Home › Labuan Bajo › How many days
How many days in Labuan Bajo? 4 days for Komodo, Padar, the reefs and Flores
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Labuan Bajo is a fishing harbour turned boat town on the western tip of Flores, and the gateway to Komodo National Park, a UNESCO-listed group of dry islands that are home to the Komodo dragon and some of the richest reefs in Indonesia. Everything here happens by boat. Give it four days: two on the water, one on Rinca or a dive day, and one on Flores itself. Book boats with life jackets and a licensed operator, and treat the dragons with respect: they are wild, fast and dangerous.
Short answer
Three days covers one long speedboat day, one day on Rinca or diving, and the town. Four adds Flores' caves and waterfalls, or a slower overnight boat.
The 4-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Arrival, Batu Cermin and Bukit Sylvia
Morning. Arrive at Komodo Airport, about 10 minutes from the harbour; flights from Bali take about 1 hour. Check in and book your boat days with a licensed operator if you have not already (shared speedboat day trips cost roughly Rp 1.5-3 million per person, park fees often extra).
Afternoon. Take a scooter or car about 15 minutes to Batu Cermin, the Mirror Stone cave, where around midday a beam of sunlight enters a narrow passage and reflects off the rock (entry roughly Rp 50,000-100,000; check current price). A local guide leads you through with a torch.
Evening. Watch the sunset over the islands from Bukit Sylvia, a hill north of town, or from a rooftop bar on the main street. Then eat grilled fish at the Kampung Ujung seafood stalls by the harbour, where you choose the fish and pay by weight, roughly Rp 100,000-200,000 for a full meal.
Labuan Bajo's main street rises steeply from the harbour. Taxis and ojek motorbike rides are cheap; Grab and Gojek also operate in town.
Day 2: Speedboat day: Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo and Manta Point
Morning. Leave at about 5:00 for Padar Island at sunrise. A stepped path climbs about 30 minutes to the viewpoint above three curving bays. Then sail to Pink Beach, where crushed red coral tints the sand, for the first snorkel of the day.
Afternoon. Land at Loh Liang on Komodo Island for a ranger-guided walk of about 1-1.5 hours to see the dragons, which can grow up to about 3 metres. Then snorkel at Manta Point, where reef mantas feed in the current, and finish on Taka Makassar, a sandbar that appears at low tide.
Evening. Back in Labuan Bajo at about 17:00-18:00. Rest; it is a long, sunny day. Dinner on the main street costs Rp 80,000-200,000 per person.
Park entry fees and rules for Komodo have changed several times in recent years. Check the current fee with your operator before you pay, and ask whether it is included in the trip price.
Day 3: Rinca's dragons, snorkelling and the Kalong bats
Morning. Take a slower wooden boat to Rinca, about 2 hours from Labuan Bajo, where the ranger station at Loh Buaya has boardwalks through dry forest and good chances of seeing dragons resting near the water. Walks last about 1 hour.
Afternoon. Snorkel or dive the reefs around Kanawa or Siaba, where turtles are common in calm water. Divers should go with an established dive centre: currents in the park are strong and change quickly. Two dives cost roughly Rp 1.8-2.8 million, equipment included.
Evening. At sunset, anchor off Kalong Island, a mangrove island where thousands of flying foxes leave their roosts and fly over the boat towards Flores to feed. Many overnight boats sleep here.
For a calmer experience, book a 2-day, 1-night trip on a wooden phinisi boat (from about Rp 2-5 million per person in a shared cabin), which covers Rinca, Kalong, Padar and Komodo with a sunrise climb.
Day 4: Flores: Cunca Wulang or Rangko cave
Morning. Drive about 1 hour east into the hills of Flores to Cunca Wulang, a canyon with a river and waterfall reached by a walk of about 30-40 minutes through village farmland. A local guide is required (roughly Rp 100,000-200,000, plus entry).
Afternoon. Alternative: take a boat from the village of Rangko, about 45 minutes north-east of town by road, to Rangko Cave, where a pool of clear salt water fills a limestone cave and glows blue when sunlight enters. Combine it with a beach stop at Tanjung Boleng.
Evening. Last sunset from Bukit Cinta or the waterfront, and a final seafood dinner at Kampung Ujung. Flights back to Bali leave mostly during the day.
Bring a dry bag and reef shoes for both trips. At Cunca Wulang, only jump into pools if your guide says it is safe; water levels change in the rainy season.
