Lembar Cruise Port, Lombok: Half-Day and Full-Day Shore Plans

20 October 20261 November 2026

“Our cruise stops at Lombok, but where is the port and what can we do there?” “Should we book the cruise line’s shore excursion or hire our own car?” “Can we reach Sekotong or the South Gili islands from the port?” These are the questions people start with when their itinerary includes a day in Lombok.

In short, cruise ships dock at Gili Mas Port (Pelabuhan Gili Mas), part of Lembar Port in southwest Lombok. There are few sights right around the port, and anywhere you go takes at least 40 minutes by car. With half a day, Sekotong or Mataram is realistic. With a full day, you can reach Senggigi or Kuta Mandalika. Sekotong, about 40 minutes away by car, is one of the closest destinations to the port.

This article is based on pages we opened and read: the official pages of the cruise lines (Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and Holland America Line) and news reports on figures from the state port operator. We give shore excursion prices only where they appeared on a cruise line’s own page, and we do not give other prices or the timing of the cruise season. It is written for people whose itinerary includes Lombok and who are planning that day ashore.

As of October 2026

What this article covers

✓Where Gili Mas Port is, and how many cruise ships call there
✓One-way drive times from the port to Sekotong, Mataram, Senggigi and Kuta
✓Cruise line shore excursions: what they include, how long they take, and prices from official pages
✓How to plan a half day or a full day, and what to watch for if you hire your own car
✓Whether you can reach Sekotong or the South Gili islands on a port day

The short answer

Cruise ships dock at Gili Mas Port in Lembar. One-way drive times from the port are about 40 minutes to Sekotong, about 45 minutes to Mataram, about 1 hour to Senggigi and about 1 hour 30 minutes to Kuta. Cruise line shore excursions run about 3.5 to 8 hours, from US$49.95 per person on the official page we checked (October 2026). With half a day, go to Sekotong or Mataram. With a full day, Senggigi or Kuta. The three northern Gilis are a long trip, and we did not find them on the cruise lines’ excursion lists.

Contents

Where do cruise ships dock in Lombok?

Cruise ships calling at Lombok dock at Gili Mas Port in Lembar, West Lombok Regency, in the southwest of the island. Royal Caribbean says “Cruise ships usually dock at Lembar Port, on Lombok’s west coast,” and Princess Cruises says “Your ship docks at Lembar Harbor on the island’s southwest coast.” The Princess page also notes that “the port location is subject to change,” and asks guests to check itinerary details after booking.

Gili Mas Port was developed by the state port company Pelindo as a port that can also take cruise ships. The Jakarta Post (December 2018) reported the plan at the time: cruise ships up to 400 metres long carrying 4,000 passengers could dock, and the same jetty could fit two smaller ships. Lembar is also the port for the public ferry to Padangbai in Bali. For ferry services and road transport from the port, see our Lembar Port guide.

The number of calls has grown each year. According to IDXChannel (January 2026), port operator Pelindo Multi Terminal counted 22 cruise ships at Gili Mas in 2024 (about 70,000 visitors) and 24 in 2025 (85,000), with 25 calls scheduled for 2026. On 2 January 2026, Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas arrived with 4,684 passengers and was reported to be in port from 07:00 to 23:00 (WITA). Passengers were said to come mainly from Europe, Australia, India and Asia.

Which ships call and when can only be checked on the cruise lines’ itineraries. For example, Royal Caribbean’s page lists a 15-night sailing from Sydney to Singapore on Voyager of the Seas that includes Lombok, and the Princess Cruises page lists several voyages with Lombok, including a 37-day Circle Pacific voyage from Tokyo to Sydney. We could not confirm the overall timing or frequency of calls from official sources.

How long does it take to get from the port to other areas?

Lembar is a port town away from the island’s main centres, and there are not many sights around the port. Our own estimates, based on a private transfer company’s figures, put the drive from Lembar Port at about 24 km and 45 minutes to central Mataram, about 32 km and about 40 minutes to Sekotong, about 37 km and 50 minutes to Lombok International Airport, and about 50 km and 1 hour 30 minutes to Kuta Lombok. Princess Cruises describes Senggigi as “about an hour’s drive north from the port area.”

Figure: One-way drive times from Lembar Port

Sekotong, Mataram and Kuta: our estimates based on a private transfer company’s figures. Senggigi: Princess Cruises. Times vary with traffic and rain (October 2026).

ANTARA (January 2026) reported that cruise passengers spend 8 to 13 hours ashore, that most sleep on board, and that the trip from Gili Mas to the main tourist areas is relatively long. If you go somewhere 1 hour 30 minutes away, the round trip alone takes 3 hours. The basic rule for a port day is to work back from the all-aboard time and narrow your plans to one or two places.

