If you’re planning to travel to Indonesia, we recommend adding Labuan Bajo and Flores Island to the most popular tourist destinations such as Bali and Java.
The town of Labuan Bajo is the ideal base for visiting several natural wonders on Flores. The area is little frequented by international tourists, but offers beautiful landscapes and the chance of seeing Komodo Dragons.
In this article we explain what to do and see in Labuan Bajo in 3 or 4 days, depending on the time you have available to visit the island of Flores, Indonesia.
HOW MANY DAYS IN LABUAN BAJO?
Labuan Bajo is a 1h15 flight away from Bali. We suggest staying in Labuan Bajo for at least 4 days and 3 nights, up to a week. In Flores you can do multi-day tours not only to Komodo, but to hike and see the village of Wae Rebo too.
Considering your day of arrival at Labuan Bajo airport from Bali, we recommend keeping at least two days to visit the attractions, possibly 3 full days.
The island of Flores is still under developed, travel takes time on the few winding roads or by sea. This too makes Labuan Bajo a wild and adventurous destination.
Here is our 4 day – 3 night Labuan Bajo itinerary, travelling from Bali.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Indonesia travel tips
- Hotels: where to stay in Labuan Bajo?
- Day 0: landing in Flores
- Day 1: Komodo
- Day 2: Wae Rebo village
- Day 3: Labuan Bajo
- Day 4: Rangko Cave and viewpoints
- Conclusions and useful links
INDONESIA TRAVEL TIPS
- You can read our itinerary guides to Bali and Java, two of the most visited islands in Indonesia, with our tips on the main things to see.
- Remember to apply for a visa before leaving for Indonesia. A tourist visa allows you to travel for 30 days in the country. You can apply for a visa online for Indonesia and skip the queues at the airport. More details in our post Bali online visa cost and how to get it.
- To stay connected during your trip to Indonesia, we suggest getting an e-sim with Airalo for short stays, otherwise look in stores for a Telkomsel sim for a longer trip to Indonesia. Download offline maps from Maps.me for areas without signal.
- Don’t forget travel insurance for every trip. We recommend these two insurance companies: the European Heymondo (up to 15% discount for our readers), and the international WorldNomads.
- Speaking of insurance, you should get an International Driving Permit (IDP). In case of an accident, insurance does not cover if you don’t have an IDP. At this link you’ll find an agency that facilitates applying for an International Driving Permit card online, to receive it both digitally and physically, in Bali or in your home country.
HOTELS – WHERE TO STAY IN LABUAN BAJO?
Although Labuan Bajo is now a rapidly developing town, it remains historically a fishing port. In addition to simple guesthouses, where local families host tourists in basic rooms, modern hotels are popping up, with some luxury options and nice views of the Labuan Bajo archipelago.
Consider how much time you’ll spend in the hotel, as you’ll often be out and about between excursions.
You could choose to save on the hotel and spend a little more on excursions, which can be quite expensive. Or stay in excellent properties that are still less expensive than in Bali, with a great quality/price ratio.
As always, we recommend booking hotels in advance to avoid sold-outs and inflated prices. In high season, Labuan Bajo gets overrun with tourists arriving daily from Bali.
Read our post on the Best Months and Seasons to Travel to Bali and Indonesia here.
Below are some recommendations for the best guesthouses and hotels in Labuan Bajo.
Low Budget:
- Manta Manta Guesthouse Labuan Bajo: simple budget rooms, a great base for Labuan Bajo excursions.
- Danke Lodge: nice rooms near the airport. Very friendly staff, shuttle service to the city centre provided.
- Wae Rebo Lodge, base camp before the hike. Or if not available Villa Molas, another guesthouse in the area.
- Dua Putri Komodo Homestay: a nice guesthouse with excellent reviews for a night on Komodo Island.
Mid Range & Families:
- Cool Breeze Hotel Labuan Bajo: Beautiful island-style hotel with wooden details, overlooking Labuan Bajo Bay.
