The Gili Islands and Lombok sit just east of Bali, close enough to reach by fast boat in a couple of hours, but different enough in feel to be worth their own trip rather than a rushed add-on. The three car-free Gilis give you island-hopping and reef snorkelling; Lombok's mainland gives you Kuta's surf beaches and, on a clear season, Mount Rinjani, Indonesia's second-highest volcano.
4 stops
- Ferry
- Minibus
Is this route for you?
This suits island-hoppers who want reef snorkelling and turtles without any traffic, surfers looking for a quieter, less developed alternative to Bali's breaks, and anyone drawn to a genuine volcano trek rather than the half-day sunrise walk up Bali's Mount Batur. Rinjani is a serious multi-day undertaking, and it should be planned and briefed that way, not treated as an easy extra.
It's not the route to pick if a beach club and nightlife are the whole point; Canggu or Uluwatu do that better. And if the trek itself is what's putting you off rather than its current on-off status, our Mount Rinjani guide has the full detail on routes, difficulty and what a trek day actually involves. If you only want the islands, our Gili Islands guide covers that shorter trip on its own.
Day by day
Arrival and the car-free islands
Gili Trawangan
Getting there fast boat from a Bali port, most commonly Padang Bai or Serangan; operator listings give about 1 h 25 to 2 h from Padang Bai and about 2 h 15 or more from Serangan, and the main operators' published fares run about IDR 550,000 to 700,000 one way
- Afternoon
- settle in and get used to the islands' one genuinely distinctive feature: no cars, scooters or motorbikes anywhere on the Gilis, only bicycles and horse-drawn cidomo carts. If you take a cidomo, look at the horse first and skip it if it looks thin, sore or overloaded; welfare groups such as the Gili Eco Trust still campaign on it
- Evening
- Gili Trawangan's night market and beachfront bars; this is the liveliest of the three islands, so it's the natural first stop for meeting other travellers
Eat ayam taliwang (Lombok's fiery grilled or fried spiced chicken) and plecing kangkung (water spinach in a chilli and shrimp-paste dressing), both available on Gili T despite being Lombok dishes
Local tip book a daylight sailing and check your operator has visible life jackets before you board; crossings are sometimes cancelled at short notice in rough weather, especially from December to March, and July and August can bring swell too
Snorkelling and a full island loop
Gili Trawangan
- Morning
- snorkel straight off the north or east coast; the reef here is healthy enough that turtles turn up close to shore without a boat trip
- Afternoon
- cycle the island's circumference, about 1.5 to 2 hours at an easy pace on flat, traffic-free paths; bicycle hire runs roughly IDR 50,000 to 75,000 a day
- Evening
- sunset from the west-side bars, looking back across the water towards Bali's Mount Agung
Eat fresh grilled seafood from a beachfront warung
Local tip currents run stronger around exposed spots such as Shark Point on the north side, so stick to sheltered snorkelling areas close to shore if you're not with a guide; keep a few metres from turtles, never touch or chase them, and don't stand on the coral
A quieter island and a dive or snorkel day
Gili Air
Getting there short public boat hop from Gili Trawangan, about 10 to 15 minutes, roughly IDR 25,000 to 40,000
- Morning
- settle in; Gili Air is the calmer, more wellness-focused of the three islands, with noticeably less nightlife than Trawangan
- Afternoon
- a snorkelling trip or a PADI taster day; both islands have long-established dive schools
- Evening
- a beachfront dinner and an early night, since the transfer towards Rinjani's trailhead starts early tomorrow
Eat sate rembiga, Lombok's own spiced beef satay, distinct from Bali's sate lilit
Local tip if you'd rather skip the mountain entirely, this is the point to head south towards Kuta Lombok instead of continuing to Sembalun; see the no-trek alternative below
The Rinjani trailhead, if the trek is running
Sembalun
Getting there boat back to Bangsal harbour on Lombok's mainland, then a road transfer to Sembalun village, about 80 km and roughly 2.5 hours
- Afternoon
- gear check and safety briefing with your trekking operator; every foreign trekker must go with a licensed guide
- Evening
- an early dinner and an early night; the trek itself starts before dawn
Eat a Sembalun warung meal, since tomorrow's food is whatever the trekking crew carries up
