{"id":6852,"date":"2026-06-03T04:05:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T20:05:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/?p=6852"},"modified":"2026-06-03T04:06:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T20:06:24","slug":"flights-to-bali-are-getting-more-expensive-heres-how-to-reach-the-island-by-train-bus-and-ferry-instead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/flights-to-bali-are-getting-more-expensive-heres-how-to-reach-the-island-by-train-bus-and-ferry-instead\/","title":{"rendered":"Flights to Bali Are Getting More Expensive. Here’s How to Reach the Island by Train, Bus, and Ferry Instead."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BALI, Indonesia<\/strong> \u2013 For many travelers planning a holiday in Bali this July, the first shock may arrive long before they reach the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It appears on the airfare screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the school holiday season approaches, one-way flights from Jakarta to Bali are now selling for between Rp1.7 million and Rp2 million, according to prices listed on major online travel platforms this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flight takes less than two hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cost, however, is becoming harder for some travelers to justify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those with flexible schedules and a tighter budget, there is another option: reach Bali the old-fashioned way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By land and sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The journey is significantly longer. But it can cost hundreds of thousands of rupiah less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Bali Flights Are Getting More Expensive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The timing is not surprising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indonesia’s school holiday period is expected to begin in late June and continue through mid-July, creating one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Higher demand typically pushes airfares upward, especially on popular domestic routes such as Jakarta\u2013Bali.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For families traveling together, the difference can be substantial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A family of four could spend close to Rp8 million on one-way flights alone before accommodation, meals, and activities are even considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That reality is prompting some travelers to look elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cheapest Way: Bus to Bali<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\nPhoto
Photo of one of the bus providers serving the route to Bali from Java (IST)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For travelers who value savings more than speed, long-distance buses remain one of the most affordable ways to reach the Island of the Gods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several intercity operators currently serve the Jakarta\u2013Bali route, including PO Gunung Harta, PO Kramat Djati, PO Pahala Kencana, and PO Alendra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fares start at around Rp550,000 per person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The catch?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The journey takes between 18 and 20 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

State-owned operator DAMRI also runs a Jakarta\u2013Bali service, with tickets starting at approximately Rp600,000 and travel times of around 23 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service operates once a week from Jakarta and once a week from Denpasar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buses depart Jakarta every Friday at 4 p.m. from Kemayoran, Cawang, and Pulogebang, while return services leave Denpasar every Sunday at 4 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For budget travelers, however, the savings can be difficult to ignore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Scenic Route: Train to Bali<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\nPhoto
Photo of a Train Heading to Ketapang, Banyuwangi (IST)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is still no railway line connecting Java directly to Bali.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But travelers can get surprisingly close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most popular options is taking the daily Sangkuriang train from Bandung to Ketapang Station in Banyuwangi, East Java.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The train departs Bandung at 2:45 p.m. and arrives in Ketapang at approximately 6:53 a.m. the following morning after a journey of around 16 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along the way, passengers pass through some of Java’s most important cities, including Yogyakarta, Solo, Madiun, Surabaya, Probolinggo, Jember, and Banyuwangi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ticket prices range from approximately Rp450,000 to Rp2.5 million depending on the class selected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many travelers, the journey itself becomes part of the holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rice fields, volcanoes, mountain ranges, and small towns unfold outside the window for hundreds of kilometers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Final Crossing to Bali<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once in Ketapang, reaching Bali is surprisingly easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ferry terminal is located just a short walk from the railway station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there, ferries operate regularly between Ketapang and Gilimanuk, connecting East Java to western Bali.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crossing typically takes between 45 and 60 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During normal weather conditions, ferries run throughout the day and night with minimal waiting times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within an hour of leaving Java, travelers are standing on Balinese soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time Versus Money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The decision ultimately comes down to one thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A flight from Jakarta to Bali takes around 110 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bus journey can take 20 hours or more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A train-and-ferry combination requires nearly a full day of travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the savings are significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For backpackers, students, domestic tourists, and families traveling on a budget, the difference can easily cover several nights of accommodation, meals, scooter rentals, or attraction tickets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not for Everyone, But Still Worth Considering<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most international visitors will continue arriving through Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And many domestic travelers will still choose the convenience of flying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when airfares climb during holiday periods, overland travel begins to look less like a sacrifice and more like a strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bus remains slow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The train still takes all night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ferry still crosses the Bali Strait one vehicle deck at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet for travelers willing to trade speed for savings, Bali remains accessible long after airfare prices have taken off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#heybalitravel<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BALI, Indonesia \u2013 For many travelers planning a holiday in Bali this July, the first shock may arrive long before they reach the beach. It appears on the airfare screen. As the school holiday season approaches, one-way flights from Jakarta to Bali are now selling for between Rp1.7 million and Rp2 million, according to prices […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6078,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_override_bookmark_settings":[],"jnews_food_recipe":[],"enable_food_recipe":"","food_recipe_title":"","food_recipe_description":"","food_recipe_serve":"","food_recipe_time":"","food_recipe_prep":"","food_recipe_level":"","food_recipe_keywords":"","food_recipe_category":"","food_recipe_cuisine":"","food_recipe_yield":"","food_recipe_calories":"","enable_print_recipe":"","ingredient":[],"instruction":"","jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_review":[],"enable_review":"","type":"","name":"","summary":"","brand":"","sku":"","good":[],"bad":[],"score_override":"","override_value":"","rating":[],"price":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"jnews_post_split":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[623,52,51],"tags":[47,1012,106,1011,146,82,1008,1009,77,1010,54],"class_list":["post-6852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bali-tourism","category-bali-news","category-bali-update","tag-bali","tag-bali-budget-travel","tag-bali-expat","tag-bali-ferry","tag-bali-life","tag-bali-tourism","tag-bali-transportation","tag-bali-travel","tag-indonesia","tag-jakarta-to-bali","tag-news"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6852"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6855,"href":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6852\/revisions\/6855"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6078"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heybali.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}