For a week (7 nights) on Lombok, the easiest plan is two bases. For example, 3 nights on the Gili Islands and then 4 in Sekotong, or 4 nights in Sekotong and then 3 in Kuta Lombok. A day when you change base takes close to half a day by car and boat, so splitting the week three ways costs you one more day by the sea or in the villages.
For this guide we read airport transfer sites, route guides, travel blogs and Indonesian news in October 2026 and put together travel times between Lombok’s main areas and ways to split your nights. Accommodation and food prices vary widely by area and place, and are not covered here.
This guide is for anyone spending about a week on Lombok who wants to decide how many nights to spend on the Gilis, in Sekotong and in Kuta Lombok. Shorter 3 to 5-day plans are in our Lombok itinerary for 3 to 5 days.
Information as of October 2026
What this article covers
- ✓Why two bases work best for a week
- ✓Three example combinations of the Gilis, Sekotong and Kuta Lombok
- ✓How long a moving day takes
- ✓Planning arrival and departure days
- ✓What to watch for if you spend a week in the rainy season
In short
For a week, use two bases: 3 nights on the Gilis and 4 in Sekotong, or 4 in Sekotong and 3 in Kuta Lombok, and give at least half of the moving day to travel. Spend the night before you fly somewhere close to the airport, or in Sekotong, about 1 hour 10 minutes away.
How many bases for a week?
Two is the guide. On Lombok, Bangsal harbour for the Gilis in the northwest, Kuta Lombok in the south and Sekotong in the southwest each sit a fair distance from one another, with the airport in between. Kuta Lombok is about 25 minutes from the airport, but Sekotong is about 1 hour 10 minutes and Bangsal 1.5 to 2 hours (mytransfers, unchartedlens).
With two bases you move once, and of the five days between arrival and departure you get four by the sea or in the villages. Split three ways, you move twice and get three. Three bases can work if you want a little of each, but give each place at least two nights.
Figure: Example splits for a week (7 nights)
Example 1: 3 nights on the Gilis and 4 in Sekotong
If you land at Lombok International Airport on day 1, you can cross to the Gilis the same day, or start in Sekotong if your flight arrives after midday. To the Gilis it is 1.5 to 2 hours from the airport to Bangsal, then about 30 minutes by boat (Hotels.com guide). We could not confirm the time of the last boat from Bangsal in the sources we opened, so on a later flight, put the Gilis in the second half of the week.
After three nights on the Gilis, return to Bangsal on day 4 and move to Sekotong. We could not confirm a direct time from Bangsal to Sekotong in the sources we opened. Adding Bangsal to the airport (1.5 to 2 hours) and the airport to Sekotong (about 1 hour 10 minutes) means allowing around 3 hours by road. Of your four nights in Sekotong, use one day for South Gili island hopping and one for the mainland beaches.
Figure: Example 1 (3 nights Gilis, 4 nights Sekotong)
Example 2: 4 nights in Sekotong and 3 in Kuta Lombok
To combine island hopping with surf and south coast beaches, pair Sekotong with Kuta Lombok. According to the travel blog We Seek Travel (updated July 2025), Sekotong and Kuta Lombok are about 80 km and about 2 hours apart. Kuta Lombok is about 25 minutes from the airport, so spending your last night there keeps the departure day short.
In Sekotong, a boat for the three near South Gili islands (Nanggu, Sudak, Kedis) starts at about Rp350,000 (sources from 2024 to 2026), and the Gili Nanggu entry fee is Rp5,000 per person (detikBali, March 2024). The surf season at Desert Point is the dry season, May to October (We Seek Travel).
This combination leaves out the Gilis but keeps the moving day to about 2 hours by car. With fewer boat crossings, it is also easier to plan in the rainy season, when the sea is rougher.
Example 3: if you want three bases
If you really want three bases, give each at least two nights, for example 2 on the Gilis, 3 in Sekotong and 2 in Kuta Lombok. You move twice, and each move takes around 2 to 3 hours by car. Put the Gilis or Sekotong, which are further from the airport, first, and Kuta Lombok, which is closest, last, so departure day is short.
Sekotong to Senggigi is about 70 km and about 2 hours (We Seek Travel), and Senggigi is 50.67 km and about 1 hour 8 minutes from the airport (mytransfers). If you include Senggigi or Mataram, estimate moving days the same way.
Take care
- A moving day takes at least half a day. Put island trips and outings on the following days
- On a late flight, put the Gilis later in the week, and check the last boat time from Bangsal first
- Do not spend the night before your flight far from the airport (the Gilis are over 2 hours away by boat and car)
Planning arrival and departure days
On arrival day, choose where to go by your landing time. Before noon you can still reach the Gilis, but on an evening arrival make your first base Kuta Lombok, close to the airport, or Sekotong, about 1 hour 10 minutes away. The route guide unchartedlens says DAMRI buses between Lembar and the airport do not run at night. On a night arrival, book a car to meet you.
On departure day, it is easiest to leave from Kuta Lombok, about 25 minutes from the airport, or Sekotong, about 1 hour 10 minutes away. Heading to the airport from the Gilis takes over 2 hours by boat and car, longer at busy times (unchartedlens gives 2 to 2.5 hours from the airport to Bangsal at peak hours).
The route to Sekotong, home of Semelar Beach Village, is on our Getting Here page; how a stay works is on Stay, what you can do in the village on Things to Do, and the beach cafe on SAKURA CAFE. The stay programme runs from 3 nights/4 days to 5 nights/6 days and includes airport transfers.