- Seaesta Komodo Hostel & Hotel: Modern property with swimming pool, offering both dorms and private rooms.
- Wae Molas Hotel: Small, well-kept hotel with a nice pool and common area, bar and restaurant available on site.
Luxury:
- Elang Hillside Bamboo Villas: gorgeous bamboo villas, excellent staff and unique sunset views.
- Katamaran Hotel & Resort Komodo: private villas on the water “Maldives style”, 3 km from the centre of Labuan Bajo.
You can book all your stays in Flores and in Indonesia with free cancellation here.
DAY 0 IN LABUAN BAJO
Welcome to Flores!
Taking one of multiple daily flights from Bali to Jakarta, you’ll probably land in Labuan Bajo in the afternoon. It may not be easy to get to crowded Bali Denpasar Airport early. There are also late morning flights, but once you land you won’t have the opportunity to immediately take one of the classic tours to Komodo, which normally leave soon after sunrise from Labuan Bajo.
Settle into your hotel and explore the port area of Labuan Bajo. If you haven’t booked any tours yet, you’ll find the agencies that offer various excursions along the main street. However, we recommend booking in advance to avoid the risk of being left stranded. Tours to Komodo or Wae Rebo in fact do not leave every day, the same goes for 2 day/1 night or 3 day/2 night tours.
In the evening there are many options for dinner in Labuan Bajo. Curiously, there are some excellent restaurants with Italian owners such as La Cucina and Altomare Restaurant (see map).
DAY 1 IN LABUAN BAJO: KOMODO
We dedicate our first full day to the must-do excursion in Labuan Bajo, which is the tour to Komodo National Park.
Here you’ll meet the legendary Komodo Dragon, the largest lizard in the world, carnivorous and poisonous. In addition, you’ll stop at wonderful beaches and islands in the archipelago, such as Padar Island and Pink Beach (cover photo).
The speedboat tour to Komodo costs around €85 or $90 per person in 2025. We talk in detail about the tours and the itinerary to Komodo National Park in our dedicated article: How to see the Komodo Dragons and Padar Island.
This is the tour to Komodo we did, by booking in advance online. Alternatively, you can book on site, but be aware that availability is not guaranteed during peak periods.
Komodo tours usually depart from Labuan Bajo Port at 7 am and return at sunset. In the evening, treat yourself to a dinner overlooking Labuan Bajo Bay.
If you have more days and want to spend more time in the Komodo Archipelago, book a 2 day/1 night or 3 day/2 night mini cruise from Labuan Bajo. You’ll get to cruise at a leisurely pace aboard a wooden boat with 12-16 guests. This way you’ll be able to enjoy the calm waters of the Flores Sea at special times such as sunrise and at night.
In addition, cruise tours are less rushed and allow you to visit the highlights when the large day-tour groups are not around. Prices start at €150 per person for 2-day cruises.
DAY 2 IN LABUAN BAJO: WAE REBO
The second day in Flores, and consequently the third, is dedicated to the hike to remote Wae Rebo village.
Wae Rebo is a tribal village made up of 7 large huts, each housing multiple local families. The villagers live with no electricity, following the rhythms of nature in a pristine corner of land.
This village is located in the southwest of Flores, about 120 km by road from Labuan Bajo. However, it takes a 4-hour drive, a ride on a dirt bike, and a 3-hour trek to finally reach Wae Rebo! For this reason, you need to spend a night in the village, which is undoubtedly the most special part of the excursion.
As with Komodo tours, trips to Wae Rebo can be booked online, or in town. Here too we suggest booking in advance as there are limited beds in the village.
Find out all about Wae Rebo in our article How to visit Wae Rebo, Flores.
DAY 3: BACK TO LABUAN BAJO
After spending the night in Wae Rebo, a good part of the third day will again be dedicated to this area of Flores and the way back to Labuan Bajo.
