How to get from Bali to Lombok

Why visit Lombok?

Lombok is the more serene island paradise version of its neighbour Bali. Here you’ll find long, often near-deserted stretches of white sand beaches, amazing waves, beguiling waterfalls, and the majestic Mt. Rinjani — one of Indonesia’s highest volcanoes.

The South Lombok coastline is a true surfing mecca, while the main tourist hub Kuta is more peaceful than its hectic namesake in Bali. On the northern part of the island, you’ll see the heavenly Gili Islands, a group of three small islands that you can reach via a 30-minute boat ride from Lombok.

Want to go to the Gili Islands first? Check out our guide to find the best ferry from Bali to the Gili Islands.

Flight or ferry to Lombok?

Most travellers visiting Lombok either stay in Senggigi or Kuta, Lombok. Senggigi is a port town in West Lombok and is a popular choice to stay in if you want to trek Rinjani Volcano.

Kuta, in the south of Lombok, is more popular with surfers and travellers who want to enjoy Lombok’s beautiful beaches.

Staying in Senggigi: Take the ferry

If you stay in Senggigi, we recommend taking the ferry from Bali instead of flying.

The drive from Praya Airport to Senggigi takes more than an hour. Including the 40-minute flight and the extra time you need to get through the airport, this trip will easily take more than 2 hours.

With the fast ferry, you can get from Bali to Senggigi in just 1.5 hours. Only Eka Jaya offers ferries from Padang Bai to Senggigi Pier, with one trip per day. It’s best to book this trip in advance.

If the ferry to Senggigi is fully booked, you’ll need to take a fast boat to Bangsal Pier, 40 minutes from Senggigi.

Staying in Kuta Lombok: Flying is faster

Thanks to a new expressway, the drive from Praya Airport to Kuta Lombok takes about 30 minutes. With a flight time of only 40 minutes, this is by far the fastest option to get from Bali to Lombok if you stay in Kuta.

If you take the ferry from Bali to Senggigi, it will take another 1.5 hours to reach Kuta from the pier.

See below the durations of all options to travel from Bali to Kuta, Lombok:

• By flight: 40 minutes + 30 minutes
• By fast ferry: 1.5-5 hours + 1.5 hours
• By slow ferry: 5-8 hours + 1.5 hours

There are 3 ways to travel the 180 kilometers (112 miles) from Bali to Lombok. You can choose between the flight, fast ferry and slow ferry. The journey takes 40 minutes to 6 hours 45 minutes and the quickest way is by flight. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by slow ferry with tickets starting at 60,000 IDR ($3.70).

When travelling from Bali to Lombok by fast ferry, you have several options. A number of companies operate on this route, but they don’t all leave from the same port in Bali or arrive at the same port in Lombok.

Ferry ports in Bali

From Bali, you can leave from three different ports: Padang Bai, Serangan Port and Sanur Harbour.

Although the locations of Serangan and Sanur look more convenient when you are staying in the south of Bali, there are fewer ferry companies operating from these ports. These ferries also have longer travel times and are generally more expensive than the ones departing from Padang Bai.

Another important thing to know is that ferries to Senggigi only depart from Padang Bai and not from Serangan or Sanur.

Padang Bai (Northeast of Bali)

Most ferries from Bali to Lombok depart from Padang Bai. Therefore, you can also find the most competitive ticket fares from this port and more regular departures.

Padang Bai is also the best departure port if you’re prone to motion sickness. Many ferries departing from Padang Bai can get you to Lombok in just 1.5-2 hours.

Note that you need to pay a terminal fee of 10,000 IDR ($0.60) upon entry at this port.

Serangan (Southeast of Bali)

Serangan Port is closer to many tourist areas in Bali like Kuta, Seminyak and Bali Airport. However, ferry tickets from Serangan are almost double the price compared to ferries leaving from Padang Bai.

Also, the ferry journey from Serangan can be twice as long as the ferry trip from Padang Bai.

Sanur (Southeast of Bali)

Sanur Harbour is 12 km north of Serangan Port. This new pier is one of the most modern ports in Southeast Asia.

From Sanur, a ferry ride to Lombok takes about 5 hours.

Ferry ports in Lombok

The two main arrival ports in Lombok are Senggigi Pier and Bangsal Pier.

