Leaving Bali
The Bali day with crossing
Sanur pickup or harbor meeting
- Length6 to 11.5 hours
- Rating4.66 from 2,929
- Pricefrom $42
Sum for the group
A Nusa Penida snorkeling day trip: start in Bali or on the island?
Weigh up 3 trips
Price each start for your group
Enter how many are going and compare three starts
- Bali day with crossingFrom Sanur · per swimmer, from $42
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View - Island snorkel sessionMeet on island · per swimmer, from $17
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View - One-way boat ticketCrossing only · per swimmer, from $7
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View
The lowest GetYourGuide prices, converted at the ECB rate; the exact total appears at checkout.
The snorkeling is much the same whichever side you start on. What changes is a boat crossing before breakfast, a longer day and a higher price on one side, and a hotel on the island on the other. Here are the hours and numbers for each start.
Editorial team, nusapenidasnorkeling.quest · Updated November 3, 2026 · Reading time about 6 min
Begin with this
- Leaving BaliThe Bali version of our tour lists 6 to 11.5 hours with a speedboat crossing of 45 minutes, from $42.
- Starting on PenidaOur own listing starts on Nusa Penida and lists 2 to 9 hours by option, from $17.
- Just the crossingA one-way ticket for the crossing shows Sanur sailings at 07:30, 09:00 and 15:00, from $7.
- The last boatIsland departures on the ticket listing run at 07:30, 12:30 and 16:30, and a separate listing warns that no fast boat leaves in the evening.
- The straitTidal flow north of the island reaches about three and a half knots at peak tide.1
Two starting points, one stretch of reef
The snorkeling is much alike on both sides. Our listing visits Manta Bay, Gamat Bay and The Wall, with Crystal Bay as an optional alternative, and meets guests at Wonderland Manta Penida on the island. A sister listing covers three snorkel bays and the same west-coast viewpoints but starts from Sanur Harbour on Bali.
The difference is a stretch of water called the Badung Strait, which separates Nusa Penida from Bali.2 Crossing it adds a speedboat ride of 45 minutes each way on the Bali listing, an early pickup and a fixed departure time. Staying on the island removes that block, and the price falls with it.
The choice depends on where you sleep. A traveler with a hotel in Sanur, Seminyak or Ubud pays for the crossing in time and money. A traveler with a bed on Nusa Penida, or a plan to stay a night, can take the island-start option and spend the saved hours at a viewpoint or a beach. Snorkeling at Nusa Penida from Bali is the simplest answer for a mainland stay.
Two starts side by side
Bali start against island start
| Point | Leaving Bali | Starting on Penida | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the day begins | Sanur Harbour | Wonderland Manta Penida | Hotel pickup possible |
| Crossing | 45 minutes each way | None | Badung Strait |
| Duration as listed | 6 to 11.5 hours | 2 to 9 hours | Per option |
| From-price | from $42 | from $17 | For each guest |
| Reviews | 2,929 | 5,062 | Both about 4.7 |
Listing facts for the Bali version and the island version of one snorkel tour with a west-coast option.
The Bali version, hour by hour
The listing that starts from Sanur sets out a clear morning. With the Bali transfer option, hotel pickup falls between 06:15 and 06:30, with the exact time sent by WhatsApp before 8:30 PM the evening before. Guests who go straight to the harbor meet the team at Axe Stone Fast Boats in Sanur, and the ferry leaves at 07:30 or 08:00.
The speedboat crossing takes 45 minutes. On the island, the land-tour option visits the west coast first, with 40 minutes at Pasih Uug Beach, 40 minutes at Angel's Billabong and 50 minutes at Kelingking Beach, and then snorkels for 40 minutes apiece at Manta Bay, Crystal Bay and Gamat Bay.
The listed duration is 6 to 11.5 hours depending on the option, with guides in English, Indonesian, French and Korean, and the price starts from $42. It has 2,929 reviews and a rating of 4.66. The day ends with drop-off in Bali, so you do not need to arrange the return boat yourself.
