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Komodo & Flores in 7 days

A realistic 7-day itinerary across Komodo National Park and Flores — dragons, Padar viewpoint, Pink Beach, Kelimutu coloured lakes and dramatic landscape.

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Komodo and Flores together make one of Indonesia's most rewarding seven-day trips. The eastern Nusa Tenggara province offers Komodo dragons, Padar's photogenic viewpoint, world-class diving, and Flores's spectacular highland scenery and Kelimutu's coloured volcanic lakes. This itinerary covers a flow that maximises landscape variety.

At a glance

  • Days 1–4: Komodo National Park (based in Labuan Bajo)
  • Days 5–7: Flores cross-island drive to Kelimutu
  • Total: 7 days, 6 nights
  • Estimated budget: USD 1,500–3,500 per person (mid-range)

Day 1 — Arrive Labuan Bajo

  • Fly Bali (DPS) → Labuan Bajo (LBJ), 1h 20m
  • Check into hotel near harbour
  • Sunset cocktails at Le Pirate, Atlantis or Paradise Bar
  • Dinner at local seafood market

Stay: Plataran Komodo or mid-range hotel near harbour.

Day 2 — Komodo day boat (Padar + dragons + Pink Beach)

  • 5am pre-dawn departure (avoid 8am crowds at Padar)
  • 6:30am Padar viewpoint sunrise — climb to the famous viewpoint
  • 9am Komodo Island dragon trek with park ranger
  • Lunch on the boat
  • Afternoon at Pink Beach (snorkel + swim)
  • Snorkel stop at Manta Point or Crystal Rock
  • Return Labuan Bajo by 5pm

Cost: USD 80-180/person shared boat; USD 600-1500 private speedboat (for 4-6 people)

Day 3 — Diving day

For certified divers: full-day boat to Castle Rock, Crystal Rock, Batu Bolong. Advanced Open Water + 50 logged dives strongly recommended (strong currents).

For non-divers: snorkel boat to Manjarite, Pink Beach (different one), Kanawa Island, or Rinca Island for more dragons.

Cost: USD 80-150/person for dive day; USD 50-100 for snorkel boat

Day 4 — Padar second visit / Komodo Island / departure to Bajawa

Morning: optional second Padar climb or Rinca Island dragons

Afternoon: drive to Ruteng or Bajawa (4-5h) — start of the Flores cross-island traverse

Stay: Ruteng (highland coffee town) or Bajawa (traditional villages)

Day 5 — Bajawa traditional villages + drive to Moni

Morning: visit Bena, Tololela or Luba traditional villages around Bajawa

  • Stone-walled villages, megalithic structures, traditional rooftops
  • Pay entrance fee + bring small gifts

Afternoon: long drive to Moni (Kelimutu base village), ~5-6h

  • Pass through coffee plantations and dramatic gorges
  • Arrive Moni by evening

Stay: Moni (small village; basic but charming homestays)

Day 6 — Kelimutu sunrise + sights around Moni

  • 4am wake: 30-min drive to Kelimutu trailhead, 30-min walk to summit
  • Sunrise over the three coloured crater lakes (one brown, one teal-green, one black-blue — colours shift over years)
  • Descend; back to Moni for breakfast
  • Afternoon: visit nearby traditional villages, waterfalls, or hot springs
  • Optional: drive to Maumere coast if you want to continue east

Stay: Moni or drive to Maumere

Day 7 — Return to Bali

  • Option A: drive Moni → Maumere (3h), fly Maumere → Bali (1.5h, via Wings Air)
  • Option B: drive Moni → Ende (1.5h), fly Ende → Bali (1.5h, less reliable)
  • Option C: long drive back to Labuan Bajo (7-8h, only if you've left a day buffer), fly Bali

Variations

Diver-priority version: Cut Days 5-7 (Flores cross-island); replace with 3-day Komodo liveaboard.

Cultural-priority version: Extend Bajawa stay to explore traditional villages over 2 days; reduce Komodo to 2 days.

Luxury version: Stay at AYANA Komodo Resort + Plataran Komodo + private speedboat day-tours. Budget USD 5,000+ per person.

Budget estimate

  • Hotels/villas: USD 70-300/night = USD 420-1,800
  • Food: USD 25-60/day = USD 175-420
  • Domestic flights (Bali-LBJ-MOF-Bali): USD 250-400
  • Komodo park fee + day boat: USD 150-300
  • Inter-Flores drives: USD 300-500
  • Total per person estimate: USD 1,500-3,500

Common mistakes

  • Doing Komodo only and skipping Flores (Flores is 60% of the magic)
  • Trying to drive Labuan Bajo → Moni in one day (10+ hours, brutal)
  • Booking Komodo in wet season (Dec-Feb) when boats cancel
  • Climbing Kelimutu without warm layers (cold pre-dawn)
  • Eating dodgy seafood in Labuan Bajo — pick busy reputable warungs

Verify before acting

Park fees and operator quality change. For drivers, book through your hotel. For diving, use PADI 5-star or SSI Diamond operators. See disclaimer.

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