Bali to Lombok: Fast Boat, Public Ferry or Flight?

What is the best way to get from Bali to Lombok?

Choose by where you will sleep. For Kuta Lombok and the south coast, fly from Denpasar to Lombok International. For Senggigi, the north-west or the Gilis, take a fast boat from Serangan or Padang Bai. The public car ferry from Padang Bai to Lembar runs round the clock but takes four to five hours.

Bali and Lombok sit either side of the Lombok Strait, and the three ways across land in very different places. Lombok International Airport is in the centre-south of the island, inland from the Mandalika coast. Fast boats land on the west coast at Senggigi, at Gili Gede in the south-west, or at Bangsal in the north-west, the harbour for the Gili Islands. The public ferry docks at Lembar, south of the capital, Mataram. Pick the arrival point closest to your hotel and most of the decision is made.

The table uses the operators’ and authorities’ published times, checked 25 October 2026. Our Lombok destination guide helps you choose a base first, and the Gili Islands guide covers the islands themselves.

Which fast boat goes where on Lombok?

Gili Getaway sails once a day from Serangan, near Sanur, to Gili Gede, Senggigi, the Gilis and Bangsal. Boats from Padang Bai in east Bali, such as Ekajaya, reach Gili Trawangan in about 90 minutes and continue to Bangsal and Senggigi. Choose the operator by its Lombok landing, not the cheapest fare.

Gili Getaway’s published route table shows one daily departure from Serangan at 08:00, reaching Gili Gede at 10:15, Senggigi at 11:00, Gili Trawangan at 11:45, Gili Air at 12:15 and Bangsal at 12:30 (checked 25 October 2026). The return leaves Bangsal at 12:30 and Senggigi at 13:15 and reaches Serangan at 16:15. It charges extra for surfboard bags: IDR 100,000 for a single-board bag and IDR 200,000 for a multi-board bag, each way.

Ekajaya’s schedule lists Padang Bai departures calling at Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, Gili Air, Bangsal and Senggigi, with an 08:00 sailing from Padang Bai reaching Gili Trawangan at 09:30 and check-in an hour before. Padang Bai is on Bali’s east coast, so add the drive from your hotel before comparing it with Serangan.

Bangsal is the harbour for the Gilis and the north-west. Senggigi is the main resort area on Lombok’s west coast. Gili Gede is a small island off the Sekotong peninsula in the south-west. If you are heading for Kuta Lombok on the south coast, none of these landings is close, so compare a flight.

How does the public ferry from Padang Bai to Lembar work?

Car ferries sail round the clock between Padang Bai in east Bali and Lembar in south-west Lombok, from ports run by state ferry company ASDP. The crossing averages about four and a half hours, and tickets are sold online through ASDP’s Ferizy system. It suits drivers, riders and slow travellers more than holidaymakers.

A schedule issued by West Nusa Tenggara’s land transport authority (BPTD Kelas II NTB) in July 2026 put the average crossing at about 4 hours 30 minutes, with at least 13 ferries working the route each day around the clock (JawaPos, 14 July 2026). Queues and loading can stretch that: in June 2026, ASDP added ships after vehicle queues to Padang Bai reached about three kilometres, when another Bali–Lombok vehicle route stopped running (RRI, 15 June 2026).

ASDP moved Padang Bai to web-based ticketing at trip.ferizy.com in August 2023 and extended it to Lembar days later. Tickets can be bought up to 60 days before departure, and ASDP advised buying at least a day ahead so they do not sell out (Kontan, 28 August 2023). Book on Ferizy.

Lembar is a working port with no resort area, so arrange your onward transport before you sail, especially if you will arrive at night. With a hire car or motorbike, this ferry is the way across: fast boats carry passengers only.

On Nyepi, Bali’s Day of Silence, the crossing stops. In 2022, all 26 ferries on the route halted for 24 hours from 06:00 (Antara); our Nyepi guide gives the next date.

Is flying from Bali to Lombok worth it?

Yes, if you are staying on Lombok’s south coast or travelling with a lot of luggage. The flight from Denpasar is short, and Lombok International sits in the island’s centre-south, the nearest arrival point for Kuta Lombok and Mandalika. For Senggigi or the Gilis, a direct fast boat usually saves a long road transfer.

Indonesia’s tourism ministry puts the Bali–Lombok flight at about 25 minutes (Indonesia Travel), and 12Go listed Citilink, Wings Air, Super Air Jet and TransNusa among the airlines on the route on 25 October 2026. Add check-in at Denpasar, bag collection and the road at the Lombok end before comparing it with a boat.

Low-cost tickets often include little or no checked baggage, so price the bag before you choose; our cabin bag size guide lists hand-luggage limits by airline. A flight is also the steadier option in rough weather, when fast boats can be cancelled.

For a south-coast stay, compare hotels in Kuta Lombok and Mandalika before booking the flight; our Lombok guide explains how the coasts differ.

Are fast boats between Bali and Lombok safe?

Boats make dozens of crossings a day, but the strait can be rough and standards vary. The UK Foreign Office warns that sea conditions can change rapidly and vessels can be overloaded. Check for life jackets, avoid sailing after dark, and let the operator cancel without arguing: a lost day is cheaper than a bad crossing.

The FCDO’s Indonesia safety advice says sea conditions can change rapidly, vessels can be crowded and overloaded, and life jackets for children are not always available. Look at the boat before boarding and ask where the life jackets are. In 12Go’s published reviews of Bali–Gili boats in 2026, the recurring complaints were rough seas, delays and late hotel pick-ups, so build slack into the day.

BMKG’s maritime forecast shows wave heights for the Lombok Strait, but the operator and harbour authorities decide whether a boat sails. If your boat is cancelled, ask whether the ticket moves to the next day or is refunded, and get the answer in writing.

Check that your travel insurance covers boat travel and missed connections before you go; our travel insurance comparison explains what to look for.

What should you check before booking a Bali–Lombok crossing?

Check where the boat lands on Lombok, where it picks up in Bali, the check-in time, the luggage rules and what happens if the sea cancels the sailing. For flights, check the bag allowance and the road at the Lombok end. Then compare the final totals, including transfers, not the headline fares.

If you book through 12Go, the ticket names the operator; save the operator’s phone number too, because on the day the operator runs the boat. Our Bali fast boats guide lists the questions to ask any operator.

• Lombok landing: Bangsal, Senggigi, Gili Gede, Lembar or the airport
• Bali pick-up zone, and whether hotel transfers are included
• Check-in time at the harbour: Ekajaya asks for an hour before departure
• Luggage limits and surfboard fees
• The cancellation and weather policy, in writing
• A buffer night before an international flight home from Bali

What changes on the way back from Lombok to Bali?

Two things. Bali charges international tourists a one-off Rp150,000 levy, payable on the official Love Bali site or at counters at Bali’s airport and port, so pay it before you arrive if you have not already. And on Nyepi, Bali’s Day of Silence, ferries, flights and boats into Bali stop for a day.

The Love Bali FAQ sets the levy at Rp150,000 per international tourist, payable once while travelling in Bali; if you paid it at the start of your trip, keep the emailed voucher. Our money in Indonesia guide covers the payment methods and exemptions.

If you are flying home from Bali, take a morning boat back or come back the day before. Gili Getaway’s published return reaches Serangan at 16:15, and the road from the harbour to Denpasar airport can be slow. A missed international flight costs far more than a night in Sanur.