Entry prices
From-prices for each way across
- Fast boat ticket7
- Sanur transfer9
- Return boat ticket12
- Island snorkel session17
- Bali snorkel and west tour42
Each bar is the listing's own from-price in US dollars, rounded to the nearest dollar; the booking page shows the real total for your date.
The island version and its three options
Our own listing is built in three options. A shared snorkel session meets at Wonderland Manta Penida and lasts about 2 hours. The same session with a hotel transfer on Nusa Penida lasts about 3 hours. And snorkeling followed by a west land tour is a full day of about 8 to 9 hours.
The land tour visits Kelingking Beach for 50 minutes, Broken Beach for 40 minutes and Angel's Billabong for 40 minutes. If you hold a return speedboat ticket to Sanur, tell the land-tour guide in advance: the listing says the team will help you reach the harbor in time for the last public speedboat, around 5:00 PM.
The starting price is $17, and the listing is rated 4.68 across 5,062 reviews. Hotel pickup times on the island are confirmed by WhatsApp by 8:30 PM the day before, and the listing says that roads on Nusa Penida are narrow and bumpy. Expect the island day to feel slower and bouncier than the crossing.
Where do you sleep
Which start is yours?
Match your base with a start and its trade-off
If I am staying on the mainland
The Bali day
The crossing and drop-off are part of it.
If I have a bed on Nusa Penida
The island session
It starts on the island from $17.
If I need it brief
The shared island session
It lasts about 2 hours.
If I want the full west coast
Either, with a land tour
Both list Kelingking, Broken Beach or Pasih Uug, and Angel's Billabong.
If I plan to leave in the evening
Check the last boat first
The last listed departure is at 16:30.
Pick a starting side
Bali day, island session or ticket only
Starting on Penida
The island snorkel session
Meet on Nusa Penida
- Length2 to 9 hours
- Rating4.68 from 5,062
- Pricefrom $17
Ticket
A one-way boat ticket
Crossing only
- LengthAbout the crossing
- Rating4.19 from 1,536
- Pricefrom $7
If you only want the boat ticket
Some travelers prefer to buy the crossing separately and book the snorkel session on the island. One listing sells a single-journey crossing. Boats leave Sanur at 07:30, 09:00 and 15:00 and leave Nusa Penida at 07:30, 12:30 and 16:30, and you should check in at least half an hour before sailing with the voucher and a passport or other ID.
Boarding means wading through knee-deep seawater, so wear shorts, and sailing times can shift with sea or weather. The listing is non-refundable. It starts from $7, with a rating of 4.19 from 1,536 reviews.
Another transfer listing puts the crossing at 45 to 60 minutes, varying with weather and the queue at the harbor, asks you to arrive 45 minutes before sailing, and mentions an island fee of IDR 25,000 that international visitors generally pay in cash on arrival. A third lists the same schedule and can be cancelled free up to a day ahead. Bali to Nusa Penida snorkeling is a different plan again when you already hold a ticket for the crossing.
The Bali version
A day from Sanur, in order
06:15 to 06:30
Collected at the hotel
With the Bali transfer option, the exact time arrives by WhatsApp the evening before.
07:30 or 08:00
Ferry leaves Sanur
Guests without pickup meet the team at Axe Stone Fast Boats in Sanur.
45 minutes
Speedboat to the island
The crossing of the Badung Strait.
Western cliffs
Three viewpoints
Pasih Uug Beach 40 minutes, Angel's Billabong 40 minutes, Kelingking Beach 50 minutes.
Snorkeling
Three bays
Manta Bay, Crystal Bay and Gamat Bay, 40 minutes each.
Afternoon
Back to Sanur
Drop-off options include the Sanur fast cruise office.
The strait is open water
The water between Bali and Nusa Penida moves. In the strait north of the island the tidal flow at peak tide is about three and a half knots, and the tidal streams in the Badung Strait are semi-diurnal.1 That transfer listing also says the strait can get rough on windy afternoons and suggests taking seasickness tablets.
