How To Travel Between the Gili Islands

There are three main ways of getting between the Gili Islands. The fixed-time public slow boats, the ‘leave when full’ public boats, and chartering a private boat. If you’re feeling adventurous and don’t have a lot of belongings, it’s also possible to kayak between Gili T and Gili Meno.

We last visited the Gili Islands in December 2023 and found much of the information online to be out of date. So we’ve put together this quick guide with up-to-date information for each method of travelling between the Gili Islands.

The Island Hopper – Fixed Schedule Public Slow Boat

Your best option is to take the fixed-schedule public slow boat, also known as the Island Hopper. This is the easiest to plan for and isn’t too expensive. It stops at the main port on each island from Gili Trawangan to Gili Meno to Gili Air and back again.

The downside is that it only runs twice per day in each direction. Here is the timetable as of our latest visit to the Gili Islands in December 2023.

A one-way trip costs between 40,000 – 45,000 IDR depending upon your departure and arrival points.

The ‘Leave When Full’ Boat - Public Shuttle Boat

A second option for public transport is to take the public shuttle boat. These boats run between the main harbours on each of the Gili Islands and Bangsal Harbour on Lombok.

Local public shuttle is the cheapest option, costing between 18,000 – 23,000 IDR, depending upon your departure and arrival points.

The boats run between 7am to 5pm daily. However, the big downside is that there are no fixed departure times. The shuttles only leave once they are at full capacity, which is approx. 37 people.

If the boat is almost full when you arrive, this could work in your favour. However, Emily has used this boat before and was kept waiting for a couple of hours (in the rain) as she was one of the first to arrive.

You don’t have to wait on the boat, you can wait around the port after buying your ticket. But if you don’t board the boat by the time it leaves - tough luck. You’ll have to wait for the next one and buy a new ticket.

Chartering a Private Boat

Your final option is to charter a private boat. If you’re travelling as a group, this can work out pretty affordable. It's also far more convenient than the public boats.

A big advantage of this method is that the boat can pick you up and drop you off almost anywhere on the islands, rather than being limited to the main ports. It's ideal if your accommodation isn’t close to the port. You'll also avoid the extra port fees.

However, the main disadvantage is that you'll need to be good at negotiating. There are no set prices and some vendors will take advantage of this to overcharge.

We had a group of five people and paid 50,000 IDR per person from Gili T to Gili Meno and 100,000 IDR per person from Gili Meno to Gili Air. To this day, we still don’t know if this is a good price or not, but it seemed reasonable at the time.

To charter a private boat, try asking around the port area or at one of the tour operators dotted across each of the islands. You can also check if your accommodation has its own boat or can organise one for you.

Kayaking Between the Gili Islands

Gili T and Gili Meno are just 800m apart, so it’s also possible to kayak between them for a quick visit. Of course, you need to be fit and you can't take many belongings with you.

We hired kayaks and paddleboards with some friends from Gili T, intending to reach Gili Meno.

Our friends in the kayak had no problem and crossed the channel between the two islands in less than 15 minutes.

However, our attempt to use stand-up paddleboards was less successful. After crossing halfway, we found the current a little too strong and we were almost wiped out by the waves every time a boat passed by. Instead, we resorted to doing a few laps around the channel.

In summary, kayaks - yes! Paddleboards - no!

Related Questions

How to get from Gili T to Gili Meno?

The main public slow boat from Gili T to Gili Meno leaves at 9.30am and 4pm. You can buy tickets from the public boat ticket office opposite Eka Jaya on Gili T. The journey is direct and takes about 15 minutes.

How to get from Gili T to Gili Air?

The main public slow boat from Gili T to Gili Air leaves at 9.30am and 4pm. You can buy tickets from the public boat ticket office opposite Eka Jaya on Gili T. The journey takes around 30 minutes as it makes a stop at Gili Meno on the way.

How to get from Gili Meno to Gili T?

The main public slow boat from Gili Meno to Gili T leaves at 8.45am and 3.15pm. You can buy tickets near the harbour on Gili Meno. The journey is direct and takes about 15 minutes.

How to get from Gili Meno to Gili Air?

The main public slow boat from Gili Meno to Gili Air leaves at 9.45am and 4.15pm. You can buy tickets near the harbour on Gili Meno. The journey is direct and takes about 15 minutes.

How to get from Gili Air to Gili Meno?

The main public slow boat from Gili Air to Gili Meno leaves at 8.30am and 3pm. You can buy tickets near the harbour on Gili Air. The journey is direct and takes about 15 minutes.

How to get from Gili Air to Gili T?

The main public slow boat from Gili Air to Gili T leaves at 8.30am and 3pm. You can buy tickets near the harbour on Gili Air. The journey takes around 30 minutes as it makes a stop at Gili Meno on the way.