A Bali to Lombok yacht charter crosses the Lombok Strait from Padangbai, on Bali’s east coast, to the Gili islands and Lombok’s northwest shore. The run to Gili Trawangan is roughly 35 nautical miles, which most motor yachts cover in two and a half to four hours; sailing vessels take longer. You charter the whole boat, so the schedule is yours: leave when you want, anchor where you want, and either return the same day or carry on into Lombok and fly home from there.
Bali Luxury Boat is the charter desk of Juara Holding Group, a Bali-based travel group operating since 2015. We do not own a fleet. We shortlist and book vessels through the group’s operators and their vetted partners, then connect the crossing to the group’s ground network on Lombok, so the boat, the transfers, and the island days sit in one plan handled over a single WhatsApp thread.
This page covers the route in both directions, what a charter includes, what it costs at current market rates, and how to reserve your dates.
The Route: Padangbai, the Gilis, and Lombok
Padangbai sits about 90 minutes by car from Sanur and around two hours from Seminyak or Ubud, which makes an early departure practical from most of southern Bali. From the harbor the boat heads east across the Lombok Strait, a deep channel of open water between the two islands. Crews time the crossing for the morning, when the strait is at its calmest, and the captain holds final say on departure if conditions turn.
Once across, the classic first stop is the Gili triangle: Gili Trawangan for restaurants and a walkable village, Gili Air for a quieter beach day, and Gili Meno for snorkeling the turtle-rich reef between the islands. Mainland Lombok lies another 20 to 40 minutes on, with sheltered anchorages at Teluk Nare and Medana Bay and road access to Senggigi and the Sire peninsula resorts.
Return charters
A return day charter leaves Padangbai between 7 and 8 in the morning, gives you three to four hours around the Gilis for swimming, snorkeling, and lunch, and lands you back in Bali before sunset. Count on ten to twelve hours door to door from southern Bali. It suits travelers who want to see the Gilis without repacking a suitcase. If that feels compressed, split the charter over two days and sleep aboard or in a villa on Gili Air or the Lombok coast; we arrange either.
One-way charters
One-way is the version we book most for travelers continuing their trip on Lombok. You board at Padangbai with your luggage, spend the day working east through the Gilis, and step off at Teluk Nare or Medana Bay, where a driver from the group’s Lombok network is waiting. From there you can settle into Senggigi or the Sire peninsula, drive south to Kuta Lombok later in the week, and fly out of Lombok International Airport instead of backtracking to Bali. One-way legs carry a repositioning cost, because the boat still has to sail back; the price section below explains how that is quoted.
Continuing east toward Komodo
Lombok also works as a staging point for the longer run east. Komodo Luxury, the group’s liveaboard and tour operator desk, runs multi-day Lombok to Flores itineraries that pick up where your crossing ends, sailing past Moyo and Satonda and into Komodo National Park over three to four days. If Komodo is on your list, tell us at the enquiry stage and we line up the two legs so the dates and harbors connect.
What Is Included
Inclusions vary by vessel, and every confirmed quote from our desk itemizes them in writing. As a baseline, expect:
- Private use of the vessel with a licensed captain and crew
- Fuel for the agreed route, including the strait crossing in both directions on return charters
- Snorkeling equipment, towels, drinking water, and soft drinks
- Lunch or full meal service on most vessels, confirmed per boat
- Standard harbor and anchorage fees along the agreed route
Land transfers to Padangbai, Gili island visitor fees where charged, alcohol, and crew gratuities are billed separately or added on request. Each of these lines appears in your quote before you pay anything.
How Our Desk Arranges It
We work as a curation and booking desk, not an operator. When your enquiry arrives, we match your group size, budget, and route against the vessels available through Juara Holding Group’s operators and partner fleet, then send back a shortlist of two or three boats with photos, layouts, and firm quotes. On the far side of the strait, the crossing plugs into Komodo Luxury’s Lombok tour packages, the same infrastructure the group uses for its own guests: harbor and airport transfers, drivers, guides for Sasak villages and the Rinjani foothills, and hotel bookings from Senggigi down to Kuta Lombok.