A week in the rainy season (November to March)
Lombok’s rainy season runs from November to March. The ferry booking site Ferryhopper notes that the sea between Bali and Lombok can be rough in the rainy season. Island-hopping boats and boats to the Gilis may not go out on windy or rough days. unchartedlens says heavy afternoon rain in the rainy season can slow road traffic.
For a week in the rainy season, keep two candidate days for any boat trip, and set off in the morning on moving days. Example 2 (Sekotong and Kuta Lombok), with the fewest boat crossings, is the hardest to disrupt in the rainy season.
- ✓Have you kept to two bases (or at least two nights each if three)?
- ✓What time does your flight land, and how far is your first base?
- ✓Is anything else planned on your moving day?
- ✓Is your last night far from the airport?
- ✓In the rainy season, do you have two candidate days for boat trips?
A note from Sekotong
Sekotong is about 1 hour 10 minutes from the airport by car, so it fits at either the start or end of a week. South Gili island hopping depends on the weather, so keeping one of your Sekotong days spare lets you pick a day when the sea is good.
Downsides, and who a week on Lombok suits
First, the downsides. Lombok’s main areas are spread out around the airport, and public transport is limited, so every change of base means arranging cars and boats. Even in a week, visiting three or more places makes travel days a large part of the trip. In the rainy season, some days the boats will not run and you may not get to everything you planned.
Still, a week gives you time to enjoy two of these properly: the lively Gili beaches, the quiet South Gili islands and the south coast beaches around Kuta Lombok. It suits travellers who want to stay three nights or more in one place and take their time with the sea and the villages.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Is a week on Lombok too long?
No. With two bases you can stay three nights or more in each and have plenty of days for island hopping and the beach.
Q. Can I stay on the Gilis, in Sekotong and in Kuta in one week?
Yes, but you move twice and lose sea days. With three bases, give each at least two nights and put Kuta Lombok, closest to the airport, last.
Q. How long is the move from the Gilis to Sekotong?
About 30 minutes by boat to Bangsal, 1.5 to 2 hours from Bangsal to the airport, and about 1 hour 10 minutes from the airport to Sekotong, so allow around 3 hours by boat and car. We could not confirm a direct time in the sources we opened.
Q. Where should I stay first on a late-afternoon arrival?
Kuta Lombok, about 25 minutes from the airport, or Sekotong, about 1 hour 10 minutes away. The Gilis are over 2 hours from the airport by car and boat, and you need to check the last boat time.
Q. Which combination is best for a week in the rainy season?
Sekotong with Kuta Lombok, which has the fewest boat crossings, is the hardest to disrupt. Keep two candidate days for boat trips.
Summary
For a week (7 nights) on Lombok, two bases work best: 3 nights on the Gilis and 4 in Sekotong, or 4 in Sekotong and 3 in Kuta Lombok. Give at least half of each moving day to travel.
On a late arrival, start in Kuta Lombok or Sekotong, and do not spend your last night far from the airport. Boat and road times change with the weather and time of day, so check before you set off (as of October 2026).
Related reading
- Where to Base Yourself on LombokSekotong, Kuta, Senggigi and the Gilis compared
- How Many Nights on the Gili Islands?Sample 1, 2 and 3-night plans
- Lombok Airport to the Gili IslandsThe drive to Bangsal and the boats
On days with several stops around the island, you can also hire a car with driver for the day. Rates and hour rules are in Lombok private driver and car charter.
Domestic flights from Lombok airport to Labuan Bajo, Sumba, Yogyakarta and other cities are covered in domestic flights from Lombok.
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
- mytransfers, “Lombok Airport to Kuta Lombok” (distance and time)https://www.mytransfers.com/en/destination/indonesia/lombok-airport-lop/kuta-lombok/
- mytransfers, “Lombok Airport to Senggigi” (distance and time)https://www.mytransfers.com/en/destination/indonesia/lombok-airport-lop/senggigi/
- mytransfers, “Lombok Airport to Sekotong” (59.27 km)https://www.mytransfers.com/en/destination/indonesia/lombok-airport-lop/sekotong/
- unchartedlens, “Bangsal Harbour to Lombok Airport” (distance, time, busy hours)https://unchartedlens.com/routes/indonesia/bangsal-harbour-to-lombok-airport/
- unchartedlens, “Lembar Harbour to Lombok Airport” (DAMRI, rainy-season afternoon traffic)https://unchartedlens.com/routes/indonesia/lembar-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
- We Seek Travel, “Best Things to Do in Sekotong, Lombok” (updated 14 July 2025; distances and times from Sekotong to Kuta and Senggigi, Desert Point season)https://www.weseektravel.com/best-things-to-do-in-sekotong-lombok/
- detikBali, “Gili Nanggu di Lombok: Daya Tarik, Tarif, hingga Rutenya” (22 March 2024; entry fee, boat hire)https://www.detik.com/bali/wisata/d-7256702/gili-nanggu-di-lombok-daya-tarik-tarif-hingga-rutenya
- homeiswhereyourbagis, “Sekotong Gili Island Hopping” (updated 23 March 2026; boat price for the three near islands)https://homeiswhereyourbagis.com/sekotong-gili-island-hopping/
- Ferryhopper, “Ferries Padang Bai” (rainy-season seas)https://www.ferryhopper.com/en/ferries/indonesia/padang-bai
