58 eligible boats.
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from $180 per person -
from $195 per person -
from $195 per person -
from $215 per person -
from $250 per person -
from $265 per person -
from $280 per person -
from $295 per person -
from $295 per person -
from $295 per person -
from $305 per person -
from $310 per person
How These Boats Compare
Ranges are the spread across the boats listed on this page and update automatically as the fleet changes. Komodo National Park entrance and ranger fees are excluded from every figure.
Gallery
Day-by-Day at a Glance
- Day 1
- Day 2Padar Island → Pink Beach → Komodo or Rinca Island → Karang Makassar → Taka Makassar (overnight at anchor)
- Day 3Siaba or Sebayur → Labuan Bajo
Itinerary
Labuan Bajo, Kelor Island and the first night at anchor
Pickup from Komodo Airport or your hotel between 8am and 10am, then straight to the harbour to board. Luggage goes below while the crew runs the safety briefing and the boat clears the bay before lunch.
Kelor Island is the first stop: a short, steep climb of about twenty minutes for the view back across the channel, then a swim off the sandbar. Manjarite follows in the afternoon for the first proper snorkel, a sheltered slope with easy entry that suits nervous swimmers.
Late afternoon the boat repositions to Kalong Island and anchors. At dusk thousands of flying foxes lift off the mangroves and cross the channel overhead, which is the single best thing to watch from a deck in Komodo. Dinner on board and overnight at anchor.
Lunch, DinnerPadar at sunrise, Pink Beach, the dragons, and the manta channel
The long day, and the reason the trip works at all. Boats leave the anchorage in the dark so the tender reaches Padar Island before the heat. The ridge walk is roughly forty minutes at an unhurried pace, and the three-bay panorama at the top is what sells most Komodo trips. Getting there before the day boats arrive from Labuan Bajo is the difference between a quiet viewpoint and a queue.
Breakfast under way, then Pink Beach for snorkelling and a stretch on sand that genuinely runs pink where coral fragments mix into it. Midday at Komodo or Rinca Island on foot with a park ranger, who sets the pace and the distance. Which of the two islands you visit depends on the operator and the day.
The afternoon is Karang Makassar, the shallow channel where reef mantas feed on the current. This is a drift snorkel with a guide in the water, not a swim from a beach. Taka Makassar, a sandbar that surfaces at low tide, is usually the last stop before dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerSiaba Bay, then back to Labuan Bajo
One last snorkel at Siaba or Sebayur, shallow reef straight off the boat with a reliable population of green turtles. Breakfast is served under way while the crew starts the run home.
The boat is back alongside in Labuan Bajo around midday, with hotel or airport drop-off by roughly 1pm. An afternoon flight out the same day is realistic, though an evening departure gives you more margin if the sea slows the crossing.
BreakfastWhat's Included
- IncludedHotel Pickup / Drop-off, Accommodation Onboard, 3 Meals Daily, Snacks, Coffee & Tea, Drinking Water, Snorkeling Equipment, Local Guide / Ranger, Towels & Toiletries
- Not includedKomodo National Park Entrance Fee, Crew Gratuity, Dive Equipment Rental, Nitrox Surcharge, Travel / Dive Insurance, Flights, Alcoholic Beverages, Spa & Massage, Laundry, Personal Expenses
- Komodo National Park feeNot included
- What to bring
Bring the passport or KTP used for the SiOra reservation and save the e-ticket offline before boarding. Park entry and related charges should be registered and paid cashless before departure; carry rupiah for onboard extras and gratuities, not as a substitute for the park reservation.
- Reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and a long-sleeve rash guard. There is almost no shade on the Padar ridge
- Head torch or phone light for the pre-dawn start on Day 2
- Motion sickness tablets, taken before boarding rather than after
- Dry bag for the tender transfers
- Your own mask if you are particular about fit. Loan sets are provided but sizes are limited
- Power bank. Most boats run the generator on a schedule, not around the clock
- Light layers for the night crossing, and sandals you can afford to lose
- Personal medication, plus cash for crew gratuity at the end
- CancellationModerate
- Policy detail
Boat booking: Cancellation and date-change terms belong to the individual operator and can differ between shared cabins and private charter. Before paying, confirm the deposit, balance due date, refund schedule, weather-cancellation handling and any replacement-date option in writing.
