Two Days · One Night · Sunrise on Padar
The cheapest way to wake up already in the park. One night on board is all it takes to change the whole itinerary.
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The Experience
You are not buying a bed. You are buying the position the boat is in at 05:00.
Where the boat goes, and what happens overnight.
Pickup between 08:30 and 10:30, which after a day trip's 05:00 alarm feels like a different holiday. Sail out through Kelor and Manjarite for the first snorkel stops, then Kalong Island at dusk for the flying-fox exodus.
Dinner at anchor, and for many guests the best hours of the trip: a wooden deck, no engine, and a sky with nothing between you and it. The skipper then repositions the boat toward Padar while you sleep.
Woken around 04:30 and ashore in the dark for the 20 to 30 minute climb to Padar's viewpoint at first light — an hour or more before the day boats arrive from Labuan Bajo.
Pink Beach for swimming and snorkelling, the ranger-guided dragon walk on Komodo Island, and Manta Point if conditions allow, before the run home in the afternoon.
Photo Gallery
Kalong at dusk, Padar at dawn, and the boats that stay out between them.
All three reach Padar and the dragons. Only the boats that sleep in the park reach Padar at sunrise — and only three days has a spare morning.
| Feature | MOST REVIEWED 2D1N Shared Boat | 3D2N Liveaboard | One-Day Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from (per person) | $183 | $339 | $88 |
| Guest rating | 4.1 from 451 reviews | 4.7 from 77 reviews | 4.7 from 1,810 reviews |
| Nights on board | 1 | 2 | None |
| Morning pickup | 08:30–10:30 | 08:30–10:30 | 05:00–06:00 |
| Padar at sunrise | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ arrives mid-morning |
| Second attempt at Manta Point | ✗ one morning only | ✓ two mornings | ✗ one morning only |
| Stops covered | 6–8 | 8–10 | 4–8 |
| Kalong Island at dusk | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ on most itineraries |
| Meals | All meals on board | 3 a day plus snacks | Lunch box and drinks |
| Park fees | Varies by booking option | Excluded — pre-book via SiOra | Excluded — pre-book via SiOra |
| Free cancellation | ✓ up to 24 hours ahead | ✓ up to 24 hours ahead | ✓ up to 24 hours ahead |
| Check Dates | See 3-Day Boat | See Day Trip |
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MOST REVIEWED
HIGHEST RATED
2 DAYS 1 NIGHT
3 DAYS 2 NIGHTS
PRIVATE BOAT
SUNSET CHARTERThe Smallest Upgrade
It is a different product from a day trip, not a longer one — and it is the cheapest way to get the sunrise.
Two days and one night is the smallest upgrade that changes what kind of trip you are on, and it does it for around $145 more than a day boat. Whether that is good value depends entirely on what you want from the park.
Not the cabin. The boat’s position at half past four in the morning.
Day boats leave Labuan Bajo at dawn and reach Padar an hour or two later — by which time the light has gone and the ridge is filling up. A boat that spent the night anchored inside the park tenders you ashore in the dark, and you climb to the viewpoint in time for first light with almost nobody on it.
That is the whole product. Everything else the extra night gives you — the second snorkel stop, dinner on deck, the flying foxes at dusk — is genuinely lovely, but it is not what people book an overnight for.
This gets overlooked and it is worth weighing. A 2D1N trip picks you up between 08:30 and 10:30 rather than at 05:00. If you have just flown into Komodo Airport, or you are the kind of traveller for whom a pre-dawn alarm ruins a day, the overnight is the more humane option as well as the more scenic one.
The trade is that day one is deliberately gentle. You are covering the near stops — Kelor, Manjarite, Kalong — while the boat works its way out. The park proper happens on day two.
One morning. That is the limitation, and it matters more on this route than it sounds.
Manta Point is a current-driven cleaning station, and when the current runs too hard a responsible skipper will not put snorkellers in the water. On a 3D2N trip there is a second morning to try again. On a 2D1N there is not — a dropped stop is gone, exactly as on a day trip.
