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Lombok: from the airport to Kuta, Senggigi and the Gili boats
How do I get around Lombok once I land?
Lombok International Airport is in the south, 30 to 45 minutes by car from Kuta Lombok; cars were sold online from Rp 275,000 for November 2026. DAMRI's airport buses run to Mataram, Senggigi and Selong, but none goes to Kuta. For the Gilis you head to Bangsal harbour in the north-west, and the car ferries to Bali leave from Lembar in the south-west.
At a glance
| Province | West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) |
|---|---|
| Usual way in | Flight to LOP, or fast boat or car ferry from Bali |
| Terminals and ports | Lombok International Airport; Bangsal, Teluk Kodek, Lembar and Kayangan harbours |
Lombok airport (LOP) to Kuta, Senggigi and Mataram
For Kuta Lombok and the Mandalika coast, take a car: 30 to 45 minutes, sold online for Rp 275,000 to Rp 360,000 for November 2026. For Mataram and Senggigi, DAMRI's buses leave the airport between 04:00 and 20:00, Rp 25,000 to Mataram and Rp 35,000 to Senggigi.
| Usual way | Car to Kuta; DAMRI bus to Mataram and Senggigi |
|---|---|
| Typical time | 30 to 45 min to Kuta |
| Where it departs | Lombok International Airport, domestic arrivals |
The shared van is no saving. Shared vans to Kuta and Mandalika hotels leave the airport only at 07:00, 09:00, 11:00 and 13:00, and were sold for Rp 360,000 for November 2026, the same as a private car for four.
Grab, Gojek and Bluebird work at the airport. GrabCar, GoCar and Bluebird's metered taxis are all licensed to pick up at Lombok airport, beside the KSU Lombok Baru cooperative taxis in domestic arrivals, which charge by zone or by meter.
Pickups in Kuta are contested. Inside Kuta Mandalika, local drivers' customary rules treat app cars and Bluebird as drop-off only, and stand-offs were reported again in September 2026 while the province studies zoning. For the ride back to the airport, book a local Kuta driver or your hotel's car.
Further west. Selong Belanak takes about an hour by car from the airport; cars were sold for Rp 360,000.
Buy the bus ticket early. DAMRI's airport counter is staffed from 07:00 to 17:00, although the buses run from 04:00 to 20:00. The Senggigi bus goes through Mataram and Ampenan, 63 km in all.
Lombok's harbours: Lembar, Bangsal, Teluk Kodek and Senggigi
Lombok has no single port. Which harbour you need depends on where the boat goes, and they sit on different coasts:
| Harbour | Boats from here | Fare or crossing |
|---|---|---|
| Pelabuhan Bangsal (Bangsal harbour), North Lombok | Public boats to the three Gilis; fast boats to Bali | Rp 18,000 to Rp 23,000 to the Gilis at the counter |
| Teluk Nare | Private boats to Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno | About 15 min |
| Senggigi, west coast | Gili Getaway to Gili Trawangan and Gili Air; fast boats to Padang Bai | 30 min to Gili Trawangan |
| Teluk Kodek, sold as Senggigi | Wahana Virendra fast boats to and from Padang Bai | Be there 30 min before departure |
| Pelabuhan Lembar (Lembar harbour), south-west | ASDP car ferries to Padang Bai, 13 a day, round the clock | Rp 65,300 on foot, about 4 h 30 min |
| Pelabuhan Kayangan (Kayangan harbour) | Car ferries to Poto Tano on Sumbawa, about hourly, 24 hours | Rp 18,800 on foot, about 2 h |
Read the harbour on the ticket. A boat sold as "Senggigi" may board at Teluk Kodek, and a "Gili" transfer may mean Bangsal or Teluk Nare. The Gili Islands guide covers the Bangsal counter and the island boats.
Getting around Lombok without a car: DAMRI buses, taxis and drivers
Lombok is easy to cover without renting a car, if you know which option to use where.
DAMRI from the airport. Three routes, 04:00 to 20:00, with the fares the airport lists:
No bus to the south coast. Kuta, Mandalika, Selong Belanak and the surf beaches have no DAMRI route, so beyond the airport you go by car with a driver, the airport taxi, Grab or Gojek.
Scooters are allowed. Whatever the debate in Bali, West Nusa Tenggara does not ban foreign visitors from renting scooters. Central Lombok's rental shops agreed with the traffic police to check that renters hold a valid licence, a home licence with an International Driving Permit, and to hand out a standard helmet.
Hotel transfers from Bali. Several fast-boat companies sell a car on to Lombok hotels. Karunia Jaya, for example, sold combined boat-and-van seats to Mataram, Senggigi, Selong Belanak and Tetebatu for November 2026.
What brings people to Lombok: Rinjani, Kuta's beaches and Mandalika
Lombok draws climbers, surfers and beach lovers. This is what each of them comes for.
- Mount Rinjani is Lombok's big climb, the volcano behind the Rinjani-Lombok UNESCO Global Geopark, which kept its status in April 2026. Foreign hikers pay Rp 250,000 a day on Sembalun and Senaru, Rp 200,000 on Aik Berik, Tetebatu and Timbanuh.
- Book the summit early: the park lets 700 hikers a day onto its six trails, 150 each on Sembalun and Senaru, and trips last at most four days and three nights. Torean has been shut since the September 2026 fire.
