The Komodo 3D2N liveaboard, hour by hour

Rate note. Every rupiah figure on this page is the operator’s published rate read on 31 July 2026. Komodo National Park fees are set by government regulation, are not included, and change without notice. Ask the booking desk to confirm the current total in writing before you pay a deposit.

Why three days is the right length

Komodo National Park is not compact. The islands worth sailing for are spread across roughly 40 nautical miles of open water, and a phinisi cruises at 6-9 knots. That arithmetic is the whole argument for a liveaboard: the boat repositions overnight while you sleep, so you wake up at the next anchorage instead of burning daylight getting there.

Two nights is the minimum that delivers both signature moments – the Padar sunrise trek and the Manta Point drift – without either being squeezed. Cut to one night and Manta Point and Taka Makassar usually drop out of the plan; see the two-day itinerary for exactly what that trade looks like. Add a night and you gain Rangko Cave and Seraya, covered on the four-day route page.

Hour by hour, as operated

This is the working timetable the crew runs, not a brochure summary. Times move with tide, swell and ranger scheduling at the trekking sites – the sequence holds, the clock flexes.

What each stop actually is

• Kelor Island – a short, steep grass hill about an hour out of Labuan Bajo. The trek takes 20-30 minutes and is the first proper view over the archipelago.
• Manjarite – a sheltered snorkelling bay with easy entry, used as the gear-check stop before the more demanding sites.
• Kalong Island – the mangrove island where thousands of flying foxes lift off at dusk. The boat anchors and you watch from the deck over dinner.
• Padar Island – the 06:00 climb to the three-bay viewpoint. Steps most of the way, roughly 30-45 minutes up, and the reason the alarm goes off in the dark.
• Pink Beach – Pantai Merah, where crushed red organ-pipe coral mixes into white sand. Snorkelling straight off the beach.
• Komodo Island – ranger-led dragon trekking. Rangers set group sizes and routes; their fee is charged per group.
• Manta Point (Karang Makassar) – a shallow cleaning-station drift where reef mantas feed. Current-dependent, always ranger and guide supervised.
• Taka Makassar – a crescent sandbar that appears and disappears with the tide, sitting in exceptionally clear water.
• Sebayur – the day-three reef, close enough to Labuan Bajo for a last snorkel before the run home.

Cabin grades and what each one costs

Every cabin has its own bathroom and air conditioning; the price difference buys view, bed configuration and balcony access, not basic comfort. The four Deluxe cabins are the volume grade and the ones that usually go first on a shared departure.

Departures and how far ahead to book

Lady Grace sails on a weekly cycle every month of the year, most commonly as a Friday-to-Sunday three-day block. July 2026, for example, ran consecutive weekend departures through the month. Because the boat sells by cabin on open trips, popular grades on peak-season weekends clear first – the Suite and Grand Deluxe cabins in the June-to-September window in particular. The current calendar and how to hold a cabin are on the sailing schedule and availability page.

Park fees, paid separately

Komodo National Park charges are regulated by government and collected outside your cruise fare. They vary by nationality, by which islands you land on and by whether you dive. The documented 2026 figures below give you a realistic budget rather than a single quoted number.

For a foreign guest on a standard 3D2N Komodo itinerary, a realistic all-in park cost is IDR 550,000 to IDR 900,000 per person. Ask the desk for the exact figure applied to your departure – it is a pass-through cost, not operator margin.

What is included in the cruise fare

What the rate includes

• Accommodation on board for the full itinerary
• All meals prepared on board
• Mineral water, coffee and tea
• English-speaking guide
• Snorkelling gear and life vests
• Premium photo and video coverage with drone, GoPro and mirrorless camera (raw footage handed over)
• Hotel or airport pickup and drop-off within the Labuan Bajo mainland area near the harbour

What it does not include

• Komodo National Park entrance and conservation fees (government-regulated, subject to change)
• Flights to and from Komodo Airport, Labuan Bajo
• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages beyond water, coffee and tea
• Personal snacks
• Drone ticket, quoted by the operator at approximately IDR 2,100,000, with the permit requested seven days ahead
• Crew gratuities

Who this itinerary suits

• First-time visitors who want every headline site in one trip.
• Couples on a short Indonesia leg who can spare three days from Bali.
• Photographers – the Padar sunrise and Taka Makassar midday light are the two frames people fly here for, and the package hands over raw drone and mirrorless footage.
• Groups of six to twenty for whom a whole-boat charter of this same route costs less per head than buying cabins individually.

A full package and pricing comparison across durations sits on the Lady Grace price and packages guide, and the entry point for the whole category is the luxury Komodo cruise overview. For departures beyond this vessel, our parent operator in Labuan Bajo runs several boats on the same route.