A Komodo tour booking is a reserved place on a Komodo National Park sailing trip departing from Labuan Bajo, Flores, confirmed by a 50% deposit. The remaining balance is due 14 days before departure. Bookings are handled directly over WhatsApp with the operator, and park entrance fees are paid separately.
Updated January 2026
We are komododragontour.com, a Komodo National Park sailing tour operator run by Komodo Luxury since 2015 and part of Juara Holding Group. We are owner-operated: the phinisi, cruise and speedboat vessels we sell are owned, crewed and maintained in-house, not brokered from a marketplace. That matters for a booking policy, because when weather changes or a vessel needs maintenance, we are the ones who move the boat — not a middleman relaying messages between you and a stranger.
This page sets out exactly how a booking works: the four steps, the money, the dates, and what happens when the Flores Sea decides otherwise. Founder and CEO Agung Afif (Forbes Business Council) sets these terms deliberately plainly — TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, plus TripAdvisor’s Best Boat Agency in Labuan Bajo 2025, are earned by not surprising people at the payment stage.
How do you book a Komodo dragon tour?
Four steps, all of them over WhatsApp with a human consultant. There is no automated cart, because cabin tiers, occupancy and vessel availability change hourly in peak season and an automated cart lies to you about both.
Step 1 — Message us with your dates and group
Send a WhatsApp message to +62 811-3823-875 or email sales@komodoluxury.com. Tell us four things: your travel dates (or the month if dates are loose), the number of travellers and their ages, the trip length you have in mind, and whether you want a shared boat tour (locally called an open trip) or a private charter. If you are undecided on length, read sharing vs private first.
Step 2 — Receive a written quotation and hold
Within working hours you receive a written quotation naming the exact vessel, the exact cabin tier, the departure date, what is included, and what is excluded. We place a provisional hold on that cabin or that boat while you decide. A hold is not a booking and expires.
Step 3 — Pay the 50% deposit
A 50% deposit secures the date. Until the deposit clears, the cabin remains sellable to other travellers — this is the single most common reason a date is lost, particularly for July to September departures. On receipt we issue a booking confirmation with your vessel, itinerary and departure time.
Step 4 — Settle the balance 14 days before departure
The remaining 50% is due at H-14, meaning 14 days before your departure date. After the balance clears we send final documents: pickup time in Labuan Bajo, harbour meeting point, packing list, crew contact and the day-by-day plan. Bookings made inside 14 days of departure are payable in full at the time of booking.
Payment schedule at a glance
| Stage | Amount | When | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quotation and hold | Nothing | On enquiry | Provisional, expires |
| Deposit | 50% of tour price | To confirm | Secures the date and cabin |
| Balance | 50% of tour price | H-14 (14 days before departure) | Releases final documents |
| Late booking | 100% | At booking, inside 14 days | Immediate confirmation |
| Park entrance fees | Set by park authority | Separate from tour price | Entry to Komodo National Park |
What does a Komodo tour cost before I commit?
Know the number before you send a deposit. These are our real entry rates, not teaser pricing.
| Trip | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Day Shared Speedboat Tour | USD 91 per person | Per person, departs Labuan Bajo ~05:00–06:00, returns ~17:00–18:00 |
| 1-Day Private Speedboat Charter | USD 800 per boat | Whole boat |
| 2D1N Trip | From about USD 250–450 per person | Varies by vessel and cabin |
| 3D2N Shared Liveaboard (open trip) | USD 330–850 per person | Priced per cabin; varies by tier and occupancy |
| Private Whole-Boat Charter | From USD 5,300 per night | Per night, minimum 3 nights, maximum 11 nights |
On the 3D2N shared trip the true entry rate is USD 330 per person (Yumana Superior). Higher tiers run through Elbark Banda Neira at USD 400, Catnazse Grandis at USD 430, Ayvara Superior at USD 450, Malca Master at USD 580, Neptune Deluxe at USD 610 and Neptune Mansard at USD 850. An extra bed or additional person is USD 250–410. Full detail is on prices and cost and the fleet page.
We recommend 3D2N as the minimum for a proper Komodo boat tour. It is the only length that reliably delivers Padar Island at sunrise and Kalong Island at sunset alongside ranger-guided dragon trekking at Rinca (Loh Buaya) or Komodo Island (Loh Liang). A day trip suits travellers genuinely short on time.
Are park fees included in the tour price?
No. Komodo National Park entrance fees are set by the park authority and are paid separately from your tour price. 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. Indonesian citizens pay a lower domestic rate. Fees are tiered by trip duration and by visitor class, and the authority can revise them. Bring your passport — the ranger stations record passport details at entry. See fees and tickets.
What is the Komodo tour cancellation policy?
