The public ferry really is the most budget way to physically get from Lombok to Flores — expect roughly IDR 270,000–380,000 in tickets, against IDR 2,500,000 and up for an open trip — but it costs you close to two days of hard overland transit, skips Komodo National Park entirely, and only makes sense when the journey is an errand, not the holiday. An open trip costs more because it is the holiday: Moyo, Satonda, the Komodo dragons and the Padar sunrise are built into the price. If you just need to move your body from A to B for the lowest fare, take the ferry; if you want to actually see the islands in between, take the boat.
I’m Hendra Gunawan, and I edit the schedules and fees on this site — I keep the ferry timetables and the open-trip manifests side by side and re-check both every quarter. This is the honest cost-and-time comparison, with real numbers rather than round ones (last checked August 2026). Fares at the small harbour counters change without notice, so treat every figure below as a well-checked estimate and confirm the exact price when you buy.
The Two ‘Public Ferry’ Routes to Flores
There is no single ferry that carries you straight from Lombok to Labuan Bajo on a daily basis. When travellers say ‘the public ferry’, they mean one of two very different things: an overland journey across Sumbawa that ends with the ASDP car ferry from Sape, or the occasional Pelni passenger ship that calls at both islands on its long loop through eastern Indonesia.
| Route | What it actually is | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Overland + ASDP ferry | Bus across Lombok and Sumbawa, then the Sape–Labuan Bajo car ferry | Daily (the ASDP leg) |
| Pelni ship | One national passenger liner, Lembar (Lombok) to Labuan Bajo | Only 2–3 sailings a month |
Both land you in Labuan Bajo without passing a single Komodo island on the way. That is the trade this whole page turns on. For the departure days across every option — ferries and boats alike — see our Flores boat trip schedule.
The Overland + Ferry Route: Real Cost & Time
The classic budget route is a one-to-two-day relay: Lombok to the Sumbawa ferry, a long bus across Sumbawa to Sape, then the morning ASDP ferry to Labuan Bajo. No single leg is expensive; it is the time, the transfers and an overnight that add up.
| Leg | Approx. fare (economy) | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lombok (Kayangan) → Sumbawa (Poto Tano) ferry | IDR 20,000–30,000 | 1.5–2 hrs |
| Bus across Sumbawa → Sape | IDR 150,000–250,000 | 8–10 hrs (often overnight) |
| ASDP ferry Sape → Labuan Bajo | ~IDR 100,000 | ~8 hrs |
| Total | ~IDR 270,000–380,000 | ~1.5–2 days |
The ASDP ferry from Sape to Labuan Bajo runs once a day, usually leaving mid-morning and arriving in the afternoon after about eight hours at sea (checked August 2026; ASDP ran a lower holiday foot-passenger fare of around IDR 90,000 in mid-2025). It is a working car ferry — basic seating, food stalls, no cabins on the economy fare — not a sightseeing boat. Buy the ASDP leg at the harbour counter or through the Ferizy app, and build in a buffer, because a single missed connection on Sumbawa can cost you the whole day.
The Pelni Ship: One Ticket, Hardest to Time
The Pelni liner is the only way to sail from Lombok to Labuan Bajo on a single ticket — but it sails just two or three times a month, so your dates have to bend to the ship, not the other way around. The KM Tilongkabila runs a long eastern-Indonesia loop that calls at Lembar (Lombok), Bima and Labuan Bajo, among many other ports.
Economy passage from Lombok to Labuan Bajo is roughly IDR 150,000–250,000 (checked August 2026), which makes the fare itself the lowest of any option here. The catch is everything else: 24–30 hours at sea on a shared economy deck, an infrequent schedule you must confirm on pelni.co.id or at the Pelni office in Lembar, and a ship built for transport, not scenery. If a sailing date happens to line up with your plans it is a genuinely efficient passage; if it does not, the overland route above is far more flexible.
The Open Trip: What the Higher Price Buys
An open trip is not competing with the ferry on price — it is competing on what happens between Lombok and Flores. A shared 4-day, 3-night open trip starts from about IDR 2,500,000 per person for an open-deck spot, with private cabins usually landing between IDR 4,000,000 and 4,600,000 (checked August 2026). That fare typically covers all meals on board, a crew and guide, snorkelling gear, and the small-boat transfers to each landing.
Crucially, the route is the destination: Moyo Island’s waterfall, the Satonda crater lake, the Komodo dragons, the Padar sunrise and Pink Beach are all stops on the way west, not detours you arrange later. You arrive in Labuan Bajo having already done Komodo, which no ferry ticket includes. For the full class-by-class breakdown and departure days, see the Lombok to Flores boat trip guide; for every route’s price in one place, use the Flores boat trip cost table.
