Gili Islands Island Hopping: Public Slow Boat Timetable, Cost & Tips
First Published: 31st August 2026 · Last Updated: 31st August 2026
Home » Blog » Asia » Indonesia »Island Hopping in the Gili Islands is very easy and budget friendly thanks to the public Island Hopping boat. The boat, also known as ‘Karya Bahari’ (not to be confused with the same-named fast boat!), is used by locals and budget-conscious tourists to travel between the three islands of Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno. We used the Island Hopper during our visit to the Gili Islands and found it to be a reliable and cost effective service.
The Island Hopper is know as the “slow” boat, but in my experience it really isn’t that slow. It can take around 15-30 minutes to travel between the Gili Islands which isn’t much time at all, but I appreciate that this is slower than the speedboat options which can take between 5-15 minutes. All three Gili islands are not that far from eachother so no matter which transportation you take it will not take very long to get between the islands.
The boat runs on a regular schedule, ferrying between Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air 3 times per day. The timetable begins with a morning service and ends with an evening service, with one service in the middle of the day.
The cost of the Island Hopper is significantly cheaper (40-45K IDR per person per trip) than other options, often half or a quarter of the cost of a speedboat or private charter transfer. Tickets can be purchased on the day in cash or in advance online via 12Go Asia.
‘Island Hopping’ the public boat service that the locals use to get between the Gili Islands, so it is a much more authentic experience and great for travellers who prefer a more traditional method of transport.
There’s no limits on luggage but you’ll need to be able to carry your own. Additionally, entering/exiting the boat may need to be done at the beach or at the harbour, depending on the island.
Everything you need to know about how to use the Island Hopping public slow boat in the Gili Islands, including the timetable/schedule and ticket prices is detailed in this blog post!
All timetable information and ticket price information is up-to-date as of August 2026. Always check local information to confirm.
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- Related Read: Best Snorkelling Spots On Gili Meno Island To See Coral & Turtles
Gili Islands Island Hopping Public Slow Boat Scheduled Departure Times ⌚
From Gili Trawangan to Gili Meno and Gili Air: Departures at 9:30am, 12:30noon (on Fridays only it departs at 1:00pm) and 4:30pm
From Gili Air To Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan: Departures at 8:30am, 11:30am and 3:30pm
From Gili Meno to Gili Trawangan: Departures at 8:50am, 11:50am and 3:50pm
From Gili Meno to Gili Air: Departures at 9:50am, 12:50noon and 4:50pm
| Departure Times | To Gili Trawangan | To Gili Meno | To Gili Air |
| From Gili Trawangan | – | 9:30 12:30 (Fridays at 13:00) 16:30 | 9:30 12:30 (Fridays at 13:00) 16:30 |
| From Gili Meno | 8:50 11:50 15:50 | – | 9:50 12:50 16:50 |
| From Gili Air | 8:30 11:30 15:30 | 8:30 11:30 15:30 | – |
The boat does a loop from Gili Air > Gili Meno > Gili T > Gili Meno > Gili Air.
In my experience the service is reliable and sticks to the schedule as outlined above. However remember ‘island-time’ and things generally move at a slower pace in locations such as this so it is best suited to passengers who are not in a hurry and have flexibility with their schedule.
Gili Islands Island Hopping Ticket Prices 💸
40,000 IDR is approximately £1.66 GBP / $2.25 USD / $3.14 AUD
45,000 IDR is approximately £1.87 GBP / $2.53 USD / $3.53 AUD
Departing From: Gili Air
- To Gili Meno: 40,000 IDR
- To Gili Trawangan: 45,000 IDR
Departing From: Gili Meno
- To Gili Trawangan: 40,000 IDR
- To Gili Air: 40,000 IDR
Departing From: Gili Trawangan
- To Gili Air: 45,000 IDR
- To Gili Meno: 40,000 IDR
Gili Islands Island Hopping ‘Karya Bahari’ Timetable Photo
Below is a photo of the timetable as displayed at the Gili Trawangan ticket office.
How To Purchase Gili Islands Island Hopping Public Boat Tickets 🎫
Tickets can be purchased on the day in cash or in advance online via 12Go Asia.
From The Local Ticket Office On The Day Of Departure (Cash Only)
Tickets can be purchased from the local ticket office at the harbour on the day of departure, using cash only.
No advance booking is required, but be sure to arrive at the harbour with time to queue for the ticket purchase as there may be a wait/line.
Once your ticket is purchased, the clerk will advise you to return to the harbour/beach 10 minutes before departure time to wait for the boat and be ready for boarding.
The location of the Island Hopper ticket office on Gili Trawangan is located on the island ring road north of the ferry harbour on the beach opposite the Ekajaya Gili T Office. Approx location on Google Maps
On Gili Meno and Gili Air, head to the local harbour ticket offices to enquire about ticket purchases for the Island Hopping boat.
Book Tickets In Advance With 12Go Asia (Online)
If you prefer to book in advance, or you want to make payment online using credit/debit cards, you can purchase tickets in advance using the website 12Go Asia.
If you do use 12Go Asia, make sure to book the correct Karya Bahari boat, as there is a ‘fast ferry’ service with the same name. On 12Go Asia, the Island Hopping slow public boat will have a cheaper ticket price, and the photo is of a red boat (not a blue boat – that is the fast boat).
The fast boat does have a more regular schedule throughout the day, so if the slow boat departure times don’t work for you, the fast boat could be a good alternative. However, the price for the fast boat is around double the cost of the slow boat.
