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If you’re confused on how to choose a Komodo National Park Tour, you’re not alone! While it’s great that there are so many options, it can make it very hard to choose what tour is best for you.
Below we’ve outlined how to decide which tour of the Komodo Islands is best for your preferences and budget. We’ve also included the tour we went on and our honest review of it. We hope this gives you the confidence you need to pick the perfect Komodo National Park tour for YOU!
Why do I need a tour?
The only way to visit the Komodo Islands is with an organized tour that leaves out of Labuan Bajo port on Flores island. We usually steer clear of tours, but here it’s a necessity. Don’t worry, though, the tours aren’t like city tours where you’re following someone holding up a colored umbrella all day.
While the tours have an itinerary, it never bothered us or made us feel like we were being herded around. If you’re especially sensitive to this, make sure group size is part of your research!
>>Read: everything you need to know about visiting Komodo
Komodo National Park Tours
There are an overwhelming number of tour options and operators to choose from in Komodo National Park. All of the tours depart in the morning from Labuan Bajo on Flores island.
They offer everything from day trips to 9-day sailing adventures around the islands. Group size can also vary drastically, and you can be in a group as large as 25 or as small as a private tour. Depending on your schedule, interests and budget you’ll be able to choose which is best for you.
How to choose a Komodo National Park tour
When choosing a Komodo National Park tour you should take into account your budget, interests, schedule and preference for group size. You should also take into account your tolerance for being on a boat – for us 2 days was plenty!
First, think through how many days your schedule will allow. Once you have a rough idea of that, keep reading for how to assess the rest of the variables!
>>Read: How many days in Komodo?
How to choose a group size
Private tour
We landed on a 2 days 1 night private tour because it fit our budget and allowed us to customize a schedule around our interests. While it would have been great fun to make new friends on the boat, our desire to hit certain places at sunrise/sunset and preference to trade extra snorkeling for more photo spots meant a custom schedule was best for us. We also place a lot of value on a private room and flexibility.
Small group tour
If you want to make a few friends and have a social trip you should opt for a group tour! These are of course cheaper than a private tour, too. Depending on which group tour you choose you can usually pick a shared bunk room or a private room.
Large group tour
Lastly, if you really want to party go with a large group. This could be a great option to make friends as a solo traveler or explore on a budget. We could hear the party and music from our boat, and we can’t say it didn’t look like a blast!
>> Read: What to pack for the Komodo Islands
How much do Komodo National Park Tours cost
Komodo National Park tours can cost anywhere from $100 USD into the thousands. Our 2 day 1 night private tour was $650 USD for the 2 of us and they quoted us $950 for a 3 day 2 night private tour. On the other hand our friends got a 3 day 2 night small group tour for $250 for both of them.
In general the longer you stay the more you will pay, but each extra day should only add marginally. Also, another general rule of thumb is the bigger the group, the lower the price.
Also note that some tours, like ours, are all-inclusive. This means they include all meals, park entry fees and all island and activity fees. These hidden fees can add up, so confirm beforehand whether the tour price includes these fees or not.
Overall, though, there is a Komodo National Park tour for every budget!
Choosing a Komodo Islands itinerary
Knowing your interests is important when you’re choosing a Komodo National Park tour! For example, we don’t scuba dive, so it would be silly for us to choose a tour with diving. Also, we knew that Padar Island, Rinca Island & the Pink Beach were all absolute MUSTS for our trip, so we chose a tour that included those.
Start by creating your Komodo Island bucket list and making note of your must-see places and must-do activities. Then use that list to help you choose a tour that encompasses those interests!
>>Read: 6 INCREDIBLE Things To Do in Komodo
How to research companies
In order to ensure you go with the right tour company, it requires a decent amount of research. While there are many companies offering Komodo National Park tours, not all tours and companies are created equal! Make sure to do your research and ask around, because some are more reputable than others.
Start your research with a Google search and then cross-reference with TripAdvisor. We suggest also stalking the company’s Instagram and even going as far as reaching out to people who have tagged the company after their visit.
Note: if they have only a few reviews, make sure to dig a little deeper. There is a problem with companies getting so many bad reviews that they just change their name and keep operating.
Where to book Komodo National Park tours
You can either book a tour online before you go or if you’d rather see what options are there when you arrive, almost every shop near the Labuan Bajo port is selling tours.
We recommend booking in advance to ensure you can get the Komodo National Park tour that best fits you.
What tour did we do?
We opted for the 2 day 1 night private tour with a company called Tours To Komodo. It cost $650 USD and included all of the national park and island activity fees. A private tour was the perfect option for us because it allowed us to customize the schedule to exactly what we wanted, which in turn meant 2 days was ample for us to hit our Komodo bucketlist.
While we had a great time and the sites were AMAZING, we wouldn’t necessarily rave about the service of our tour with Tours To Komodo. Although they were very nice, the guides were young and inexperienced, which often came across as unprofessional. This was especially frustrating when they would provide mis-information.
The boat wasn’t super comfortable, either. Since they use the same boat for group tours, we can only imagine how claustrophobic it would feel. Lastly, while the food was delicious they weren’t always accommodating for our vegetarian dietary restrictions, which is something we had confirmed with them multiple times ahead of time. Overall we would give this tour a 3/5 for value and service, but our visit to Komodo National Park was still a 5/5!
>>Be sure to read this before you go to Komodo!
We hope this helps you choose the best tour of Komodo National Park! Enjoy your trip!
Kylie & Scott
(If you liked this article or have any questions, please comment below! And make sure to follow along on Instagram @LoveHardTravelOften)
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