Ferry route guide
Bali to Java by ferry
The ferry is the easy part. Bali connects to Java by a crossing of well under an hour at its western tip — and by three to four hours of highway to reach it.
At a glance
| Approximate crossing time | Short — commonly around forty-five minutes to an hour once under way |
|---|---|
| Service pattern | This is Bali’s road link to Java and runs around the clock, through the night, as a continuous service rather than on a small fixed timetable. Departure details for your date come from ASDP. |
| Operated by | ASDP Indonesia Ferry, a state ferry operator |
| Where tickets are sold | Ferizy, ASDP’s official channel, and authorised Ferizy sales points |
| Bookable on Sailtix | Not yet — this page is travel information only |
Schedules and fares can change. Check the official Ferizy/ASDP channel before travelling.
Route overview
There is one public ferry corridor between Bali and Java: Gilimanuk, at the far west of Bali, to Ketapang in Banyuwangi, East Java. ASDP runs it around the clock as a continuous service, carrying foot passengers, motorcycles, cars, buses and a constant stream of freight. The strait is narrow, so the sailing is commonly around forty-five minutes to an hour.
The reason this journey is a day rather than an hour is the Bali side. Gilimanuk is three to four hours by road from Kuta, Seminyak or Ngurah Rai airport, on the island’s main freight highway. Anyone planning a Bali to Java trip should budget the drive first and the crossing second.
Two kinds of traveller take this route deliberately. The first is going to Ijen, the sulphur crater above Banyuwangi, which is a road transfer inland from Ketapang followed by a hike. The second is heading further into Java by train: the railway station sits beside the ferry terminal at Ketapang, with long-distance services toward Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Jakarta. That combination — bus or car to Gilimanuk, ferry, train west — is a genuinely practical overland route across Indonesia.
If you are simply trying to get from Bali to another Javanese city quickly, compare it honestly with a flight before committing to the day.
Who and what can cross
| Travelling as | Carried |
|---|---|
| Foot passengers | Yes |
| Motorcycles | Yes |
| Cars | Yes |
| Buses and coaches | Yes |
| Trucks and freight | Yes |
Everything crosses here, and most of it is freight. Long-distance buses drive aboard with their passengers, which is why a Denpasar–Java bus ticket normally includes the ferry.
How ASDP classes a vehicle
Vehicle fares are set by class, and the class is decided by what the vehicle is and how long it is. There are nine classes; IV, V and VI split into A for passenger vehicles and B for goods.
| Class | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Golongan I | Bicycles. |
| Golongan II | Motorcycles under 500cc, and hand carts. |
| Golongan III | Motorcycles over 500cc, and three-wheeled vehicles. |
| Golongan IVA | Passenger cars up to 5 metres — jeep, sedan, minibus. Most private and rental cars sit here. |
| Golongan IVB | Goods vehicles up to 5 metres: open and closed pickups, and double cabins. |
| Golongan VA | Buses over 5 and up to 7 metres. |
| Golongan VB | Medium trucks and tankers over 5 and up to 7 metres. |
| Golongan VIA | Buses over 7 and up to 10 metres. |
| Golongan VIB | Trucks and tankers over 7 and up to 10 metres, and tractor units without a trailer. |
| Golongan VII | Trucks, tankers, tractor-trailers and heavy plant over 10 and up to 12 metres. |
| Golongan VIII | The same, over 12 and up to 16 metres. |
| Golongan IX | The same, over 16 metres. |
- You must enter the vehicle registration plate number when booking — ASDP requires it under government regulation, so have the plate to hand before you start.
- ASDP staff may measure your vehicle at the port and verify its class. If the measured class does not match the one on your e-ticket, ASDP applies a penalty of 25% of the measured vehicle fare plus the difference in fare.
- If you over-declared and paid too much, a refund can be requested — but it is also reduced by a 25% penalty and bank transfer costs, and ASDP allows itself up to 30 days to pay it. Declaring the right class first time is the only outcome that costs nothing.
ASDP’s full vehicle-class reference is the authority on this, and it is where the figures above come from.
Public ferry or fast boat?
These are two different services that travellers routinely confuse, and choosing the wrong one is the most common mistake on this journey. The short version: the ferry takes vehicles, the fast boat takes time off the crossing.
| Public ferry | Fast boat | |
|---|---|---|
| Vessel | Large roll-on/roll-off public ferry | Small passenger craft |
| Vehicles | Cars, motorcycles, buses, trucks | None — passengers and luggage only |
| Crossing time | Hours, on the longer routes | A fraction of the ferry time |
| Ports | Working freight ports | Tourist harbours near where visitors stay |
| Fares | Generally the cheapest way across | Higher, and priced per passenger |
| Sold by | ASDP, through Ferizy and authorised sales points | Private operators — bookable on Sailtix |
| Weather | Keeps running in conditions that stop small boats | More often cancelled in rough seas |
Fast boat routes across the same water are listed under Sailtix routes.
Tickets, buses and the queue
ASDP ticketing runs through Ferizy and authorised sales points, ahead of travel, against passenger identity details. Long-distance buses on the Denpasar–Java corridor board the ferry with their passengers, so a through bus ticket normally covers the crossing — which makes the bus the simplest way to do this journey without a vehicle of your own.
Plan around the peaks rather than the timetable. The ferries run continuously; the approach roads at Gilimanuk do not, and around Idul Fitri and other national holidays the wait can be measured in hours.
- Book through Ferizy or an authorised sales point before driving west.
- A through bus ticket to Java usually includes the ferry.
- Travel at the quiet end of the day during holiday peaks.
- Ferry services to and from Bali stop for Nyepi and the ports close; the date changes each year.
Buying on Ferizy, step by step
Finding your crossing on Ferizy
The site is in Indonesian only. These are the six fields on its search form, in order, with what each one wants.
- Pelabuhan Asal — departure portGilimanuk and Ketapang are in the short default list. Padang Bai and Lembar are not: choose "Pelabuhan Lainnya?, Klik Disini" ("other ports, click here") to reach them. This is the step that convinces people the route does not exist.
- Pelabuhan Tujuan — arrival portThe list fills in once the departure port is chosen.
- Kelas Layanan — service classWhich class of service you are buying on that crossing.
- Jenis Pengguna Jasa — who is travelling"Pejalan Kaki" is a foot passenger; "Kendaraan" is with a vehicle. Choosing Kendaraan then asks for Golongan Kendaraan, the vehicle class.
- Jadwal Masuk Pelabuhan — port CHECK-IN time, not departureThe form asks you to "set your arrival schedule at the port". You are booking a slot to enter the port, not a sailing time — which is the single most misread thing about an ASDP ticket.
- Penumpang — passengersAdults, elderly, children and infants are counted separately.
The button on that form reads CARI JADWAL — "search schedules".
Opens ASDP’s official ticketing site in a new tab. Sailtix earns nothing from this link and is not a Ferizy sales agent — it is here because naming the official channel is the only way to keep you away from the ones imitating it.
Driving from Bali to Java
Vehicles cross on their own ticket, priced by class according to type and length, and you drive aboard. The crossing is short enough that the process is brisk.
The rental question is sharper here than anywhere else in this section: taking a Bali-rented car or scooter to a different island is precisely what most rental contracts exclude. Confirm it with the owner before you build a trip around it.
- Check that the rental agreement and insurance permit taking the vehicle to Java.
- Declare the correct vehicle class at booking.
- Foreign drivers should carry an International Driving Permit with their home licence.
- Refuel before the final stretch west; facilities thin out past Negara.
Practical notes for visitors
Both terminals are functional freight ports rather than passenger terminals, and Gilimanuk in particular is a town that exists for the ferry. There is little reason to arrive early beyond the queue, and little to do if you do.
The time zone changes. Bali is on WITA (UTC+8), Java on WIB (UTC+7), so Java is an hour behind. Check which zone every onward time — train, driver, flight — is quoted in, because a short crossing that appears to arrive before it left is exactly how that mistake is made.
- Java is one hour behind Bali.
- Carry cash; card acceptance is patchy at both ends.
- If you are on foot, arrange onward transport from Ketapang before you cross.
- For Ijen, confirm current access arrangements locally — they change.
Getting to Gilimanuk, and onward from Ketapang
From south Bali, allow three to four hours to Gilimanuk along the west-coast highway, and treat that as a minimum. From Lovina and the north coast it is about two to three hours; from Medewi, roughly an hour.
On the Java side, Ketapang’s railway station is next to the terminal, with services running west across Java. Banyuwangi town and its airport are a short drive away, and Ijen is a mountain drive inland.
- Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu, Ngurah Rai airport → Gilimanuk: three to four hours.
- Lovina and the north coast → Gilimanuk: two to three hours.
- Ketapang → trains west across Java: from the station beside the port.
- Ketapang → Ijen: a mountain drive plus a hike; arrange it in advance.
Mistakes travellers make on this route
Thinking “Bali to Java by ferry” is an hour-long journey.
The crossing is under an hour. Reaching Gilimanuk from south Bali is three to four hours. The road is the journey.
Not accounting for the time zone.
Java is an hour behind Bali. Onward train and flight times are quoted in WIB.
Driving a Bali rental onto the ferry.
Most Bali rental agreements do not permit taking the vehicle to another island, and the insurance may not apply. Ask the owner first.
Travelling in a holiday peak without shifting the plan.
The queues at Gilimanuk, not the sailings, are what change at peak times. Move to the quiet end of the day.
Questions travellers ask
Is there a ferry from Bali to Java?
Yes — the ASDP public ferry from Gilimanuk in west Bali to Ketapang in Banyuwangi, East Java. It runs around the clock and carries vehicles as well as foot passengers.
How long does the Bali to Java ferry take?
Commonly around forty-five minutes to an hour at sea. The drive from south Bali to Gilimanuk is three to four hours, which is the part that defines the day.
Can I take a car or motorbike from Bali to Java?
Yes. It is a vehicle ferry taking cars, motorcycles, buses and trucks, ticketed by vehicle class. Most Bali rental agreements do not allow it, so check before booking.
Can I get a train from the ferry into Java?
Yes. The railway station at Ketapang is beside the ferry terminal, with long-distance services west toward Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Jakarta.
Is there a time difference?
Yes — Bali is on WITA (UTC+8) and Java on WIB (UTC+7), so Java is one hour behind.
Where do I buy the ticket?
Through Ferizy, ASDP’s official ticketing channel, or an authorised Ferizy sales point, before travelling. Booking is not available on Sailtix.