Bali to Lombok Day Trip: Is It Possible? A Realistic Itinerary and Who It Suits

4 October 2026

Many travellers staying in Bali wonder whether they can spare part of their trip for a side trip to Lombok, or even squeeze in an overnight visit.

The short answer: a day trip by plane is possible on paper, but the realistic range you can actually cover is from the airport area to around Kuta Lombok (Mandalika). A day trip by fast boat is realistically limited to Padang Bai–Gili Trawangan; if you want to include Sekotong or the South Gili islands, it’s much less stressful to plan on at least one overnight stay.

This article is based only on flight schedules between Denpasar (Bali) and Lombok International Airport and fast-boat timetables from Padang Bai, checked directly on the official sites of the airlines and boat operators and on specialist schedule-tracking sites. Fares and the number of services change by season and day of the week, so figures here are given as approximate ranges.

This article is written for travellers currently in Bali who are considering whether they can fit in a visit to Lombok, and for anyone planning a trip who wants to know whether a day trip or overnight visit to Lombok is realistic.

Information as of September 2026

What this article covers

✓Whether a day trip works on the timetable, by plane and by fast boat
✓Roughly how many flights and how long they take between Denpasar and Lombok International Airport (as of September 2026)
✓Operating hours and journey time for fast boats from Padang Bai
✓Two sample overnight itineraries (staying on Gili Trawangan / staying in Sekotong)
✓Rough costs for a day trip vs. an overnight trip, and who each option suits

Bottom line

As far as could be confirmed as of September 2026, flights between Denpasar and Lombok International Airport take roughly 40–55 minutes each way, with more than 20 flights a day in both directions combined, so a day trip is possible if you time it well. That said, the realistic area you can cover is from the airport to around Kuta Lombok. Fast boats from Padang Bai to Gili Trawangan take roughly 1.5–2 hours each way, and a day trip crossing on a morning boat and returning on an afternoon boat can be arranged — but reaching Sekotong or the South Gili islands requires further boat and car connections, leaving almost no time on the ground for a same-day trip.

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A day trip by plane is possible on the timetable

As of September 2026, flights between Denpasar (Bali) and Lombok International Airport are operated by two airlines, Wings Air and TransNusa. Flight time varies by service — some take around 40 minutes, others 50–55 minutes. Combined, both directions add up to more than 20 flights a day: from Denpasar to Lombok, the first flight leaves in the early morning (around 7am) and the last around 6:55pm; from Lombok to Denpasar, the first departs at 7am and the last around 8pm.

With this schedule, a day trip is possible on paper — for example, flying to Lombok on an early-morning service around 7am and returning to Bali on an evening flight. That said, check-in, security and baggage collection all take time, so in practice you’d have only a few net hours to spend on Lombok. The realistic range is from around the airport to Kuta Lombok (Mandalika); heading further to a southwestern coastal area like Sekotong would add over an hour’s drive each way, which risks missing your return flight.

Fares vary widely by date and airline — flight search sites show one-way fares from as low as around £28 (as of September 2026), though busy dates or last-minute bookings can be considerably more expensive. Availability can be tight, so if you’re planning a day trip it’s safer to book your flights in advance.

By fast boat, Gili Trawangan is the realistic day-trip range

Several operators run fast boats from Padang Bai (a port on Bali’s east coast) to Gili Trawangan. Journey time varies by operator, but roughly 1.5–2 hours is typical. One operator’s timetable has a boat leaving Padang Bai at 8:30am and reaching Gili Trawangan about 1.5 hours later, with return sailings the same day at 10:30am and noon from Gili Trawangan, arriving back in Padang Bai around 12:45pm and 2:15pm.

Diagram: Journey time compared (plane vs. fast boat)

Diagram note: journey times are approximate, as confirmed in September 2026.

With this timing, you’d have around 2 hours on Gili Trawangan, but with a different operator whose return sailing leaves around 1pm, that can stretch to roughly 3–4 hours. Either way, a same-day round trip is possible if you cross on a morning boat and return in the early-to-mid afternoon.

The drive from South Bali’s tourist areas to Padang Bai port is said to take around 50 minutes to 1.5 hours, and can take longer depending on traffic. You’ll need to leave early to make the boat’s departure time. Sailing times and frequency vary by operator and season, so if you’re considering a day trip, check each company’s timetable just before you go.

Fares also vary by operator, roughly US$22–39 one-way (around US$28 on average). Sailings can be cancelled or significantly delayed in rough weather, which would disrupt your same-day return — worth keeping in mind.

A note of caution

Timetables and frequency change often: both flight and fast-boat schedules can shift with the season or an operator’s own circumstances. Always check the airline’s or boat company’s official site for the latest schedule just before you leave.
Watch out for cancellations in rough weather: fast boats can be cancelled or delayed depending on sea conditions. If your return boat is cancelled, you may not be able to get back the same day, so build some slack into your schedule.

Why Sekotong and the South Gili islands don’t suit a day trip

Getting from Gili Trawangan onward to Sekotong or the South Gili islands means connecting to another boat and/or car. Whether you cross to a port on the Lombok mainland and continue by car, or take a different boat around to the south, the connections add time either way. It’s also worth comparing the full range of routes from Bali to Lombok.

Given that a Padang Bai day trip leaves you with at most 2–4 hours on the ground, adding a further connection all the way to Sekotong and back simply isn’t realistic within a single day. If your trip includes Sekotong or the South Gili islands, flying into Lombok International Airport and continuing by car from there gives a much more predictable journey time.

In practice, a fast-boat day trip from Padang Bai means a trip that only sees Gili Trawangan. If you want to include Sekotong or the South Gili islands, planning for at least one overnight stay saves you from being at the mercy of the connections.