What shore excursions do the cruise lines offer?

The shore excursions we found on the cruise lines’ official pages mostly combine Mataram’s town and temples, craft villages, Senggigi’s beach, Kuta Mandalika in the south, and villages and beaches in Sekotong. The Princess Cruises list for Lombok (checked October 2026) showed the following six. Prices are the lowest per-adult prices shown.

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Shore excursion (Princess)	Duration	Price (per adult, from)
Sekotong Village and Sundancer Beach	3.5 hours	US$69.95
Craft Villages of Lombok	4 hours	US$69.95
Mataram Highlights	5 hours	US$89.95
Senggigi On Your Own	5 hours	US$49.95
Cultures of Lombok and Senggigi Beach	8 hours	US$139.95
Sasak Traditional Houses, Crafts Villages and Kuta Beach	8 hours	US$139.95

As shown on the Princess Cruises official page (checked October 2026). Prices may change.

Royal Caribbean says “Most Lombok excursions are four to six hours” and lists Ampenan old town, a mosque and a shopping mall; Mataram’s temple complex, pearl shopping and the Museum of West Nusa Tenggara; Sekotong village and Cocotinus Beach; and the beach at Mandalika (no prices were shown). Holland America Line’s page listed half-day and full-day private touring by car, minivan or minibus (no prices were shown).

Prices for similar tours vary widely between cruise lines. Norwegian Cruise Line’s “Sekotong Villages and Sundancer Beach” takes about 4 hours and starts at US$174.90 per adult (US page, checked October 2026). Check the content and price on your own cruise line’s page before you book.

Where can you go with half a day?

With half a day (4 to 5 hours), Sekotong or Mataram, 40 to 45 minutes from the port each way, is realistic. Tours toward Mataram mostly cover temples, the museum, craft shops and a shopping mall. We describe the town in Senggigi vs. Mataram.

Sekotong is about quiet time in fishing villages and on the beach. Norwegian Cruise Line’s description has guests watch rice straw and Kunai grass being woven into roof panels at a workshop in Sekotong village, followed by free time at Sundancer Beach near the southwestern tip of Lombok. The same page says: “We do not recommend swimming at Sundancer Beach due to the presence of many sea urchins in the area.” If you plan to swim, check first whether you can swim at the beach you are going to.

You can also stay near the port. According to IDXChannel, the Gili Mas terminal has a provincial products market (NTB Mall) and stalls for small West Lombok businesses. On a hot day, or if someone in your group has limited mobility, a day near the port is a reasonable choice.

How far can you go with a full day?

On a long call (8 hours or more), you can reach Senggigi’s beach or Kuta Mandalika in the south. The 8-hour Princess excursions go to these two areas. Kuta is about 1 hour 30 minutes each way, so allow 3 hours for the round trip. Even with 8 hours in port, that leaves about 4 to 5 hours on the ground.

Gili Trawangan and the other two northern Gilis are a long way for a port day. Senggigi is about an hour north of the port by car, Bangsal Harbour, where boats leave for the three Gilis, is further on, and then you still take a boat. We could not confirm the drive time from Lembar Port to Bangsal Harbour. We also did not find any trips to the three Gilis on the Princess Cruises or Royal Caribbean excursion lists we checked. IDXChannel lists the three Gilis among passengers’ destinations, but given the risk of missing the ship, they are not a good choice for a first port day.

Figure: Three ways to spend a port day

Based on the Princess Cruises official page, IDXChannel (January 2026) and our Lembar Port guide (October 2026).

What should you watch for if you hire your own car?

Instead of a cruise line excursion, you can hire your own car and driver. You get to choose where to go and where to stop, but getting back to the ship on time is entirely your responsibility.

Watch out

Book the car in advance: There are few ride-hailing cars around Lembar Port and toward Sekotong, and you may not get one. Before the day, book a car with a set pick-up time and place and a set return time.
Work back from the all-aboard time: Check the all-aboard time in the ship’s daily programme, and plan to be back at the port about an hour early to allow for traffic and rain. Check your cruise line’s rules on what happens if you are late from an independent tour.
Agree a total price: Before you set off, agree on the hours, the stops, and whether parking, entrance fees and the driver’s meal are included, as one total price.
Allow more time in the rainy season: Lombok’s rainy season runs from November to March. Roads get slower in the rain, and some days boats to the islands do not go out.

Payment is mostly in rupiah cash. Small shops, village stalls and boatmen often take cash only, so bring what you need in small notes. Where cards and QRIS work and how to change money are covered in Lombok Money and Payments.

