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If you want to visit Komodo National Park, this article is for YOU! Komodo National Park off the coast of Flores, Indonesia is certainly a bucket-list destination that belongs on your Indonesia itinerary. However, navigating how to get there, when to go, where to stay and how long to stay can be tricky.
That’s why we’ve compiled this list of everything you need to know to visit Komodo National Park! After reading this you’ll be fully equipped to plan the trip of your dreams to these special islands.
Where is Komodo National Park?
Komodo National Park is located off the western coast of Flores Island in Indonesia. The Komodo Islands are located in between the East and West Nusa Tenggara regions and are made up of 29 islands.
Komodo National Park facts
| National Park | Komodo National park |
| Established | 1980 |
| UNESCO status | Yes |
| Number of islands | 29 |
| Area | 1,733 km2 |
| Komodo National Park entrance fee | 150,000 IDR, $10 USD (working days) 255,000 IDR, $18 USD (Sundays & holidays) |
How to visit Komodo National park
The only way to visit Komodo National Park is with an organized tour since the islands are all at least an hour from the port. The tours start from the port of Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores, Indonesia.
There are TONS of options and operators you can use depending on your schedule and budget. You can book anything from a day trip to a 9 day sailing trip through the islands, from a private tour to a party boat of 25, so it really depends on what you’re going for!
>> Read: Komodo National Park Tour – how to choose the best tour for you!
How to get to the Komodo Islands
The easiest way to access the Komodo Islands is by flying into Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores, and taking a boat tour from there. Because of flight schedules, though, you MUST arrive a day before your tour and stay a night in Labuan Bajo. After you tour is complete you can take a flight out the same day as your tour ends.
Airport near Komodo National Park
The closest airport to Komodo National Park is Labuan Bajo Komodo Airport (LBJ). The airport is only a 10 minute drive to the main port of Labuan Bajo, so it’s really convenient.
Make sure to note that it’s a small airport and only a handful of airlines fly here. Often flights in and out of Labuan Bajo get delayed, rescheduled or cancelled, so you need flexible travel plans.
Also, if you are planning to visit Komodo National Park as the last stop of your Indonesia trip you should account for buffer time. It’s important to leave yourself ample time between your flight out of Labuan Bajo and your international flight since your flight from Labuan Bajo may get cancelled or rescheduled, which has caused many people to miss their international connection.
Visiting Komodo National Park from Bali
It is easy to visit Komodo National Park from Bali since it’s a short 1 hour flight. A handful of airlines fly from Denpasar (DPS) to Labuan Bajo (LBJ) so you can shop around for the best price. We currently use Kayak to do so, but tons of folks swear by Skyscanner.
>>Read: Visit world’s largest Buddhist Temple in Indonesia
Where to stay in Labuan Bajo
As we covered above, you need to stay your first night in Labuan Bajo so that you can start your tour early the next morning. We stayed at the Theodor Hotel for $45 USD per night which included airport transfer. The hotel was beautiful and the pool was gorgeous. It was also just a short drive into the town center and they provided round-trip transportation there for $7 USD. Our tour picked us up from the hotel in the morning and took us to the port.
Best time to visit Komodo National Park
Certainly the best time to visit Komodo National Park is in the dry season of April to early December. April to June is a gorgeous time since it’s the beginning of the dry season and the islands are lush. July and August are mating season for the Komodo dragons, so they are harder to spot. September to November is nesting season which can also cause you to see fewer dragons, but in October we saw plenty! We also were able to see the Manta Rays in October.
How many days in Komodo?
Two to three days is the perfect amount of time to visit Komodo National Park. We did a 2 day, 1 night tour which was the perfect amount of time to hit all the best things to do in Komodo.
While 2 days and 1 night was ample for us, if you want to see the famous bats fly at sunset, spend more time diving or snorkeling, or see both islands of Komodo Dragons (instead of just 1), the 3 day 2 night tour would be perfect for you.
>>Read: 6 INCREDIBLE Things to Do in Komodo
Komodo National Park entrance fee
The entrance fee for Komodo National Park is 150,000 IDR (~$10 USD) on all working days, which are Monday to Saturday. On Sundays and holidays it is 255,000 IDR ($18 USD), so it’s worthwhile to try and plan for a working day to save some money!
There are also entrance fees and ranger fees for the different islands and activities. While you’re looking into tours, make sure to ask if the tour is all inclusive or if you have to pay the national park and island fees yourself.
Is Komodo Island open?
As of October 2019 when we went, both Komodo Island and Rinca Island (the islands with Komodo Dragons) were open. Is it rumored that one or both of them will close to the public in 2020 for conservation efforts, but nothing has been officially confirmed.
Regardless of if Komodo or Rinca island are open to see the dragons, the rest of the islands will remain open. To be honest, our favorite part of our trip were the other islands, so dragons or not the Komodo Islands are certainly worth visiting!
Is Komodo Island safe?
We felt very safe on Komodo Island BUT you need to be smart, take precautions and have a good guide. The Komodo Dragons are SAVAGE animals – they’re cannibals and will eat anything and everything in sight.
In order to stay safe you absolutely MUST hire a park ranger to find the dragons. Also, it should go without saying but KEEP YOUR DISTANCE. We saw people getting way too cuddly with these beasts for photos. We took ours quite a few meters back per our guide’s instructions and he took the photo from a safe distance.
Also, one more thing is that Komodo Dragons have a crazy sense of smell. They can smell things a few kilometers away, and bug spray is apparently a trigger. So for your safety DON’T WEAR BUG SPRAY when you visit Komodo or Rinca island.
What to pack when you visit Komodo National Park
You definitely want to pack light to visit Komodo National park. Since you’ll likely be staying on a boat, space is tight. Above all, don’t forget your swimsuit, reef-safe sunscreen and camera!
>> Read: What to Pack for the Komodo Islands
Komodo National Park Video
We certainly hope you absolutely LOVE your visit to Komodo National Park!
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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