Only have 3 days?
With 3 days, keep the speedboat day and Rinca, and do Batu Cermin and the sunset on arrival day. You lose the Flores day.
Got extra days?
Extra days go to a 3-day liveaboard dive trip, to the traditional village of Wae Rebo in the highlands (a long drive of about 5-6 hours plus a 2-3 hour hike, best with an overnight stay), or overland across Flores to Bajawa and the coloured lakes of Kelimutu.
Where to stay in Labuan Bajo
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Guesthouses and hostels on the main street | Cheap beds a few minutes from the harbour and boat offices. | Rp 250,000-500,000 |
| Mid-range | Hotels on the hill above town | Pools and sunset views over the islands, close to the harbour. | Rp 700,000-1,500,000 |
| Mid-range | Pede beach area south of town | Quieter, by the water, 5-10 minutes by car. | Rp 800,000-1,800,000 |
| Comfort | Beach resorts north of town or island resorts in the park | Private beaches, spas and dive centres. | Rp 3,000,000-10,000,000 |
Getting around
Most travel is by boat: shared speedboats for day trips (about 10-14 hours, 3-5 stops) or wooden phinisi boats for overnight trips. In town, use Grab, Gojek, taxis or ojek motorbikes; most rides cost Rp 20,000-60,000. Scooter rental costs about Rp 100,000-150,000 a day. Komodo Airport (LBJ) has flights from Bali (about 1 hour) and Jakarta (about 2 hours). Overland, Flores' main road heads east to Ruteng, Bajawa and Ende; roads are winding and slow.
What to eat in Labuan Bajo
Labuan Bajo eats from the sea. At the Kampung Ujung stalls, grilled snapper, grouper, squid and prawns come with rice, sambal and water spinach for about Rp 100,000-200,000. Indonesian staples like nasi goreng, mie goreng and ikan bakar cost Rp 30,000-60,000 in local warungs. Flores grows excellent coffee, especially from the Bajawa and Manggarai highlands; buy beans at cafés in town. Western cafés and pizza places line the main street at Bali prices.
Best time to visit
April to November is the dry season, with calm seas and sunny days; April-June is green after the rains and August is busiest. December to March is the wet season, with rougher seas, though mantas are often more common. Temperatures stay around 28-33°C all year; the islands are dry and very hot at midday. Book boats and hotels early for July and August.
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | Rp 200,000 | Rp 600,000 | Rp 2,000,000 |
| Food & drink | Rp 150,000 | Rp 300,000 | Rp 700,000 |
| Sights & tickets | Rp 600,000 | Rp 1,500,000 | Rp 3,000,000 |
| Local transport | Rp 50,000 | Rp 150,000 | Rp 400,000 |
| Total per person, per day | about Rp 1,000,000 | about Rp 2,550,000 | about Rp 6,100,000 |
Approximate 2026 prices in Indonesian rupiah; the sights row averages boat trips and park fees across the stay, and park fees for Komodo change often, so confirm them before you go. Bali also charges a separate tourist levy if you transit through there.
Before you go
Common questions
Are Komodo dragons dangerous?
Yes. They are the largest living lizards, can run fast over short distances and have a venomous bite. Visits are only allowed with park rangers, who carry forked sticks and keep groups together on set paths. Stay several metres away, never go near one alone, and tell the ranger beforehand if you have an open wound or are menstruating.
Speedboat day trip or overnight boat?
A speedboat day covers Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo, Manta Point and Taka Makassar in about 12 hours, at a fast pace. An overnight phinisi boat is slower but gives you Padar at sunrise without the 5:00 start, the Kalong bats at dusk and a night under the stars. Couples and photographers usually prefer the overnight trip.
Is snorkelling in Komodo good for beginners?
Some sites are, such as Kanawa and parts of Pink Beach, with calm, shallow water. Others, including Manta Point, can have strong currents, so wear a life jacket or fins and stay close to your guide. Ask your operator which sites suit your level, and do not touch corals or turtles.
How do I get to Labuan Bajo?
Most visitors fly from Bali in about 1 hour, or from Jakarta in about 2 hours, to Komodo Airport, 10 minutes from the harbour. Some take a multi-day boat trip from Lombok, which is cheaper but basic; choose operators with good safety records and life jackets. Overland from other parts of Flores is possible but slow.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan may earn a commission; the price you pay is the same. How we make money.