- Shared cabin fromApprox. $395 / person
- Private charter fromApprox. $3,980 / boat
- Compare 114 Boats
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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 three-day route is sold on very different boats. For a 3D2N package, the lowest duration-confirmed shared fare in our current fleet is approximately $395 per person; the lowest duration-confirmed private charter is approximately $3,980 for the whole boat. Both are starting estimates from dated source records, not live availability. The wider boat directory also shows operator starting rates whose 3D2N duration has not been confirmed. Compare the cabin, inclusions and final written quote before paying.
Of the 114 boats listed below, 91 sell single cabins on a shared departure and 23 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.
114 boats in our directory run this route. 91 boats offer a shared booking, $146 to $2,455 per person. 105 boats offer a private charter, $1,790 to $105,000 per whole boat. On a shared booking you pay per person and share the vessel. On a private charter you pay for the whole boat, so a couple sailing alone pays the full rate. USD figures on the cards are operator listing rates, not confirmed 3D2N quotations; final quotes may move with season and cabin grade. Komodo National Park entrance and ranger fees are excluded from every figure.
Showing 12 of 114 boats.
5 cabins · up to 15 guests
3D2N
5 cabins · up to 15 guests
3D2N
4 cabins · up to 14 guests
3D2N
5 cabins · up to 14 guests
3D2N
7 cabins · up to 16 guests
3D2N
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.
BreakfastBring 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.
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.
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. Data verified through .
For a source-checked 3D2N package, shared cabins start at approximately $395 per person and a private charter starts at approximately $3,980 for the whole boat. These are approximate starting figures; the operator must confirm availability, dates, cabin, inclusions and the final quote. Other vessels shown on this route may have a lower operator starting rate without a confirmed 3D2N package price. Park access is separate unless an operator explicitly includes it. Check What the Park Costs for the statutory schedule and confirm the SiOra total before paying.
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.
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.
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.
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 114 boats on this page, 91 sell single cabins on a shared departure and 23 are whole-boat charter only.
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.
The boats compared here range from shared-cabin phinisi to whole-boat private charters. The lowest source-checked 3D2N shared package is approximately $395 per person, while a source-checked private charter starts at approximately $3,980 per whole boat. These are starting estimates, and some fleet cards show broader operator rates whose 3D2N duration is unconfirmed. Compare the exact cabin, bathroom, guest capacity, itinerary and written operator quote rather than assuming two starting prices cover the same package.
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 you pay | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Park entrance, foreign visitor | Rp 250,000 ≈ $14 | per person, per day The statutory Class I entrance rate. The 150% holiday rule applies to Indonesian visitor and student rates, not this foreign visitor rate. |
| Park entrance, Indonesian visitor, normal day | Rp 50,000 ≈ $3 | per person, per day The normal-day Class I entrance rate. |
| Park entrance, Indonesian visitor, holiday or collective leave | Rp 75,000 ≈ $4 | per person, per day 150% of the normal Indonesian visitor rate on the dates covered by the statutory holiday rule. |
| Indonesian student group, normal day | Rp 25,000 ≈ $1 | per person, per day For Indonesian student groups of at least five people. |
| Indonesian student group, holiday or collective leave | Rp 37,500 ≈ $2 | per person, per day 150% of the normal student-group rate; the minimum group size remains five. |
| Scuba diving activity | Rp 25,000 ≈ $1 | per diver, per day A separate activity charge in addition to the applicable entrance fee. |
| Motorised vessel entry | Rp 100,000–200,000 per boat, per day | Rp 100,000 for 40–100 HP, Rp 150,000 for 101–500 HP, and Rp 200,000 above 500 HP. |
| Drone use | Rp 2,000,000 ≈ $112 | per unit, per day A separate special-use charge. Complete the required SiOra/SIMAKSI process before travel. |
Statutory fees under Peraturan Pemerintah No. 36 Tahun 2024, in force since 30 October 2024. Verified 31 August 2026 against the official PP 36/2024 schedule, the Ministry of Forestry SiOra notice and the Ministry’s 2026 quota notice. Amounts are payable in rupiah; dollar figures are courtesy estimates converted at Rp 17,900 and rounded.
Verification notes use Komodo Insider records, official operator disclosures and government sources. Verify vessel-level safety, inclusions and operator terms before paying.
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 $146 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.
East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
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