How to get to Nusa Penida from Bali

How do you get to Nusa Penida from Bali?

You cross by boat from Sanur, on Bali's east coast. Most boats land at Banjar Nyuh, near Toyapakeh, and some at Sampalan or Buyuk; they run from 06:30 to 17:00 WITA (Bali time).^[1]

Boats also cross from Kusamba, near Padang Bai, and a slower car ferry runs from Padang Bai, taking about 90 minutes and often running late. The fast boat guide has the fares, harbours and what happens when the sea cancels a crossing.^[1]

How do you get from Bali airport to Sanur harbour?

No boat leaves from Ngurah Rai airport (I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport), so take a car to Sanur first. The drive takes 35 to 50 minutes, and fixed fares run IDR 200,000 to 500,000 (about AUD 16) a car (May to September 2026).^{[2, 4]}

The counters, the ride-hailing pickup point and the touts to ignore are in the Bali airport guide. Give the driver your boat time when you book, so the pickup leaves room for the road.^[2]

How do you get to Sanur harbour from Ubud, Uluwatu, Seminyak or Canggu?

Book a car to Sanur harbour, and allow 45 minutes to an hour from Ubud and about an hour from Seminyak.^{[5, 6]}

From Canggu, fixed fares run IDR 275,000 to 425,000 (about AUD 22) a car (October 2026), so ask for a quote before you book. The table shows every seller's fixed fare per car.^{[3, 7]}

Gojek usually has the cheapest fares for the car to Sanur. A driver booked off the app charges a little more and may haggle.^[16]

The Uluwatu fare was IDR 425,000 (about AUD 34) a car in October 2026; the Uluwatu getting there guide covers that end, and Ubud, Bali covers the other.^[8]

How do you get from the harbour to your hotel on Nusa Penida?

Walk off the boat to the drivers who wait at Toyapakeh and Banjar Nyuh. A transfer to a hotel near the port is around IDR 200,000 (about AUD 16), and a remote spot such as the Tree House can reach IDR 300,000 (about AUD 24) or more, a seller's figures, updated September 2026.^[9]

For a hotel far from the port, arrange a driver before you arrive and send them your boat time. There is no Grab, Gojek or metered taxi on the island, so a driver you booked is your ride out as well.^[9]

Should you hire a scooter or a driver on Nusa Penida?

For most visitors a car with a driver is the better choice. It costs about IDR 700,000 to 800,000 (about AUD 56) for a day for up to six people, a seller's quote, updated September 2026, and a scooter is IDR 100,000 to 200,000 (about AUD 8) a day with about IDR 5,000 for parking at most beaches and viewpoints.^[9]

Split between four people, the car comes to IDR 175,000 to 200,000 (about AUD 14) each, our estimate. For two people on a day trip from Sanur, the return boats plus a driver add up to about IDR 1.4 million to 1.7 million (about AUD 112) for the pair, our estimate, before the Sanur car and the site fees on the fees page.^{[1, 9]}

A scooter suits a confident rider with the right licence; read the scooter licence rules first. Riding one along the Kelingking cliff edge is advised against, and steep descents are a main risk. Full darkness arrives about 45 minutes after sunset, around 19:00, so drive slowly on roads that are poorly kept.^{[9, 10]}

Cars and scooters jammed the narrow roads to the ticket counters on the first day of the site fees, 1 September 2026. Since the next day, vehicles enter the car park first and then walk to the counters, so allow time to park and walk to the counter.^[14]

How long does it take to drive around Nusa Penida?

Plan on 30 minutes to an hour from Toyapakeh to the west coast sights and about an hour to Diamond Beach in the east. West to east takes 1 to 1.5 hours each way, so the island is much bigger than it looks on a map.^{[11, 12, 13]}

Most roads are surfaced, the rest are average at best, and some cross-roads to the coast are still rough.^[9]

How do you get back from Nusa Penida to Bali?

Book the return boat when you book the outbound. The last Sanur-bound boats leave around 17:00 WITA, so a late start on the far coast can miss them.^[1]

If you miss the last boat, you stay the night on the island, so keep the return time in mind when you plan the final sight. The fast boat guide covers refunds when the sea cancels a crossing.^[1]

App pickups are blocked at Sanur harbour, though drop-offs are allowed. Book the car back before you cross, using the table's from-Sanur fares, or walk out to the main road to order one.^[15]

How do you get from Nusa Penida to Lembongan, the Gilis or Lombok?

Public or private boats run between Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan for about IDR 60,000 (about AUD 4.8) a person (September 2026). Ask your driver or hotel to arrange one.^[1]

For the Gili Islands, one boat leaves Penida at 10:00 and reaches the Gilis at 11:45. Another leaves at 10:30, stops at Padang Bai and at Senggigi on Lombok, and arrives around 14:00. Ask the operator for the fare. Lombok and the other crossings are in the fast boat guide.^[1]