Getting from Lombok Airport to Sekotong: Transfers, Taxis, and Ride-Hailing Apps Compared

3 October 2026

You’ve landed at Lombok International Airport — now what? Is there a taxi at the airport? Can you use Grab? How much will it cost? The closer your arrival date gets, the more these practical questions come up.

The short answer: there are four main ways to get to Sekotong. Your accommodation’s pickup service, the airport’s official taxi, a ride-hailing app (Grab or GoCar), or a chartered car. Sekotong sits in the southwest, away from the airport, and there’s no public bus (DAMRI) route there, so you’ll need to decide on your transport in advance. Travel time varies by destination, but plan on roughly 1 to 2 hours.

This article is based on information we could actually verify from Lombok International Airport’s official site, reporting on the airport’s transport expansion, and private transfer booking sites. The airport’s official site doesn’t publish a fare table for the Sekotong route, so we couldn’t confirm exact regular-taxi pricing there. Since rates and operating hours change, treat this as a guide current as of September 2026.

This is written for travelers heading to southwest Sekotong on Lombok (also a gateway to the southern Gili islands), whether you’re arriving via Bali or flying directly into Lombok.

As of September 2026

What this article covers

✓The route and road conditions from the airport to Sekotong
✓The differences between accommodation pickup, airport taxis, Grab/GoCar, and chartered cars, and how to choose
✓Rough travel times (about 1 to 2 hours depending on your destination)
✓Rough fares, as far as we could confirm
✓What to watch for with late-night arrivals, early departures, or traveling with kids or lots of luggage

Bottom line

As of September 2026, there’s no public bus route from Lombok International Airport to Sekotong, so you’ll need to choose in advance among accommodation pickup, the airport’s official taxi, a ride-hailing app (Grab or GoCar), or a chartered car. Travel time runs about 1 to 2 hours depending on your destination. The official airport taxi uses zone- or meter-based pricing, while a private transfer booking runs from around US$45 for a car, as a rough guide. If you’re arriving late at night, the airport taxi counter may be closed, so it’s safer to arrange transport in advance.

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The route from the airport to Sekotong

Lombok International Airport (Praya International Airport, code LOP) is in Praya, in the middle of the island. Sekotong is in the southwest, on the coast northwest of the airport. The typical route heads west from the airport, passes through towns like Kripang and Gerung in west Lombok, continues on toward the port town of Lembar, then follows the coast south into Sekotong.

The main stretches are paved, but the closer you get to Sekotong and the southern Gili islands, the less developed some sections of road are said to be. Existing guidance recommends avoiding travel after sunset and allowing plenty of daylight time for the trip. Our detailed guide to Sekotong itself is also worth a look.

In a YouTube video from our team (published March 2026), Hiroki Nakamura, who runs a business in Sekotong, explained that the current route goes north toward Mataram first, then west. There’s also a road that runs more directly from the Kuta (Mandalika) side to Sekotong, but he said its surface is in poor condition and it isn’t used much (video).

According to the airport’s official site, the public bus (DAMRI) departing the airport runs routes toward Mataram, Ampenan, Senggigi, and Selong, but we found no route toward Sekotong. To get to Sekotong, you’ll need a private vehicle, taxi, ride-hailing app, or chartered car.

Choosing how to get there

There are four main ways to reach Sekotong. Here’s how each one works and when it fits. Our Lombok transportation guide also covers ride-hailing apps and chartered cars in more detail for the island as a whole.

Accommodation pickup is arranged by many properties on advance request. For a destination as far as Sekotong, it helps to send your flight number and arrival time via messaging app beforehand, so meeting up on the day goes smoothly. The airport’s official taxi has a counter in the arrivals lobby (domestic side), operated by the KSU Lombok Baru cooperative on a zone- or meter-based system. Since February 2025, Blue Bird taxis have also joined here. The counter is said to operate from 7am to 5pm, so arrivals outside that window may not be able to use it.

Ride-hailing apps (Grab and GoCar) have operated officially at the airport since June 2021 (Grab Car) and December 2024 (GoCar), with a dedicated Grab pickup area set up as well. That said, some reports suggest ride-hailing coverage isn’t consistently reliable in outlying areas like Sekotong — a car showing up on the app doesn’t guarantee you can actually get a ride.

