Patungan Pinisi
Patungan Pinisi
Komodo Island or Rinca for a private group of 14
Updated 27 October 2026
Komodo Island vs Rinca Island for a private group: Komodo is the largest park island, with ranger-guided treks of 45 to 120 minutes from the Loh Liang station. Rinca is the second largest. The example route lands on Komodo, ranger fees are extra and dragon sightings are not guaranteed.
Komodo or Rinca: what each gives a group
Komodo is the largest island in the park and the namesake of the dragon. Ranger-guided treks start at the Loh Liang station. Rinca is the second largest, with its own ranger station at Loh Buaya, and treks there are ranger-guided too. Both are dragon islands, and both take about two hours of your day once you count the landing and the walk back.
The wild dragons are not a zoo. Sightings are not guaranteed on either island, and a good trek on one island does not predict the other.
Padar and Kelor are the other walking stops, and neither has dragons. If seeing a dragon matters to the group, one of these two islands has to be on the route.
Our example route lands on Komodo Island. Rinca is not on our routes.
Ranger groups and the 14-guest question
The first rule is the same on both islands: no trekking without a park ranger. You do not walk the trails on your own, and a guide from the boat does not replace the ranger.
Short, medium and long trails exist, and most day itineraries take the shorter ones. How the ranger divides a group of 14 is the ranger's decision at the station.
What we control is the boat. All three boats stop at 14 guests, so the biggest group you can bring to the pier is 14. A group of 14 lands together, then follows the ranger's instructions on where to stand and where to walk.
Bring a person who can count heads. Nominate two friends to keep the group together, one near the front and one near the back.
Seasons on the trail, from April dry to December wet
The park's dry season runs from April to November, and the wet season runs from December to March. The trails have little shade in either, so closed shoes and long sleeves or sunscreen matter all year.
July, August and December are the crowded months at Komodo Island. Mornings are the best window for the trek, and the example route reaches it in the middle of day two after Padar and Pink Beach.
The trek length depends on the trail. Treks run 45 to 120 minutes, and the shorter trails suit a tired group. Ask us which trail the ranger offers on your date.
Heat is the practical limit. A group that arrives at noon in July walks in the strongest sun of the day, so carry water and take the shorter trail if the group is tired.
Tickets and ranger fees for a group
Park entry is paid per person under PP 36/2024. A domestic guest pays IDR 50,000 on a weekday and IDR 75,000 on a weekend. An international guest pays IDR 250,000.
The ranger fee and other levies are separate. They are paid on the day, outside the boat fare.
None of this is in the boat fare, and the guide and the photo or video documentation are not in a private charter either. Both are quoted separately on request.
Sail on a weekday. The domestic ticket is lower then than on a weekend, and the boat fare does not move with it.
| International visitors | IDR 250,000 per person per day |
| Indonesian visitors | IDR 50,000 per person per day · IDR 75,000 weekends & holidays |
Paid separately in cash or e-ticket; ranger and pier levies are extra and can change. Regulation: PP 36/2024 · Verified 27 October 2026.
Which routes include which island
Komodo Island is on every example route on this site. On 2D1N it closes day two before the return to the harbor. On 3D2N it is the third stop of day two, after Padar and Pink Beach. On 4D3N it sits on day two as well, after Manta Point and Taka Makassar.
Rinca is on none of them. Kalong lies between the two islands, and the sail from Rinca to Kalong is 30 to 60 minutes.
Segara Liveaboard follows the same 3D2N route as the other two boats, so Komodo Island is there too.
The captain decides the order of stops and the anchorage on the day. If the weather asks for a change, Komodo Island is a stop the captain moves before dropping it, and he tells you either way.
FAQ
Can we see dragons on Rinca instead?
Rinca is a dragon island with ranger-guided treks from the Loh Buaya station. It is not on our routes, which land on Komodo Island. Sightings are not guaranteed on either island.
How long is the Komodo walk?
Treks run 45 to 120 minutes, depending on the trail. Short, medium and long trails exist, and most day itineraries take the shorter ones. The ranger leads the walk from the Loh Liang station, and nobody walks the trails without a park ranger.
Are there rules for kids?
The ranger sets the rules on the trail, and you follow them on the day. Children aged 0 to 2 travel free on the boat, and from age 3 the full fare applies.
Who pays the ranger?
Each guest does, on the day. The ranger fee is not in the boat fare and is paid separately. The park entry ticket is a different charge: IDR 50,000 on a weekday for a domestic guest.
Is the park open in 2026?
Yes, the park is open. Routes close only for weather, and if that happens on your date the replacement-boat or refund rule applies. Ticket rates come from PP 36/2024. Dragon sightings are not guaranteed on any day.
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