If you are still deciding how much time Lombok deserves, the Lombok guide on Bali Premium Trip, our sister planning site, gives a straightforward overview of the island’s regions and how many days each rewards.
Realistic Price Guidance
Vessel size and fuel drive the pricing, and the strait crossing burns far more fuel than a Nusa Penida day trip, so expect rates above typical Bali day-charter figures. Based on the market rates we see across the group’s operators and partners, budget within these ranges:
| Vessel type | Typical full-day rate (return) | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Speedboat or small motor cruiser (up to about 10 guests) | US$1,800 to 3,500 | The fastest crossing; a compressed one-day Gili trip |
| Mid-size motor yacht (8 to 15 guests) | US$3,500 to 7,000 | Cabins for resting mid-crossing; proper lunch service |
| Sailing catamaran | US$2,500 to 5,500 | Slower passages; better over two days than one |
| Phinisi or liveaboard, overnight | US$3,000 to 8,000 per night | Two-day Gili routes or continuing east to Komodo |
One-way charters are quoted case by case, most often at 60 to 80 percent of the return rate plus a repositioning fee, since the vessel sails back without you. Peak dates in July, August, and over New Year price at the top of these ranges and book out weeks ahead. Treat every figure here as planning guidance; your written quote is the number that counts, and it does not move after you confirm.
When to Make the Crossing
The dry season, roughly April through October, brings the calmest strait conditions, the clearest water at the Gilis, and the most dependable departure times. Charters run year-round, but between December and February crews watch the forecast more closely and occasionally shift a departure by a day. Our guide to the best time to visit Bali covers the seasons month by month, and if you are still shaping the Bali half of the trip, the 7-night Bali itinerary shows where a Gili crossing slots in without squeezing the rest of your stay.
How to Book
- Message our desk on WhatsApp at +62 811-3941-4563 or email bd@juaraholding.com with your dates, group size, and whether you want a return or one-way charter.
- We reply, usually within hours, with a shortlist of available vessels and itemized quotes.
- Confirm your preferred boat with a deposit. The balance falls due before departure under the operator’s terms, which we send you in writing.
- The day before departure we reconfirm sea conditions, your pickup time, and the boarding point at Padangbai.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the yacht trip from Bali to the Gili islands take?
Plan on two and a half to four hours from Padangbai to Gili Trawangan aboard a motor yacht, depending on cruising speed and the state of the strait. Sailing catamarans need five hours or more. Add the road leg to Padangbai: about 90 minutes from Sanur, closer to two hours from Seminyak or Ubud.
Can we do Bali to the Gilis and back in one day?
Yes, on a fast motor vessel. You will spend five to seven hours on the water in total and three to four hours at the islands. It is a long day. Groups that want more time in the water usually add a night, either aboard the boat or in a villa on Gili Air or the Lombok coast, and we book both.
Is the Lombok Strait rough?
It can be. The strait is deep, and strong currents move between the Indian Ocean and the Java Sea, so conditions vary more than on the sheltered Nusa Penida routes. Captains cross in the morning and hold or reroute when the forecast is poor. Most dry-season crossings are comfortable; in the rainy months, keep a spare day in your plan in case a departure shifts.
Can we start in Lombok and finish in Bali?
Yes. The route runs in either direction, and westbound one-way charters suit travelers who flew into Lombok first. Boarding is at Teluk Nare or Medana Bay, and the group’s Lombok drivers collect you from your hotel or the airport.
Do you own the yachts?
No, and we say so plainly. Bali Luxury Boat is a booking and concierge desk within Juara Holding Group. The vessels belong to the group’s operators and vetted partner owners. Our role is to match you with the right one, hold the operator to the agreed specification, and manage the plan from your first message to disembarkation.
Check Dates and Get a Quote
Send your dates, group size, and preferred route, return or one-way, and we will come back with a vessel shortlist and firm pricing, usually the same day. Message us on WhatsApp at +62 811-3941-4563 or write to bd@juaraholding.com. For July, August, or the New Year period, enquire early: the boats suited to this crossing are the first on the calendar to go.
