13 Best Things to Do in Lombok, Indonesia

The best things to do in Lombok are trekking Mount Rinjani, Indonesia’s second-highest volcano, snorkeling with turtles off the Gili Islands, and the empty south-coast beaches around Kuta. Add the Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep waterfalls and the rose-tinted sand of Pink Beach. Lombok is quieter and less developed than Bali, a short flight or boat ride away.

While millions of tourists travel to Bali every year, mass tourism is still largely unknown in Lombok, the next island east. Many visitors spend a few days on the Gili Islands and never see the rest of it.

I traveled around Lombok in October 2015 and found long empty beaches, good food and welcoming people. This guide is built on that trip and updated with current prices, rules and closures checked in October 2026.

Lombok is good at three things: volcano trekking, uncrowded beaches and island hopping. It is oversold as a nightlife or luxury-shopping destination, and its roads, signage and English are well behind Bali’s once you leave the Kuta and Senggigi areas.

Lombok’s best experiences compared

1. Mount Rinjani

Mount Rinjani is the second-highest volcano in Indonesia at 3,726 meters, after Kerinci on Sumatra. Its caldera holds the crescent-shaped crater lake Segara Anak at about 2,000 meters, and it is the reason most serious hikers come to Lombok.

There are two common trips. The two-day Senaru crater rim trek climbs to the rim for sunset and sunrise over the lake, while the summit trek from Sembalun starts the final push at about 2am to reach the top for sunrise.

The rules tightened after a Brazilian hiker died in a fall near the summit in June 2025. Every trekker now needs an e-Rinjani permit, foreigners must trek with a licensed guide and registered operator, and insurance with evacuation cover has been mandatory since early 2026.

Rinjani is graded as a demanding climb, not a beginner hike. The summit trail is loose volcanic scree, nights at the rim are cold, and the national park closes every year from January 1 to March 31.

Verdict: Worth it if you are fit and have two clear days. The crater rim alone repays the effort, so skip the summit unless you are an experienced hiker.

For the full summit, this two-day Sembalun trek is one of the better-reviewed options. It is not for first-time hikers.

2. Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep Waterfalls

Lombok has dozens of waterfalls, most of them in the north on Rinjani’s lower slopes. The best known are Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep near Senaru, which share one ticket and one trailhead.

Sendang Gile is the closer of the two, a 10 to 15 minute walk down steps from the entrance. Tiu Kelep is another 30 to 45 minutes on, with river crossings, and is the bigger and wilder fall.

In my opinion Tiu Kelep is the more spectacular one, and you can swim in its ice-cold pool. On the way back you can take a shortcut through a water tunnel, so ask your guide where it is.

Another beautiful waterfall is Tiu Teja near the village of Santong. Depending on the sunlight, a small rainbow appears at its base, and entry was free in 2026.

Verdict: Worth it. Pair it with a night in Senaru before or after a Rinjani trek.

If you are based in Senggigi and do not want to drive north yourself, this day trip covers Tiu Kelep with transport and a guide.

3. The Gili Islands

The three Gili Islands sit off Lombok’s northwest coast: Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. None of them allows motorized vehicles, so you get around by bicycle, on foot or by cidomo, a horse-drawn cart.

Gili Trawangan is the largest and liveliest, with most of the bars, restaurants and dive schools. Gili Meno is the quietest and Gili Air sits in between, with a calmer pace than Trawangan but more places to eat than Meno.

The Gilis are popular for snorkeling, diving and doing very little. I rarely saw so many colorful fish anywhere, even just snorkeling, and turtle sightings are very likely off Gili Meno’s north reef.

Off Gili Meno, the underwater sculpture Nest by Jason deCaires Taylor sits at about four meters. Its 48 life-size figures make an easy snorkel from the beach.

Verdict: Worth it, but choose your island. Skip Gili Trawangan if you want quiet nights, and skip Gili Meno if you want restaurants.

A half-day boat trip is the easiest way to snorkel all three islands in one go, including the turtle spots and the Nest sculptures.

4. Senggigi

Senggigi, on the west coast north of Mataram, is the traditional starting point for Lombok trips. It has a long strip of hotels and restaurants and has largely recovered from the 2018 earthquakes.

If you want nightlife on Lombok, this is the place, but do not expect anything like Kuta in Bali. Senggigi’s evenings are live music by local bands and maybe some dancing, depending on the season.