Depending on the type of Wae Rebo tour you’ve booked, or if you’ve arrived with your own vehicle, you’ll return to Bajo earlier or later. As for the outward journey, you’ll have to hike about 2-3 hours downhill, get down by motorbike, and back on the car for the 120 km of road.
Some tours include visits to other attractions on the way back, such as to the spiderweb ricefields (see map), or to some waterfalls and villages in the area, depending on the time of year you travel.
Otherwise, if you travel with a private driver, you can ask to return to Labuan Bajo earlier, for example to enjoy a panoramic spot at sunset, or even to catch a flight back to Bali if it’s your last day in Labuan Bajo.
The last flights from Labuan Bajo to Bali leave at around 5-6 pm. With good planning, you can make it to the airport in time.
If it’s not your last day, you can watch the Flying Foxes spectacle (giant bats) that cover the sky above Labuan Bajo at sunset. This activity is sometimes included in Komodo tours on the way back to the port. The Flying Foxes can also be seen from short sunset cruises that spend the evening in the archipelago.
DAY 4 IN LABUAN BAJO: RANGKO CAVE
On your last day in Labuan Bajo you can see the attractions around town. The most fascinating is the Rangko Cave sea grotto, where heavily salt water allows you to float effortlessly. It takes about an hour by road, plus a short boat ride, to get to Rangko Cave from Labuan Bajo. You can join a Rangko Cave tour or get there on your own.
If you have a scooter or a private driver, head to the panoramic points and admire the bay from above. We’ve marked Spot Bukit Menjaga Labuan Bajo and Bukit Cinta on the map, from which the view is amazing at any time of the day.
Other activities may include a visit or lunch at the fish market, where every day the fishermen sell their catch. The main street of Labuan Bajo offers small shops selling handicrafts and souvenirs, an idea before going to the airport in the afternoon.
If you fly out the next morning, some bars and restaurants have beautiful panoramic terraces to enjoy the sunset and last evening in town.
CONCLUSIONS AND USEFUL LINKS
Of course, plan your days in Labuan Bajo according to the excursions you prefer. You could also keep a rest day in the middle between the Komodo and Wae Rebo tours, if you’re sure to return in time to catch the flight on your last day.
If you wish to do a 2-day tour both to Komodo and Wae Rebo, you’ll need 5 or 7 days in total in Flores. And if you want to extend your stay to the rest of the island, in the eastern part of Flores you can visit the incredible volcanic lakes of Kelimutu.
Summing up, we absolutely recommend doing the Komodo and Padar Island tour, to see two of the overall best attractions in Labuan Bajo.
Should you have 3 or 4 days in Labuan Bajo, don’t miss the opportunity to do the excursion to Wae Rebo as well, a unique village that is still relatively unknown. The adventure by car, dirt bike and hike to reach the village is truly epic.
This ends our guide to the best things to do and see in Labuan Bajo, Flores. Let us know in the comments below if you have any questions or concerns.
Enjoy your trip to Labuan Bajo!
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO INDONESIA:
- What to eat in Bali: 10 typical Indonesian dishes
- Epic sunrise at Mt. Bromo – Java
- What to see and do in Ubud in 5 days
- Indonesia online visa cost and how to get it
- Wae Rebo village hike & guide
ONLINE IDP – INTERNATIONAL DRIVING PERMIT
We recommend getting an International Driving Permit online if you’re planning to drive a vehicle abroad. The International Drivers Association offers a reliable online service that allows to get a digital+physical licence even if you’re already travelling, valid and accepted in 150+ countries worldwide.
More info on the official website (use code IDAAMILLIONTRAVELS10 for 10% off).
Here you can compare car rental prices in the country you are travelling.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
We never leave home without a reliable travel insurance. Better safe than sorry.
Here are two options for you to compare.
Get a quote with World Nomads here, and get up to 15% off your travel insurance with Heymondo here.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
COMPARE PRICES, BOOK FLIGHTS + STAYS
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