Cancellation terms depend on how far from departure you cancel and whether your booking is a shared cabin or a whole-boat charter, because a charter removes an entire vessel from sale. The controlling principle: the 50% deposit reserves capacity that we then stop selling, so the closer to departure a cancellation lands, the less of that capacity can be resold.
- Cancellation by you. Confirm your exact terms in writing with your consultant at the quotation stage, before you pay. We state them on the quotation for your specific vessel and date rather than burying a single blanket clause here — private charters and shared cabins are genuinely different commitments.
- Date changes. Where the vessel and season allow, we would far rather move your date than cancel your trip. Ask early; a date change requested weeks out is usually workable, one requested at H-3 usually is not.
- Cancellation by us. If we cancel — weather, port authority closure, or a vessel taken out of service — you are offered a replacement vessel of equivalent or better standard, a rescheduled date, or a refund of what you paid us. Park fees paid to the authority are outside our control.
- No-show. Missing the harbour departure without notice is treated as a cancellation on the day. Flights into Labuan Bajo (LBJ) are weather-sensitive; fly in the day before your departure, not the same morning.
What happens if there is bad weather?
The Flores Sea is the decision-maker, and the harbour master’s word is final. In practice:
- The port authority can close the harbour. When that happens no vessel sails, regardless of who you booked with. Any operator promising to sail through a closure is telling you something untrue.
- Itineraries get reordered, not abandoned. If swell makes Padar Island’s landing unsafe on the scheduled morning, the captain reorders the plan — Kelor, Kanawa, Sebayur, Mawan, Manjarite, Siaba and Tatawa give a skilled crew real flexibility. You still get a full trip.
- Manta Point (Karang Makassar) and Taka Makassar are current-dependent. Taka Makassar is a sandbar that appears and disappears with the tide. These are conditions-permitting stops on every honest itinerary.
- Dry season April to November is the reliable window, with July to September the peak. Booking in January or February means accepting a higher chance of a weather-driven change. See best time to see Komodo dragons.
- Our undertaking. If weather forces a cancellation on our side, you get a replacement vessel, a new date, or your money back. What we will not do is send a boat out in conditions the captain judges unsafe in order to protect a booking.
Safety terms you are agreeing to
Komodo dragons are wild, dangerous animals. You must always stay with your assigned park ranger during any trek at Rinca (Loh Buaya) or Komodo Island (Loh Liang), and follow their instructions without exception. Do not walk ahead, do not separate from the group to photograph, and tell your ranger before the trek if anyone in your party has an open wound — dragons detect blood at distance. Children must be held or kept immediately beside an adult.
On board, the captain’s and crew’s instructions govern swimming, snorkelling and tender transfers. Currents at Manta Point (Karang Makassar) and around Gili Lawa are strong and can run against strong swimmers. Declare medical conditions, pregnancy, and non-swimmers at booking, not at the harbour. More on the trek itself at Komodo dragon trekking and Rinca vs Komodo Island.
Ready to reserve a date?
Peak-season cabins on the better-tier vessels go weeks ahead. Message WhatsApp +62 811-3823-875 with your dates and group size for a written quotation and a hold, email sales@komodoluxury.com, or start at book your Komodo dragon tour. We answer with a named vessel and a real number — 4.8 stars from 152 Google reviews is built on doing exactly that.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay the full amount upfront instead of a deposit?
Yes. Some travellers prefer to settle everything at booking rather than track an H-14 date across a long trip. Tell your consultant and we will issue a single invoice for the full amount.
What happens if I miss the 14-day balance deadline?
Contact us before the deadline if there is a problem — a bank delay is not a cancellation and we will work with you. An unsettled balance with no contact puts the booking at risk, because the cabin returns to sale.
Do you sell scuba diving packages or courses?
No. Our trips are leisure sailing and cruising: island hopping, snorkelling, sunsets and ranger-guided dragon trekking, with no diving certification required. Certified divers wanting a dive-configured liveaboard should go to our sister site komododivingtour.com.
How long can a private charter run?
Private whole-boat charters run a minimum of 3 nights and a maximum of 11 nights, so 4D3N through 12D11N. Pricing is per night from USD 5,300 for an entry-luxury phinisi, rising to USD 8,000+ per night for larger VIP vessels and USD 35,000+ per night for VVIP flagships.
Is travel insurance required?
We strongly recommend it. Insurance is the correct instrument for covering your own change of plans, missed connections into Labuan Bajo, and medical events — a tour operator’s cancellation policy is not a substitute for it.
Can I book a Komodo tour if I am starting from Bali?
Yes. Labuan Bajo is roughly a one-hour flight from Bali, and most of our guests arrive that way. See Komodo boat tour from Bali for how to build the flights around a 3D2N departure.