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Tour Overview
The Lombok to Komodo boat trip is a one-way crossing rather than a loop. You board in East Lombok, sail east through the Alas Strait, and step off four days later in Labuan Bajo on Flores, having covered roughly 250 nautical miles of water that most travellers fly over in an hour. The route is also sold in reverse, and as a Lombok to Flores boat trip when the operator wants to emphasise the destination harbour rather than the national park.
What separates it from a Komodo trip that starts and ends in Labuan Bajo is the middle two days. Saleh Bay on the north coast of Sumbawa holds a resident population of whale sharks that gather around the bagan fishing platforms, and Moyo and Satonda add a crater lake and a set of quiet volcanic bays that no Labuan Bajo itinerary can reach in the time available. Komodo National Park itself — the dragons, Padar and Pink Beach — arrives on Day 3 as the finish rather than the whole point.
The corridor spans simple shared crossings and a smaller premium phinisi tier. The
boats listed here are the matched premium vessels, with cabin prices from
on
to
on
. Whole-boat charters currently run from
to
. Confirm the final quotation, sailing date and cabin before paying.
Both take fewer guests than a typical open-trip boat on this route, which changes the crossing more than the cabin does — two overnight passages are a different experience with eight people aboard than with thirty. The cheapest berth on the page belongs to
; cabin counts, layouts and season windows are on each vessel page, and the full comparison sits in How These Boats Compare below.
Sailing the other way instead? The Komodo to Lombok boat trip runs the same corridor westbound out of Labuan Bajo, with the park on Days 1 and 2 and Padar at sunset rather than sunrise.
Four days is the working minimum. The Alas Strait and the Sape Strait are both open water, and a compressed three-day version of this route means sailing through the night twice and seeing the middle of it in the dark. If the park itself is the whole objective, flying into Labuan Bajo and taking a 4 day 3 night Komodo tour from there is the faster and cheaper instrument.
Quick Facts
- Tour typeOpen Trip, Private Trip, Custom Charter
- Duration4D3N
- Start pointKayangan Harbour, East Lombok. Boarding is early afternoon on Day 1 so the crossing of the Alas Strait happens in daylight.
- End pointLabuan Bajo Harbour, Flores. Alongside late morning on Day 4, with hotel or Komodo Airport drop-off to follow. Book an afternoon flight rather than a midday one.
- Meeting / pick-up pointHotel or airport pickup in Senggigi, Mataram, Kuta Mandalika or Bangsal, then a road transfer of two to three hours to Kayangan Harbour in East Lombok. Guests staying on the Gili Islands take the morning fast boat to Bangsal and join there.
- AccommodationOnboard - Cabin
- TransportationWooden Phinisi Boat, Luxury Phinisi, AC Car
- Guide languagesEnglish, Indonesian
- DifficultyEasy
- Departure scheduleOn Request
- Minimum guests to depart2
- Maximum guests35
- Suitable forFamily, Couples, Luxury Travelers
- From$295 per person
- Whole-boat charter$2795 total
Boats On This Route
4 boats in our directory run this route. 4 sell cabins on a shared departure, $295 to $435 per person. 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 4 of 4 eligible boats.
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from $295 per person -
from $325 per person -
from $355 per person - from $435 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 1Senggigi or Mataram → Kayangan Harbour → Kenawa Island (overnight sail east)
- Day 2Saleh Bay → Moyo Island → Satonda Island (overnight at anchor)
- Day 3Sangeang → Komodo Island → Pink Beach → Padar Island (overnight at anchor)
- Day 4
Itinerary
Lombok pickup, Kayangan Harbour and Kenawa Island
Pickup from your hotel in Senggigi, Mataram, Kuta Mandalika or Bangsal in the late morning, then a road transfer of two to three hours across Lombok to Kayangan Harbour on the east coast. If you are staying on the Gili Islands, take the early fast boat to Bangsal and join the transfer there.
Boarding is early afternoon, deliberately, so the crossing of the Alas Strait is done in daylight. Luggage goes below, the crew runs the safety brief, and lunch is usually served once the boat is underway. The first stop is Kenawa Island, an uninhabited grass hill off the Sumbawa coast with a short climb to a viewpoint and clear water off the sandbar. Sunset here is the standard first photograph of the trip. Dinner is aboard at anchor, then the boat sails overnight along the north coast of Sumbawa towards Saleh Bay.
Lunch, DinnerWhale sharks at Saleh Bay, then Moyo and Satonda
An early start, because the whale sharks at Saleh Bay feed around the fishing platforms at first light and disperse as the day warms. The tender takes you across to the bagan and you enter the water in small groups with a guide. Encounters are not guaranteed and no honest operator will promise one, but Saleh Bay has the most reliable resident population in the Lesser Sundas and the hit rate through the middle of the year is high.
