How To Get To Nusa Penida (From Bali & Nusa Lembongan)

Just 15 miles from Bali is the beautiful, exotic island of Nusa Penida. It’s a much smaller island than Bali, but it has some of the most incredible scenery in the entire Bali province (which it’s part of).

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already seen all of the awesome Instagram photos from this place, and you’re just wondering how to get there. The good news is that it’s pretty easy. Read on!

Nusa Penida Day Tours

First of all, if you’re on a tight schedule or want to skip the extra steps involved in arranging your own trip to Nusa Penida, there are a number of companies that offer prearranged day trips to Penida for as low as $50 USD, complete with hotel transfer, island tour, lunch, and same day return to Bali (or Nusa Lembongan).

How To Get To Nusa Penida From Bali

From Bali, you will need to reach Nusa Penida by ferry or speedboat, with the speedboat journey taking about 45 minutes or so.

There are a bunch of speedboat companies making this trip daily, and they all depart from Sanur Beach in Bali at various times. The location in the map below is the departure point for all speedboat companies operating this route from Sanur Beach.

Note that are no piers at Sanur Beach, so you will have to wade through knee deep water to reach the speedboat. This can be a bit annoying, but the boat crews will at least give you a hand with any items you’re bringing into the boat.

Mola Mola Express

One of the cheapest and best speedboat companies for Nusa Penida is Mola Mola Express, which charges 150,000 IDR ($10 USD) per person, for a one way transfer in either direction.

Mola Mola has plenty of lifejackets, as well as a life raft. In my experience on well over a dozen trips to Penida, those have never been needed (thankfully), but the waves can be rough at times, so it’s still good to have.

Mola Mola Express departs from the above location in Sanur at 8:30 and 17:00. They run the return trip from Nusa Penida at 7:30 and 16:00. They have generally departed and arrived on time in my experience, but delays are always possible.

You can ask questions or book with them in advance via WhatsApp at ☎ +62 899-6697-730. You can also wait and buy your tickets in person with any of the companies, if you prefer that.

This is the dock in Nusa Penida. It has a jetty for boarding and exiting the boats. Sadly the dock in Sanur doesn’t have a jetty, so you have to wade through knee deep water for that part of the journey.

Other Transfer Options From Bali

Idola Express

If you’re looking for another speedboat option, Idola Express offers the same route for 150,000 IDR ($10 USD) per person. The process is the same and their location is right next to Mola Mola on the same beach; similar boat and same lifejackets. You can ask questions or book with them via WhatsApp at ☎ +62 818-0807-2488.

Maruti Express

If you’re staying in Ubud or somewhere else outside of Sanur and need a pickup/dropoff for reaching Sanur Beach, one company offering this as a complete package is Maruti Express (aka Maruti Group Fast Boat). I haven’t used this company so I can’t comment on their services, but wanted to include that for anyone looking.

Padang Bay Ferry

Last but not least, another option for reaching Nusa Penida from Bali is the ferry service running from Padang Bay. The ferry to Penida departs at 10:00 and 14:00 daily. This takes about 60-90 minutes and the price is cheaper than the speedboats (the one way price is 31,000 IDR).

Personally, I wouldn’t recommend using a ferry in Indonesia; compared to speedboats the savings are minimal, the safety standards are notoriously bad, and the last ferry I took on this route didn’t even have lifejackets. With that said, the ferry is your only option if you’re wanting to bring your scooter or car with you to Penida island.

How To Get To Nusa Penida From Nusa Lembongan / Ceningan

I’ve only visited Penida from Bali, but you can also get there easily from nearby Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Ceningan. This route departs all day near the Yellow Bridge between Lembongan/Ceningan and only takes about 15 minutes to reach Penida. As of 2019, the one way ticket price is 70,000 IDR per person.

What Next?

If you’re looking for some ideas of where to go once you reach Penida, be sure to check out my full writeup on the Best Things To See & Do In Nusa Penida. This island has everything from waterfalls to cliffs to treehouses!