SiOra park reservation: This is separate from the boat booking. Official public guidance confirms advance e-ticketing and cashless payment, but does not state one universal refund or rescheduling rule for every reservation. Before issuance, ask the handling operator to confirm the current SiOra amendment, cancellation and weather-disruption terms in writing. Treat the boat booking and park reservation as separate until both changes are confirmed.
- Notes
Park charges: Komodo National Park access is separate from the boat fare unless the selected operator explicitly lists it as included. Statutory entrance is charged per person, per day—not per visit. The final SiOra total depends on the registered days plus any applicable activity, vessel or special-use charges. See What the Park Costs on this page for the verified statutory schedule and source date.
Reservation and payment: Reserve through SiOra before travel; Ministry guidance recommends H-1. An operator can assist, and self-service is available at the Komodo Visitor Center and KP3 terminal. Payment is cashless. Ask for an itemised total before issuance.
Guiding: The onboard guide is part of the boat service. If an operator adds a site, ranger or guiding-service line, ask them to identify what it covers instead of treating it as part of the statutory entrance fee.
KomodoInsider-verified. Last checked .
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a 3 day 2 night Komodo tour cost?
Across the boats listed on this page, a cabin on a shared 3D2N departure runs from
per person, on
, up to
on
. Private charter is quoted for the whole boat rather than per person, from
for the two nights. Park access is separate unless an operator explicitly includes it. SiOra charges follow the registered travel days and any applicable activity, vessel or special-use charges; see What the Park Costs on this page for the verified schedule. Cheaper wooden open-trip boats are sold around Labuan Bajo below that range; none of them are listed on this page.
Is the Komodo National Park entrance fee included?
Usually not. The boat fare and SiOra park charges are separate unless the selected operator explicitly lists them as included. Statutory park entrance is charged per person, per day—not per visit—and additional charges can apply for diving, vessel entry or special use. See What the Park Costs below for the verified statutory schedule and source date. Reserve through SiOra before travel; Ministry guidance recommends H-1. An operator can assist, and self-service is available at the Komodo Visitor Center and KP3 terminal. Payment is cashless. Ask for an itemised total before issuance and confirm the current cancellation, rescheduling and weather-disruption terms in writing, because public guidance does not state one universal rule for every reservation.
Is 3 days 2 nights long enough for Komodo?
It is long enough for the headline sights. You will see Padar, Pink Beach, the dragons on foot, and the manta channel. What you will not get is slack time. If you want unhurried snorkelling, a second attempt at the mantas if the current is wrong, or any diving at all, the 4 days 3 nights version of this route is the better fit.
Can I join this trip from Bali?
Not directly. Fly Denpasar to Labuan Bajo, roughly ninety minutes, and join the boat there. Because most departures board between 8am and 10am, a night in Labuan Bajo beforehand is the safer plan. A same-day morning flight leaves no margin if it is delayed.
What is the difference between an open trip and a private charter on this route?
An open trip sells you a cabin on a fixed departure alongside other travellers and is priced per person. A private charter is the whole boat on your own dates at a total price. The maths tends to flip at around six people. Below that an open trip is almost always cheaper. Of the
boats on this page,
sell single cabins on a shared departure and
are whole-boat charter only.
Do I need to be able to swim?
No. Life jackets are carried and every snorkel stop is optional. Tell the crew before you board and on most boats a guide will stay in the water with weaker swimmers. The manta channel is the one stop where a strong swimmer has a clear advantage, because it is a drift in moving water.
What is the difference between a standard, deluxe and private charter boat on this route?