Verdict: Worth it as a base for a night or two, not as the highlight of a trip.

5. Pusuk Pass Monkey Forest

The Pusuk Pass Monkey Forest lines the winding mountain road from Mataram toward Bangsal. It is named after the dozens of long-tailed macaques that wait by the roadside for drivers to feed them.

Do not feed them. Feeding makes the monkeys bolder around cars and people, and current travel guides advise against it.

The better reason to stop is the viewpoints on the pass. On a clear day you look over the forested hills and valley, and from some bends down to the sea.

Verdict: Skip it as a destination. Stop only if you are already driving to the Gilis or the north coast.

6. Pandanan Beach

Pandanan is a small beach on the coast road between Senggigi and Bangsal, where boats leave for the Gili Islands. You pass it anyway on the way north.

Make a stop, jump into the water and order fresh seafood at one of the simple warungs. Entry was still free in 2025, about 25 minutes by scooter from Senggigi.

The same road passes the Malimbu viewpoint, one of the best spots on the island for sunset. On clear evenings you can see Bali’s Mount Agung across the strait.

Verdict: Worth it only as a swim stop on the way to the Gilis. It is not worth a separate trip.

7. Kuta Lombok and Mandalika

Kuta, on the south coast, is Lombok’s other main tourist base. It is popular with surfers and has restaurants for every budget, a few small bars and quick access to the southern beaches.

Kuta has changed a lot since my visit. It is now part of the Mandalika development, with the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit opened in 2021 and large resort hotels along the bay.

The circuit hosts the Indonesian MotoGP each autumn, with the 2026 race on October 9 to 11. Hotels around Kuta fill up and prices rise sharply on race weekend, so book early or avoid those dates.

Surf is the other draw. Beginner lessons cost about US$20 to US$30 for two hours, and boats run from Gerupuk village to the breaks in the bay.

Verdict: Worth it as your south-coast base. Two or three nights covers the beaches, a surf lesson and Pink Beach.

8. Pink Beach and Tanjung Ringgit

The farther east you go on Lombok, the worse the roads get, the fewer tourists you meet and the fewer people speak English. That is exactly why I recommend the Tanjung Ringgit peninsula in the far southeast.

You are rewarded with views over the Tanjung Ringgit cliffs and time on Pink Beach, known locally as Pantai Tangsi. The sand is tinted pink by fragments of red coral and shows best on wet sand in the early morning or late afternoon.

By road it is about 55 kilometers and 90 minutes from Kuta, and the last 10 to 15 kilometers are broken concrete and dirt. The easier option is a boat from Tanjung Luar, about 30 to 45 minutes each way.

Verdict: Worth it for the boat trip and the snorkeling. Do not expect bright pink sand in photos taken at midday.

This full-day snorkeling tour combines Pink Beach with the small islands off East Lombok, which saves the rough final drive.

9. The Beaches of the South Coast

Southern Lombok has a string of wide, sheltered bays, and outside the holidays you can still find stretches of sand with nobody else on them. Stay in Kuta and rent a scooter or hire a driver to reach them.

The best known are Mawun, a horseshoe bay with calm water, and Tanjung Aan, next to the Bukit Merese hill. Selong Belanak, to the west, has a long gentle beach that is one of the island’s best places to learn to surf.

Bukit Merese is a 10 to 15 minute walk up from Tanjung Aan, with no entry fee. It overlooks the whole coastline and is one of the best sunset viewpoints in the south.

Verdict: Worth it. This coastline is the strongest argument for choosing Lombok over southern Bali.

10. Hindu Temples and Water Palaces

Islam is the main religion on Lombok, which is known as the island of a thousand mosques. Hindus, many of Balinese descent, make up about 10 to 15 percent of the population, and their temples are among the island’s most interesting sights.

Pura Batu Bolong sits on a rock about 2 kilometers south of Senggigi, facing Bali across the strait. A sarong is required, and it is a good place to watch the sunset.

Inland, Pura Lingsar dates from 1714 and is shared by Hindus and followers of Wetu Telu, a Lombok form of Islam. Taman Narmada is an 18th-century royal water garden built as a symbolic replica of Rinjani, and Taman Mayura in Cakranegara is a water palace with a floating pavilion.

Verdict: Worth it on a rainy day or as a half day from Senggigi. Batu Bolong is the easiest to combine with a west-coast sunset.