- No solo climbs: every group needs at least two people, so a lone hiker goes with a licensed guide booked on eRinjani.
- Kuta Lombok is the south coast's beach base: calm water at Pantai Kuta, beside the Mandalika zone, only 30 to 45 minutes from the airport.
- Surf and swim your way west: Selong Belanak's small, steady waves are where beginners stand up for the first time, Mawun is a bay wrapped in hills and Seger has gentle waves for a dip.
- Race weekend: the Mandalika circuit has hosted MotoGP's Grand Prix of Indonesia since 2022, and the 2026 race ran from 9 to 11 October.
Leaving Lombok for Bali, the Gilis or Sumbawa
When it is time to move on, the harbour depends on where you are heading next.
To Bali. Fast boats cross from Bangsal, Senggigi and Teluk Kodek to Padang Bai; the car ferry leaves Lembar at the same 13 times a day as it leaves Padang Bai. Wings Air and TransNusa fly to Denpasar. The Bali to Lombok guide compares all three.
To the Gilis. From Bangsal, the cooperative's public boat costs Rp 23,000 to Gili Trawangan.
To Sumbawa. The ferry from Kayangan to Poto Tano runs round the clock, about every hour, in about two hours; tickets are sold on Ferizy, Rp 18,800 for an adult on foot under the provincial tariff. DAMRI's buses leave Mataram in the early morning and cross on it:
| Bus | Leaves | Via |
|---|---|---|
| Mataram to Lantung | 05:30 | Alas, Utan, Sumbawa Besar |
| Mataram to Talonang | 06:00 | Seteluk, Taliwang, Maluk |
| Mataram to Leweng or Mata | 06:30 | Sumbawa Besar, Lape |
| Mataram to Moyo | 07:00 | Sumbawa Besar |
| Terminal Mandalika to Sumbawa and Mata | 06:15 | Sumbawa Besar |
Going further
Routes through this hub
Lombok: what travellers ask
How far is Lombok airport from Kuta Lombok?
30 to 45 minutes by car, closer than Senggigi or the Gilis. Cars were sold online from Rp 275,000 for November 2026. No DAMRI bus runs to Kuta.
Is there a bus from Lombok airport?
Yes, DAMRI, from 04:00 to 20:00: Rp 25,000 to Mataram, Rp 35,000 to Senggigi and Rp 30,000 to Selong. The ticket counter in the terminal is staffed from 07:00 to 17:00.
Where do boats to Bali leave from on Lombok?
Fast boats to Padang Bai leave from Bangsal, Senggigi and Teluk Kodek, the harbour sold online as Senggigi. The car ferries leave Lembar 13 times a day, Rp 65,300 on foot, about 4 h 30 min.
How do I get from Lombok to Sumbawa?
By DAMRI bus from Mataram, which crosses on the car ferry from Kayangan to Poto Tano. The buses leave between 05:30 and 07:00 for Sumbawa Besar, Taliwang and beyond.
How much does it cost to climb Rinjani?
For foreign hikers, Rp 250,000 a day on the Sembalun, Senaru and Torean trails and Rp 200,000 on Aik Berik, Tetebatu and Timbanuh. Book on eRinjani; solo hiking is banned, so a lone hiker must go with a licensed guide.
When is Mount Rinjani closed to hikers?
In the rainy season: in 2026 every trail stayed shut from January until 1 April. Torean has been closed since the September 2026 fire; Senaru reopened on 3 October.
Can I use Grab in Lombok?
At the airport, yes: GrabCar, GoCar and Bluebird are licensed there. In Kuta Mandalika, local drivers treat app cars as drop-off only, so arrange a local driver for pickups.
Sources for Lombok
- IDN Times NTB: NTB does not ban foreign tourists from renting motorbikes (13 March 2023)
- Antara Mataram: DPRD NTB says no taxi restriction in the Mandalika zone (28 September 2026)
- detikBali: NTB province after the Bluebird and local driver row in Mandalika (17 September 2026)
- InsideLombok: Kayangan - Poto Tano tariff (SK Gubernur NTB, 11 January 2023)
- Lombok International Airport: more ground transport choices (3 February 2025)
- Balai TN Gunung Rinjani: Torean trail closed (23 September 2026)
- Balai TN Gunung Rinjani: compulsory rules for climbers (12 June 2026)
- Balai TN Gunung Rinjani: trail classes and ticket prices (Permenhut 17/2025)
- Lombok International Airport (Zainuddin Abdul Madjid)
- DAMRI (Perum DAMRI)
- IDN Times NTB: Lembar-Padangbai ferry timetable and fares, 31 October 2026 (from KSOP Lembar)
- Headline NTB: Bangsal to the three Gilis, crossing fares (July 2026)
- Wahana Virendra (Wahana Gili Ocean)
- Gili Getaway
- Katadata: five Rinjani hiking trails open again (3 October 2026)
- Antara: Rinjani trails reopen on 1 April 2026 (3 March 2026)
- RRI: Rinjani-Lombok keeps its UNESCO Global Geopark status (29 April 2026)
- RRI: Mandalika circuit blends racing and scenery (14 July 2026)
- detikBali: six family-friendly beaches in Central Lombok (25 December 2025)