The three crescent bays seen from the Padar Island ridge

Itinerary

Komodo Cruise 3D2N aboard Naturalia

The classic two-night route, written out hour by hour: Sebayur, Manta Point and Taka Makassar on day one, Padar at first light on day two, and an unhurried return on day three.

  • 3 days, 2 nights
  • 9 anchorages
  • Padar at dawn
  • From Labuan Bajo
3D2N Duration
24 Guests maximum
USD 450+ Per person, per cabin
USD 8,500 Whole boat, 1–8 guests

The shape of the trip

Three days, at a glance

The detailed hour-by-hour table is further down the page. This is the arc of it — what each day is actually for.

  1. 1

    Day one · afternoon into evening

    Board in Labuan Bajo, then straight into the water

    Transfer, boarding and the safety brief in the late morning, lunch under way, and a first snorkel on the soft-coral slope at Sebayur. Manta Point and the Taka Makassar sandbar follow in the afternoon, then dinner on the dining deck and the first night at anchor.

    • Labuan Bajo
    • Sebayur
    • Manta Point
    • Taka Makassar
  2. 2

    Day two · pre-dawn start

    Padar at first light, then dragons

    The tender leaves in the dark for the Padar ridge, with time on the viewpoint before the first day boats clear Labuan Bajo. Pink Beach mid-morning, lunch while repositioning, and a ranger-led trek from Loh Liang on Komodo Island in the early afternoon.

    • Padar Island
    • Pink Beach
    • Komodo Island
  3. 3

    Day three · morning

    One last reef, then alongside

    A short summit trek and a swim at Kelor, a final snorkel at Manjarite, lunch under way, and alongside in Labuan Bajo in the early afternoon — with enough margin for an afternoon flight.

    • Kelor Island
    • Manjarite
    • Labuan Bajo
By Naturalia Cruise reservations team Last reviewed August 2026 Hour-by-hour table & price comparison
On this page

A 3D2N Komodo cruise on Naturalia covers eight anchorages across roughly four to six hours of sailing per full day. Shared cabins run USD 450–850 per person; the whole boat is USD 8,500 for 1–8 guests, USD 9,500 for 9–16 and USD 10,400 for 17–24. Park fees are extra.

The 3D2N itinerary, hour by hour

The operator’s published sequence for Naturalia’s 3D2N runs Sebayur, Manta Point and Taka Makassar on the first afternoon; Padar, Pink Beach and Komodo Island on the second day; Kelor and Manjarite on the way home. That order is deliberate — it puts the boat close to the Padar anchorage overnight so the ridge climb happens at first light rather than in the heat.

Time (indicative)Day 1Day 2Day 3
Pre-dawnAnchor off Padar, tender ashore for the ridge climb
Early morningPadar sunrise viewpoint, descend to the beachSnorkel or swim at Kelor, short summit trek
Mid-morningHotel or airport transfer, boarding and safety brief in Labuan BajoSail to Pink Beach, snorkel the shallow gardenSail to Manjarite, final snorkel
MiddaySail out, lunch under wayLunch on board while repositioningLunch under way back to Labuan Bajo
Early afternoonSebayur — snorkelling on the soft-coral slopeKomodo Island, ranger-led trek from Loh LiangAlongside in Labuan Bajo, transfer to hotel or airport
Mid-afternoonManta Point (Karang Makassar) drift snorkelReposition toward the evening anchorage
Late afternoonTaka Makassar sandbarFree deck time, swim from the boat
EveningDinner on the dining deck, night at anchorDinner, lounge or karaoke, night at anchor

Times are indicative operating windows, not a fixed timetable. The Manta Point and Taka Makassar order swaps regularly depending on current and wind, and the Padar start moves with the sunrise — see the month-by-month sunrise table on our Padar page.

Sunrise over the three bays of Padar Island in Komodo National Park
Day two opens in the dark. The tender leaves for Padar about 65 minutes before sunrise.

How much sailing is actually involved

The honest answer to “how much of the trip is spent moving?” is: less than people fear, but spread out. Nobody publishes a distance chart for these waters, so here are the operational leg times we work with. Treat them as ranges, because a heavy 161-tonne phinisi doing 7–9 knots against an afternoon current is not doing the same leg time as a light day boat.

