Is three days enough for Komodo?

For the headline stops, yes. You get Padar, the dragons and Pink Beach. What you give up is the quieter southern sites and any spare afternoon.

Do I sleep on the boat or in town?

Either. Sleeping aboard on night two puts you at Padar before the day boats arrive, which is the single biggest upgrade on this route.

How early does Day 2 start?

Between 5:30 and 6:30am. The sea is calmest before mid-morning and Padar is unpleasant once the sun is up.

What does the park entry cost?

IDR 700,000 per person per day for foreign visitors, plus an IDR 25,000 harbour fee. On a route with two days inside park boundaries that is two tickets, so it is a real line in the budget.

When should I not book this?

If your flight lands in Labuan Bajo late on Day 1, you lose the first snorkel and the route stops being worth three days. Tell us your flight and we will say so.

The ridge on Padar Island above three bays

3 DAYS · 2 NIGHTS · FROM LABUAN BAJO

Three Days, and Nothing Wasted

The short route through Komodo National Park: Padar at first light, dragons on Rinca, Pink Beach in the afternoon. Flown in from Bali, back on the third evening.

Check Dates See the Day-by-Day

Day by day

How the Three Days Run

Timings are the standard version. Anything here can move.

Day 01

Arrive, then get on the water

A 1.5-hour flight from Bali lands you in Labuan Bajo before lunch. Drop bags, then out to Kanawa for the first snorkel while the light is still good.

Morning

Fly Bali → Labuan Bajo, transfer to the harbour

Later

Kanawa Island snorkel, sunset back in town

Night

Labuan Bajo, harbour-side
Day 02

The park, start to finish

The long day. Padar before the heat, dragons walked with a ranger, then Pink Beach with time to stay in the water rather than photograph it and leave.

Morning

Padar ridge at first light, then the dragon walk

Later

Pink Beach, Taka Makassar sandbar, Manta Point

Night

Aboard, or back in Labuan Bajo
Day 03

Town, and the flight home

A slow morning in Labuan Bajo — the market, coffee on the hill — then the afternoon flight back to Bali.

Morning

Labuan Bajo market and waterfront

Later

Transfer to the airport, fly to Bali

A boat sailing between the islands of Komodo National Park

Day 01

Arrive, then get on the water

A 1.5-hour flight from Bali lands you in Labuan Bajo before lunch. Drop bags, then out to Kanawa for the first snorkel while the light is still good.

Morning: Fly Bali → Labuan Bajo, transfer to the harbour
Later: Kanawa Island snorkel, sunset back in town
Night: Labuan Bajo, harbour-side

Day 02

The park, start to finish

The long day. Padar before the heat, dragons walked with a ranger, then Pink Beach with time to stay in the water rather than photograph it and leave.

Morning: Padar ridge at first light, then the dragon walk
Later: Pink Beach, Taka Makassar sandbar, Manta Point
Night: Aboard, or back in Labuan Bajo

Day 03

Town, and the flight home

A slow morning in Labuan Bajo — the market, coffee on the hill — then the afternoon flight back to Bali.

Morning: Labuan Bajo market and waterfront
Later: Transfer to the airport, fly to Bali

If Three Days Is Not the Fit

The other routes out of Labuan Bajo.

Overnight cruise boat at anchor in Komodo National Park

Classic

5-Day Escape

The 3-day stops plus the quieter southern sites, with an afternoon to sit still.

Phinisi under sail in Komodo National Park

Extended

7-Day Escape

Adds Flores overland — Kelimutu, villages and waterfalls — on either side of the boat days.

One day

The Day-Trip Route

Twelve hours, seven stops, back in the harbour by dark. The whole loop in a single push.

Pink Beach from the air, Komodo National Park

Compare

All Itineraries

Every route from Labuan Bajo side by side, with what each one skips.