Last updated: August 2026 · Prices & availability verified for the 2026/2027 season
Lombok to Komodo by private yacht is a 3 to 5 day one-way crossing of roughly 250 to 350 nautical miles, usually run April to October. A whole-boat charter costs USD 1,800 to 30,000 per night depending on the vessel, and most guests fly home from Labuan Bajo.
We have been running boats out of Labuan Bajo since 2015, and this is the itinerary guests most often misjudge. It is not a transfer. It is three or four days of Sumbawa with Komodo at the end. If the dragons and Padar are the only things you want, a private yacht charter in Komodo starting from Labuan Bajo is the shorter and lower-cost answer. If the crossing itself is the point, here is how it works.
How long does the Lombok to Komodo crossing actually take?
In a straight line, Lombok to Labuan Bajo is about 215 nautical miles, or 399 km. No boat sails a straight line here. Real routes run 250 to 350 nautical miles because you thread along the north coast of Sumbawa, duck into anchorages, and stop where the water is worth stopping for.
Speed sets the rest of the maths. A traditional phinisi cruises at 6 to 8 knots. A motor yacht will hold 10 to 15 knots and burn fuel to do it. At 7 knots, 300 nautical miles is roughly 43 hours of continuous steaming, and nobody runs it continuously with guests aboard.
So the passage is broken into day legs with nights at anchor. Four days and three nights is the working standard for a one-way Lombok to Komodo sailing. Three days is possible if you cut Saleh Bay. Five or six days is what we suggest when guests genuinely want Sumbawa rather than a delivery run with a view.
What does the route look like, leg by leg?
Two straits set the shape of the trip. The Alas Strait divides Lombok from Sumbawa. The Sape Strait divides Sumbawa from Komodo. Both run strong tidal current, and both are why a competent captain plans this route around tide tables rather than around a hotel checkout time.
| Leg | How we plan it | What is there | Park ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lombok or Gili to Kenawa, across the Alas Strait | Half day, timed on the tide | Ridge walk on Kenawa, first night at anchor | No |
| North Sumbawa to Moyo Island | Overnight leg | Freshwater waterfalls, reef off the north point | No |
| Moyo to Satonda | Half day | Volcanic island with a saltwater crater lake | No |
| Satonda to Saleh Bay, optional detour | Adds about a day | Whale sharks, recorded year-round | No |
| Sangeang volcano to the Sape Strait | Overnight, tide dependent | Active volcano, black sand and bubbling reef | No |
| North Komodo: Gili Lawa and Karang Makassar | Full day | Manta cleaning stations, current diving | Yes |
| Padar, Pink Beach and Rinca | Full day | Ridge viewpoint, dragons with a park ranger | Yes |
| Rinca to Labuan Bajo | 2 to 3 hours | Disembark; the airport is a short drive from the harbour | Yes |
Only the last three legs sit inside Komodo National Park. Everything from Moyo to Sangeang is outside the boundary, which means no park ticket and, in practice, very few other boats in the anchorage.
When should you make this crossing?
April to October. Inside that window, June to September is the most settled period on the exposed Flores Sea legs, while April to May and September to October trade a little weather certainty for emptier anchorages and softer light.
December to March is the west monsoon. Seas on the open stretches turn rough and unpredictable, and a large part of the liveaboard fleet stops running this crossing in January and February, using the gap for slipway and maintenance work. We would rather move your dates than sell you a bad passage.
Wildlife keeps its own calendar. Whale sharks are recorded in Saleh Bay year-round: a published survey of the bay identified 108 individual whale sharks, averaging 512 cm in total length, of which 99% were juveniles or sub-adults. Inside the park, mantas feed at Karang Makassar through the year, with density shifting on plankton and current rather than on the month.
Why does a one-way charter price differently from a round trip?
Because the boat finishes 300 nautical miles from where she started. That is the whole of it. A Labuan Bajo round trip returns the yacht to base ready for the next guests. A one-way Lombok crossing leaves her somewhere she then has to be paid to leave.
That lands on your quote in one of two ways. If your dates match a repositioning the yacht was already making, and boats do move between cruising grounds seasonally, you are buying a voyage the owner needed anyway. If they do not match, the quote carries the cost of returning vessel and crew to position.
Then the operational layer: fuel over a long passage, provisioning for a route with no serious resupply after Sumbawa, and port clearance across a provincial boundary, since Lombok sits in West Nusa Tenggara and Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara. An operator that owns the boat handles that in-house. A middleman forwards the question and waits for an answer.
The practical move is to ask whether your window matches a scheduled repositioning before you ask for a rate. We publish the westbound version as a set itinerary on the Komodo to Lombok sailing route, and the same economics apply in either direction.
What does the crossing cost?
Whole-boat charter in this region runs USD 1,800 to 30,000 per night. That spread is not a negotiating range. It is the distance between a well-kept eight-cabin phinisi and a 78 metre flagship carrying a crew of thirty.
For a reference point, we surveyed 179 vessels marketing Komodo charters and found published rates for 61 of them. The median was USD 7,150 per night, whole boat. A quote sitting far under the band for a comparable vessel usually means a smaller or older boat, or fuel excluded from the figure.
Then the fixed costs. Komodo National Park entry is IDR 650,000 per person, about USD 40, on a dated ticket, so the park day has to be locked into the itinerary rather than decided on the water. Rate structures by vessel class sit on our Komodo yacht charter rates page.
| Quick facts | Figure |
|---|---|
| Direct distance, Lombok to Labuan Bajo | About 215 nautical miles (399 km) |
| Distance actually sailed, with island stops | 250 to 350 nautical miles |
| Standard one-way duration | 4 days, 3 nights (3 to 6 days possible) |
| Phinisi cruising speed | 6 to 8 knots |
| Best months | April to October, most settled June to September |
| Months most boats pause | January and February |
| Whole-boat charter rate | USD 1,800 to 30,000 per night |
| Median published rate, Komodo fleet | USD 7,150 per night (61 of 179 vessels surveyed) |
| Komodo National Park entry | IDR 650,000 per person, dated ticket |
| Flight alternative | Wings Air LOP to LBJ, about 1 hour 15 minutes |
Should you sail it, or simply fly?