So the honest framing is: 2D1N buys you the sunrise, 3D2N buys you the sunrise and a spare morning. If your dates allow the third day and the extra $100 or so is not decisive, take it.
Which fees the option includes. This format has the most variable fee handling of any on the site. The most-reviewed 2D1N boat here includes Komodo Island entrance and ranger fees on some booking options and excludes them on the cheapest one — same listing, same boat, different option. Read the option description, not just the headline price.
The rating spread. The volume leader at 451 reviews sits at 4.1, which is noticeably below the best three-day boats at 4.7. That is not a warning to avoid it — it is the most tested overnight product in Labuan Bajo and 451 people is a real sample — but it does tell you the budget end of the overnight market is less consistent than the three-day one. Read recent reviews rather than the average.
Cabin versus deck. Some cheaper 2D1N boats sleep guests on mattresses on the open deck rather than in cabins. That is not automatically worse — on a clear night it is the better bed — but it is not what most people picture when they book a cabin, and in the wet season it is a real consideration. The listing will say.
The park permit is excluded from most 2D1N listings, and since 1 April 2026 it can no longer be sorted on the day. Komodo National Park runs a 1,000-visitor daily quota allocated per site, and every entry is issued through the government’s SiOra system two to three days ahead. Permits are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Foreign visitors pay IDR 250,000 marine park entry per day plus a IDR 25,000 harbour fee, with ranger fees charged per group ashore. Across a two-day trip, budget in the region of IDR 450,000 to 550,000 per person. The fees guide has the full schedule, and the guide to choosing walks the day-trip-versus-overnight decision properly.
Guest Reviews
Ratings, review counts and prices are the tour operators' live figures on GetYourGuide and may shift day to day.
"It was amazing. The places to visit are incredible. My group and I were very lucky and saw all the animals we were hoping to see (Komodo dragons, bats, baby sharks, manta rays, etc.). Hendrick and the boat crew took care of us, made sure we were at the sites early (before they filled up), and the boat was generally good. The meals were 11/10. Everything was very good and there was plenty."
"What a trip and what a boat crew too. Accommodation was comfortable. Food was excellent and the activities were fantastic. We had a great boat trip with beautiful people and the memories of this trip will last a lifetime. We saw manta ray, dolphins, baby sharks and turtles. Thank you again to the boat crew who were very professional and couldn’t do enough for us."
"This was a fantastic experience from beginning to end! I was ablse to see turtles, mantas, bats, komodo dragons, deer, baby sharks, dolphins, and about 50 types of fish including starfish. The tour guide and crew was also so kind and the food was great! There were so many amazing planned activities and information provided in clear english. Although you do stay in a shared room, it was no problem as the rooms were clean and everyone on my boat was super nice. The boat is also spacious with plenty of places to hang out and watch the stunning views. I would highly recomend this tour to those wanting to see komodo island, snorkel, and relax on the pink sand beach among many more activities!"
"A really nice tour and absolutely recommended! Great food, very friendly staff on board, knowledgeable guide. The tour allows you to see some of the main spots of the place, such as Pink Beach, Komodo Island, Manta Point, etc. It is an intense tour that includes many activities such as snorkeling, trekking, etc., and therefore with a somewhat tight schedule. The boat was not beautiful, but it was functional."
"The guide is very reliable even in the sea (swimming)."
"It was a great boat tour that we highly recommend :)"
"The other reviews showed very divided opinions, so we didn't know what to expect. However, our expectations were exceeded. The boat was clean, the beds were comfortable (there were 2 shared cabins for 4 people and 4 private cabins with a double bed), the shower and air conditioning worked, the food was good, and there was a deck with beanbags for relaxing. Overall, we saw sharks, turtles, and mantas. It is important to note that you only decide the evening before whether you will go to Padar Island, due to the sea conditions. So there is no guarantee. The worst thing was the guide because he stressed us to come back during every activity even though there was still enough time, and sometimes you then waited an hour on the anchored boat. Overall, it was still very great."
