**As of 2026, a private wooden boat or local phinisi-style charter from Labuan Bajo to Maumere runs roughly USD 300 to USD 1,500 per day, per boat — not per person. Where you land in that band depends on boat size, crew, number of nights, and the long fuel run along the north coast. Treat every figure here as indicative and subject to change.**
That is a wide range on purpose. A Labuan Bajo–Maumere crossing is not a Komodo day loop. You are moving a crewed vessel roughly 300 kilometres west to east, past Riung and the 17 Islands Marine Park, across open stretches of the Flores Sea. The daily rate has to carry fuel, crew wages, food, and the reality that the boat often returns light or repositions afterward. So the honest way to read the number is per-day, per-boat, all-in for the vessel — then adjust for the specifics below.
What does “average daily rate” actually mean here?
There is no published standard rate for this exact route, because almost nobody runs it as a fixed product. Most Flores charter supply clusters around Labuan Bajo and the Komodo circuit. As of 2026, Booking.com lists 39 boats bookable in the Flores region, and its average price for a boat over an upcoming weekend works out to about USD 293 per night. That is an accommodation benchmark for the popular west-coast zone — useful as a floor reference, but it is not a point-to-point expedition rate to Maumere.
A true west-to-east charter costs more per day than that benchmark once you add distance and fuel. Think of the USD 293 figure as “what a boat berth near Labuan Bajo costs,” and the USD 300–1,500 band as “what it costs to actually sail one to the far side of Flores.”
For the money-page breakdown of end-to-end pricing on this crossing, see our full guide to Maumere yacht rates, which pairs with this per-day view.
What is the rate table for a Labuan Bajo to Maumere charter?
Here is how the value tier typically splits by boat class, as of 2026. These are indicative per-day, per-boat figures for the vessel with crew — not per guest, and not fixed quotes.
| Boat class | Guests | Cabins | Indicative rate/day (USD) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small local wooden boat | 2–6 | 1–2 | 300–550 | Budget crews, short 2–3 night hops |
| Mid-size wooden expedition boat | 6–10 | 2–4 | 550–950 | Families, mixed groups, full coast run |
| Larger wooden / phinisi-style | 10–16 | 4–6 | 950–1,500 | Bigger groups wanting deck space |
A few honest caveats on that table. These are local expedition vessels — wooden boats built for Indonesian waters, not modern yachts with concierge service. The comfort is real but simple: shaded decks, basic cabins, a crew that cooks fresh fish and knows the reefs. If you want yacht spec sheets, marble bathrooms, or USD 1,500-plus premium tiers, that is a different product and a different site.
What drives the price up or down?
The daily rate moves on a handful of levers. Understanding them lets you shape a quote instead of just accepting one.
- Number of nights. Longer charters usually lower the per-day rate, because fixed costs like provisioning and repositioning spread across more days. A 5-night trip often costs less per day than a 3-night one.
- Fuel and distance. The Labuan Bajo–Maumere run is long. Fuel is the single biggest swing factor, and diesel prices shift, so operators quote fuel as a line that can change with the market.
- Boat size and crew count. More cabins means more crew, more food, more engine. A 16-guest boat costs materially more per day than a 6-guest one.
- Season. The dry season, roughly May to September, brings calmer seas and better snorkel visibility on the Flores Sea; the wet season, roughly November to March, brings more swell and wind. This is general climatology, not a citable dataset — but expect stronger demand and firmer rates in the dry months.
- Route stops. Adding Riung’s 17 Islands, hidden bays, or a fishing-village overnight can add a day, which adds to the total even if the per-day rate holds.
How does the north-coast route change the cost?
Most Flores boat products stop at Komodo. According to Tripadvisor’s “Boat Rentals in Flores” listings as of 2026, the named active operators — IndonesiaJuara, East Indonesia Trip, Red Whale Dive Center & Tours, and Le Pirate Explorer — all center on Komodo and the nearby islands. None publishes a standard circuit continuing along the full north coast to Riung and Maumere. Traveler threads on Reddit and Facebook groups confirm private Flores charters exist, but they are largely ad hoc, arranged 3–4 days at a time over direct WhatsApp.
That gap is exactly why a Labuan Bajo–Maumere charter is priced as a custom job, not a menu item. You are paying for a route the market has not standardized. The upside: you skip the Komodo quota crush, and you see Riung, quiet reefs, and fishing villages that the day-tour fleet never reaches. The trade-off: the rate reflects a longer, fuel-heavy passage that ends far from the boat’s home port.
Why is this route getting more attention for 2027?
Komodo National Park works on a quota-and-permit system, and demand keeps pushing against it. That pressure is nudging travelers to look east of the park for open water. A west-to-east Flores run — Labuan Bajo out along the north coast to Riung, then on toward Maumere — is one of the clearer ways to diversify away from the crowded core loop. Riung’s 17 Islands Marine Park in particular sits far enough from the day-tour fleet to feel uncrowded, which is why we expect north-coast demand to keep building into 2027. Booking early matters more here than on the Komodo circuit, because the pool of boats willing to reposition this far is small.
What’s a realistic total budget?
Multiply the daily rate by nights, then add fuel and park fees as separate lines. A rough sketch, as of 2026 and subject to change:
| Trip length | Boat class | Rough vessel cost (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 nights | Small wooden | 900–1,650 | Fastest west-to-east hop |
| 4 nights | Mid-size | 2,200–3,800 | Comfortable full-coast pace |
| 5 nights | Larger phinisi-style | 4,750–7,500 | Group trip with extra stops |
Park entrance, ranger, and conservation fees apply if your route enters Komodo National Park — managed by Balai Besar Taman Nasional Komodo under the KSDAE directorate. Confirm current fee amounts with the authorities before you budget; we do not quote a fee figure as fact because it changes. Bookings for these charters are handled directly by Komodo Luxury, a real operator founded in 2015 in Labuan Bajo, reachable on WhatsApp at 628113823875 or sales@komodoluxury.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a private phinisi charter to Maumere cheaper per day than a Komodo-only trip?
Not usually. A Komodo day loop keeps the boat near its home port, so fuel and repositioning stay low. The Labuan Bajo–Maumere run covers roughly 300 kilometres of coast, and that distance pushes fuel — the biggest cost lever — higher. Expect the daily rate to sit in the same USD 300–1,500 band, but the total to run larger because of the longer passage.
Does the daily rate include food and fuel to Maumere?
It depends on the operator, so ask before you book. As of 2026, many local Flores charters quote the vessel and crew as the daily rate, then list fuel and sometimes provisioning as separate lines that can shift with diesel prices. A “full-board” quote usually folds in meals; fuel for a long one-way crossing is often itemized because it is hard to fix in advance.
How many days do I need for a Labuan Bajo to Maumere charter?
Plan a minimum of 3 nights, and 4–5 for a relaxed pace. Three nights gets you across the coast quickly; four or five lets you add Riung’s 17 Islands Marine Park, quiet bays, and a fishing-village stop without rushing. Longer trips also tend to lower the per-day rate, since fixed costs spread across more days aboard.