From there the boat runs to Moyo Island, where a short walk inland reaches the Mata Jitu waterfall and its terraced pools, and then on to Satonda, a volcanic island with a saltwater crater lake sitting inside the cone. The snorkelling on the outer wall at Satonda is better than the lake itself. This is the quietest day of the crossing and the one people are most surprised by, because none of it is what they booked the trip for.
Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerInto Komodo National Park: dragons, Pink Beach and Padar at sunset
The boat crosses the Sape Strait and enters Komodo National Park. Visitor access should already be registered in SiOra against the approved visit plan before arrival. A ranger-led dragon walk, Pink Beach and Padar are scheduled according to conditions and the operator’s confirmed route. The captain may reorder stops for weather, currents, closures or the registered park plan.
Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerManta channel, a last reef, and into Labuan Bajo
North to Karang Makassar, the shallow channel where reef mantas feed on the current. This is a drift snorkel with a guide and the tender following, and it is the stop most people remember. Whether it works depends on the tide rather than the season, which is why crews will move it earlier or later in the morning without warning.
A final reef stop at Kelor or Manjarite on the way in, then the run into Labuan Bajo, alongside late morning. Transfer to your hotel or to Komodo Airport follows. An afternoon flight is safer than a midday one: harbour traffic on arrival is unpredictable and the drive to the airport is short but not instant.
Breakfast, LunchWhat's Included
- IncludedHotel Pickup / Drop-off, Accommodation Onboard, 3 Meals Daily, Snacks, Coffee & Tea, Drinking Water, Snorkeling Equipment, Kayak / SUP Use, Local Guide / Ranger, Towels & Toiletries
- Not includedKomodo National Park Entrance Fee, Ranger & Trekking 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 Indonesian ID used for SiOra, reef-safe sun protection, a rash guard, closed shoes with grip, dry bag, motion-sickness medicine if suitable for you, personal medication, power bank and light layers for overnight passages. Complete park registration before the trip; government guidance is to arrange access by H-1. Signal and charging can be limited between Sumbawa and Flores.
- CancellationModerate
- Policy detail
Terms are set by the operator, not by KomodoInsider, and they differ sharply depending on how you book. Both boats on this page sell this crossing by the cabin and as a full-vessel charter, and the two carry different cancellation regimes. Read the wording that applies to your booking model before you transfer anything.
Cabin bookings follow the pattern common to scheduled sailings: a deposit of 25 to 50 percent to hold the berth, a balance due 30 to 60 days out, and a sliding scale of forfeit as the sailing date approaches. Cancelling well outside the window often costs the deposit only.
Full-boat charter is consistently the strictest terms in the market. Expect 30 to 50 percent non-refundable once the dates are held, the balance due 60 to 30 days out and also non-refundable from that point, and full forfeit inside the final window. Some operators will move a charter to another date within the same season instead of refunding it, which is worth asking about in writing before you sign rather than after.
Weather is handled by reordering rather than cancelling. If the Alas or Sape crossing is unsafe the crew shifts the schedule and the itinerary changes shape, but the trip runs. Operator-initiated cancellation for mechanical or safety reasons normally triggers a full refund or a replacement vessel — confirm which, in writing, because the two are not the same thing.
Travel insurance covering trip cancellation is worth more on this route than on a Labuan Bajo round trip, because the sums committed up front are larger and the itinerary depends on two open-water crossings.
- Notes
Park entrance and activity fees are separate unless the operator’s written quotation says otherwise. Visitor identities and the registered visit plan should be arranged through SiOra before the park day, with cashless payment completed in advance. See “What the Park Costs” for the current official schedule. The Lombok-side road transfer to Kayangan Harbour and the Labuan Bajo hotel or airport drop-off are generally included in the compared packages; Gili fast boats and flights are not. Diving, equipment and nitrox are only included when explicitly quoted.
Operator-declared. Specifications and rates on this page are as published by the operator and their booking agents, not independently inspected by KomodoInsider. Last checked .
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Lombok to Komodo boat trip cost?
Use the live fleet comparison: matched cabin prices currently run from
on
to
on
, while whole-boat charters run from
to
. Final price depends on departure, cabin, vessel and inclusions. Park access is separate unless stated; see “What the Park Costs” and complete SiOra before departure.
How long is the boat trip from Lombok to Komodo?
Four days and three nights is the working standard, and the distance is the reason. It is roughly 250 nautical miles from Kayangan Harbour to Labuan Bajo, and the schedule builds in two overnight passages: the Alas Strait on the first night and the Sape Strait on the third.
Three-day versions of the same route exist and they save the day by sailing through more of it in the dark, usually cutting Moyo and Satonda. Five-day versions add Rinca, Kalong at dusk or a second manta attempt. If the middle section is why you chose the route over flying, four days is the floor.
Is the boat trip better than flying from Lombok to Labuan Bajo?