11. Experience the Sasak Culture

Most of Lombok’s inhabitants are Sasak, an Indigenous people with their own language and culture. Sunday afternoons often bring nyongkolan wedding processions, with the bride and groom paraded through the village to gendang beleq drums.

The best-known place to learn about Sasak life was Sade village near Kuta. A fire on August 22, 2026 destroyed more than 120 of its traditional houses along with the mosque, and rebuilding is underway.

Even before the fire, Sade had become very touristy, with guides steering visitors toward weaving stalls. Until it reopens, nearby Ende village offers a smaller and calmer look at traditional Sasak houses.

Verdict: Worth it only if you go with a local guide and an open mind. Skip Sade until it reopens, and do not expect an untouched village.

12. Ampenan and the Kebon Roek Market

Local markets are always a good way to see daily life and meet people. On Lombok, the one most often recommended is Pasar Kebon Roek in Ampenan, the old port district of Mataram.

I did not make it there on my trip, but it was the market most people recommended to me. It sells produce, fish, spices, palm sugar and baskets, and is busiest in the early morning.

Ampenan itself was Lombok’s main port in the Dutch colonial era. A walk past its old warehouses and shopfronts makes a good add-on to the market.

Verdict: Worth it only if you are staying in Senggigi or Mataram and want a break from beaches.

13. Watch the Sunset

I could watch the sunset every day and it would never get boring. Lombok’s west coast faces Bali, so on clear evenings the sun drops behind Mount Agung.

The best spots are Senggigi beach, the Malimbu viewpoint north of Senggigi and Pura Batu Bolong. In the south, climb Bukit Merese above Tanjung Aan about 30 to 40 minutes before sundown.

Verdict: Worth it every evening you are on the west coast.

More Lombok tours, tickets and day trips are listed on GetYourGuide.

Where to Stay in Lombok

Choose your base by what you came for. Kuta suits beaches and surf, Senggigi and the northwest suit the Gilis and Rinjani, and the Gilis themselves suit snorkeling and slow days.

If you are combining Lombok with Bali, see our guide to the best luxury hotels in Bali and our reviews of Munduk Moding Plantation, Samanvaya in East Bali and Desa Hay in Canggu.

Getting to and Around Lombok

Lombok International Airport (LOP) is near Praya in the south of the island. Flights from Bali take about 50 minutes, and there are direct domestic connections from Jakarta and other Indonesian cities.

From Bali, fast boats run to the Gilis and Lombok from Padang Bai, Sanur and Serangan in about 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Seas are calmest from April to October, and fares ran about IDR 500,000 to 900,000 one way in 2026.

Bali’s IDR 150,000 tourist levy applies only in Bali, not on Lombok or the Gilis. For the background, read our piece on Bali’s tourism tax and overtourism.

Best Time to Visit Lombok

The best time to visit Lombok is the dry season from May to September, when rainfall drops below 100 millimeters a month and Rinjani is open. June to August is the busiest period, so April, May and September are the sweet spot.

The wet season runs from November to March and peaks from December to February. Rinjani is closed from January to March, but the Gilis are quieter and greener.

What Things Cost in Lombok

Lombok is cheaper than Bali for food, transport and entry fees, but the big-ticket items are guided treks and boat days. These are the prices we verified in 2026.

US$1 is roughly IDR 16,000 to 17,000 at the time of writing. Carry cash for boats, entry fees and warungs, especially on the Gilis.

Suggested 7-Day Lombok Itinerary

If you are not trekking, replace days 5 and 6 with a night in Senggigi, the Pusuk Pass, Pandanan Beach and an extra day on the Gilis.

Lombok FAQ

More Indonesia and Adventure Travel

Heading to Bali as well? Time your trip around Nyepi, Bali’s Day of Silence, when the whole island shuts down for 24 hours.

For more trekking, see our list of the best hikes in the world and the greatest adventures in the world. Our adventure travel hub and Asia guides cover the rest of the region.

Have you ever been to Lombok, Indonesia? What did you like most, and what are your tips for Lombok? Post them in the comments below!

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• About the Author
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Pauline Joie

Pauline has a bachelor’s degree in Tourism and is a professional content writer. She specializes in writing about travel and food. Pauline spent most of her career life in Dubai and is a Travel Expert for the United States and Costa Rica.

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