To see Bali and Lombok in one trip, the easiest plans are 2 to 3 nights on Bali and 3 nights on Lombok for a week, or adding a second Lombok base, the Gili Islands or Sekotong, for 10 days. Between the islands it is about 45 minutes by plane, roughly 2 to 4 hours by fast boat and about 4 to 6 hours by public ferry, so each crossing day takes at least half a day. Spending the night before your international flight back on Bali means a late boat or flight is less likely to cost you that flight.
For this guide we read the flight comparison site Skyscanner, the ferry booking sites Direct Ferries and Ferryhopper, fast boat timetables and Indonesian news reports in October 2026, and used their times and fares to plan how to split your nights. Choosing an area on Bali and sightseeing times there are not covered here.
This guide is for travellers arriving on Bali who want to go on to Lombok, the Gilis or Sekotong, and are unsure how many days they need and in what order to travel.
Information as of October 2026
What this article covers
- ✓How to split nights between the two islands over 7 or 10 days
- ✓Flight, fast boat and public ferry times and fares between Bali and Lombok
- ✓Splitting Lombok nights between the Gili Islands and Sekotong
- ✓Why to be back on Bali the day before your international flight
- ✓Days when travel stops, such as Nyepi
In short
For 7 days, 2 to 3 nights on Bali and 3 on Lombok; for 10 days, add the Gilis or Sekotong for three bases. Fly between the islands if time matters, or take a fast boat straight to the Gilis or Gili Gede. Spend the night before your international flight on Bali.
How many days do you need for both islands?
Seven days (six nights) is enough for both islands, but on Lombok you will need to stick to one area. There are two crossing days, out and back, that each take at least half a day, and those days come out of your time by the sea or in the villages on each island.
With 10 days (nine nights) you can stay in a second place on Lombok, for example two nights on the Gilis and three in Sekotong, to see both a lively island and a quiet beach. On trips of five days or less, travel takes up a large share of the time, and it is calmer to pick one island.
Figure: Example splits by trip length
Plane, fast boat or ferry between the islands?
Flying is the quickest link between Bali (Denpasar) and Lombok. According to Skyscanner (October 2026), the average flight time is about 45 to 47 minutes, with about 70 direct flights a week (52 in another part of the same page) operated by Wings Air and TransNusa. From Lombok International Airport it is about 1 hour 10 minutes by car to Sekotong and about 25 minutes to Kuta Lombok (airport transfer site mytransfers).
To go straight to the Gili Islands, take a fast boat. Between Serangan harbour on Bali and Gili Trawangan, Direct Ferries gives an average of about 3 hours 45 minutes, with about 19 sailings a week. To Gili Gede in the South Gilis, the operator Gili Getaway’s timetable shows about 2 hours from Serangan (times change by day and season). There are also fast boats from Padang Bai in east Bali to Bangsal on Lombok, from about 1 hour 30 minutes on Ferryhopper.
The public ferry is the cheapest option. Padang Bai to Lembar takes about 4 to 6 hours (an average of about 4 hours 30 minutes in a July 2026 report), and the adult fare is Rp65,300 (February 2026 report). Tickets are not sold at the port: they are sold through official outlets and the Ferizy app and website, from 60 days before departure (July 2024 report). Lembar to Sekotong is about 40 minutes by car.
← Scroll sideways to see the whole table
| Option | Time | Fares and frequency | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plane (Denpasar to Lombok) | About 45 to 47 min plus the drive from the airport | 52 to 70 direct flights a week (October 2026) | Saving time; Sekotong or Kuta |
| Fast boat (Serangan to Gili Trawangan) | Average about 3 hr 45 min | About 19 sailings a week, from around US$29 | Going straight to the Gilis |
| Fast boat (Serangan to Gili Gede) | About 2 hr (timetable) | Changes by day and season | South Gilis and Sekotong |
| Public ferry (Padang Bai to Lembar) | About 4 to 6 hr | Adult Rp65,300 | Lower cost; crossing with a vehicle |
Flights from Skyscanner; fast boats from Direct Ferries and the Gili Getaway timetable; ferry from Jawa Pos (July 2026) and Bisnis.com (February 2026).
A 7-day plan: Bali plus one place on Lombok
On a 7-day trip, arrive on Bali on day 1 and stay one night, then cross to Lombok by plane or boat on day 2. Spend days 2 to 4 in Sekotong or on the Gilis, return to Bali on day 5 for two nights, and fly home on day 7. Of your three Lombok nights, the two middle days are the ones you get by the sea.
If you stay in Sekotong, use one of those days for South Gili island hopping and the other for the mainland beaches or the village. On the Gilis, you can stay three nights on Gili Trawangan or Gili Air and take the inter-island boat for a day trip to a neighbouring island. Choose by whether you want liveliness or quiet.
Figure: Example 7-day (6-night) plan
A 10-day plan: both the Gilis and Sekotong
With 10 days you can stay in two places on Lombok. Take a fast boat from Bali straight to the Gilis, stay two to three nights, then return to Lombok from Bangsal harbour and drive to Sekotong, using one boat and one car journey. The boat between the Gilis and Bangsal takes about 30 minutes (Hotels.com guide).
We could not confirm a direct driving time from Bangsal to Sekotong in the sources we opened. For reference, Bangsal to Lombok International Airport is about 65 to 70 km, 1.5 to 2 hours in normal traffic (route guide unchartedlens), and the airport to Sekotong is about 1 hour 10 minutes. Treat that day as a travel day.
You can also do it the other way round: Sekotong first, then the Gilis, and a fast boat from the Gilis back to Bali at the end. In that case, leave at least one day between returning to Bali and your international flight, in case the fast boat is delayed or cancelled.
Be back on Bali the day before your international flight
The main thing to avoid on a two-island trip is missing your international flight because of a delay between the islands. Boats may not sail in bad weather or rough seas, and Ferryhopper notes that the sea between Bali and Lombok can be rough in the rainy season (November to March). If you spend the night before your flight on Bali, a delayed boat or flight that day can still be absorbed.
Even flying between the islands, domestic flights can be delayed or cancelled. If your connection is not on the same ticket, the rules on delays differ by airline, so leave a wider gap.
Take care
- Spend the night before your international flight on Bali; do not cross between the islands on your flight day
- Public ferry tickets are not sold at the port; buy through Ferizy or an official outlet in advance
- On Nyepi (8 March in 2027), the ferries between Bali and Lembar also stop (in 2022, from 6am to 6am the next day)
Days when travel stops, and seasonal notes
On Nyepi, the Balinese new year, movement on Bali comes to a halt, which affects travel plans. In 2027 Nyepi falls on Monday 8 March, followed by Idul Fitri (Lebaran) on 10 and 11 March, with collective leave days on 9, 12 and 15 March (Indonesian Ministry of State Secretariat, 15 September 2026). On Nyepi in 2022, the 26 ferries between Lembar and Padang Bai stopped from 6am to 6am the next day (ANTARA, 3 March 2022). If you travel in early March, do not plan a crossing on Nyepi.
Around Lebaran, domestic travel fills boats and flights. The ferry booking site Ferryhopper recommends booking 2 to 3 weeks ahead in the busy May to September period. In the rainy season the sea is more often rough, so keep a spare day either side of a boat crossing.
A note from Sekotong
If you choose one base on Lombok, decide by time from the airport and what you want to do there. Sekotong is about 1 hour 10 minutes by car from the airport and is about South Gili island hopping and quiet beaches. Semelar Beach Village’s Stay, Things to Do, beach SAKURA CAFE and Getting Here pages cover the stay programme and the route.
Downsides, and who a two-island trip suits
First, the downsides. Combining two islands adds at least two travel days, and boat delays and weather can affect your plans. You also move your luggage through ports and airports more often. If you want long stretches of doing nothing in one place, one island will suit you better.
Still, Bali’s towns and temples and Lombok’s quiet beaches and island seas are very different. If you have been to Bali before and want a different sea, and have seven days or more, combining the two islands works well.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Can I see Bali and Lombok in 7 days?
Yes. Plan on 2 to 3 nights on Bali and 3 on Lombok. On Lombok, sticking to one place, Sekotong or the Gilis, keeps you from spending the trip in transit.
Q. Is it better to fly or take a boat from Bali to Lombok?
Fly (about 45 to 47 minutes) if time matters, take a fast boat to go straight to the Gilis or Gili Gede, and take the public ferry (about 4 to 6 hours, adult Rp65,300) to keep costs down.
Q. Can I fly home directly from Lombok?
Lombok’s only direct international flights are to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, so most long-haul trips connect elsewhere. If you connect on Bali, be back on Bali the day before your international flight.
Q. How many days do I need for both the Gilis and Sekotong?
About 10 days (nine nights): two to three nights on the Gilis, three in Sekotong and about three in total on Bali.
Q. What should I watch for in March?
In 2027, Nyepi is on 8 March and the ferries stop (in 2022 for 24 hours from 6am). Travel around Lebaran on 10 and 11 March is busy. Plan your crossing days around them.
Summary
To see Bali and Lombok in one trip, 7 days means 2 to 3 nights on Bali and 3 on Lombok, and 10 days lets you add the Gilis or Sekotong for three bases. Between the islands it is about 45 to 47 minutes by plane, roughly 2 to 4 hours by fast boat and about 4 to 6 hours by public ferry.
Be back on Bali the day before your international flight, and avoid crossing on Nyepi or around Lebaran. Boat and flight times change, so check with the operators and airlines before you book (as of October 2026).
Related reading
- Bali to Lombok: All RoutesFlight, fast boat and ferry times and prices compared
- Bali to SekotongThe ferry to Lembar and fast boats to Gili Gede
- How Many Nights on the Gili Islands?Sample 1, 2 and 3-night plans
SEMELAR BEACH VILLAGE
Come and spend some time in the Sekotong village we call home
About 1 hour 10 minutes by car from Lombok International Airport. We offer a stay programme of 3 nights/4 days or more, with island trips by local boat and sunsets at SAKURA CAFE. The villas are due to be completed in stages from 2027.
Sources used for this article
- Skyscanner, “Cheap flights from Bali (Denpasar) to Lombok International” (October 2026; average flight time, weekly flights, airlines)https://skyscanner.ie/routes/dps/lop/bali-denpasar-to-lombok-international.html
- Direct Ferries, “Gili Trawangan – Serangan” (average crossing, weekly sailings, operators, fares)https://www.directferries.com/gili_trawangan_serangan_ferry.htm
- Gili Bookings, “Gili Getaway” (Serangan to Gili Gede timetable)https://www.gilibookings.com/gili-getaway
- Ferryhopper, “Ferry from Padang Bai (Bali) to Lombok” (shortest Padang Bai to Bangsal crossing and operators)https://www.ferryhopper.com/en/ferry-routes/direct/padang-bai-lombok
- Ferryhopper, “Ferries Padang Bai” (rainy-season seas, booking ahead in peak season)https://www.ferryhopper.com/en/ferries/indonesia/padang-bai
- Jawa Pos, “Jadwal 7 Kapal Feri Lembar-Padangbai Hari Ini” (July 2026; ferry crossing time)https://www.jawapos.com/wisata-dan-kuliner/2607130478/jadwal-7-kapal-feri-lembar-padangbai-hari-ini-cek-jam-berangkat-dan-harga-tiket
- Bisnis.com, “Mudik Lebaran 2026: ASDP Tebar Diskon Tarif Penyeberangan hingga 50%” (27 February 2026; Lembar to Padang Bai adult fare)https://ekonomi.bisnis.com/read/20260227/98/1956262/mudik-lebaran-2026-asdp-tebar-diskon-tarif-penyeberangan-hingga-50
- ANTARA Jatim, “ASDP cegah calo, 28 pelabuhan di Indonesia terapkan tiket online” (8 July 2024; no ticket sales at ports, Ferizy, 60 days ahead)https://jatim.antaranews.com/berita/799557/asdp-cegah-calo-28-pelabuhan-di-indonesia-terapkan-tiket-online
- Indonesian Ministry of State Secretariat, “Inilah SKB 3 Menteri Libur Nasional dan Cuti Bersama 2027” (15 September 2026; Nyepi and Lebaran dates)https://setneg.go.id/baca/index/inilah_skb_3_menteri_libur_nasional_dan_cuti_bersama_2027
- ANTARA Bali, “26 kapal penyeberangan Lembar-Padangbai stop operasi saat Nyepi” (3 March 2022)https://bali.antaranews.com/berita/271357/26-kapal-penyeberangan-lembar-padangbai-stop-operasi-saat-nyepi
- mytransfers, “Lombok Airport to Kuta Lombok” (distance and time from the airport)https://www.mytransfers.com/en/destination/indonesia/lombok-airport-lop/kuta-lombok/
- unchartedlens, “Bangsal Harbour to Lombok Airport” (distance and time)https://unchartedlens.com/routes/indonesia/bangsal-harbour-to-lombok-airport/
- Hotels.com, “How to Get to Gili Islands and Between Islands” (boat time from Bangsal)https://www.hotels.com/go/indonesia/get-to-gili-islands