Only if you want the two days in between. A flight covers the same ground in about ninety minutes with a connection, and if Komodo National Park is the sole objective, flying in and taking a round trip out of Labuan Bajo is faster and cheaper — our 4 day 3 night Komodo tour covers the same park stops without the crossing.
What the boat buys is Saleh Bay and the Sumbawa coast, which are not reachable on any Labuan Bajo itinerary and are not served by scheduled flights either. Treat this as a destination in its own right rather than as transport, and the maths works. Treat it as a way to get to Komodo and it will feel slow.
Can you swim with whale sharks on this trip?
Saleh Bay on the north coast of Sumbawa is the stop, and it is the single strongest reason to run this route rather than fly. Whale sharks gather around the bagan fishing platforms to feed, the encounter is in calm shallow water, and it happens at first light on Day 2.
Sightings are not guaranteed and any operator promising otherwise is overselling. Saleh Bay holds the most reliable resident population in the Lesser Sundas, so the odds are good through most of the year, but a blank morning does happen and there is no refund attached to it.
Where does the Lombok to Komodo boat trip depart from?
Kayangan Harbour on the east coast of Lombok, not from Senggigi or from the Gili Islands directly. Hotel pickup is included from Senggigi, Mataram, Kuta Mandalika and Bangsal, followed by a road transfer of two to three hours across the island.
If you are staying on Gili Trawangan, Meno or Air, take the early fast boat to Bangsal harbour and join the transfer there. Build in more margin than the schedule suggests: a missed fast boat means a missed departure, and the boat will not wait.
What is the best time of year to sail from Lombok to Komodo?
April to June and September to November are the settled windows. Both the Alas and Sape straits are open water and both get uncomfortable in the wrong month, so the crossing quality matters more here than on a sheltered Labuan Bajo loop.
July and August are reliable weather but the busiest months at Padar and in the park generally. Late December through February is the monsoon: many operators pull the route entirely for annual maintenance, and the ones still selling it are sailing into weather that regularly rearranges the itinerary.
Is the Lombok to Flores boat trip the same thing?
Usually yes, with one thing worth checking. Both names describe the same corridor from Kayangan Harbour to Labuan Bajo, and operators use them interchangeably depending on whether they want to emphasise the park or the destination harbour.
The exception is that some Lombok to Flores itineraries route along the Flores north coast and skip Komodo National Park itself, arriving in Labuan Bajo without the dragons, Padar or Pink Beach. If the park days are why you are booking, confirm that Komodo Island and Padar are named in the itinerary rather than assumed.
Can the trip be done in reverse, Komodo to Lombok?
Yes, and on the charter side it is often the more available direction. These crossings exist because a vessel is repositioning between its Komodo season and its western grounds, so which way it sails depends on the calendar rather than on demand.
The itinerary runs the same stops in reverse: park days first, then Sangeang, Satonda and Moyo, then Saleh Bay, finishing at Kayangan Harbour with a transfer to Senggigi or the Gilis. Sunrise at Padar is easier to schedule westbound; the whale sharks land on the last morning instead of the second. If your dates are firm, ask about both directions before assuming the route is unavailable.
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 the sailing is part of the appeal rather than a cost of getting there. Two of the four days are spent in water no Labuan Bajo itinerary reaches, and the pace is slower than a Komodo-only trip because the boat is genuinely covering distance between stops.
Couples and small groups get the most out of it. Both boats here sell this crossing by the cabin as well as whole-boat, so you are not forced into a charter to join it — but taking the vessel privately is what buys the flexibility that matters on this route: a longer morning at Saleh Bay if the whale sharks are up, a skipped stop if nobody wants it. Families work well from roughly age eight upward, when a child can manage a snorkel mask in open water and forty minutes uphill at Padar. Younger than that and the two overnight passages become the limiting factor rather than the activities.
Guest numbers matter more here than on a park loop. Budget open-trip boats on this corridor run twenty to forty passengers, which is workable for three days around Labuan Bajo and less so across two nights of open water. The boats on this page carry between eight and fifteen.
Less right if you are short on time or fixed on diving. Four days one-way plus a flight out of Labuan Bajo is a five-day commitment minimum, and a Labuan Bajo round trip delivers the park highlights in three. Divers should note that Saleh Bay and Moyo are snorkelling grounds, and the park diving on Day 4 is a single window rather than a schedule — a dedicated Komodo liveaboard is the better instrument for that.
One thing to plan around: this is a one-way trip. You finish in Labuan Bajo, not where you started, so the onward flight and the Lombok-side accommodation both need to be booked around a fixed end point.
Cruise Areas
- Komodo
- Lombok
- Sumbawa
Activities
- Snorkeling
- Trekking
- Island Hopping
- Wildlife Watching
- Sunset Viewing
Location
East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia