Labuan Bajo town is worth a half day on either side of your Komodo boat trip. In and around town you can walk the harbour, go inside Batu Cermin cave, watch the sunset from Bukit Sylvia, eat grilled fish at the Kampung Ujung night market, and, with a little more time, swim at Cunca Wulang waterfall or Rangko Cave. This guide covers only the town and its surroundings, with a simple plan for fitting them around the boat.
For the wider list, including Wae Rebo and the national park islands, read our things to do in Labuan Bajo guide. This page is the short, practical version for the hours you have left over.
What to do in Labuan Bajo town: a half-day plan
The boat is the reason you came, so book it first. A Komodo day trip picks you up at your hotel at 06:30, leaves the harbour around 07:00 and brings you back around 16:30. A three-day liveaboard takes more of your week. The town sights fill the gaps around it.
If you have a morning or a midday free (for example the day you land, or the day before an early boat): go to Batu Cermin around midday, when the sun shines into the cave, then rest at your hotel through the heat. If you have more time, swap Batu Cermin for Rangko Cave or Cunca Wulang, both of which need a car and driver and take a half day.
If you have an afternoon and evening (for example after the day trip returns): walk the harbour in the late afternoon, catch the sunset on Bukit Sylvia or at the hill bar, then eat at Kampung Ujung.
Walk the harbour and waterfront
The harbour is the centre of town and the easiest free thing to do. In the late afternoon the fishing fleet comes in, the Phinisi cruise boats light up and the waterfront fills with travellers, crew and kids selling snacks. Walking from the piers to the marina is a 20-minute stroll end to end.
The harbour also has a row of ticket desks, small warungs serving nasi goreng and mie goreng, and the harbour master's office. If you want to know which pier your boat leaves from before the morning of the trip, our harbour guide maps the piers and the meeting points.
Batu Cermin cave and Rangko Cave
Batu Cermin cave (Goa Batu Cermin) is the sight closest to town. The name means mirror stone. It is a limestone cave about 4 km from the centre, roughly 15 minutes by car or ojek. At midday, sunlight drops through a gap in the rock and bounces off the damp walls, which is where the name comes from. You need a local guide with a lantern to go in; they wait at the entrance. Entry plus guide is in the region of IDR 20,000 to 50,000 per person depending on group size. Expect to duck through a few tight sections, wear shoes you do not mind scuffing, and plan on half an hour inside.
Rangko Cave is the bigger effort and, for many people, the better cave. It sits about 17 km north of town, close to 40 minutes by car, and then a 15 to 20 minute boat ride from a small jetty. Inside is a clear turquoise seawater pool ringed by stalactites, and you can swim in it. The light is best between roughly midday and 2pm. The boat is priced per boat, usually IDR 300,000 to 500,000, and haggling is normal. Cave entry on top is around IDR 20,000 to 50,000. Bring a swimsuit and a dry bag.
Sunset in Labuan Bajo: Bukit Sylvia and the hill bar
Sunset is the best free show in town. The sun drops behind the harbour islands, the Phinisi fleet turns into silhouettes and the bars on the hill fill up.
Bukit Sylvia is the sunset hill everyone in town knows. It is about 15 minutes from the centre, then a short 15-minute walk up to the viewpoint, with a wide view over the Flores Sea, the near islands and the harbour below. Come between about 4:30pm and 6pm, and in peak season arrive early to find a spot on the grass. There is only a small parking or entry contribution.
The reggae bar on the hill above the harbour is the answer if you would rather watch the sun go down with a cold Bintang. It has an open view over the water, live music most nights and a small cover charge on Saturdays. It leans party rather than quiet, so go for the atmosphere and get there before sunset for a rail seat.
The dry season, roughly May to October, gives you a clear sky almost every evening. Our best time to visit Labuan Bajo guide explains what the wet months mean for sunsets and for the boats.
Pick the trip that fits
Padar, Pink Beach, dragons and Manta Point by speedboat, back before dinner.