Local tip confirm your operator holds a current eRinjani booking for your dates before you leave the coast, not after you arrive in Sembalun
Savanna, scree and a night above the lake
Rinjani crater rim
- Morning
- trek from Sembalun up through open savanna grassland, then steeper volcanic scree, to the Plawangan Sembalun rim campsite, roughly 6 to 7 hours
- Afternoon
- rest at the rim, looking down into the Segara Anak crater lake
- Evening
- camp overnight at the rim; porters carry and cook the food, usually rice, vegetables and a simple protein, a standard part of any package price
Eat trekking-crew meals; bring your own snacks if you want more than the basics
Local tip this is genuinely strenuous, not a casual walk; go in with realistic fitness expectations rather than treating it as an easy add-on to a beach trip
Back down to the coast
Rinjani descent
- Morning
- an early descent from the rim back to Sembalun, or to Senaru if that route is running when you go (it reopened on 3 October 2026 after a wildfire closure)
- Afternoon
- a long road transfer onward to Kuta Lombok; ask your operator for the current time
- Evening
- settle into Kuta Lombok after two days on the mountain
Eat nasi campur Lombok-style, generally spicier than the Balinese version, at a warung in Kuta
Local tip this is the 2-day, 1-night crater-rim trek; the full 3-day, 2-night version that reaches the 3,726 m summit needs an extra day, covered in the 10-day version below
A beach day, or depart
Kuta Lombok
- Morning
- free morning on Kuta Lombok's south coast
- Afternoon
- a surf lesson at Selong Belanak, a long, gentle, sandy-bottomed bay a short drive west and the area's standard spot for beginners
- Evening
- a last dinner on the coast before flying out
Eat fresh seafood at a beachfront warung
Local tip fly out from Lombok International Airport (LOP), about 30 to 45 minutes from Kuta Lombok, rather than backtracking to Bali if your onward flight allows it
No permit? A no-trek alternative for days 4 to 6
If the eRinjani system still isn't taking new bookings when you travel, skip the mountain and stay on the coast instead. From Gili Air on day 3, take the boat to Bangsal and go straight to Kuta Lombok rather than Sembalun; ask your driver for the current road time. That frees up three days for:
- A day trip to Tetebatu, Lombok's cooler highland village, for rice-terrace walks and a distant view of Rinjani, no permit required
- Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep, two waterfalls near Senaru you can visit on their own entrance ticket, even when the summit routes are closed
- A full day on Selong Belanak and Mawi, Kuta's two standout south-coast beaches, with a surf lesson and a slower sunset in place of the crater rim
You still land in Kuta Lombok by day 6 with a day in hand, so day 7 continues exactly as written above.
The 10-day version
| Day | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gili Trawangan | Arrive by fast boat from Bali; settle in, night market | Ayam taliwang, plecing kangkung |
| 2 | Gili Trawangan | Snorkel off the north coast; cycle the island loop | Fresh grilled seafood |
| 3 | Gili Meno | Day trip by public boat: the Nest's underwater statues and Turtle Point | Beachfront grilled fish |
| 4 | Gili Air | Settle in on the quieter island; a PADI taster or more snorkelling | Sate rembiga |
| 5 | Sembalun | Transfer to the trailhead; gear check (subject to eRinjani status, see above) | Sembalun warung meal |
| 6 | Rinjani crater rim | Trek to the Plawangan Sembalun campsite | Trekking-crew meal |
| 7 | Rinjani summit and lake | Pre-dawn summit push to 3,726 m, then down to camp a second night by Segara Anak | Tea and a light breakfast at the summit |
| 8 | Kuta Lombok | Descend and transfer to the coast; rest | Nasi campur Lombok-style |
| 9 | Selong Belanak and Mawi | A full day on the south coast: surf lesson, Mawi sunset | Fresh seafood at a beach warung |
| 10 | Kuta Lombok | Depart from Lombok International Airport (LOP) | Last coffee before the flight |
The extra three days let you swap the 2-day, 1-night crater-rim trek for the full 3-day, 2-night summit and lake version, add Gili Meno to the island-hopping, and give the south coast its own day instead of a single afternoon. If Rinjani still isn't bookable, use the same no-trek swap above for days 5 to 8: an extra two nights across Tetebatu, the Senaru waterfalls and the south coast covers the gap comfortably.