Once you have purchased your ticket via 12Go, take the voucher to the local ticket office/departure point on the day of travel to exchange your voucher for a physical ticket.
Below is a search box you can use to find tickets, as well as direct links you can use to go direct to the results pages for the Island Hopping boat tickets between different islands.
All tickets are one-way only – there are no return tickets. If you need a return you will need to purchase two separate tickets.
What Is The Gili Islands Island Hopping Boat Like? 🛥️
The Island Hopping boat ‘Karya Bahari’ is a traditional wooden vessel with bench seating, roof cover and space for around 35-40 passengers.
The boat is clearly identified with ‘Island Hopping’ branding on the sides of the boat.
Bench seating is located all around the edge of the boat with luggage storage space in the centre. The public boat can also be used as a transport method to ferry goods/supplies between the islands, for example electric mopeds/bikes.
We found it was roomy enough and didn’t feel crammed in to the boat at all in terms of passengers but there was a good portion of the boat taken up with many bikes being transported.
You may feel the swell and the waves as you are seated at the edge of the boat, and the currents and waves can sometimes be strong between the Gili Islands. However the journey is short so most people should be able to manage it with ease.
The Island Hopping boat is best suited to those with minimal mobility issues and who appreciate the experience of traveling via a more traditional method.
When It’s Time To Board The Boat
Return to the ticket office/departure point around 10-15 minutes before the departure time to prepare for boarding.
An announcement will be made via speakers/staff instructing when the boat is ready for boarding.
A staff member will also be assisting and giving directions to get you to the correct boat on the beach/harbour.
You will hand over your physical ticket to the staff when boarding the boat.
Getting On & Off The Public Island Hopping Boat
Depending on the island you may need to enter/exit the boat from the beach or from a harbour pier.
On Gili Trawangan the boat pulled up onto the beach and so that meant going through the waves to get on/off the boat. In this situation it is best to wear no shoes or water shoes. Flipflops/clogs easily come off in the waves and regular shoes will just get very wet!
I have read that the same situation happens on Gili Air where the boat will stop on the beach.
On Gili Meno the boat docked at the harbour pier so here entering/exiting the boat is a dry situation and much easier than the sand/sea alternative.
Luggage Tips
You will need to carry your own luggage on and off the boat. Don’t expect any assistance from the boat crew!
As far as I could tell there was no limit on the luggage. Most people were travelling with regular 60-90L backpacking bags or a suitcase or two.
If you can travel light to the Gili Islands I would recommend it. We used the luggage storage at our hotel in Bali before travelling to the Gili Islands so we only needed to take our backpacks to the islands.
If you’re staying at an accommodation beforehand and returning to the same hotel after your trip to the Gili Islands it is worth asking if your accommodation can store your luggage for the duration of your trip!
Alternatively there are many luggage storage services near to the Denpasar airport in Bali which can safely store your bags for reasonable prices.
Arrival On Gili Trawangan, Gili Air & Gili Meno 🌴
All of the Gili Islands have no motorised vehicles so the main transport methods are e-bikes, regular bicycles and horse and carts (‘cidomo’).
Once you arrive on any Gili Island, there will be lots of locals anticpating your arrival and waiting to rent you a bike or take you on a ride on their cidomo to your accommodation or other destination on the island.
Walking
All Gili Islands are very small and there are walking paths throughout, so during our visit we just walked everywhere and didn’t bother using a bike or the horses and carts. We enjoyed the pace of walking around and getting a feel for island life and the scenery.
I’d recommend all those able to use walking as their method of getting around while visiting the Gili Islands.
The islands are relatively flat and the paths can be a mix of paved paths and hardpacked or soft dirt or sand. We wore flipflops or were barefoot during our entire stay in the Gili Islands.
Cycling
Many people do like to rent a bike if staying for a few days, or on Gili Trawangan because it is the largest island of the three.
You can rent from a local or many accommodations have their own rentals or offer bikes to guests for free.
Bear in mind that cycling is not possible everywhere on the islands because not all of the paths are paved, some are sand which is very difficult to cycle on!
Cidomo (Horse & Cart)
Unless you are transporting lots of heavy luggage or any other reason to really need to use the cidomo (horse and cart), I’d advise against using them on ethical reasons as the horses often do not look like they are well taken care of.
If you do intend to use cidomo, it would be worth giving a thought to the look of the health of the animal and the driver’s disposition before proceeding.
Gili Islands Island Hopping: Public Slow Boat Timetable, Cost & Tips – Thanks For Reading!
The Gili Islands Island Hopping public slow boat is a reliable and cost-efficient way to travel between Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air.
It is used by locals and a good option for budget conscious travellers and those who appreciate a more traditional and authentic travel method to travel between the Gili Islands.
Have fun on the Gilis! – Lauren x
Where To Next?: Best Snorkelling Spots On Gili Meno Island To See Coral & Turtles
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Lauren | Wild Lovely World
Lauren is a travel writer from the U.K., specialising in travelling on a budget as a solo female and in a couple. She moved to Australia solo at age 19 and has since lived in 7 different countries around the world, including teaching English in Japan, living in a campervan in New Zealand and hiking all across Scotland. Her style is travelling slow and she is an expert on moving abroad and long-term travel. She’s on a mission to inspire adventure and show you how to travel for longer, for cheaper and have more authentic travel experiences.
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