"Beautiful places and good food! The rooms are like those on a boat, so you shouldn't have high expectations! Overall, it's worth it!"
Read all 451 verified reviews
See All ReviewsThe most-reviewed overnight boat trip in Labuan Bajo — 451 guests, all meals, hotel or airport pickup and a cabin on board included. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Starting from $183 per person.
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What one night aboard buys, where the cheap options differ, and when to take the third day instead.
From $145 per person at the budget end, $165 on a standard boat, and $183 on the most-reviewed 2D1N sailing in Labuan Bajo. A private overnight charter costs considerably more. Komodo National Park fees are extra on most options — budget roughly IDR 450,000–550,000 per person across two days, and check the fees guide.
Position. A boat that sleeps inside the park tenders you ashore in the dark so you reach the Padar viewpoint for first light, an hour or more before the day boats arrive from Labuan Bajo. That is the product. The extra snorkel stop, dinner on deck and the Kalong Island flying foxes at dusk are genuinely good, but nobody books an overnight for those.
2D1N buys the sunrise; 3D2N buys the sunrise plus a spare morning. That spare morning matters because Manta Point is the stop most often dropped for current, and a two-day trip has no second chance at it. If your dates allow the third day and the extra $100 or so is not decisive, take it. If not, 2D1N still gets you the thing a day trip cannot.
You are usually woken around 04:30 and go ashore in the dark. The climb is a stepped trail of 20 to 30 minutes to the main viewpoint. It is unlit, so bring a head torch or use your phone, and wear closed shoes — the steps are uneven in places and there is loose ground on the upper section.
It depends on the boat and it is worth checking rather than assuming. Most 2D1N listings provide cabins, usually shared and often mixed-gender. Some cheaper boats sleep guests on mattresses on the open deck under a canopy — which on a clear dry-season night is arguably the better bed, but is a different proposition in the wet season. The listing description will say which you are booking.
Because the budget end of the overnight market is less consistent than the three-day one. The volume leader here sits at 4.1 across 451 guests, against 4.7 on the best three-day sailings. That is still a real, heavily-tested product and 451 reviews is a large sample — but read recent reviews rather than the average, and expect a simpler boat than the three-day tier.
Sometimes, and this format is the most variable on the site. The most-reviewed 2D1N boat includes Komodo Island entrance and ranger fees on some booking options and excludes them on the cheapest one — same boat, same listing, different option. Read the option description before comparing prices, because two options that look $20 apart can be $60 apart once fees land.
Quiet. The engine goes off, the boat sits still, and there is usually no other vessel within sight and no light pollution at all. Guests routinely describe dinner on deck and the hours after it as the best part of the trip. Bring a light layer — it drops cooler than people expect once the sun is down and there is wind over the water.
It can. The reposition toward Padar happens overnight and is the roughest leg, and you are lying down for it rather than watching the horizon. Take a motion-sickness tablet before you turn in rather than when you wake up feeling wrong. Conditions are hardest in the January-to-February wet season and again around August when the trade winds peak.
Yes. Shared cabins are the norm at this price, so you are not paying a single supplement, and one night with a small group on a small boat is a sociable format. Most operators will place solo travellers in a same-gender berth where the manifest allows, but mixed-gender cabins are standard — ask at booking if it matters to you.
Yes. Since 1 April 2026, Komodo National Park has operated a 1,000-visitor daily quota with all entries issued through the government's SiOra system two to three days ahead. Walk-in tickets no longer exist and permits are non-refundable and non-transferable. Some operators book it for you and charge it up front; confirm which when you reserve.
It is tight and we would not. Two-day boats return to Labuan Bajo in the afternoon, and that time bends around weather in a way flight schedules do not. Komodo Airport's departures are mostly early to mid-afternoon. Book a night in town afterwards — you will also want a proper shower before you fly.
Still have questions? Email us at info@labuanbajoboattrips.com
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