3D2N Komodo Boat Trip from Labuan Bajo: The Full Lamborajo Itinerary, Cabin Guide & Costs

Three days and two nights is the sweet spot for Komodo National Park. Any shorter and you spend most of your time in transit; any longer and you start repeating anchorages. A 3D2N komodo boat trip from labuan bajo gives you the four headline sites — Padar at sunrise, the dragons on Komodo Island, Pink Beach, and Manta Point — plus two nights asleep on calm water between islands, without burning a full week of leave. This guide walks through exactly how the route runs aboard Lamborajo, what each cabin class costs relative to the others, and the practical numbers most first-timers only find out at the harbour.

Why sail this route as a shared trip

Lamborajo I, II, and III run a scheduled Share Trip Komodo Island program: you book a cabin rather than the whole boat, and the vessel fills with other travellers on the same departure. It is the same phinisi, the same route, and the same crew you would get on a private charter — the difference is you split the operating cost across eight to ten cabins instead of carrying it alone. For couples and solo travellers, a komodo open trip 3D2N is usually a third to a fifth of the private-charter price for an identical itinerary.

We operate as part of the Komodo Luxury fleet, a Bali-headquartered yacht operator with its working base in Labuan Bajo and more than a decade running these waters. That matters in practice: departure schedules hold even in shoulder season because bookings pool across the whole fleet, and if weather forces a route change, the captain is coordinating with sister vessels already out in the park, not guessing alone.

Day 1 — Labuan Bajo to Kelor, Rinca and Kalong

Boarding is late morning at Labuan Bajo harbour, a short drive from Komodo Airport (LBJ). Most guests fly in from Bali the same morning — the flight is about seventy minutes — though arriving the evening before removes any risk of a delayed flight costing you the departure.

The first afternoon is deliberately gentle. Lamborajo motors out past Kelor Island for a short, steep hike with a view back across the harbour, then a first swim off the beach. From there the boat crosses to Rinca, the second of the two dragon islands, where rangers lead a walk through dry savanna that usually produces dragon sightings with far fewer visitors than Komodo itself. The day closes at Kalong Island, where tens of thousands of flying foxes pour out of the mangroves at dusk — you watch it from the foredeck with dinner on the way. The boat anchors here overnight.

Day 2 — Padar sunrise, Komodo dragons, Pink Beach, Manta Point

This is the day the whole trip is built around, and it starts before 5 a.m. The crew ferries you ashore at Padar in the dark; the climb to the ridge takes thirty to forty minutes on a stepped trail, and you reach the famous three-bay viewpoint as the light comes up. It is the single most photographed panorama in Indonesia for a reason, and doing it at sunrise means you beat both the heat and the day-trip speedboats that arrive from 8 a.m.

Back on board for breakfast, then across to Komodo Island for the ranger-guided dragon trek at Loh Liang. The dragons here are the largest in the park — adult males over 2.5 metres are common — and the rangers know where they rest through the morning heat. Photography rules are strict and sensible: stay behind the ranger, no sudden movements, no drones without a permit.

The afternoon is water time. Pink Beach, a short cruise from the ranger station, gets its colour from crushed red organ-pipe coral mixed into the sand, and the reef just off the beach is some of the easiest snorkelling in the park. Then Lamborajo repositions to Manta Point, a channel where reef manta rays feed in the current. On a good day you snorkel alongside four or five animals with wingspans over three metres; even on an average day, sightings are more likely than not from roughly November through April. The second night is spent at anchor near Siaba or Taka Makassar depending on conditions.

Day 3 — Taka Makassar, Kanawa, return to Labuan Bajo

The final morning covers Taka Makassar — a crescent of white sand barely above the waterline, essentially a sandbar in open turquoise — and a last snorkel stop at Kanawa or Sebayur, whose house reefs hold turtles and dense coral gardens. Lunch is served on the return crossing, and Lamborajo is back alongside in Labuan Bajo by early-to-mid afternoon, in time for a late flight to Bali or a night in town.

Cabins and price guidance

All three Lamborajo vessels carry four cabin classes, and the price gap between them is smaller than most guests expect — typically 20–40% between the entry class and the top suite on a shared departure:

• Royal Master — the top suite: king bed, panoramic forward or aft windows, en-suite bathroom, the largest private deck access. Book this first; there is only one per boat and it sells out weeks ahead in July–August.
• Master Ocean — queen bed with large sea-view windows and en-suite. The best value-per-rupiah on board for couples.
• Family Ocean View — configured for three to four guests, ideal for families or friend groups who want to share.
• Full Ocean — comfortable double or twin with ocean windows; the entry point into a komodo shared cabin boat trip without giving up air-conditioning or a private bathroom.

Every cabin rate includes all meals, snorkelling equipment, guide, and the tender runs ashore. Rates move with season and departure date, so check the current calendar on our booking section, or compare all boats and dates on the official Komodo Luxury open trip page, which shows fleet-wide 3D2N departures side by side.

The practical numbers

• Park entry: Komodo National Park charges IDR 650,000 per person, paid separately from your cabin rate. Rangers, trekking and snorkelling site fees are folded into this at the park gate.
• Season: the dry season runs April to November — flat seas, reliable visibility, and the savanna on Padar turns golden. December to March brings occasional rain and swell but also the peak of manta season and green hills.
• Payment terms: 50% deposit confirms your cabin; the balance is due 14 days before departure (H-14). This is standard across the Komodo Luxury fleet.
• Getting there: fly to Labuan Bajo (LBJ) from Bali or Jakarta. Morning flights connect comfortably with boarding; the harbour is fifteen minutes from the terminal.
• What to pack: reef-safe sunscreen, a dry bag, trekking shoes for Padar, and cash for park fees and crew gratuity — there is no ATM after you leave the harbour.

Shared trip or private charter?

If your group can fill six or more cabins, run the numbers on chartering an entire Lamborajo vessel privately — you set the schedule, choose the anchorages, and the per-person cost approaches shared-trip rates. Request a private charter quote for Lamborajo I, II, or III directly on this site, or message the fleet desk on WhatsApp at +62 811-3823-875.

FAQ

Is the 3D2N trip suitable for non-swimmers or children?

Yes. Life jackets are provided for every water stop, the crew accompanies snorkellers in the tender, and the Padar and Komodo treks are walkable for children from around six years old. Manta Point has current, so weak swimmers can watch from the tender instead.

Will I definitely see Komodo dragons?

The itinerary visits both Rinca and Komodo, the two islands with resident ranger stations, which pushes sighting probability close to certainty — the rangers track where the animals rest each morning. No operator can guarantee wildlife, but in over a decade of fleet operations, departures without a single dragon sighting are genuinely rare.

How far in advance should I book a cabin?

For July, August and the Christmas–New Year window, book six to eight weeks out — Royal Master and Master Ocean cabins go first. Shoulder-season departures (April–June, September–November) can often be confirmed two to three weeks ahead. A komodo sailing trip 3 days 2 nights is the most-booked format in the park, so the popular dates fill across every boat, not just ours.

Ready to lock in a departure? Choose your cabin in the Share Trip section, or browse the full fleet calendar at komodoluxury.com.

Keep reading

Who Is Aboard: What a Komodo Charter Crew Actually Does All Day Fleet & Charter Guides Cabin Allocation for a Group of 20: Who Sleeps Where on a Komodo Boat Fleet & Charter Guides Karaoke on a Komodo Boat: Why Group Charters Ask About It First Fleet & Charter Guides Shared Bathrooms on a Komodo Boat: What They Are Really Like Fleet & Charter Guides