Australia's travel advice is blunt about marine transport in Indonesia. It says boat and ferry travel can be dangerous, that operators may not meet international safety standards and that there may not be enough life jackets.4 It lists a March 2025 incident in which a tour boat capsized in rough seas near Nusa Penida, with one death and 12 injured passengers.5
The advice that follows is practical: ask your operator about safety standards, check that the boat carries life jackets, GPS and communication equipment, always wear a life jacket and delay travel if conditions are unsafe.3 A start on the island removes one crossing, though not the sea you snorkel in.
Video
A fast boat to Nusa Penida and a day trip on the island
Nomad Couple on YouTube · The video stays still until you press play.
ask your tour operator or crew about safety standards before you travel
Checklist
Before you choose a start
Timing3
- The last boat back to Bali from the island
- Hotel pickup time confirmed by message the evening before
- Refundable until a day before
Once on deck3
- Life jackets for everyone, children included
- Shorts for boarding through shallow water
- Seasickness tablets for the strait
Ashore on Penida3
- Cash for the island fee if the operator asks for it
- Shoes for narrow roads and stairs
- Sun cover and water for the day
Timing the last boat and the long day
The last boat deserves attention. The ticket listing gives a final departure from Nusa Penida at 16:30, and an afternoon manta listing that begins and ends on the island says no fast boats run to Bali in the evening, so guests should stay overnight or arrange onward travel.
That timetable shapes how you can use the full-day options. A west land tour that runs 8 to 9 hours from an island start can collide with the last public speedboat, and the listing's own note about reaching the harbor by around 5:00 PM shows how tight the day can get.
If you are staying in Bali and want the whole west coast as well as the snorkeling, the Bali listing, which handles both crossings, removes the timing risk. If you have a hotel on the island, the island start gives you the freedom to stop early, take a long lunch or return for a second day when the sea is calmer.
Choosing by who you are
A first-time visitor on a short trip to Bali, staying on the mainland, is the natural reader of the Bali listing: it is one booking, one pickup and one day with the crossing handled. It costs more than the island start and lasts longer, and it leaves early.
A traveler already on Nusa Penida, perhaps for a few nights of beaches and viewpoints, gets the most from the island listing. The snorkel session can be as short as about 2 hours, and it leaves the rest of the day free. Add the land tour only if the weather is good and you have energy for narrow roads and stairs.
A budget-minded group that is happy to plan can join the two: buy the crossing as a ticket and book the island snorkel session on top. The ticket starts from $7 and the snorkel session from $17. Just keep the return boat in view when you choose the start time.
FAQ
Short questions, plain replies.
Can I snorkel Nusa Penida from Bali in one day?
Yes, on the Bali version of our tour.
It lists 6 to 11.5 hours with a 45-minute speedboat crossing from Sanur.
How long is the boat from Sanur to Nusa Penida?
About 45 minutes on the tours.
A transfer listing gives 45 to 60 minutes for the crossing, depending on weather and queue.
Where does the island version start?
At Wonderland Manta Penida.
Guests who choose a meeting point meet the team there under the GetYourGuide sign.
What time are the fast boats?
07:30, 09:00 and 15:00 from Sanur.
Sailings from Nusa Penida are at 07:30, 12:30 and 16:30.
Is there a fee on arrival at Nusa Penida?
One listing mentions IDR 25,000.
It says international visitors generally pay the island fee in cash on arrival.
Is the fast boat refundable?
Not on the one-way ticket listing.
The listing is non-refundable, while a transfer listing can be cancelled free up to a day ahead.
Can I leave Nusa Penida in the evening?
Not by fast boat, one listing says.
It says no fast boats run from Nusa Penida to Bali in the evening.
Sources
- Wikipedia · Nusa Penida ↩
- Wikipedia · Nusa Penida ↩
- Smartraveller (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) · Indonesia travel advice ↩
- Smartraveller (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) · Indonesia travel advice ↩
- Smartraveller (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) · Indonesia travel advice ↩
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