Senggigi Pier (West Lombok)

Senggigi Pier is the most popular port to arrive at in Lombok. Many travellers choose to dock at Senggigi Port as it’s right next to some well-maintained beaches and just a short stroll to many of its hotels.

Senggigi is the gateway to Lombok’s main tourist spots. Not only is it the best place to organise trekking Mount Rinjani, but Senggigi is also Lombok’s most developed tourist town with the highest number of bars and restaurants.

With dozens of tour companies based here, it is the island’s main gateway to the abundant natural attractions in the west and central areas.

PRO TIP: Senggigi is a great place to stay if you are planning to climb Rinjani, while southern Lombok is better for relaxation and the beaches surrounded by cliffs are simply stunning.

As of August 2022, Eka Jaya has started to operate again on this route. This is your best option if you plan to stay in Senggigi or in Kuta, about 1.5 hours away by taxi. Private taxi fares to Kuta are approximately 300,000 IDR ($18.40).

Bangsal Pier (North Lombok)

Bangsal Pier, also called Teluk Kode, is situated just across the strait from the three offshore Gili Islands where most boats call before reaching the mainland. From Bangsal to the Gilis, boat tickets start from 20,000 IDR ($1.20).

This port is the gateway to North Lombok, dominated by the awesome Mount Rinjani volcano but also provides a few diving opportunities. If you have already booked Rinjani trekking online, your company might include free pick-up from Bangsal Harbour.

If you’re heading to Kuta from Bangsal Pier, taxi fares start from 400,000 IDR ($24.50). Gojek is not available directly at the harbour, but you might be able to book one if you walk to the main street.

Maarten's none

Senggigi is a great place to stay if you are planning to climb Rinjani, while southern Lombok is better for relaxation and the beaches surrounded by cliffs are simply stunning.

Padang Bai Port

Speedboat

Bangsal Warung Sasak

13:00

2h 30m

15:30

Bluewater Express

From 755,000 IDR ($46.50)

Compare prices

• 24/7 customer support

755,000 IDR ($46.50)

13:00

2h 30m

15:30

Check on BookAway

Bluewater-express

710,000 IDR ($43.50)

13:00

2h 30m

15:30

Check on Bluewater-express

Serangan Pier Gili Getaway

High Speed

Bangsal Pier

09:00

2h 15m

11:15

09:00

2h 45m

11:45

Gili Getaway

From 720,000 IDR ($44)

Compare prices

Giligetaway

720,000 IDR ($44)

09:00

2h 15m

11:15

Check on Giligetaway

• 24/7 customer support

848,000 IDR ($52)

09:00

2h 45m

11:45

Check on BookAway

Serangan Pier

Speedboat

Bangsal Warung Sasak

08:00

3h 55m

11:55

08:00

4h

12:00

11:00

3h 55m

14:55

Bluewater Express

740,000 IDR ($45.50)

Compare prices

Bluewater-express

740,000 IDR ($45.50)

08:00

3h 55m

11:55

11:00

3h 55m

14:55

Check on Bluewater-express

• 24/7 customer support

812,000 IDR ($50)

08:00

4h

12:00

Check on BookAway

Besides the fast ferries, there is another option to travel from Bali to Lombok by sea, which is the slow ferry.

However, the slow ferry is a highly time-consuming experience. The slow ferry usually takes 4 to 6 hours, but it’s not uncommon that it takes up to 8 hours.

Considering the journey, we only recommend taking the slow ferry if you are bringing a car or motorbike across to Lombok. It’s the only roll-on-roll-off vehicle ferry connecting the islands. One other reason to take this slow ferry could be because the oceans are too wild for the smaller fast boats.

The slow ferry, also called a public ferry, departs from Padang Bai and arrives at Lembar Port in West Lombok. This port is about 1.5 hours south of Senggigi and 1.5 hours west of Kuta, Lombok.

The slow ferry operates every 1.5 hour during the day, and every 2 hours at night.

Rates start from 160,000 IDR ($9.80) for a motorbike (incl 2pax) and 1,130,000 IDR ($69) for cars. Expect to pay about 10,000 IDR ($0.60)–12,000 IDR ($0.70) in extra processing fees on top.

