**A Bali-to-Lombok phinisi cruise runs 2 to 3 nights as a private full-boat buyout: you board a two-masted wooden schooner at Benoa or Serangan, cross the Lombok Strait overnight, then spend two days snorkelling and anchoring off Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno before an optional return sail or one-way drop.** It is chartered as a flat vessel rate, not per person.
That is the short version. Below is how the route actually unfolds, day by day, plus the honest bits on pricing, formalities and what a firm quote from the reservations team needs to cover.
What makes the Bali-to-Lombok run a phinisi route rather than a day sail?
Distance and the crossing. A sunset dinner cruise stays inside Benoa’s sheltered water and comes home the same evening. The Lombok run commits you to open water: the Lombok Strait separates Bali from Lombok and the Gili Islands, and it is a deep, current-fed channel rather than a calm lagoon. That is why this route is built around at least one overnight aboard, and why the boat of choice is a phinisi — the traditional Indonesian wooden sailing vessel with two masts and fore-and-aft rigging, first built by the Bugis and Makassar shipwrights of South Sulawesi, with hulls traditionally shaped from ironwood and decks laid in teak. A vessel designed for multi-day archipelago passages suits an overnight crossing far better than a day launch.
Ironwood Sails is the Bali-departure booking desk for these charters; the sailings themselves are operated by Bali Premium Trip, and where a specific vessel is not owned by the operator it is arranged through vetted licensed partners. We are a concierge, not the asset owner — so treat the plan below as a representative template, and confirm the exact boat, cabin count and inclusions when you request a quote. If you want the money-page overview of routing, transfers and rate cards, our Bali to Lombok itinerary page collects it in one place.
Where does the cruise depart from, and why two harbours?
Benoa, on the eastern side of Bali’s southern tip, is the official Port of Entry for Bali for visiting yachts — customs, immigration and quarantine are all handled there, and Bali Marina at Benoa is the managed yacht facility. Yacht-industry media report Benoa Marina is being developed as a major base for Indonesian yacht charters. After clearing formalities, cruising guidance advises yachts to move about 1 km north to Serangan Harbour, which offers two anchorage areas, good shelter, and a practical base for smaller vessels. In plain terms: your paperwork and larger-vessel logistics sit at Benoa; a smaller phinisi may stage and board more comfortably at Serangan. Your confirmation will name the exact pier.
What does a sample 2-night Bali-to-Lombok phinisi itinerary look like?
Here is a representative 2-night, 3-day plan. Sailing times are indicative and depend on weather, current and the vessel’s cruising speed — the captain sets the final schedule on the day.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening / overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Board at Benoa/Serangan, safety brief, cast off; sail south-east of Bali | Lunch under way; begin the Lombok Strait crossing | Sunset dinner on deck; overnight passage or anchor near the Gilis |
| Day 2 | Anchor off Gili Trawangan; snorkel the house reef, swim, paddleboard | Short hop to Gili Meno (the quiet one) and Gili Air; more snorkelling, beach time | Anchored dinner under the stars; overnight aboard |
| Day 3 | Sunrise, breakfast, final snorkel drift | Return crossing toward Bali, or one-way drop for Lombok/Gili guests | Arrive Benoa/Serangan late afternoon; disembark |
Prefer a slower trip? A 3-night version simply adds a full day among the Gilis — splitting reef time across all three islands, adding a Gili Gede or Lombok-coast anchorage, or holding an extra sunset at sea before turning back.
What are the Gili Islands stops actually like?
The three Gilis sit off Lombok’s north-west coast and each has a distinct character:
- Gili Trawangan — the largest and liveliest, with the busiest reefs and the widest choice of anchorages. Good for a first snorkel and for guests who want a shore hour.
- Gili Meno — the smallest and quietest, ringed by calm water. This is the one people picture when they imagine an empty beach.
- Gili Air — the closest to Lombok, with an easy village feel and shallow, clear snorkelling straight off the boat.
Gili Gede, further south-west off Lombok, is another cruising area near Bali and can be added on a longer plan. All three main Gilis are no-motorised-vehicle islands, so the phinisi and its tender are your transport.
What will a Bali-to-Lombok phinisi charter cost?
Bali phinisi charters are typically priced as a flat full-boat rate — you buy out the whole vessel, and the headline figure does not change whether you sail with six guests or sixteen. That structure is what makes a private route worth planning around.
For a public reference point: one Bali phinisi operator openly advertises a Benoa-departure day cruise “from IDR 18,000,000” — roughly USD 1,100 to 1,200 at recent typical exchange rates (an informed estimate, not an official quote, and as of 2026, subject to change). That is a single-day figure and currently the only directly citable Bali phinisi day-cruise price point. A 2-to-3-night Lombok run is a longer, higher commitment — more fuel, more crew hours, provisioning and overnights — so it sits well above a day rate. We will not print a made-up multi-night number here; the reservations team quotes the specific boat and dates.
| Cost element | How it is usually treated |
|---|---|
| Full-boat charter rate | Flat vessel rate, quoted per day/night, not per person |
| Fuel and crew | Often included in the rate — confirm in writing |
| Port, mooring and clearance fees | May be billed separately |
| Marine / national-park fees | Apply for areas such as Nusa Penida; confirm any Lombok-side fees |
| Alcohol, transfers, extras | Frequently separate unless stated |
Always get fuel, port fees, mooring, marine fees, alcohol and airport transfers confirmed as included or excluded before you pay. Every figure above is as of 2026 and subject to change.
Do I need any paperwork for a Bali-to-Lombok cruise?
For most guests joining an operator-run charter on an Indonesian-based vessel, the answer is simple: you turn up with your passport and the operator handles the boat’s side. The heavier regime — CAIT security clearance, a PIB temporary-import permit filed at the first port of call, passports valid at least 180 days beyond your stay — applies to foreign-flagged yachts entering Indonesian waters, according to cruising references, and typically requires a local agent. Since 3 December 2011, that regime was simplified: the old customs bond was replaced by a guarantee letter from a licensed Indonesian company. This is general context, not legal advice; if you are bringing your own foreign-flag vessel, work with a licensed agent.
When is the best time to sail Bali to Lombok?
Indonesian phinisi cruises are marketed year-round across multiple regions, both as private charters and cabin trips. Detailed month-by-month sea-state data for the Bali-Lombok-Gili corridor is not something we can cite precisely, so treat any dry-season or high-season claim as general guidance rather than a record. The practical move: ask the reservations team about conditions for your specific dates, since the captain’s read on current and wind in the Lombok Strait matters more than any calendar.
How do I request this itinerary?
Send your dates, guest count and whether you want a round-trip or a one-way drop to the concierge desk on WhatsApp at 6281128590000, or email sales@balipremiumtrip.com. Ask for the flat full-boat rate, the exact departure pier, the cabin configuration, and a written line on what fuel, port and park fees are included. That single message turns this sample plan into a firm quote for your own Bali-to-Lombok voyage.