Cost & Time, Side by Side
Here is the whole decision on one line each (per person, economy where relevant, checked August 2026):
| Option | Ticket cost | Total time | Komodo included? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overland + ASDP ferry | ~IDR 270,000–380,000 | ~1.5–2 days | No | Lowest transport budget, transit only |
| Pelni ship (2–3/month) | ~IDR 150,000–250,000 | ~24–30 hrs at sea | No | Single-ticket sea passage if dates align |
| Open trip — deck (4D3N) | From IDR 2,500,000 | 4 days | Yes | Seeing the islands and reaching Flores in one go |
| Open trip — cabin (4D3N) | IDR 4,000,000–4,600,000 | 4 days | Yes | The same route with a private, warmer night |
Read the table as cost-per-purpose, not cost-per-kilometre. The ferry wins if the only goal is to arrive; the open trip wins the moment you want the islands in between. Travelling on the tightest budget but still want the boat? The budget backpacker playbook shows how to get the open-deck fare down.
Komodo Park Fees Sit on Top — but Only If You Enter
One number the ferry comparison hides: the Komodo National Park entrance fee is separate, and you only pay it if you actually go into the park. Ferry passengers sailing straight to Labuan Bajo do not enter the park and pay nothing — but they also see nothing of Komodo. Open-trip and boat-trip travellers do enter, and the dated foreigner ticket runs to IDR 650,000 for a multi-day visit (checked August 2026), on top of the boat fare.
So the true ‘see Komodo’ cost of the ferry is not zero — it is the ferry fare plus a separate day trip or boat charter from Labuan Bajo later, plus those park fees. Factor that in before you assume the ferry is the whole answer. The full fee breakdown by nationality and duration is on our Komodo National Park fees page.
Which One Is Right for You?
Pick the ferry if reaching Labuan Bajo for the lowest possible fare is the entire goal — you are on a long overland trip, you have time to spare, and you will organise Komodo separately once you arrive. Pick the Pelni ship if its rare sailing date happens to match yours and you want one clean sea passage. Pick an open trip if the point of the journey is the journey — if you would rather wake up anchored off Komodo than read a bus timetable on Sumbawa.
Most travellers who compare the two honestly realise they were never really choosing between prices; they were choosing between a transfer and a holiday. If your dates are flexible and Komodo is on your list, the open trip almost always delivers more per rupiah of total budget, once the separate day trips and park fees the ferry route needs are added back in.
Check Live Schedules Before You Commit
Ferry days shift with the season and the Pelni ship sails only a few times a month, so the smartest first step is to see the real calendar for your travel window before you book anything. Tell us your dates and we will read you the live departure list — ferries and open trips — and the honest cost of each, with no obligation.
Message us on WhatsApp +62 811 3823 875 or email [email protected], and we will help you weigh the ferry against the boat for your exact week.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most budget way to get from Lombok to Flores?
The lowest-fare option is the overland-plus-ferry route: a short ferry from Lombok to Sumbawa, a long bus across Sumbawa to Sape, then the daily ASDP car ferry from Sape to Labuan Bajo. Tickets total roughly IDR 270,000–380,000 per person (checked August 2026), but it takes about 1.5–2 days of transit and passes no Komodo islands. The Pelni ship is an even lower single fare of around IDR 150,000–250,000, but it only sails 2–3 times a month.
Is there a direct ferry from Lombok to Flores?
There is no daily direct ferry from Lombok to Labuan Bajo. You either travel overland across Sumbawa and take the ASDP car ferry from Sape to Labuan Bajo, or catch the Pelni passenger ship from Lembar, which calls at Labuan Bajo only 2–3 times a month. The only way to sail the whole Lombok–Flores stretch on one vessel while actually seeing Komodo is a multi-day open trip.
How long does the ASDP ferry from Sape to Labuan Bajo take?
About eight hours. The ASDP car ferry runs once a day, usually leaving Sape mid-morning and arriving in Labuan Bajo in the afternoon (checked August 2026). It is a working car ferry with basic seating and food stalls, not a sightseeing boat, and the economy fare is around IDR 100,000 for a foot passenger. Confirm the day's departure at the harbour counter or on the Ferizy app.
How much is the Pelni ferry from Lombok to Labuan Bajo?
Economy passage on the Pelni KM Tilongkabila from Lembar (Lombok) to Labuan Bajo is roughly IDR 150,000–250,000 (checked August 2026) — the lowest fare of any option. The trade-off is a 24–30 hour passage on a shared economy deck and an infrequent schedule of just 2–3 sailings a month, which you should confirm on pelni.co.id or at the Pelni office in Lembar.
Does a ferry ticket include Komodo National Park?
No. Ferries are point-to-point transport and do not enter Komodo National Park, so ferry passengers see no dragons, Padar or Pink Beach and pay no park fee. To see Komodo you need a boat trip or day trip, and the dated foreigner park ticket costs IDR 650,000 for a multi-day visit (checked August 2026) on top of the boat fare. An open trip includes those Komodo stops in its route.
Is an open trip worth the extra cost over the ferry?
It depends on your goal. If you only need to reach Labuan Bajo for the lowest fare, the ferry is unbeatable on price. But if you want to see the islands, the open trip usually delivers more per rupiah once you add the separate Komodo day trip and park fees the ferry route still needs. From about IDR 2,500,000 per person, an open trip bundles Moyo, Satonda, the Komodo dragons and Padar into the journey west — the ferry gets you there, the open trip is the holiday.