LegTypical sailing timeConfidence
Labuan Bajo → Kelorabout 1 hourVerified across operators
Labuan Bajo → Kanawaabout 1–1.5 hoursOperational range
Labuan Bajo → Sebayurabout 1.5–2 hoursOperational range
Kelor → Manjariteabout 0.5–1 hourOperational range
Manjarite → Kalongabout 1 hourOperational range
Kalong → Padar (overnight run)about 3–4 hoursOperational range
Padar → Pink Beachabout 1–1.5 hoursOperational range
Pink Beach → Komodo Islandabout 0.5–1 hourOperational range
Komodo → Manta Point (Karang Makassar)about 0.5–1 hourOperational range
Manta Point → Taka Makassarabout 20–30 minutesOperational range
Taka Makassar → Siaba Besarabout 1–1.5 hoursOperational range
Siaba Besar → Kanawaabout 1–1.5 hoursOperational range
Rinca → Kalongabout 0.5–1 hourOperational range

What the fare includes and what it does not

Included in the fareNot included
Accommodation on board for the whole tripKomodo National Park entrance and ranger fees
All meals on boardAlcoholic drinks and drinks outside the standard list
Mineral water, coffee and teaPersonal snacks
English-speaking guideCrew gratuities
Snorkelling equipment and life vestsFlights to and from Labuan Bajo
Hotel or airport transfer within mainland Labuan BajoDrone permit (request at least 7 days ahead)
Premium trip documentation — drone, GoPro and mirrorlessPersonal expenses, laundry, dive packages

The exclusion that catches people out is the park fee, so here it is in full.

ComponentForeign visitorIndonesian visitor
Park entrance, per person per visit (PP 36/2024)USD 50USD 20-25
Trekking, wildlife observation, snorkellingIncluded in the entrance tariffNot itemised separately in the official source
Ranger and local retribution collected on siteOperator-collected, varies by island and group size
Drone permitUSD 135, apply at least 7 days before departure
Komodo dragon on the trail in Komodo National Park
Loh Liang on Komodo Island. Every trek is ranger-led — that is a park requirement, not an upsell.

How the price compares to the open market

This is where publishing numbers matters. Below are competitor figures taken directly from their own public pages in 2026, next to Naturalia’s published rates. No adjustment, no spin.

Published reference pointPrice as publishedWhat it buys
Shared boat, 3D2N (Komodo Touristic listing, 2026)USD 271.57–544.87 per personLarger sharing vessels, 20–35 guests
Shared boat, 4D3N from Labuan Bajo (same source)from USD 334.39 per personSame class, extra night
Mid-tier phinisi from-price (Phinisi Trip, 2026)IDR 6,000,000–8,350,000 per person30–40 m boats, 7–12 cabins, 20–40 guests
Naturalia Cruise cabin rateUSD 450–850 per person33.45 m, 8 en-suite cabins, 24 guests maximum
Resort-brand luxury cruise (AYANA Lako di’a, 2026)IDR 29,542,000–56,700,000Hotel-operated cruise product
Naturalia whole-boat charterfrom USD 7,600 per nightEntire 24-berth vessel and crew

The pattern is clear: Naturalia sits above the large sharing boats carrying 30-plus guests and well below the resort-brand cruise products, in a band where you are paying for an eight-cabin, 24-guest maximum rather than for a brand name. If you want to see how the same 3D2N shape is priced across other hulls, the operator’s cruise-style Komodo boat tour list list runs the full range.

Best for

Best for: first-time visitors who want every headline site without a fourth day; couples and families who prefer two nights at anchor over a rushed day trip; groups of 8–24 chartering privately, where the per-head cost drops to roughly USD 433–1,063. Less suitable for: divers wanting multiple tanks a day, and anyone travelling December to March who cannot accept itinerary changes for weather.

Guests snorkelling from the tender in Komodo National Park
Manta Point and Taka Makassar fall on the same afternoon, sequenced around the tide rather than the clock.

Frequently asked questions

What does a 3D2N Komodo cruise on Naturalia cost?

On a shared departure you pay by cabin: USD 450 per person in Lagoon 1 or 2, up to USD 850 per person in Sandal. Chartering the whole boat for 3D2N is USD 8,500 for 1-8 guests, USD 9,500 for 9-16 and USD 10,400 for 17-24. Komodo National Park fees are separate.

How many hours a day is the boat actually sailing?

Roughly four to six hours of sailing spread across each full day, in legs of 20 minutes to 1.5 hours between stops, plus one longer overnight or pre-dawn run of about three to four hours toward Padar. You are never sitting on a single long crossing in daylight.

Which islands does the 3D2N cover?

