A shared Komodo boat tour is a scheduled group sailing trip in Komodo National Park, departing from Labuan Bajo on Flores, where unrelated travellers book individual seats or cabins on the same vessel and split the cost. The default is a 3D2N shared liveaboard visiting Padar Island, Komodo Island and Pink Beach.
Updated January 2026 — prices, schedules and park fees verified by Komodo Luxury, owner-operator in Labuan Bajo since 2015.
What “open trip” actually means
In Indonesia, tour operators say open trip. Foreign travellers say shared tour, group tour, join-group tour or split-cost boat trip. They are the same product: a boat departs on a fixed date whether you are two people or twelve, and you buy only your own seat or cabin rather than the whole vessel.
The opposite is a private charter, where you pay for the entire boat and set your own itinerary. If you are comparing the two, read sharing vs private Komodo boat tours before you book — the decision usually comes down to group size, not budget.
We operate our own fleet, so the boat you board on a shared departure is crewed and maintained in-house. Komodo Luxury holds TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, plus TripAdvisor’s Best Boat Agency in Labuan Bajo 2025, and carries 4.8 stars from 152 Google reviews.
Shared Komodo boat tour options and prices
All prices below are per person in USD, excluding Komodo National Park entrance fees.
| Trip | Sleeping | Price per person | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Day Shared Speedboat Tour | Hotel in Labuan Bajo | USD 91 (IDR 1,450,000) | Travellers with one free day |
| 2D1N Shared Trip | Aboard, 1 night | USD 250–450 | Adding a sunrise at Padar |
| 3D2N Shared Liveaboard (Phinisi) | Aboard, 2 nights | USD 330–850 | The recommended minimum |
3D2N is the recommended minimum for a proper Komodo boat tour. A day trip is a compressed highlights run; two nights aboard is what lets you reach Padar Island at sunrise and Kalong Island at sunset, neither of which a day boat can do.
Why does the 3D2N shared price range from USD 330 to USD 850?
Because a shared liveaboard is priced per cabin, not per seat. Every guest sails the same itinerary, eats the same meals and treks with the same ranger — the difference is the cabin tier you sleep in. Real current rates on our fleet:
| Vessel | Cabin tier | Per person (3D2N) |
|---|---|---|
| Yumana | Superior | USD 330 |
| Elbark Cruises | Banda Neira / Savu | USD 400 |
| Naturalia | Lagoon | USD 400 |
| Vinca Voyages | Balinese | USD 430 |
| Catnazse | Grandis | USD 430 |
| Ayvara Cruises | Superior | USD 450 |
| Malca Voyages | Master | USD 580 |
| Neptune Cruise Phinisi | Deluxe | USD 610 |
| Mosalaki | Adonara | USD 800 |
| Neptune Cruise Phinisi | Mansard | USD 850 |
An extra bed or additional person in an existing cabin costs USD 250–410 depending on vessel. The entry rate on a shared Komodo liveaboard is USD 330 — if you see “from USD 220” advertised elsewhere, ask what is excluded. Full breakdowns sit on our Komodo boat tour prices page and the 3D2N open trip page.
How many people are on a shared boat?
Our shared phinisi carry up to 20 guests, and most 3D2N departures sail with 10–16. Larger cruise vessels such as Ayvara Cruises (36m) and Malca Voyages (30m teak) take 14–25 guests with indoor lounge and dining space. A shared speedboat day trip carries roughly 10–20 passengers. If you want a genuinely small group, book a cabin on a smaller phinisi or ask us which departure dates are lightly booked.
What a shared 3D2N itinerary looks like
| Day | Stops |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Board at Labuan Bajo harbour around midday. Kelor Island, Manjarite snorkelling, Kalong Island at sunset for thousands of flying foxes. Overnight at anchor. |
| Day 2 | Pre-dawn tender to Padar Island for the three-bay sunrise viewpoint. Pink Beach (Pantai Merah). Komodo Island (Loh Liang) ranger-guided dragon trek. Manta Point (Karang Makassar) snorkelling. Taka Makassar sandbar. Overnight at anchor near Siaba or Sebayur. |
| Day 3 | Rinca Island (Loh Buaya ranger station) trek — the wilder of the two dragon sites and generally the best sighting odds. Kanawa or Mawan for a final swim, then return to Labuan Bajo by early afternoon. |
Exact stops shift with tide, wind and park ranger scheduling. Gili Lawa and Tatawa appear on some departures. Deep dives into individual stops: Padar Island, Pink Beach, Manta Point, Taka Makassar, Kanawa Island and Kelor Island.
Komodo National Park fees on a shared tour
As of January 2026, Komodo National Park fees for foreign passport holders are IDR 250,000 (about USD 16) per person per calendar day, set by Government Regulation PP No. 36/2024 — multi-day trips are charged per day in the park, not as a flat trip rate. Fees are set by the park authority and paid separately from tour prices. Indonesian citizens and KITAS holders pay lower rates. Full detail sits on our park fees and tickets page, with background on the park itself at Komodo National Park.
Safety on a shared trip
Komodo dragons are wild, dangerous animals. You must always stay with your assigned park ranger during any trek and follow their instructions. Do not walk ahead, do not separate from the group to photograph an animal, and tell your ranger before the trek if you have an open wound — rangers adjust group positioning accordingly. Read more on Komodo dragon trekking and Rinca vs Komodo Island.
On the water: wear the life jacket provided during tender transfers, snorkel with a buddy, and never swim away from the boat at Manta Point — currents at Karang Makassar are strong and the crew position the vessel deliberately.
Who a shared Komodo boat tour suits
- Solo travellers — you pay one cabin rate instead of chartering a whole vessel, and you meet people.
- Couples — a private double cabin at USD 400–610 per person is the value sweet spot.
- Friends of two to four — book adjacent cabins on the same departure.
- Budget-conscious first-timers — you see every headline site at a fraction of the cost of a private charter.
A shared trip is not ideal if you need a fixed private schedule, are travelling with small children who nap on their own rhythm, or are a group of eight or more — at that size a private charter (from USD 5,300 per night, minimum 3 nights) often works out similar per head. Compare on the 4D3N page, the 2D1N page, or the fleet overview.
When should you sail?
Dry season, April to November, is best, with July to September the peak. Shared departures run most frequently in that window, so cabin choice is widest — but so is demand, and the USD 330 tier sells out first. January and February bring rougher seas and thinner schedules. See best time to see Komodo dragons.
How do you book and pay?
A 50% deposit secures your cabin and the departure date. The balance is due 14 days before departure. Because shared departures fill cabin-by-cabin, the date is only held once the deposit clears.
Labuan Bajo (LBJ) is roughly a one-hour flight from Bali. If you are starting there, read Komodo boat tours from Bali. For the shortest option, see the one-day speedboat tour. Certified divers wanting a dive-configured liveaboard should look at our sister site komododivingtour.com — our shared trips are leisure sailing and snorkelling, not scuba.
Ready to join a group departure?
Tell us your dates and how many people you are, and we will send the open departures with cabins still free. Message us on WhatsApp at +62 811-3823-875, email sales@komodoluxury.com, or book your Komodo dragon tour directly. See guest reviews, browse the full Komodo dragon tour range, or read more about our fleet and crew.