Skip to main content
A beach swing standing in shallow water in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
Water Activities

Gili Trawangan Day Trip

Off Bali entirely, on an island with no cars at all

Duration
16 hours door to door
Crossing
About 1h 45m each way
On the island
Roughly 5 hours
Transport there
Bicycles and horse carts only

The trip

What You're Signing Up For

Gili Trawangan is off Lombok, an hour and three quarters by fast boat from Padang Bai, and there is not a single car or motorbike on it. You get around by bicycle, on foot, or in a cidomo horse cart, and the whole island is a ninety-minute walk around.

As a day trip it is long. You leave your hotel at about half five in the morning and you are back around nine at night, for five hours on the island. We say that up front because plenty of operators do not.

Highlights

Why People Pick This One

  • An island with no cars, no motorbikes and no traffic noise at all
  • Green turtles on the reef off the east coast, snorkelled from the beach
  • Water that is properly turquoise, which Bali's own beaches are not
  • Bicycles for the afternoon, and ninety minutes to ride the whole island
  • Both crossings, both land transfers and the snorkelling included

Full description

The Whole Thing

What you get for the day is a completely different place. White sand, water that is genuinely turquoise rather than Bali's grey-blue, green turtles you can snorkel with straight off the beach, and a pace that has nothing to do with Canggu.

Itinerary

The Trip, Stop By Stop

Timings are typical, not fixed. Your guide reshapes the day around your pace and the conditions.

  1. Hotel pickup

    Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Jimbaran, Sanur, Ubud

    About half past five. It is early because the fast boats leave Padang Bai at eight.

    Included

  2. Padang Bai harbour

    Ninety minutes east, then check-in and boarding for the crossing.

  3. The crossing

    One hour forty-five across the Lombok Strait, past Nusa Penida on the right.

  4. Turtle point

    An hour snorkelling the reef off the east coast, where the green turtles feed.

  5. Lunch and the island

    Lunch on the beach, then bicycles, swimming, or the walk to the west side.

  6. Afternoon boat

    The return crossing, usually flatter than the morning one.

  7. Drive home

    Padang Bai to your hotel, arriving around nine.

    Included
Trip stop Pickup area Pickup is from your own accommodation inside these areas. Route is indicative, not the exact road taken.

The price covers

What's Included, And What Isn't

Included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off across South Bali, Ubud and Canggu
  • Private air-conditioned car with English-speaking driver both ways
  • Return fast boat, Padang Bai to Gili Trawangan
  • Harbour taxes and the island entry levy
  • One hour of guided snorkelling at the turtle point, mask and fins included
  • Bicycle hire for the afternoon
  • Lunch on the island

Not included

  • Drinks and anything else you buy on the island
  • Cidomo horse cart rides, if you would rather not cycle
  • Diving, which we can arrange separately with a Gili operator

Before you book

Who This Trip Isn’t For

We would rather talk you out of the wrong trip than take your money for it. If any of these apply, message us and we’ll suggest something that fits better.

Anyone who gets seasick

One hour forty-five each way on a fast boat in open water. In January this is not a gentle crossing.

Anyone short on time

Sixteen hours for five on the island. If your trip is short, Nusa Lembongan gives you a similar day for half the travelling.

Anyone travelling with toddlers

The early start and the crossing make this hard work under about six. Lembongan or Penida are far kinder.

Come prepared

What To Bring

Motion sickness tablets

Take one an hour before the crossing. This is the single most useful thing you can pack for this trip.

Reef-safe sunscreen

You will be face down over coral for an hour. Regular sunscreen bleaches it, and the Gilis are strict about this.

A hat and sunglasses

There is no shade on a bicycle and no shade on the boat's top deck.

Cash in rupiah

There are ATMs on Trawangan but they run dry constantly. Bring what you expect to spend, and a bit more.

On the trip

What It Looks Like

Tap a photo to enlarge

Before you book

Questions About This Trip

Anything not covered here? Message us. We'd rather answer first than have you book the wrong trip.

Is the crossing rough?

It can be. December to February is the worst of it and the boats still run. If the harbour master closes the route, we refund you in full.

Will we definitely see turtles?

Almost always, at the east-coast point. It is a feeding ground and they are resident. Nobody can promise wildlife, but the odds here are very good.

Which Gili is best?

Trawangan has the most to do, Meno is the quiet one, Air sits in between. We run this to Trawangan because five hours goes further there.

Should we stay overnight instead?

If you can, yes. The islands are far better in the evening and you halve the travelling. Ask us and we will price the overnight version.

Do we need a passport?

No. Lombok is Indonesia, so this is a domestic trip. Bring photo ID anyway for the boat manifest.

Pairs well with

Other Trips Guests Interested In

All trips
The sheltered turquoise bay at Padangbai in East Bali, seen from above.

Blue Lagoon & Tanjung Jepun Snorkel

Start from$65 / person

View Itinerary

Ready When You Are

Tell us your dates and how many of you there are. We'll confirm availability, pickup time and the total, usually within the hour.