Ferry route guide
Lombok to Bali by ferry
One public ferry crossing links Lombok to Bali: Lembar to Padang Bai. Whether it is the right way home depends almost entirely on where on Lombok you are starting and whether you have a vehicle with you.
At a glance
| Approximate crossing time | Usually about four to five hours at sea |
|---|---|
| Service pattern | The Bali–Lombok ferry is a continuous service rather than a handful of fixed daily sailings — vessels work through the night as well as the day. Actual departures for your date are published by 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
The public ferry from Lombok to Bali is an ASDP service between Lembar, on Lombok’s south-west coast, and Padang Bai in east Bali. It runs continuously rather than to a short daily timetable, takes about four to five hours at sea, and carries motorcycles, cars, buses, trucks and foot passengers.
The reason to think carefully before booking it is geography. Lembar is an hour from Mataram, roughly an hour and a half from Senggigi, Kuta Lombok and the airport, and around two hours from Bangsal in the north-west. Padang Bai, at the other end, is about two hours from Kuta, Seminyak or Ngurah Rai airport. Between the two road legs and the crossing itself, a Lombok-to-south-Bali journey by ferry is a full day.
That maths turns particularly badly against travellers returning from the Gili Islands, who land at Bangsal and would then drive two hours south to Lembar to begin a four-hour crossing. Fast boats run from the Gilis to Bali directly and skip both road legs.
The ferry still wins in the same three cases as in the other direction: you are moving a vehicle, you want the cheapest crossing, or the sea has stopped the small boats.
Who and what can cross
| Travelling as | Carried |
|---|---|
| Foot passengers | Yes |
| Motorcycles | Yes |
| Cars | Yes |
| Buses and coaches | Yes |
| Trucks and freight | Yes |
This is a roll-on/roll-off vehicle ferry, so everything from a scooter to an articulated truck crosses on the same deck. A vehicle is ticketed by its class, which is based on the type and length of the vehicle rather than on how many people are inside it.
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 |
Without a vehicle, compare this with the fast boat: much shorter, from tourist harbours, and bookable on Sailtix with live schedules. See the fast boat route page.
Tickets and the process
ASDP sells the crossing through Ferizy and authorised sales points, before travel, against passenger identity details. Vehicles are ticketed separately from passengers and priced by class based on type and length.
Sailtix does not sell this ferry. Fast boat services on the same corridor are bookable here.
- Buy through Ferizy or an authorised sales point ahead of travel.
- Ticket names must match your travel document.
- Allow generously for the drive to Lembar; the gate closes before departure.
- Ferry services to and from Bali stop for Nyepi; the date moves 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.
Bringing a vehicle back to Bali
The ferry is the only way to move a vehicle between the islands in either direction. Vehicles cross on their own ticket, priced by class, and you drive aboard yourself.
If the vehicle is rented on Lombok, check whether the agreement allows taking it to Bali — and if you rented in Bali and brought it over, check that the return leg is covered by the same permission.
- Confirm rental terms and insurance for inter-island travel before booking a sailing.
- Declare the correct vehicle class.
- Carry an International Driving Permit with your home licence if you are a foreign driver.
- Budget loading and unloading time at both ends.
What to expect as a visitor
It is a working public ferry: unassigned seats, basic facilities, announcements in Indonesian, a terminal geared to vehicles. Perfectly routine, and a long crossing to spend unprepared.
The Lombok Strait can be rough, especially mid-year. Take seasickness precautions before boarding, and be realistic about four hours on a moving deck.
- Cash, water and food are worth bringing.
- Board early for a better seat.
- Do not schedule a same-day flight from Bali against a ferry arrival — there is a two-hour drive after it.
Where you land in Bali
Padang Bai is on Bali’s east coast, in Karangasem. Kuta, Seminyak and the airport are roughly two hours away by road and more in traffic; Ubud is usually about an hour and a half; Candidasa and Amed are close by.
The same bay is also a fast-boat harbour, so if your next move is Nusa Penida or the Gili Islands, the boats leave from the beach beside the ferry terminal.
- Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu and the airport: allow about two hours.
- Ubud: usually around an hour and a half.
- Candidasa and Amed: well under an hour.
- Fast boats onward to Nusa Penida and the Gili Islands leave from the adjacent beach.
Mistakes travellers make on this route
Coming off the Gili boats at Bangsal and driving to Lembar for the ferry.
That adds a two-hour drive to a four-hour crossing. Fast boats run from the Gili Islands to Bali directly.
Booking a flight out of Bali for the evening of a ferry day.
The crossing has no guaranteed arrival time, and Padang Bai is two hours from the airport. Leave a night in between.
Underestimating the drive to Lembar.
From the north or the south coast it is an hour and a half to two hours, and the gate closes before the vessel sails.
Questions travellers ask
Is there a ferry from Lombok to Bali?
Yes — the ASDP public ferry from Lembar in south-west Lombok to Padang Bai in east Bali. It is the only public ferry crossing between the islands and the only one carrying vehicles.
How long does it take?
About four to five hours at sea, plus loading and berthing at both ends. Add the road legs: Lembar is an hour from Mataram, and Padang Bai is about two hours from south Bali.
I am coming from the Gili Islands. Should I take the ferry?
Usually not. You would land at Bangsal and drive about two hours south to Lembar before a four-hour crossing. Fast boats run from the Gilis to Bali directly.
Can I take a motorbike or car back to Bali?
Yes, on the same ferry, ticketed by vehicle class. Confirm that any rental agreement permits inter-island travel first.
Where are tickets sold?
Through Ferizy, ASDP’s official channel, and authorised Ferizy sales points, ahead of travel. Ferry booking is not available on Sailtix.