Key Takeaways: Five days covers Gili Islands (2 nights) + Kuta Lombok beaches (2 nights) with a day for transit and Senggigi. Seven days adds either the Mount Rinjani 2-day trek or a North Lombok waterfall + Sembalun loop. Don’t rush the Gilis — the main reason people regret Lombok is spending too little time on the islands.

For context on what to do at each stop, see Best Things to Do in Lombok. For accommodation by area, see Where to Stay in Lombok.

Stay connected: grab a travel eSIM from Airalo before you go so you have data the moment you land.

Before You Start: Base Route Logic

Lombok has a logical geographic flow: Senggigi (arrival) → Gili Islands → Kuta Lombok (south) → airport.

This avoids backtracking and puts the most popular stop (Gilis) early when you’re freshest. The reverse works equally well for those flying in via Mataram. You can compare flights on Aviasales to find the cheapest dates and routes.

Getting between areas:
– Senggigi → Gili T: Fast boat (~40 min, 150,000-250,000 IDR)
– Gili T → Kuta Lombok: Fast boat to Bangsal pier + private driver south (~2h total, 350,000-500,000 IDR)
– Kuta Lombok → LOP Airport: Private driver (~45 min, 200,000-250,000 IDR)

Find your Lombok hotel on the map

Live prices from Booking & Airbnb — tap a pin to compare stays around Kuta Lombok and Senggigi and beyond.

See hotels in Lombok →

Getting Around Lombok Between Stops

This itinerary already covers the boat and driver legs between areas, but a few general rules make the logistics easier to plan around.

Scooter rental is common and cheap on the mainland, but it only applies to the Senggigi-Kuta-Sembalun legs — all three Gili Islands ban motorised vehicles outright, so don’t plan on riding anything once you’re on a boat to the Gilis.

Ride-hailing apps operate in and around Mataram and Senggigi, but coverage thins out heading south to Kuta or east toward Sembalun, which is why this itinerary leans on private drivers for those legs rather than apps. Book a driver a day ahead where possible rather than assuming one will be available on short notice outside the main towns.

At the airport itself, taxis wait at arrivals — confirm the total fare before getting in, since meters aren’t always used. If you’d rather not negotiate on arrival, book a private transfer ahead through your first hotel instead. Self-driving a rental car is possible, but most visitors stick to a scooter or a driver, since junction etiquette and road surfaces away from the main towns reward local experience.

Fuel is sold by the litre at small roadside stalls in unmarked bottles outside the main towns — fine for short hops, but fill up properly in Senggigi or Kuta before heading to Sembalun, where proper stations thin out fast. If you’re nervous about riding, a half-day scooter lesson in a quiet car park beats learning on Lombok’s main roads, where traffic patterns differ from a lot of home countries and there’s no margin for a wobbly first attempt.

5-Day Lombok Itinerary

Day 1 — Arrival in Senggigi

Arrive: Lombok International Airport (LOP) → private driver to Senggigi (45 min, 200,000-250,000 IDR). Grab doesn’t reach the airport reliably.

Where to stay in Senggigi: Spend night one at a mid-range hotel in Senggigi, or Qunci Villas if budget allows, close to the beach strip and the pier for Gili boats. See hotels in Senggigi →

Afternoon:
– Check in, walk Senggigi beach strip
– Pura Batu Bolong (sea temple, 15 min north) for sunset — Mount Agung visible across the strait on clear days

Evening: Dinner at Senggigi’s Jl. Raya — local warung for ayam taliwang (30,000-50,000 IDR) or Café Alberto for seafood.

Where to stay: Mid-range hotel in Senggigi. Qunci Villas if budget allows. Budget guesthouses from 200,000 IDR.

Day 2 — Senggigi → Gili Trawangan

Morning: Fast boat from Senggigi pier to Gili T (40 min, 150,000-250,000 IDR). Boats leave from 8am.

Where to stay in Gili Trawangan: Book two nights on Gili Trawangan so Day 3 is free for a snorkel circuit, a dive or a hop to Gili Air without rushing the islands. See hotels in Gili Trawangan →

Afternoon:
– Check in, rent bicycle (50,000 IDR/day) — circumnavigate the island in 45 minutes
– Snorkel east coast — sea turtles visible from shore at the coral bommies. Gear rental 60,000-80,000 IDR.

Evening: Sunset from the swing bars on the west coast. Fire show at night (Gili T tradition, free, happens organically on the beach).

Where to stay: Gili T — see Where to Stay in Lombok for picks at each budget.

Day 3 — Gili Island Day (Full Snorkel / Dive Day)

Option A — Stay on Gili T:
Hire a local snorkel boat for a 3-hour reef circuit (100,000-150,000 IDR/person, includes guide). Spots: Shark Point, Turtle Heaven, Coral Garden. Afternoon: read, swim, explore island.

Option B — Island hop to Gili Air:
Public boat to Gili Air (30 min, 50,000-80,000 IDR). Quieter beaches, good snorkeling off the northeast coast. Return to Gili T for the evening.

Option C — Dive:
Half-day intro dive with Manta Dive or Big Bubble Diving (500,000-700,000 IDR, includes equipment). Full PADI Open Water 3-4 days from 3,500,000 IDR.

Day 4 — Gili Islands → Kuta Lombok

Morning: Breakfast, pack up. Boat to Bangsal pier on mainland (20-30 min, 80,000 IDR public boat or 200,000 IDR fast boat).

Where to stay in Kuta Lombok: Stay in Kuta Lombok for the final night, about 45 minutes from the airport; the article suggests The Slow Kuta or budget Kuta Indah Hotel. See hotels in Kuta Lombok →

Transfer: Private driver from Bangsal to Kuta Lombok (1.5h south, ~300,000-350,000 IDR). Ask driver to stop at Sade village (15 min from Kuta — traditional Sasak village, donation 35,000-50,000 IDR). Worth 45 minutes. A driver also beats a scooter on this leg, because our check on whether Lombok is safe flags quiet southern roads after dark for robberies.

Afternoon: Arrive Kuta, check in. Walk to Tanjung Aan beach (15 min east by motorbike) — two connected bays, arguably Lombok’s most beautiful non-surf beach.

Evening: Kuta’s main strip has a handful of good restaurants. Warung Bu Ni for local food (30,000-45,000 IDR). Ashtari restaurant on the hill above Kuta has views over the bay at sunset.

Where to stay: The Slow Kuta (mid-range, excellent) or Kuta Indah Hotel (budget). See Where to Stay in Lombok.

Day 5 — Kuta Lombok → Departure

Surf (optional, morning):
Selong Belanak (20 min west): beginner/intermediate beach break, board rental 70,000 IDR/day. Best 7-11am before wind picks up.

Non-surfers:
Morning at Tanjung Aan for the best light. Pink Beach day trip possible if leaving afternoon (2h drive, arrange a driver).

Depart: Private driver Kuta → LOP airport (45 min, 200,000-250,000 IDR).

Insider tip most guides skip: Mount Rinjani’s trails close every rainy season — for 2026 the national park shut all routes on January 1 and reopens April 1, so any plan booked between January and March has to swap the trek for waterfalls or extra Gili time. The summit route is also a 2-3 day commitment, not a day hike. And because the run from south Kuta to the northern Gili boats is a half-day of slow mountain roads, cluster your days by region (islands first, then south) rather than zigzagging back and forth.

7-Day Lombok Itinerary

Add Days 5-7 from the options below, shifting the departure to Day 7.

Trekkers on a ridge trail on Mount Rinjani volcano, Lombok

Extension A — Mount Rinjani (2 Days, Days 4-5)

Insert between Gili Islands and Kuta Lombok. Transfer Gili T → Sembalun (3h total — boat to Bangsal + driver).

Day 4 (Rinjani Day 1): 4am start from Sembalun trailhead. Trek 6-8h to crater rim campsite (2,639m). Sunset views of the crater lake.

Day 5 (Rinjani Day 2): Descend to crater lake (Segara Anak, 2,000m). Hot spring soak. Ascend out via Senaru trailhead. Transfer to Kuta Lombok or Senggigi (2.5h).

Then: Days 5-7 follow the 5-day Kuta Lombok itinerary compressed to 2 days.

Book through: Sembalun or Senaru operators (350,000-800,000 IDR/day all-inclusive). Rinjani treks are also available on GetYourGuide.

Extension B — North Lombok Waterfalls + Sembalun (1 Day, Day 4)

Sendang Gile + Tiu Kelep waterfalls: 3-4 hours including the Tiu Kelep trail (river crossings, worth it). Hire a guide on site (150,000 IDR recommended for the river section).

Senaru village: 1 hour walk through the traditional Sasak village at the Rinjani base. Weaving demonstrations.

Drive back: 1.5h to Senggigi or Kuta. Add sunset at Sade village on the way south.

Lombok Itinerary: Cost Estimates

5-Day Budget (per person)

Item	Cost
Accommodation (4 nights, mix budget)	900,000-1,500,000 IDR
Food (5 days, local + some restaurants)	500,000-800,000 IDR
Transport (airport transfers + boats + driver)	800,000-1,200,000 IDR
Activities (snorkel, Sade, beach entry)	300,000-600,000 IDR
5-day total	2,500,000-4,100,000 IDR (~$159-261)

Add-ons

Activity	Cost
2-day Rinjani trek (guide + meals + porter)	1,500,000-2,500,000 IDR
Full-day dive (2 dives + equipment)	700,000-1,000,000 IDR
East Lombok (Pink Beach + driver)	400,000-600,000 IDR

Lombok Packing List

Pack light and modest. This itinerary mixes beach days, boat crossings and a traditional village stop, and a handful of small items make all three easier.

Reef-safe sunscreen and a rash guard — coral contact is common at the Gili snorkel spots on Day 2-3, and a rash guard saves reapplying sunscreen every hour.
A sarong or light scarf — for covering shoulders and knees at Sade village and any temple stop, and it doubles as a towel or beach cover-up.
Motion-sickness tablets — the fast boats between Senggigi, the Gilis and the mainland (Days 2 and 4) can get choppy outside the calmest months.
Cash in small denominations — warungs, cidomo drivers and boat crews on the Gilis are cash-only, and Gili Meno has no working ATM at all.
A dry bag or waterproof phone pouch — for every boat transfer and any snorkel trip.
A light jacket or fleece — only needed if you add the Rinjani extension; the crater rim campsite is genuinely cold at night even though Lombok’s coast stays warm year-round.
Closed-toe shoes — for the Tiu Kelep waterfall trail on the North Lombok extension, which involves river crossings and wet rock.
A portable charger — plug sockets can be scarce in Gili bungalows and Sembalun guesthouses, and you’ll want your phone charged for photos and boat or driver coordination.
A basic first-aid kit with rehydration salts — useful on the Rinjani extension and for any stomach upset from street food, since pharmacies thin out once you’re off the Senggigi-Kuta strip.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many days do you need in Lombok?
5 days is the realistic minimum for Gilis + Kuta. 7 days if adding Rinjani or wanting a more relaxed pace. Under 4 days means rushing the Gilis.

Can you do Lombok and Bali in one trip?
Yes — most travelers fly Bali → Lombok (30 min) or take the fast boat (2h). A standard combination: 7 days Bali + 5 days Lombok, or vice versa.

Is 3 days enough for Lombok?
For the Gili Islands only, yes. For all of Lombok (Gilis + south beaches), no — you’ll spend most of your time on boats and miss the point of each place.

Sources:
1. Rinjani National Park — trekking routes and permits, 2025
2. Indonesia.travel — Lombok destination overview, 2025
3. Lombok Tourism — getting around Lombok transport guide, 2025