← Scroll sideways to see the full table

Item	Plane (Denpasar–Lombok Int’l Airport)	Fast boat (Padang Bai–Gili Trawangan)
Approx. journey time	~40–55 minutes	~1.5–2 hours
Approx. daily flights/sailings	20+ combined, both directions	Several per operator, mostly morning to midday
Approx. one-way fare	From around £28 (varies widely by season)	Around US$22–39
Realistic day-trip range	Airport area to around Kuta Lombok	Gili Trawangan only

*Journey times, frequency and fares are approximate as confirmed in September 2026, and vary by season, day of the week and operator.

An overnight stay opens up more ways to get there

Even one night on the ground opens up your options considerably. Here are two sample itineraries: one staying on Gili Trawangan, and one staying in Sekotong. Both assume the services confirmed as of September 2026 — actual schedules vary by season.

Sample itinerary 1: overnight on Gili Trawangan
Day 1: take a morning fast boat from Padang Bai (around 8am) and arrive on Gili Trawangan about 1.5 hours later. Spend the afternoon on the beach or exploring the island, and stay overnight there. Day 2: spend the morning on the island, then take a boat back to Padang Bai around noon or from 1pm onward. Even including the drive back to South Bali, you can be back by evening.

Diagram: Sample itinerary 1 — an overnight on Gili Trawangan

Diagram note: an example based on services confirmed as of September 2026.

Sample itinerary 2: overnight in Sekotong
Day 1: fly from Denpasar to Lombok International Airport on a morning flight (around 7am), then drive from the airport to Sekotong (roughly 1 hour 10 minutes). Spend the afternoon in the area and stay overnight. Day 2: explore the surroundings in the morning, head back to the airport in the afternoon, and fly back to Bali on an evening or later flight.

Rough costs

For a day trip by plane, on top of the round-trip airfare you’ll have transport from the airport, meals and so on. Fares vary widely — some days you can find a one-way ticket for a modest amount, while last-minute bookings can run much higher.

For a day trip by fast boat, on top of the roughly US$22–39 one-way boat fare, you’ll have return transport to and from Padang Bai port. An overnight trip adds accommodation on top of that — as covered in the cost and prices of travelling in Lombok, accommodation costs vary a great deal by type of lodging, so it’s hard to give a single rough figure.

On either route, fares and accommodation costs tend to rise during peak season and on weekends. If your schedule allows it, choosing weekdays makes it easier to keep costs down.

A note from Sekotong

If you’re doing a day trip or overnight trip to Lombok, the first thing to decide is whether you’ll use the plane or the fast boat for both legs of the journey. Combining the two — say, going by boat and coming back by plane — tends to complicate your connections, since the port and the airport are some distance apart. It’s easier to plan if you first settle on one mode of transport for the round trip, and then work backward from there to figure out how much time you’ll have on the ground. If you’re heading somewhere like Sekotong, where getting there by car from the airport is a given, checking the first and last flight times in advance makes it much easier to gauge how much time you’ll actually have there.

Beyond the day trip, there’s a place called Sekotong

Honestly, Sekotong isn’t a place you can enjoy at a relaxed pace on a day trip, or even in one night. It’s about an hour’s drive from the airport, and covering the South Gili islands as well would mean even more travel. If you want to visit a lot of places efficiently on a short schedule, it honestly isn’t the best fit.

Even so, some travellers head to Sekotong for two nights or more, drawn by the quiet of a fishing village and its closeness to the sea — a different feel from a lively island like Gili Trawangan. If you just want a taste of Lombok on a day trip or one overnight, stopping at Gili Trawangan is the realistic choice; if you have a bit more time and want somewhere quieter, an area like Sekotong in the southwest is worth considering.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Can you really do a day trip from Bali to Lombok by plane?

Yes, on the timetable. You can take the first flight to Lombok and return before the last flight, but in practice you’ll only have a few net hours to spend on Lombok, and the realistic range is from the airport area to around Kuta Lombok.

Q. Can you do a day trip to Gili Trawangan by fast boat?

Yes — take a morning boat from Padang Bai and return on an afternoon boat, and the round trip is doable. How much time you get on the island depends on which sailings you use, roughly 2–4 hours, and rough weather can bring cancellations or delays.

Q. Can you also reach Sekotong or the South Gili islands on a day trip?

Not realistically. You’d need further boat and car connections beyond Gili Trawangan, which makes a round trip difficult within the short time a day trip allows. It’s best to plan on at least one overnight stay.

Q. Which suits a day trip better, plane or fast boat?

If you just want a brief look at the airport area or Kuta Lombok, the plane is better; if you want to experience the feel of Gili Trawangan, the fast boat suits better. The right transport depends on where you’re headed.

Q. For an overnight trip, should I use the plane or the fast boat?

It depends where you’re staying. For a night on Gili Trawangan, use the fast boat; for a night in Sekotong, flying in and driving from the airport is the assumption. Using different transport for the outward and return legs tends to complicate your connections, so it’s best to settle on your destination first.

Summary

A day trip from Bali to Lombok is possible on the timetable if you fly, but the area you can reach is limited to the airport area through to around Kuta Lombok. A day trip by fast boat is realistically limited to Padang Bai–Gili Trawangan; if you want to include Sekotong or the South Gili islands, planning for at least one overnight stay is the less stressful option.

Diagram: Plane or fast boat — which suits you?

Diagram note: the right transport depends on where you’re headed.

Since flight and boat schedules and fares change by season, check the airline’s or operator’s official information for the latest timetable before you travel. Deciding on your destination first, then working backward to your transport and time on the ground, makes it much easier to put together a workable itinerary.