A chartered car comes with a driver, rented by the day. As a rough guide for Lombok as a whole, a 10–12 hour charter including fuel starts from around Rp500,000–700,000 (about US$28–39, based on US$1 ≈ Rp17,800 as of September 2026). Some operators can arrange a one-way trip from the airport to Sekotong alone, but same-day, walk-up bookings are difficult — advance reservation is generally required.

← Scroll to see the full table

Item	Accommodation pickup	Airport taxi	Grab / GoCar	Chartered car
Advance booking	Needed (share flight details beforehand)	Not needed (on-site counter, 7am–5pm)	Booked via app (needs a local SIM, etc.)	Needed (best by the day before)
Rough fare	Varies by property (ask directly)	Zone/meter-based (no published fare table for Sekotong)	App-quoted fare (dispatch to Sekotong can be unreliable)	About Rp500,000–700,000 per day
Best for	When your arrival time is fixed	Arrivals within counter hours (7am–5pm)	Travel from areas near central Mataram	Late-night arrivals, heavy luggage, or larger groups

*Information as far as we could confirm as of September 2026. See the main text for details on each option.

How long does it take?

Travel time from the airport to Sekotong varies depending on which village you’re headed to and road conditions. To our villa — on the beach in Sekotong’s fishing village — it’s about 1 hour 10 minutes by car, as a rough guide (as of September 2026).

One private transfer booking site lists a one-way trip from the airport to the actual Sekotong village center as taking about 1 hour 48 minutes, covering 67.5km. Even within “Sekotong,” the exact destination can shift travel time by 20 to 40 minutes or so.

Diagram: travel time from the airport to Sekotong, compared

Diagram: even within “Sekotong,” the exact destination can shift travel time by 20 to 40 minutes or so (as of September 2026).

During the rainy season (November to March), sudden downpours can cause temporary flooding or poor visibility that extends travel time. Even in the dry season (April to October), allow extra time if there’s traffic or road work. Whatever the season, it’s safer to budget 10–20% more travel time than the estimate on the day itself.

In YouTube videos from our team (published September 2025 and March 2026), Hiroki Nakamura, who runs a business in Sekotong, described the trip from the airport as feeling like “1 to 1.5 hours” or “just over an hour” — close to this site’s own estimate of about 1 hour 10 minutes. He puts the trip from Mataram to Sekotong at about an hour (video).

What it costs

As noted above, the airport’s official taxi runs on zone- or meter-based pricing, but the airport’s official site doesn’t publish a fare table for the Sekotong route, so we couldn’t confirm it. At the counter, you tell them your destination and they quote a price on the spot.

A private airport transfer booking site lists a one-way trip from the airport to the actual Sekotong village at around US$45 for a standard car (1–3 passengers), and from around US$58–60 for a larger-capacity vehicle (as confirmed in September 2026). This is the pricing listed by one specific operator — booking through your accommodation or a different operator will likely mean a different price.

As noted above, a chartered car runs from around Rp500,000–700,000 per day (about US$28–39) as a rough guide for Lombok overall. We couldn’t confirm a specific rate for a one-way trip straight from the airport to Sekotong on arrival day.

There are also reports of independent drivers around the arrivals lobby — outside the official counter — quoting prices higher than the going rate. Always confirm the fare before getting in, and stick to the official counter or a transfer service you trust wherever possible.

A note of caution

Rules and fares change: this article reflects information as of September 2026. Double-check with your accommodation or the airport’s official site shortly before you travel.
Official taxis at late-night arrival: the airport taxi counter is said to operate from 7am to 5pm. If you’re arriving outside that window, it’s worth confirming in advance whether accommodation pickup or a ride-hailing app is available to you.

Late-night arrivals, early departures, kids, and heavy luggage

If you’re connecting through Bali (Denpasar) to reach Lombok, it’s not unusual for your domestic flight to arrive in the evening. Since the airport taxi counter is said to operate from 7am to 5pm, if you’re arriving outside those hours, consider accommodation pickup or having a ride-hailing app downloaded and set up in advance. Securing an official taxi on the spot isn’t guaranteed.

Diagram: choosing transport for late-night arrivals and early departures

Diagram: the airport taxi counter is said to operate from 7am to 5pm (as of September 2026).

The same applies if you’re heading from Sekotong to the airport for an early departure. Early morning can be a difficult time to find either a taxi at the counter or a ride-hailing driver, so it’s worth confirming your transport the evening before.

