Komodo Island Hopping Tour

You reserve your spot for free and pay nothing to join, and reservations close 7 days before the start date. Once enough travellers have joined, usually around 10, we confirm the departure and email you a confirmation with an invoice for the full trip price. You pay it by card or bank transfer within 7 days, in US dollars, pounds, euros, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, New Zealand dollars or Indian rupees, and the price shown for your date is what you pay.

Yes. Komodo National Park entrance fees for every day we're inside the park are in the price, along with the naturalist guide fee for the dragon walk. Since 1 April 2026 the park admits at most 1,000 visitors a day, and entry is booked in advance through a licensed operator, so we handle that for you. Park tickets can't be refunded once bought, so this cost is fixed once you book.

Solo travellers aged 18 to 40. Most people come on their own, and some come with a friend. Each departure takes up to 16 people. The Trip Host travels with the group for all five days, sorts out every transfer, boat booking, ticket and check-in, and is the person you go to if anything goes wrong. Local operators and the park's own naturalist guides run the boat and park services.

It starts at our guesthouse in Labuan Bajo on the afternoon of Day 1, and we send the address when you book. It ends back at the harbour after breakfast on Day 5. Fly into Komodo Airport (LBJ), just outside town. Several flights a day leave Bali (DPS) and take a little over an hour, and there are connections from other Indonesian cities. Book your own flights to arrive before the afternoon of Day 1.

Roughly April to November, the dry season, when the seas are calmest and the boats run most reliably. July to October is the busiest stretch. The wet season, from December to March, brings rougher seas and a higher chance of the park closing to boats. Short closures happen in the dry season too: in 2026 tourist boats were stopped for a few days in May, and Komodo and Padar were closed for a few days in August and September.

Boat trips here carry real risks. Local media counted seven tourist boat accidents around Labuan Bajo in 2025, and a boat sank in the Padar Strait on 26 December 2025. Since then the harbourmaster has banned sailing between islands after dark, and on our itinerary the boat anchors in a sheltered bay each night. The harbourmaster can also close the park to boats at short notice. If that happens we change the plan, and Rinca often stays open when Komodo and Padar are closed.

Most visitors, including those from the UK, US, EU, Australia and India, need a visa on arrival, which you can buy online in advance as an e-VOA. You also fill in the free All Indonesia arrival card within 72 hours before you land. Rules change, so check our Bali visa guide and the official Indonesian immigration site before you book flights.

A guesthouse in Labuan Bajo on Days 1 and 4, and a twin cabin aboard a shared phinisi boat on Days 2 and 3. You share a room or cabin with travellers of the same gender.

A soft bag or backpack rather than a hard suitcase, since it goes on and off the boat. Bring a swimsuit, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, a light long-sleeved layer for the sun on deck, a torch, a refillable water bottle and a dry bag for your phone and passport. Snorkelling gear is on the boat, though you can bring your own if you like gear you know fits. Labuan Bajo has ATMs, but there are none on the boat or inside the park, so take out cash for tips and extras before Day 2.

Yes, it's a condition of joining. It must cover medical treatment and evacuation, including from a boat, and check that it covers snorkelling.

Health authorities list this part of Indonesia, including Flores and the Komodo islands, as an area with some malaria risk, unlike Bali. Talk to a travel clinic about antimalarials a few weeks before you go, and use repellent for dengue too.

Reasonably fit. The dragon walk follows marked trails that are flat to gently rolling, and the Padar climb is about 800 steps over 30 to 45 minutes, so bring proper shoes and expect the heat. The dragons are wild predators with a dangerous bite, which is why a ranger leads every walk. Stay behind your guide, keep the distance you're asked to, and never step off the trail for a photo.