What it costs
| Item | Typical price (IDR) |
|---|---|
| Dorm bed on Gili Trawangan or Gili Air | 150,000 to 300,000 |
| Guesthouse in Sembalun or Kuta Lombok | 200,000 to 400,000 |
| Nasi campur or ayam taliwang at a warung | 25,000 to 45,000 |
| Bicycle hire on the Gilis, per day | 50,000 to 75,000 |
| Public inter-island boat between the Gilis | 25,000 to 40,000 |
| Fast boat, Bali to the Gilis, one way (main operators' published fares) | about 550,000 to 700,000 |
| Selong Belanak surf lesson, 2 hours | about 150,000 to 600,000, depending on school or beach instructor |
| Rinjani trek, 2D1N all-inclusive (guide, porters, permit, camping gear, food), when bookable | roughly US$160 to 400, a one-off cost, not a daily one |
These are our own rough estimates, not quotes. A backpacker managing bicycles, public boats and warung meals might spend roughly IDR 450,000 to 750,000 a day on the non-trek days (about £19 to £31, or US$25 to $42 at the September 2026 rates in our Bali cost guide), before the one-off Rinjani package and any fast-boat fares. Our Lombok guide has the wider island picture.
Getting there, away and around
Fly into Denpasar (DPS) on Bali or directly into Lombok International Airport (LOP); both have regular international and domestic connections. From Bali, fast boats to the Gilis run from several ports, most commonly Padang Bai and Serangan. Operator listings give about 1 h 25 to 2 h from Padang Bai and about 2 h 15 or more from Serangan, and a direct boat from Nusa Penida takes about 1 h 45 to 2 h 30. Published fares on the main operators run about IDR 550,000 to 700,000 one way, and agents sometimes sell cheaper seats. Sailings are daylight only and are sometimes cancelled in rough seas, so keep a spare day before any flight home, and check that your boat has life jackets before you book. A public inter-island boat links all three Gilis for about IDR 25,000 to 40,000 per person. The Gili entry levy is IDR 20,000 per person, paid at the harbour; North Lombok's council discussed raising it to IDR 50,000 in May 2026 but had not agreed. Getting to Lombok's mainland from the Gilis means the short boat to Bangsal harbour, then a road transfer.
On the Gilis themselves, there's nothing to drive: no cars, scooters or motorbikes are allowed, so you get around on foot, by bicycle or by horse-drawn cidomo cart. E-bikes are officially banned too, though some are used. On Lombok's mainland, roads and traffic are ordinary; scooters need a motorbike licence from home plus an International Driving Permit that covers motorbikes, Grab and Gojek cover the main towns, and a private driver is the easiest way to cover longer legs like Sembalun to Kuta Lombok.
Entry rules and fees
Most visitors to Lombok and the Gilis need a visa on arrival. The e-VOA costs IDR 500,000 for now, with a higher fee announced and no start date, and gives you 30 days; our Bali visa guide covers who qualifies and how to apply. If you enter through Bali, the Bali tourist levy of IDR 150,000 per foreign visitor also applies, and that guide explains how to pay it.
Best time and festivals on this route
April to November lines up with Rinjani National Park's usual trekking season, and it's also the drier stretch for Lombok and the Gilis generally. Avoid December to March: this is the wet season, and Rinjani typically closes to trekkers outright for some or all of it (the park is closed to trekkers each year from 1 January to 31 March, and reopened on 1 April in 2026), on top of rougher seas that cancel more Gili boat crossings. Kuta Lombok's surf season roughly mirrors Bali's Bukit Peninsula, best from May to September for the more consistent swell, though the beach itself is pleasant to visit year-round. The Mandalika circuit next to Kuta Lombok hosts the Indonesian MotoGP, and in 2026 the race weekend is 9 to 11 October, with prices around Kuta jumping that week.
Lombok has its own version of Sumba's spear-throwing Pasola: Bau Nyale, a beach ritual tied to the same sea-worm appearance that sets Pasola's dates, usually landing in February or March. It's a Sasak cultural event rather than something built around this route specifically, but if your dates overlap, it's worth a detour to the south coast for it.
What to eat on this route
Beyond the dishes named in the day-by-day: ayam taliwang and plecing kangkung on the Gilis and in Lombok's towns; sate rembiga, Lombok's spiced beef satay; nasi campur Lombok-style, generally spicier than its Balinese counterpart; and fresh seafood grilled to order on any of the three Gilis. Our Indonesian food guide covers where to find each dish and what it should cost.
Want this route run for you, with a licensed guide for the mountain and every transfer arranged? Our Bali & Rinjani Trek trip follows a close match to this route: Ubud, Gili Air, Sembalun and Kuta Lombok, over 12 days. It carries the same Rinjani status caveat as above, so check the trip page for the latest.