The honest operator answer is: fly, if Komodo is the only thing you came for. Wings Air opened a nonstop Lombok (LOP) to Labuan Bajo (LBJ) service on 22 July 2025, and the flight takes about 1 hour 15 minutes, with 2026 schedules listing up to 14 flights a week. From Bali, Denpasar to Labuan Bajo is the same 1 hour 15 minutes, flown by AirAsia, Citilink, Super Air Jet, TransNusa, Batik Air, Lion Air and Garuda Indonesia.
The public sea alternative is not a shortcut. There is no single direct ferry from Lombok to Labuan Bajo. The routes that exist are multi-leg, run 18 to 24 hours on the sea segment alone, and put you on a timetable built for freight rather than for you.
Sail the crossing when Sumbawa is the reason: Saleh Bay at first light, the crater lake on Satonda, Sangeang smoking on the horizon. Fly when the dragons are the reason, and take a luxury phinisi in Komodo or a Komodo liveaboard for four nights out of Labuan Bajo instead.
What should you check before booking any boat on this route?
European guests ask us the same six things, and they are the right six. Who actually owns the boat you are paying for. How many passengers she is certified to carry, against how many cabins are being sold. Whether air conditioning runs overnight or only during generator hours. How many life rafts and jackets are aboard, counted rather than implied. Whether the captain will run night passages, and the conditions under which he will not. And what happens if weather closes the Sape Strait on your transit day.
Our own answer, for the record: 9 yachts owned and operated by PT Komodo Bahari Nusantara, plus 200 or more vetted partner yachts, always labelled separately so you know whether you are booking the operator or a boat we have inspected. In the owned fleet, Komodo Signature at 78.2 m and Komodo Prestige at 66 m sit at the top, with Naturalia, Ayvara, Malca Voyages, Catnazse, Pinta, Mosalaki and Neptune Cruise covering the range below. Guests rate us 4.9 out of 5 across more than 1,500 verified reviews, and the listing holds TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice for 2025 and 2026.
One planning number worth having: across 1,063 bookings between November 2025 and August 2026, the median lead time was 74 days. For a one-way crossing in July or August, earlier is sensible, because the boats that run this route well are a short list and the peak weeks go first. If your dates are fixed and the crossing does not fit them, a yacht rental in Labuan Bajo often opens up availability the one-way passage cannot.
Planning your crossing
Send us your dates, guest numbers, and whether you want to finish in Labuan Bajo or turn the boat around. We will tell you which of our yachts are already scheduled to move in that window, which are not, and what the difference costs. If the sensible answer is that you should fly and charter from Labuan Bajo, we will say that too.
WhatsApp +62 811 3823 875 or email [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a direct flight from Lombok to Labuan Bajo?
Yes. Wings Air opened a nonstop Lombok (LOP) to Labuan Bajo (LBJ) service on 22 July 2025, with a flight time of about 1 hour 15 minutes, and 2026 schedules list up to 14 flights a week. From Bali, Denpasar to Labuan Bajo takes the same 1 hour 15 minutes and is served daily by several carriers.
How rough is the Lombok to Komodo crossing?
It depends on the strait and the season. The Alas and Sape straits carry strong tidal current, and the open Flores Sea legs are exposed. From June to September the passage is usually settled. From December to March it is not, and many boats stop running the route entirely in January and February.
Can I sail from Lombok to Komodo in three days?
Yes, on a three-day, two-night schedule that skips Saleh Bay and shortens the Sumbawa stops. It works, but it turns the voyage into a delivery with scenery. Four days and three nights is the standard, and five days gives you Moyo, Satonda and the whale sharks without rushing the Sape Strait timing.
Do I need a Komodo National Park ticket for Moyo, Satonda and Saleh Bay?
No. Moyo, Satonda, Sangeang and Saleh Bay all lie outside Komodo National Park and need no park ticket. The ticket applies from the moment you enter the park: Komodo, Rinca, Padar, Pink Beach and Karang Makassar. Entry is IDR 650,000 per person, roughly USD 40, on a dated ticket.
Can I swim with whale sharks on the way to Komodo?
Saleh Bay in Sumbawa records whale sharks year-round. A published survey of the bay identified 108 individual sharks averaging 512 cm in total length, with 99% of them juveniles or sub-adults. The detour adds about a day to the itinerary, and no operator can guarantee sightings on a single morning.
Is a one-way charter more expensive than a round trip from Labuan Bajo?
Usually, unless your dates match a repositioning the yacht was already making. A round trip returns the boat to her base. A one-way crossing leaves her around 300 nautical miles away, so the quote has to carry the cost of returning vessel and crew to position for the next charter.
How far ahead should I book a Lombok to Komodo charter?
Across 1,063 bookings between November 2025 and August 2026, our median lead time was 74 days. For July and August, or for one specific yacht on a one-way crossing, book earlier than that. The fleet capable of running this route properly is small, and the peak weeks are taken first.
Can I do the trip in reverse, from Komodo to Lombok?
Yes, and it is often easier to schedule, because yachts heading west at the end of the Komodo season are already repositioning. The route and the stops are the same in reverse. Fly into Labuan Bajo, sail west, and finish within easy reach of Lombok airport or the Gili Islands.