If you’re traveling with kids or heavy luggage, the vehicles you can book through a ride-hailing app may have limited seating or trunk space. If you’ll need multiple child seats or large suitcases, it’s safer to arrange accommodation pickup, or charter a larger vehicle like an MPV or van, in advance. Our Lombok family travel guide is also worth a look for family trips in general.

Heading back from Sekotong to the airport

The basic logic is the same for the return trip. Since ride-hailing coverage in Sekotong isn’t consistently reliable, it’s best to confirm accommodation pickup or a chartered car by the day before you leave.

If you’re connecting to an international flight, factor in check-in and security time at the airport on top of the roughly 1–2 hours from Sekotong to the airport. This matters especially if you’re connecting to an international flight in Bali (Denpasar) — pay close attention to the gap between your domestic arrival and international departure.

Unexpected delays can happen, from rainy-season downpours to road work. Where possible, choose a departure time with some buffer before your connecting flight.

A note from our team on the ground in Sekotong

The first thing to settle for your trip to Sekotong is who’s arranging your pickup. Deciding a few days ahead whether you’ll rely on accommodation pickup or book a taxi or ride-hailing app yourself makes the day itself much clearer. Ride-hailing apps work fine in central Mataram or around the airport, but in an outlying area like Sekotong, you may not find an available car even when the app shows one nearby. To avoid a situation where the app shows a car that never actually arrives, it’s more reliable to line up accommodation pickup or a chartered car alongside any ride-hailing app for the trip to Sekotong, rather than depending on the app alone.

Beyond the road from the airport, there’s a place called Sekotong

Honestly, the journey to Sekotong isn’t especially convenient. There’s no public transport, no published fare table for the official taxi, and no guarantee a ride-hailing app will actually get you a car. The trip from the airport takes a solid 1 to 2 hours, so it isn’t a place where you can arrive and immediately start moving freely.

Still, at the end of that road is Sekotong — a place that keeps the quiet of a fishing village, and also serves as a gateway to the southern Gili islands. We cover the details of what Sekotong itself is like in a separate article.

If you’d rather prioritize easy transport and freedom to move as soon as you land, an area closer to the airport, like Mataram or Senggigi, is a better fit. But if arranging things in advance doesn’t bother you and you’re after quiet, the 1–2 hour trip to Sekotong should be well within reason.

Frequently asked questions

Q. How long does it take from the airport to Sekotong?

It varies by destination, but plan on roughly 1 to 2 hours. To our villa, it’s about 1 hour 10 minutes, as a rough guide (as of September 2026). Road conditions and weather can add or subtract time.

Q. What should I do if I arrive at the airport late at night?

Since the airport taxi counter is said to operate from 7am to 5pm, if you’re arriving outside those hours, we recommend arranging accommodation pickup in advance or making sure a ride-hailing app is set up and ready to use. Securing an official taxi on the spot isn’t guaranteed.

Q. Will Grab or GoCar come all the way to Sekotong?

Both Grab Car and GoCar operate officially at the airport, but there are reports that ride-hailing coverage isn’t consistently reliable in outlying areas like Sekotong. If you want to be sure of your transport, also consider accommodation pickup or a chartered car.

Q. How much does the airport taxi cost?

Airport taxis run on a zone- or meter-based system, and we couldn’t confirm a published fare table for the Sekotong route on the official site. You tell them your destination at the counter, and they quote a price on the spot.

Q. How should I arrange transport if I’m traveling with kids or a lot of luggage?

Vehicles booked through a ride-hailing app can have limited seating or trunk space. Depending on your group size and luggage, it’s safer to arrange accommodation pickup or charter a larger vehicle (like an MPV or van) in advance.

Summary

There are four ways to get to Sekotong: accommodation pickup, the airport’s official taxi, a ride-hailing app (Grab or GoCar), or a chartered car. Since there’s no public bus route, you’ll need to choose one of these in advance.

Travel time runs roughly 1 to 2 hours. The official taxi uses zone- or meter-based fares (with no published table for the Sekotong route), while private transfer bookings we could confirm started from around US$45. Advance arrangements matter especially for late-night arrivals, early departures, or trips with kids or heavy luggage.

Rules, fares, and ride-hailing coverage can change, so check with your accommodation or the latest information before you travel.