If you don’t bring a vehicle, it’s 60,000 IDR ($3.70) per passenger. While a travel card used to required, they didn’t ask for this anymore the last time I travelled this route (March 2024).

The sea crossing takes at least 4 hours, but it can take more, around 7-8 hours. The seating category varies a lot per ferry. The large ferries have different compartments including good aircon seats and even resting areas with mattresses. However, the smaller boats only have limited air-conditioned rooms and seating is basic.

Ferry ports in Bali

In Bali, you can choose from three ferry ports to reach Lombok: Padang Bai, Serangan Port and Sanur Harbour.

If your ticket doesn’t include hotel pick-up, you can use this guide to learn how to get to Padang Bai, Serangan Port or Sanur Harbour in Bali.

Padang Bai Port

Most of the fast boat companies depart from Padang Bai, northwest of Bali. Padang Bai is Bali’s largest port and also the only port from where the slow ferry leaves.

How to get to Padang Bai port

Padang Bai is located in the northwest of Bali and is the most popular ferry port for fast boats departing to the Gili Islands and Lombok. In addition, Padang Bai has a separate pier for large vehicle ferries which allows you to bring a motorbike or car to Lombok or Nusa Penida.

To get to Padang Bai Port, you have two options. You can take a minivan departing from Kuta or Ubud, or more conveniently, a taxi from your hotel.

Taxi fares to Padang Bai

You’ll find an estimation of the taxi fares from Bali’s most popular tourist destinations to Padang Bai in the table below. When sharing the costs with your travel buddies, it will be around the same price or cheaper than paying a higher-priced ticket including pickup.

An important advantage compared to a shared pick-up service is that your transfer won’t be delayed by picking up other passengers. This alone could already add 1-hour extra time to get to Padang Bai.

Estimated taxi fares to Padang Bai Port

Minivan to Padang Bai Port

As an alternative, you can also take the minivan operated by Perama Tour & Travel. The minivans depart at 07:00 from their offices in Kuta and Ubud.

See here the costs of the minivan tickets:

• From Kuta 225,000 IDR ($13.80)
• From Ubud 175,000 IDR ($10.70)

To be fair, the price of this ride is quite high and you’ll be better off sharing a taxi when you are travelling with two or more people.

All flights from Bali depart from Denpasar Airport. The plane lands at Praya Airport in the south of Lombok, also known as Lombok International Airport.

The flight only takes about 40 minutes and fares start from 1,000,000 IDR ($61). Airlines serving the route include Citilink, Lion Air, and Wings Air.

Getting to Denpasar Airport

Note that the airport in Bali, also known as Ngurah Rai International Airport, is not actually in Denpasar. Ngurah Rai Airport is located just south of the beach resort town of Kuta. It’s about a 30-minute drive away from Kuta or an hour from Canggu.

Depending on your departure point, the easiest way to get to Denpasar Airport in Bali is to book with taxi-hailing apps like Grab and Gojek.

However, be aware that these taxi apps are not allowed in some areas of Bali. We recommend asking your hotel or guesthouse if it’s possible or asking them to arrange the transport.

Arrival at Praya Airport

Lombok (Praya) Airport is only a 30-minute drive from Kuta in the south of Lombok — the main tourist destination in Lombok for most travellers.

Only taxis are available from Lombok Airport to Kuta because buses do not operate on this route. Taxi fares start from 120,000 IDR ($7.40) with Grab and Gojek.

Shuttle buses departing from Praya Airport

At Praya Airport, two main airport shuttle lines are operated by DAMRI bus company. One bus serves the route between Mataram-Ampenan-Senggigi-Bangsal. The other bus service operates between the airport and Selong in East Lombok.

See here the fares from Lombok Airport to these destinations on the island:

• 3-hour ride to Bangsal Harbour – 50,000 IDR ($3.10)
• 1.5-hour ride to Senggigi – 50,000 IDR ($3.10)
• 1-hour ride to Ampenan – 45,000 IDR ($2.80)
• 1-hour ride to Mataram – 35,000 IDR ($2.10)
• 1.5-hour ride to Selong – 40,000 IDR ($2.50)

The shuttle buses depart every hour from 07:00 to 22:00. You can buy your tickets at the DAMRI counter in the outdoor arrivals concourse or on the bus itself.

Visit our page on Lombok Airport for more info on the transportation available.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.