A private Komodo boat charter is the exclusive hire of an entire vessel in Komodo National Park, Indonesia, departing from Labuan Bajo on Flores. You book the whole boat, its crew and its schedule — not a cabin. Charters are priced per night from USD 5,300, with a minimum of three nights and a maximum of eleven.
Updated January 2026
Every vessel described on this page is owned, crewed and maintained in-house by Komodo Luxury, operating in Komodo National Park since 2015. We are not a broker reselling someone else’s boat. When you charter with us, the captain, the chef, the deckhands and the tender driver are our employees, and the maintenance log is ours to answer for.
What “private charter” actually means in Komodo
On a shared boat tour (locally called an open trip), you buy a cabin and share the vessel with strangers who booked the same departure. On a private charter, you buy the boat. Nobody else is aboard. The itinerary is drafted around your group, and it can change at 06:00 if the light at Padar Island looks better than expected or if your children want a second morning at Pink Beach (Pantai Merah).
Three practical consequences follow:
- You control the clock. Most groups use this to reach Padar Island and Rinca Island (Loh Buaya) ahead of the day-trip speedboats from Labuan Bajo.
- You control the route. Gili Lawa, Siaba, Sebayur, Mawan, Manjarite, Tatawa, Taka Makassar, Kanawa and Kelor can be added, dropped or reordered.
- You control the boat’s use. Sound system, dining times, alcohol, celebration set-ups, drone flying from the sundeck, quiet hours — all yours to set.
How much does a private Komodo boat charter cost?
Private whole-boat charters are priced per night for the vessel, not per person. Divide by your group size to find the real per-head figure — a USD 5,300 night across 12 guests is roughly USD 442 per person per night, all meals and crew included.
| Vessel class | Guests | Price per night (whole boat) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phinisi (traditional wooden sailing boat) | Up to 20 | USD 5,300 – 8,500 | Families, friend groups, first charters |
| Cruise (larger hull, indoor lounge and dining) | 14 – 25 | USD 5,300 – 13,500 | Corporate groups, multi-family trips |
| Yacht (highest service ratio) | Up to 14 | USD 10,000 – 35,000+ | VVIP, honeymoon, private-office travel |
Minimum charter: 3 nights (4D3N). Maximum: 11 nights (12D11N). Below three nights there is not enough sailing time to reach the eastern park sites and return safely; above eleven nights the park’s cruising ground repeats.
A 50% deposit secures your dates. The balance is due 14 days before departure (H-14). Rates include the vessel, full crew, all meals and soft drinks aboard, snorkelling equipment, tender transfers and Labuan Bajo airport pickup. They exclude park fees, ranger fees, alcohol and flights.
What does a private charter include that a shared trip does not?
- Exclusive use of every deck and cabin. Empty cabins stay empty — they are not sold on.
- A written itinerary drafted with you before departure, then flexed daily by your captain around wind, tide and your mood.
- Your own tender on standby, so trekking parties and snorkellers can split without waiting.
- Menu planning. Allergies, halal, vegetarian, children’s food and celebration cakes are arranged in advance with the chef.
- A dedicated trip coordinator reachable on WhatsApp from booking through disembarkation.
The fleet: which boat should you charter?
Phinisi — the traditional wooden sailing boat
The phinisi is the Indonesian wooden sailing vessel that defines Komodo cruising. Our phinisi charters carry up to 20 guests and run USD 5,300–8,500 per night: Neptune Cruise Phinisi (Mansard, Junior Suite and Deluxe cabins), Komodo Signature (78.2 m, the world-record wooden phinisi superyacht, 10 balcony suites for 20 guests), Komodo Prestige (66 m, 8 suites for 16), plus Velocean, Celestia, The Maj Oceanic, Naturalia, Vinca Voyages, Yumana, Mosalaki, Catnazse and Elbark Cruises. See the full class page: phinisi fleet.
Cruise — scale, indoor lounge and dining
Ayvara Cruises (36 m, 15–16 guests) is Komodo Luxury’s featured private vessel and the usual answer for a group that wants a proper air-conditioned saloon. Malca Voyages (30 m teak, up to 21 guests) suits larger corporate charters. Class range: USD 5,300–13,500 per night.
Yacht — the highest service ratio in the park
Lamima (65.2 m, the largest phinisi-hulled yacht in the world, up to 14 guests) and Prana by Atzaro sit at the top of the fleet, USD 10,000–35,000+ per night. These are staffed like a private estate rather than a boat.
Speedboat — private day charter
If you have only one day, a private speedboat charter is USD 800 per boat for a full day, and the wider private speedboat fleet runs USD 600–2,000 per day. Details on the one-day speedboat page.
A typical 4D3N private charter itinerary
| Day | Route | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Labuan Bajo → Kelor → Menjerite / Kalong Island | Board after your flight, first swim at Kelor Island, then anchor off Kalong Island for thousands of flying foxes lifting off at sunset. |
| Day 2 | Padar Island → Pink Beach → Komodo Island (Loh Liang) | Sunrise on the Padar ridge before the day boats arrive, red-sand swimming at Pink Beach, ranger-guided dragon trek at Loh Liang. |
| Day 3 | Manta Point (Karang Makassar) → Taka Makassar → Kanawa or Siaba | Manta snorkelling on the drift, the disappearing sandbar at Taka Makassar, turtles at Siaba. |
| Day 4 | Rinca Island (Loh Buaya) → Labuan Bajo | Early trek at Loh Buaya — the wilder station with the best sighting odds — then return to port for your afternoon flight. |
On 5D4N and longer charters we push north to Gili Lawa and east past Sebayur and Tatawa, and the schedule loosens considerably. Compare durations on 4D3N and 2D1N.
Safety around the dragons
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 anyone in your party has an open wound or is menstruating — dragons track blood scent over long distances. Children must stay within arm’s reach of an adult at all times. Full briefing on komodo dragon trekking.
Park fees on a private charter
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 are paid separately from your charter price. Indonesian passport holders and KITAS holders pay lower rates. Ranger, trekking and conservation surcharges apply per landing site and are collected on the day. Longer charters accrue additional daily entry components — your coordinator issues the exact figure with your invoice. Breakdown: park fees and tickets.
When to charter
The dry season runs April to November and is the best window for a private charter; July to September is peak and the top vessels are typically committed six to nine months out. April, May, October and November give calmer anchorages, thinner crowds and better charter availability. Labuan Bajo (LBJ) is roughly a one-hour flight from Bali. See best time to see Komodo dragons and getting here from Bali.
Is a private charter worth it over a shared trip?
For six or more travellers, usually yes. A 3D2N shared cabin runs USD 330–850 per person, so a group of twelve can spend USD 4,000–10,000 and still be sharing the sundeck. The same twelve on a USD 5,300-per-night phinisi for three nights own the entire vessel. Below four travellers, a shared cabin is normally the better value — read the full comparison on sharing vs private and the price breakdown.
If your group dives, note that a Komodo liveaboard is a different product — a vessel configured with a dive deck, compressors and divemasters for certified divers. Our sister site komododivingtour.com handles diving. Our charters are leisure sailing built around ranger-guided dragon trekking, snorkelling and island hopping.
Reserve your charter dates
Tell us your dates, group size and preferred vessel class, and we will hold an option on the boat while you decide. WhatsApp +62 811 3823 875 or email sales@komodoluxury.com, or start on our booking page. Komodo Luxury holds TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, TripAdvisor’s Best Boat Agency in Labuan Bajo 2025, and 4.8 stars from 152 Google reviews — see reviews.