The operator’s published Naturalia 3D2N sequence is Sebayur, Manta Point and Taka Makassar on day one; Padar, Pink Beach and Komodo Island on day two; Kelor and Manjarite on day three. Order shifts with tide and wind, particularly the Manta Point and Taka Makassar pairing.

What time does the trip start and finish?

Boarding is late morning in Labuan Bajo on day one after your included hotel or airport transfer, and the boat is back alongside around the middle of day three. Book any onward flight for late afternoon on the final day, not midday.

Are national park fees included in the price?

No. Park entrance under PP 36/2024 is IDR 250,000 per foreign visitor per visit, and IDR 50,000 weekday or IDR 75,000 weekend and holiday for Indonesian visitors. Ranger and local retribution charges are collected on site and vary by island.

Is three days enough for Komodo?

For the headline sites, yes: Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo Island and Manta Point all fit comfortably in a 3D2N. What you lose is the buffer. A 4D3N adds south Komodo and a spare morning, which is what you want if you are travelling in the windy July-August window.

Can I dive from Naturalia on a 3D2N?

Naturalia is a cruise and snorkelling vessel, not a dedicated dive liveaboard. Dive packages are arranged separately through the reservations desk and are not part of the published fare.

What is the food like and are dietary needs handled?

All meals are included and cooked on board, served either on the Panoramic Dining Deck or in the air-conditioned Dining Lounge. Halal, vegetarian, allergy and other requirements are handled if you state them at booking rather than on embarkation day.

How many people will be on board?

A shared departure carries a maximum of 24 guests. That is the hard ceiling set by the eight-cabin plan, so the boat cannot be oversold beyond it.

What is the deposit and cancellation policy?

A 50% deposit secures the date, with the balance due 30 days before departure. Bookings made inside 30 days are paid in full. The deposit is non-refundable if you cancel.

Booking & enquiries

Shared 3D2N departures run on Fridays, with additional weekday departures on the published 2027 calendar. Naturalia Cruise is operated and marketed by Komodo Luxury (part of Juara Holding Group, working in Labuan Bajo since 2015). Reservations, cabin availability and written quotations go through the Komodo Luxury reservations desk: WhatsApp +628113823875

or sales@komodoluxury.com. Payment terms are published and unchanged: 50% deposit to hold the date, balance due 30 days before departure, full payment if you book inside 30 days. The deposit is non-refundable on cancellation.

Where these numbers come from

Vessel dimensions, cabin layout, engine and generator data, charter tiers and cabin rates on this page are the figures published by the operator, Komodo Luxury, on its Naturalia charter listing. National park tariffs are taken from PP No. 36 Tahun 2024 as socialised by Balai Taman Nasional Komodo. Sunrise and sunset times are computed for Padar Island (8°39′S, 119°35′E) in WITA (UTC+8) and are accurate to about three minutes. Sailing times between anchorages are operational ranges, not fixed schedules — they move with tide, wind and ranger queues, and we write them as ranges for that reason. Rates are quoted for the 2027 season and were last reviewed on 1 August 2026; always confirm the current rate in writing before transferring a deposit.

Where you actually go

The nine stops on this route

Sequenced around tides and light rather than a fixed timetable — which is what separates a good Komodo trip from a lucky one.

Guests on the Padar Island ridge after the sunrise climb
Padar Island ridge, day two
Pink Beach in Komodo National Park with rose-tinted sand
Pink Beach
Close view of an adult Komodo dragon, Komodo National Park
Komodo Island
The crescent sandbar of Taka Makassar in Komodo National Park
Taka Makassar
Manta ray photographed underwater in Komodo National Park
Manta Point

Keep reading

Next steps

  • The crescent sandbar of Taka Makassar in Komodo National Park Itinerary

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    The extended route with south Komodo added: more dive time, quieter anchorages and a third night at sea.

    Read more
  • Aerial view of the islands of Komodo National Park Planning

    Route Map & Sailing Hours

    A written map of the whole route with the sailing time between every anchorage, so you can picture the days.

    Read more
  • Luxury phinisi at anchor in Komodo National Park Rates

    Rates & How to Book

    Low, high and peak season pricing, the deposit schedule, park fees and exactly what happens after you enquire.

    Read more
Phinisi under sail at sunset in the Flores Sea

Reservations

Two nights is the honest minimum

One night gets you to Padar. Two gets you Padar, the dragons and the reefs without rushing any of them. Tell us your dates and we will check the boat.