Three tiers are sold on the 3D2N Komodo circuit and the itinerary is close to identical across all of them. Standard open-trip boats are wooden, usually fan-cooled or with air conditioning only in the saloon, and use bunk-style cabins with shared bathrooms for fifteen to twenty passengers. They sit below
per person and none are listed on this page. Deluxe and superior phinisi are the cabin-sharing tier this page covers: an ensuite bathroom in every cabin, air conditioning, three to eight cabins, and
to
per person for the two nights. Above that is private charter, where you take the whole boat on your own dates from
. What you are paying for is not a different route. It is how you sleep, how many strangers share the deck, and whether the schedule is yours.
When is the best time of year for a 3 days 2 nights Komodo tour?
April to June and September to early November are the strongest windows: settled seas, good underwater visibility, and fewer boats at Padar than the July to August peak. Manta rays feed at Karang Makassar year-round, but sightings are most reliable from December through February, which is also the wettest stretch and the roughest crossing. January and February bring the strongest winds; some operators cut departures, reroute south, or stop selling the shorter itineraries entirely. July and August are dry and calm but the Padar ridge is busy at sunrise and prices sit at their highest. On a trip this short the weather matters more than usual, because two nights leaves no spare day to sit one out.
What the Park Costs
| What you pay | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Park entrance, foreign visitor | Rp 250,000 ≈ $14 | per person, per visit Identical on weekdays and public holidays. Already includes trekking, wildlife observation and snorkelling inside the park. |
| Park entrance, Indonesian visitor, weekday | Rp 50,000 ≈ $3 | per person, per visit Raised from Rp 35,000 in October 2024. |
| Park entrance, Indonesian visitor, weekend or public holiday | Rp 75,000 ≈ $4 | per person, per visit The holiday uplift applies to the Indonesian rate only. |
| Park entrance, Indonesian student group | Rp 25,000 ≈ $1 | per person, per day Group bookings only. |
| Scuba diving permit | Rp 25,000 ≈ $1 | per diver, per day Charged on top of the entrance fee. Snorkelling is not charged separately. |
| Vessel entry | varies | Assessed on the engine capacity of the boat, so it is normally settled by the operator rather than by passengers. |
- Booking runs through SIORA, the park's own system, and is handled by a licensed operator before arrival. There is no ticket window at the gate.
- A daily cap of 1,000 visitors applies across the park, split between Komodo, Rinca and Padar and the dive sites around them.
- Entry runs in sessions rather than all day, which is why a boat's arrival time is set by the park and not by the crew.
- A drone permit is separate, expensive, and has to be requested well in advance.
Statutory rates set by Peraturan Pemerintah No. 36 Tahun 2024, in force since 30 October 2024. Checked 25 August 2026. Amounts are payable in rupiah; dollar figures are converted at Rp 17,900 and rounded. A rise in the foreign rate was under government review in April 2026 and had not taken effect.
Verification & Booking Notes
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Who This Suits
Right for you if this is a first trip to Komodo and you want the headline sights inside a long weekend. Padar at sunrise, the dragons on foot, Pink Beach and the manta channel all fit into two nights, and sleeping at anchor puts you at each site before the day boats arrive from Labuan Bajo. It also suits tight flight dates, since you are back alongside by midday on Day 3.
Think again if you dive. Two nights leaves no room for a real dive schedule, and the 4 days 3 nights version of this route is the shortest one that does. The same applies if you want unhurried snorkelling, or a second attempt at the mantas when the current is wrong. Day 2 runs from before dawn until dinner and there is no slack anywhere in it.
Worth knowing on budget: the cheapest cabin across the boats listed here is
per person, so this is not the cheap option that a Labuan Bajo day trip is. Families with young children, and anyone nervous in open water, should read the Day 2 notes first: the manta stop is a drift snorkel in moving current, not a swim from a beach.
Cruise Areas
- Komodo
Activities
- Snorkeling
- Trekking
- Island Hopping
- Wildlife Watching
- Sunset Viewing
- Photography
Location
East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia