Public ferry crossing
Ketapang to Gilimanuk ferry
The way into Bali by road. Short crossing, easy connection from the trains at Banyuwangi — and then three to four hours of west Bali highway before you are anywhere you meant to go.
At a glance
| Departure port | Ketapang — Banyuwangi Regency, East Java |
|---|---|
| Arrival port | Gilimanuk — Jembrana Regency, far west Bali |
| 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. |
| Time zones | Ketapang: WIB (UTC+7) — one hour behind Bali · Gilimanuk: WITA (UTC+8) |
| 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
Ketapang is the ferry port at the eastern tip of Java, in Banyuwangi, and the ASDP service from here to Gilimanuk is how road traffic enters Bali. It runs continuously, day and night, carrying foot passengers, motorcycles, cars, buses and freight across a strait that is only a few kilometres wide.
What makes this crossing genuinely useful to a visitor is the railway station beside the terminal. Long-distance trains from Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Jakarta terminate here, which means an overland journey from the middle of Java to Bali is a train, a short walk and a ferry — a very different proposition from a flight, and often a more interesting one.
The catch is the Bali side. Gilimanuk is the far western tip of the island, three to four hours by road from Kuta, Seminyak or the airport. Arriving in Bali by ferry means arriving in Bali with most of a driving day still ahead of you.
The two ports
Departure: Ketapang
Banyuwangi’s ferry port at the eastern tip of Java, and the reason the Bali–Java crossing is a road journey rather than a flight. The railway station sits beside the terminal, which makes it one of the few ports in Indonesia where you can step off a ferry and onto a train.
Getting to and from Ketapang
- From Banyuwangi town centre it is a short drive north along the coast.
- Trains from Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Jakarta terminate at the station next to the port, so the rail leg and the ferry leg meet on foot.
- Banyuwangi has its own airport with domestic connections, a short drive from the port.
Arrival: Gilimanuk
The western end of Bali, and the island’s road link to Java. Gilimanuk is a ferry town and very little else — the terminal, a queue of freight, and the strait to Java a few hundred metres wide.
Getting to and from Gilimanuk
- From Kuta, Seminyak or Denpasar, allow somewhere between three and four hours by road along the west-coast highway, and treat that as a floor rather than a promise: this is the island’s main freight corridor.
- From Lovina and the north coast, allow around two to three hours.
- From the surf coast at Medewi it is roughly an hour.
- Fill the tank before the last stretch. Facilities thin out west of Negara.
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 and boarding at Ketapang
Tickets are sold by ASDP through Ferizy and authorised sales points, before travel, and carry passenger identity details. Book in the name on the document you are carrying. If you are arriving by train and walking to the ferry, buy the crossing in advance rather than assuming you can sort it out at the gate.
Peak periods are the thing to plan around. Around Idul Fitri and other national holidays the traffic through this corridor is enormous in both directions, and although the ferries run continuously, the approaches and marshalling areas do not clear quickly. Travelling off-peak within the day helps more than anything else you can do.
- Book through Ferizy or an authorised Ferizy sales point ahead of travel.
- Passenger names must match your travel document.
- Coming off a train, allow time for the walk and the check-in rather than treating the connection as instant.
- Ferry services to and from Bali stop for Nyepi and the ports close — the date moves each year, so check it before travelling in March.
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.
Bringing a vehicle into Bali
Vehicles cross on their own ticket, priced by class according to type and length. You drive aboard, park where the crew direct you, and go up to the passenger deck for a crossing that will be over quickly.
If you have rented the vehicle on Java, check whether the agreement permits taking it to Bali and what the insurance says about it. Inter-island terms vary and are worth settling before you are in a marshalling lane.
- Declare the correct vehicle class at booking.
- Confirm inter-island permission and insurance for a rented vehicle.
- An International Driving Permit alongside a home licence is the normal requirement for foreign drivers.
- Buses to Denpasar board with their passengers; the ferry is usually included in the bus fare.
Practical notes for foreign visitors
The crossing itself is undemanding — short, frequent and routine. The part to plan is what happens after the ramp. Gilimanuk has limited local transport of its own, so unless you are driving or on a through bus, arrange the onward leg before you arrive rather than after.
And set your watch forward. Bali is on WITA, an hour ahead of Java’s WIB. A crossing of well under an hour can put you an hour and a bit later on the clock than the departure time on your ticket suggests.
- Bali is one hour ahead of Java. Check which zone any onward booking is quoted in.
- Carry cash for the terminal and for the road.
- Arrange onward transport from Gilimanuk in advance if you are on foot.
- Do not plan a same-day flight out of Denpasar against a ferry arrival — the road leg alone is three to four hours.
Arriving at Gilimanuk and driving into Bali
Gilimanuk is the western end of Bali and the start of the island’s main west-coast highway. Everywhere a visitor is likely to be going is a long drive from here: three to four hours to Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu or Ngurah Rai airport, and more if you hit the freight traffic wrong. Lovina and the north coast are closer, usually around two to three hours, and the surf coast at Medewi is about an hour away.
That geography is the honest argument for and against this route. It is a genuinely good way to arrive in Bali slowly, overland, seeing the west coast on the way in. It is a poor way to arrive if you are trying to be somewhere by evening.
- Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu and the airport: allow three to four hours.
- Lovina and the north coast: roughly two to three hours.
- Medewi: about an hour.
- Long-distance buses continue to Denpasar directly from the ferry.
Mistakes travellers make on this route
Treating Gilimanuk as “arriving in Bali”.
Gilimanuk is the far western tip. South Bali is another three to four hours by road. Arrival is the ferry ramp; the destination is a separate journey.
Forgetting the clock changes the other way.
Bali is an hour ahead of Java. Times on Java-side bookings are WIB; times on the Bali side are WITA.
Assuming a tight train-to-ferry connection.
The station is beside the port, which is convenient, not instantaneous. Allow time for the walk, the ticket check and the queue.
Arriving without onward transport.
Gilimanuk has little local transport. Sort the car, the driver or the bus before you cross.
Questions travellers ask
How long is the ferry from Ketapang to Gilimanuk?
Commonly around forty-five minutes to an hour under way. Queueing and loading vary far more than the sailing does, particularly at holiday peaks.
Can I get from a Java train straight onto the ferry?
Effectively yes — the railway station at Ketapang sits beside the ferry terminal, so the connection is on foot. Buy the ferry ticket in advance and allow time for the walk and check-in.
How do I get from Gilimanuk to south Bali?
By road, and it is a long one: three to four hours to Kuta, Seminyak or the airport. Lovina on the north coast is nearer, around two to three hours. Long-distance buses run through to Denpasar.
Can I bring a car or motorbike to Bali on this ferry?
Yes — cars, motorcycles, buses and trucks all cross. Vehicles are ticketed by class based on type and length. If the vehicle is rented on Java, confirm that inter-island travel is permitted.
What time zone applies?
Ketapang is in Java on WIB (UTC+7); Gilimanuk is in Bali on WITA (UTC+8). You arrive an hour ahead on the clock.
Where do I buy the ticket?
From Ferizy, ASDP’s official ticketing channel, or an authorised Ferizy sales point, before travelling. Booking for this route is not available on Sailtix.