How to get from Bali to Nusa Penida

Why visit Nusa Penida?

Kelingking Beach is one of the most iconic sites not just in Nusa Penida but in the whole of Indonesia. The distinctive T-rex-shaped cliffs have become an iconic backdrop for many travellers’ photos and a place to witness some of Mother Nature’s finest work.

Beyond this tourist hotspot, Nusa Penida’s underwater world leaves little to be desired. It’s a paradise for snorkelers and divers. Prefer to stay on land? The beaches will leave you in awe with their golden sands that run off into brilliantly turquoise waters.

Ferry ports in Nusa Penida

Planning your arrival port wisely can save you the unnecessary taxi ride from one port to another. The 20-minute taxi ride from Sampalan or Buyuk Harbour to Banjar Nyuh costs about 150,000 IDR ($8.90).

All ports are located on Nusa Penida’s northern coastline, which is also where you’ll find most accommodations. We recommend checking out the Google Maps links for each of the ferry ports to see which port is closest to your accommodation.

Most of the ferries from Bali to Nusa Penida arrive at Banjar Nyuh Pier, a convenient harbour to arrive in Nusa Penida.

See here the ferries on this route and the ports in Nusa Penida that they arrive at (sorted west to east):

• Banjar Nyuh Harbour (northwest coast)
• El Rey Junior Fast Cruise, Starfish Fast Boat, Axe Stone Fast Cruise, Angel Billabong, Idola Express, Sanjaya Fastboat, Eka Jaya Fast Boat, J Trip Bali Speedboat
• Buyuk Harbour (northeast coast)
• Caspla Bali Sea View, Semaya One, Wijaya Buyuk, Gili Getaway, Bali Line Fast Boat
• Sampalan Harbour (northeast coast)
• Angkal Fast Cruise, Gangga Express, Surigwa Express

Here is an overview of the three different harbours on Nusa Penida:

Banjar Nyuh Pier — Nusa Penida’s main ferry port

Banjar Nyuh Pier is arguably the best option as a base to explore Nusa Penida.

From here, you can easily visit several must-visit natural attractions, such as Crystal Bay, Broken Beach and the astounding Kelingking Beach.

The area near Banjar Nyuh has infrastructure improving all the time and a growing selection of restaurants and beach bars. It also has the most transport and tour companies.

Most facilities are close to the centre, including many hotels and guest houses. There are several dive operators here too.

While it’s possible to include a hotel pick-up from Bali in the ferry ticket, it normally does not include hotel drop-off from the port to your Nusa Penida hotel. Still, some hotels nearby do offer a free or paid transport service.

These hotels include Perak Cottages and Serambu Hills Resort, among others. It’s best to check with your hotel in advance.

Buyuk Harbour

Buyuk Harbour is located about 7 km east of Banjar Nyuh Pier. The drive from Buyuk Harbour to Banjar Nyuh takes about 20 minutes by car, with fares ranging between 100,000 IDR ($5.90) and 150,000 IDR ($8.90).

Also around Buyuk, you’ll find a good range of accommodation for most budgets.

If you’re staying somewhere a little further away or travelling with bulky baggage, there are always private cars or vans waiting close to the harbour to whisk you away to your desired hotel.

Sampalan Harbour

About 2 km further from Buyuk Harbour is Sampalan Harbour towards the northeastern corner of Nusa Penida.

From Sampalan beachfront, it is a quick 100-metre stroll to Jalan Nusa Indah, where you’ll find several bungalow resorts and hotels, like Penida Beach Hotel.

You can also hail a private car or van from this port, but we suggest asking your accommodation if they offer pick-up services.

There are 3 ways to travel the 31 kilometre (19 miles) distance from Bali to Nusa Penida. You can choose between the ferry, slow ferry and Day tour. The journey takes 30 minutes - 8 hours and the quickest way is by ferry. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by slow ferry with tickets starting at 30,000 IDR ($1.80).

With five different ports in Bali and three different ports on Nusa Penida, you have many ferry options for this route.

In the table below, we compare the duration and costs of the lowest priced tickets to Nusa Penida from each of the ports in Bali.