Can you reach Sekotong or the South Gili islands on a port day?

Sekotong is about 40 minutes from the port by car, one of the closer destinations for a port day. IDXChannel lists Sekotong among cruise passengers’ destinations, and Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line all offer excursions to villages and beaches in Sekotong.

To reach the South Gili islands off Sekotong (Gili Nanggu, Gili Sudak, Gili Kedis and others), you charter a boat from a jetty on the mainland. Our Sekotong Boat Charter Guide gives about 15 to 20 minutes from the jetties around Tawun to Gili Nanggu, and Rp350,000 to Rp600,000 per boat (about US$20 to US$34 at US$1 = about Rp17,800) for a half-day trip to three islands (estimates as of August 2026). Adding the drive from the port, a call of 8 hours or more leaves time for one or two islands. We could not confirm the drive time from Lembar Port to the Tawun jetties.

If you want to go to the islands on a port day, book both the car and the boat in advance through one contact. Boats do not go out in rough seas, so have a back-up plan to spend the time on a mainland beach. The sea is often calmer in the morning, which is worth keeping in mind when you set the boat time.

A note from Sekotong

In Sekotong, an area name alone is not always enough for a driver to find a beach or jetty. If you hire your own car, send the driver the name of the beach or jetty and a map pin, not just the area name. Time is short on a port day, so it is better to drop one stop and keep about an hour of margin before the all-aboard time.

Lombok’s drawbacks as a port of call, and who Sekotong suits

As a port of call, Lombok does not have a town or famous sights right outside the port. Everywhere is at least 40 minutes away by car, and the better-known places, like the three northern Gilis, are the furthest. If you want to see many sights in a short time, it may feel like a thin port of call.

On the other hand, Sekotong, close to the port, still has fishing village life and quiet beaches. We, Semelar Beach Village, run a beach cafe (SAKURA CAFE, 10:00 to 22:00, closed Mondays), a market and a beach club with local Sasak people in a fishing village in Sekotong. The village is about 40 minutes by car from Lembar Port and about 1 hour 10 minutes from Lombok International Airport.

A few hours on a port day show only part of the quiet of the South Gili islands. If the call makes you curious, you can come back and stay. Our 13 private villas are under construction, with the first one due to be finished in early 2027 (plan as of August 2026). What you can book now is a stay programme of 3 to 5 nights (Rp4,800,000 per person, about US$270, including airport transfers, transport during the stay, a guide, a welcome dinner and a massage; flights and accommodation are separate). For the differences between the islands, see The South Gilis off Sekotong.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Are Gili Mas Port and Lembar Port different ports?

Gili Mas is the port in Lembar that was developed to take cruise ships. Cruise line pages often call it “Lembar Port,” and both names refer to the same area. Check the port name shown on your ship’s itinerary.

Q. Can I visit Gili Trawangan on a port day?

Senggigi is about an hour from the port by car, and you take the boat from Bangsal Harbour beyond it, so the round trip is long. We did not find trips to the three Gilis on the cruise line excursion lists we checked. Given the risk of missing the ship, it is not a good choice for a port day.

Q. Is there a beach for swimming near the port?

We could not confirm a swimming beach right next to the port. The beaches toward Sekotong are about 40 minutes away by car. Norwegian Cruise Line does not recommend swimming at Sundancer Beach because of sea urchins, and conditions differ from beach to beach.

Q. Do shore excursions cost the same on every cruise line?

No. For similar Sekotong village and beach tours, Princess Cruises showed 3.5 hours from US$69.95 and Norwegian Cruise Line about 4 hours from US$174.90 (both checked October 2026). Check your own cruise line’s page.

Q. Do I need cash for shopping on a port day?

Village stalls, small shops and boatmen often take cash only, so bring rupiah in small notes. Some places, such as malls, accept cards or QRIS.

Summary

Cruise ships calling at Lombok dock at Gili Mas Port in Lembar, in the southwest of the island. One-way drive times from the port are about 40 minutes to Sekotong, about 45 minutes to Mataram, about 1 hour to Senggigi and about 1 hour 30 minutes to Kuta, so every trip involves some travel (October 2026).

With half a day, go to Sekotong or Mataram. With a full day, Senggigi or Kuta. Cruise line shore excursions run about 3.5 to 8 hours, and prices vary widely between lines. If you hire your own car, fix the pick-up and return times in advance and keep about an hour of margin before the all-aboard time. The three northern Gilis are far for a port day, while Sekotong and the South Gili islands, close to the port, let you see a fishing village coast even in a short time.