Komodo Day Trip: Speedboat to 6 Top Destinations
Three days on a phinisi with sunrise Padar before the crowds arrive.
Komodo Tour 3 Days 2 Nights: Phinisi Open Trip
The whole boat to yourselves. Your route, your pace, your music.
Komodo 3D2N Private Charter: Whole-Boat Phinisi
Dinner at the Kampung Ujung night market
Every evening the Kampung Ujung waterfront fills with grill stalls selling the day's catch: whole fish, prawns, squid and clams laid out on ice. You point at what you want, they weigh it and grill it, and it comes with rice, sambal and water spinach.
It is the cheapest good seafood in town and the most fun way to eat here. Prices depend on the weight and the going rate for the catch, so ask before they cook. Bring cash, sit at a plastic table and do not expect a menu.
Cunca Wulang waterfall
If you want one bigger outing on land, Cunca Wulang is it. It is a jungle canyon about 30 km from town, roughly one to 1.5 hours by car, then a 30 to 45 minute walk down to the falls. The reward is a set of pools in a narrow gorge where you can swim.
Budget it as a half day. There is a small entry fee and you take a village guide from the trailhead. Go in the dry season, because the path is slippery after rain, and the walk back up is the tiring part. Wear shoes with grip, not sandals.
Kelor Island, the closest island beach
Labuan Bajo town has almost no beach you would want to swim at, because the waterfront is a working harbour. Kelor Island is the closest of the pretty island beaches: a small white beach, clear shallow water and a short steep hill you can climb in 15 minutes for a view over the surrounding islands.
Kelor is reached by boat only, usually as the first stop of a boat heading out or as part of a private charter where you pick the stops. Our Labuan Bajo beaches guide rates Kelor, Kanawa and the national park beaches and explains how to reach each one.
Getting around Labuan Bajo town
Labuan Bajo is essentially one main road along the water, with hotels climbing the hill behind it. Most hotels are 5 to 15 minutes on foot from the harbour, so the waterfront, the night market and the sunset spots are a short walk or ride away.
Gojek and Grab both work here, mostly as motorbike ojeks. A ride across town costs IDR 15,000 to 30,000, and the airport run IDR 30,000 to 50,000. The bemo, an open minivan on the main road, is IDR 5,000 per person. For Rangko Cave and Cunca Wulang you want a car and driver, which your hotel or we can arrange. The details are in our guide to getting around with Grab and Gojek.
Then put the main event on the calendar: the Komodo day trip from IDR 1,450,000 per person covers Padar, Pink Beach, the dragons, Manta Point and more in one day.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in Labuan Bajo town?
Walk the harbour, visit Batu Cermin cave, watch the sunset from Bukit Sylvia or the bar on the hill, and eat grilled seafood at the Kampung Ujung night market. With a car and a half day, add Rangko Cave or Cunca Wulang waterfall. The Komodo dragons and Pink Beach are inside the national park and need a boat trip.
Where can I watch the sunset in Labuan Bajo?
Bukit Sylvia is the classic spot, about 15 minutes from the centre plus a 15-minute walk up. Arrive between about 4:30pm and 6pm. For a drink with the view, go to the reggae bar on the hill above the harbour, or simply watch from the waterfront.
Is Batu Cermin worth visiting?
Yes, if you go around midday, when sunlight comes through the rock and lights up the cave walls. It is close to town, cheap (around IDR 20,000 to 50,000 per person with a guide) and takes about half an hour inside. If you have a half day and want to swim, Rangko Cave is the bigger reward.
Can you visit Kelor Island without a tour?
Kelor has no road, so you always need a boat from the harbour. Most people see it as a stop on a boat trip or a private charter.
Can I see the town sights on the same day as a Komodo day trip?
Partly. The day trip returns around 16:30, which leaves time for a sunset on Bukit Sylvia and dinner at Kampung Ujung. Keep Batu Cermin, Rangko Cave and Cunca Wulang for another day, because they work best around midday.
