Fast Boats Between Bali, Lombok and the Gilis: Crossing Times, Ticket Costs, and What the Sea Does

Fast Boats Between Bali Lombok and the Gilis: Crossing Times, Ticket Costs, and What the Sea Does

The problem with the fast boats between Bali, Lombok and the Gilis is that the sea does not care about your itinerary. You pay for a 90-minute crossing. You might get three hours. You might get a cancellation. Here is what each route costs, how long it actually takes, and which months you should plan around.

Bali to Gili Fast Boat Price

You have three departure ports in Bali: Padangbai, Serangan, and Sanur. Padangbai is the cheapest and the busiest. A one-way fast boat ticket from there to Gili Trawangan costs between IDR 250,000 and IDR 600,000. The same trip from Serangan runs IDR 350,000 to IDR 700,000. Sanur falls in the middle at IDR 300,000 to IDR 650,000.

What Drives the Price

Peak season, July through August and December through January, pushes every fare toward the top of its range. Book direct at the port on the same day and you pay less. Book online in advance and expect a 20% to 40% markup. A combined ticket that includes hotel transfer in Bali plus the boat plus hotel transfer in Lombok or the Gilis runs IDR 700,000 to IDR 1,400,000 return for Gili Trawangan and IDR 650,000 to IDR 1,300,000 return for Gili Air. The Bali transfer covers Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu, Sanur, and Ubud. The Lombok transfer covers Senggigi, Mataram, and Bangsal. There is no motor vehicle transfer on the Gilis.

Padangbai to Gili Air costs IDR 250,000 to IDR 550,000 one way. The same port to Bangsal, the harbour for mainland Lombok, costs IDR 200,000 to IDR 500,000. Serangan to Gili Air is IDR 350,000 to IDR 650,000. Sanur to Gili Air is IDR 300,000 to IDR 600,000.

Bali to Lombok Ferry Schedule

There are two ways to get from Bali to Lombok: the fast boats above, which land at Bangsal, and the public slow ferry from Padangbai to Lembar. The slow ferry is the budget option. It runs 24 hours a day, departing every one to two hours. The scheduled crossing is four to five hours. The actual crossing is five to seven hours. The passenger fare in 2024 was IDR 46,000 to IDR 60,000. That fare is set by the Indonesian Directorate General of Sea Transportation and changes annually. A motorbike costs IDR 150,000 to IDR 200,000. A car costs IDR 900,000 to IDR 1,200,000.

If you are carrying a vehicle, the slow ferry is your only option. If you are a foot passenger and your budget is tight, the slow ferry saves you roughly IDR 200,000 compared to the cheapest fast boat. The trade-off is time. The slow ferry takes at least four hours and can stretch to seven. The fast boat takes two to three hours.

Fast Boat Cancellation Swell

December through February is the rough sea window. July through August is the secondary window, driven by strong trade winds. During these months, afternoon departures are routinely cancelled. Morning boats, which leave between 07:00 and 09:00, have a better chance of running. Afternoon boats, scheduled between 13:00 and 16:00, are the ones that get pulled first.

If your boat is cancelled, you do not get a refund on the spot in most cases. You get rescheduled to the next available departure, which may be the next morning. Book with an operator that has a published cancellation or rescheduling policy for rough weather. Ask before you pay. Operators that collect a passenger manifest before departure, distribute life jackets and demonstrate their use, and run twin-engine vessels with enclosed life rafts visible on deck are the ones to prioritise. Over 30 operators run the Bali to Gili route. Over 20 run Bali to Lombok. Not all of them follow safety protocols consistently.

Padangbai to Gili Trawangan

Padangbai is a jetty port in Karangasem Regency, east Bali. The advertised crossing time to Gili Trawangan is 1 hour 30 minutes. The typical actual time is 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes. You wade ashore at Gili Trawangan. There is no jetty. The port fee at this departure point is IDR 5,000 to IDR 10,000 per passenger. The arrival fee at Gili Trawangan is IDR 10,000 per passenger. Both are paid in cash on the day.

The same departure point to Gili Air is advertised at 1 hour 15 minutes. Actual time is 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes. Gili Air also requires a beach landing. To Bangsal on mainland Lombok, the crossing is advertised at 1 hour 30 minutes. Actual time is 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes. Bangsal has a jetty.

Bangsal to Bali Boat

Bangsal harbour in North Lombok Regency is the main departure point for return trips to Bali. The reverse journey follows the same advertised and actual times as the outward trip. The run from Bangsal to Padangbai is advertised at 1 hour 30 minutes. Actual time is 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes. The Bangsal port fee is IDR 5,000 to IDR 10,000 per passenger.

If you are coming from the Gilis to catch a Bali-bound boat, take the public island boat between the three Gilis. It runs every few minutes during daylight hours and takes 5 to 10 minutes between islands. From Gili Trawangan or Gili Air to Bangsal, budget 20 minutes including the walk from the beach landing to the jetty.

When the Crossing Turns Brutal

December through February is the primary swell season. July through August is the secondary. During these months, the sea state in the Lombok Strait deteriorates in the afternoon reliably. A morning boat at 07:00 might run. The same operator at 14:00 might cancel.

If you are travelling in these months, book a morning departure and accept that you may need to wait a day. Build a buffer into your itinerary. Do not book a flight out of Bali for the same evening you arrive back from the Gilis. The 3 pm departure you are counting on may not run.

What to Do When the Boat Does Not Run

You have three options. Wait for the next morning departure. Take the public slow ferry from Padangbai to Lembar, which runs 24 hours and is less affected by swell. Or rearrange your itinerary to stay an extra night on the Gilis or in Lombok. Cash is still king on Lombok and the Gilis. ATMs run dry on weekends. Cards are refused at most guesthouses. Carry enough rupiah to cover an extra night, meals, and a harbour fee.

WhatsApp is how you rebook. Hotels, drivers, and tour operators expect you to use it for confirmations. If your operator cancels, message them immediately. Do not wait at the harbour.

Getting to the Port

Padangbai is 60 to 90 minutes from the Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu corridor by car. Use Gojek or Grab for the trip. App-based drivers are banned from picking up at some tourist hubs and beaches. You may need to walk to a main road. If you use a local driver instead, expect to pay two to three times the app price. Serangan port is in south Bali, closer to the main tourist strip. Sanur port is in southeast Bali.

If you are in Ubud, Padangbai is the logical port. The drive takes about the same 60 to 90 minutes. A combined ticket that includes hotel transfer from Ubud saves you the hassle of finding a driver and negotiating the fare.

What the Harbour Fees Add Up to

Every passenger pays a fee at departure and arrival. Padangbai charges IDR 5,000 to IDR 10,000. Serangan charges IDR 10,000 to IDR 15,000. Sanur charges IDR 10,000 to IDR 15,000. Bangsal charges IDR 5,000 to IDR 10,000. Gili Trawangan charges IDR 10,000. Gili Air charges IDR 10,000. Lembar includes the fee in the ticket. These are cash payments. Have small bills ready.

The combined ticket price you see online usually does not include these charges. Budget an extra IDR 30,000 to IDR 50,000 per person per direction.

The One Thing That Most Often Goes Wrong

Travellers underestimate the transit time. They book three islands in seven days and spend half the trip staring at ferry terminals, port waiting rooms, and airport security queues. The 40 km crossing from Bali to the Gilis can eat half a day. The humidity makes patience a survival skill. Plan for the boat to take twice as long as advertised and for at least one departure to be cancelled. If it runs on time, you have gained an afternoon. If it does not, you are not stuck.