Sanur Port is located on the east coast of Bali and is the closest port to many of the main destinations in Bali — including Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Uluwatu and Nusa Dua.

Note that the new port in Sanur has a digital ticketing system, so you are required to buy your tickets in advance. You can pre-book your tickets online through BookAway, which we recommend for its excellent customer service.

Your ticket or boarding pass includes a barcode that will be scanned and checked at the port.

Although the journey time from Serangan to Nusa Penida is about the same as from Sanur, it’s a less popular port and thus harder to get to. Also, ferry tickets are more expensive from Serangan.

Although Padang Bai is mainly used for fast boats to Lombok and the Gili Islands, you can also take a ferry from this port to Nusa Penida.

Eka Jaya operates larger fast boats from this port, a good choice for passengers who are prone to motion sickness. However, travel time from Padang Bai can take a bit longer (1 hour) compared to fast boats departing from Sanur (30-45 minutes).

Padang Bai is also the only harbour that allows you to bring a vehicle (car or motorbike) to Nusa Penida. As this 2-hour slow ferry takes considerably longer and often experiences long delays, we don’t recommend the slow ferry if you’re not planning to bring a vehicle.

A short 20-minute drive (10 km) southwest of Padang Bai, you’ll find Kusamba Port. Kusamba is a traditional sea salt-producing community and has the shortest distance from Bali to Nusa Penida.

Angkal Fast Cruise and Gangga Express have regular departures from this port.

Pemelisan Harbour is located 5 km away from Serangan Port. Only one ferry company from this port because it’s not as popular as the other ports in Bali.

Same as the ferries from Serangan, travel time from Pemelisan Harbour to Nusa Penida takes about 30m. Ticket prices start from 175,000 IDR ($10.30) for foreign tourists.

An alternative to the fast boat is the slow ferry from Bali to Nusa Penida. We recommend this option only if you want to bring a vehicle to Nusa Penida.

The KMP Nusa Jaya Abadi ferry has 1-2 trips daily and travel time is about 2 hours. Online booking is not available for the slow ferry, so you need to be at the port early.

Departure and arrival ports

The slow ferry departs from Padang Bai and arrives at its own port in Nusa Penida. This port is right between Buyuk and Sampalan Harbour.

How to buy slow ferry tickets

You need to be at the port at least 30 minutes before departure because you will need to buy a toll card.

To register this card, they will ask for your name(s) and address. You will also need to register your licence plate if you bring a vehicle. Upon getting the toll card, you need to load it with money and use the card to buy your ticket at the ticket office.

See here the costs for the slow ferry:

• Adult: 30,000 IDR ($1.80)
• Motorbike: 50,000 IDR ($3)
• Car: 295,000 IDR ($17.40)
• Toll card: 30,000 IDR ($1.80) (can be shared with multiple people)

If you only have a day to explore Bali’s offshore islands, your best option is to book a day tour. But note that you’ll only get a brief experience of Nusa Penida with this tour for 8 hours.

Quiksilver runs all-inclusive day trips on a 40-metre catamaran from Bali to Nusa Penida. With this tour, you’ll get to visit Kelingking Beach, Angel Billabong, and Broken Beach.

The tour also includes a buffet lunch and access to various water sports activities from a huge pontoon off the Nusa Penida coastline.

A day trip cruise from Bali to Nusa Penida costs 785,000 IDR ($46.50) per person when booked with Klook.

Check Day Tours with Klook

When booking this day tour, you can choose to depart from Sanur Port or Tanjung Benoa Harbour.

Tanjung Benoa Harbour

Tanjung Benoa is located a little south of Serangan. This destination is famous for its water activities and it is also the main departure point for day trip cruises to neighbouring islands.

There are no regular ferries at this port going to Nusa Penida. If you book a day trip with Quiksilver, then your journey starts at Tanjung Benoa.

How to get to Tanjung Benoa Port

The port is located on the northern end of a little peninsula connected to Nusa Dua. To reach this northern end, the taxi will first need to head towards Nusa Dua, making it a longer drive than going to Sanur or Serangan.