Open Trip vs Private Charter in Komodo: Which to Choose

On Ayvara, the open trip is the better fit for solo travellers, couples and small groups: a place costs IDR 6,750,000–8,500,000 / USD 450–570 per person per 3D2N voyage, by cabin type. A private charter prices the whole boat instead, at IDR 104,000,000 / USD 6,200 for 3D2N with 1–8 guests or IDR 118,000,000 / USD 7,000 with 9–15 guests, and only comes close to open-trip cost per person when 14 or 15 guests share it. These are 2027 publish rates (rate sheet dated 11 September 2026), and Komodo National Park fees are extra in both cases.

Komodo open trip vs private charter: the short answer

On Ayvara, the open trip costs far less per person for solo travellers, couples and small groups; a private charter only comes close when 14 or 15 guests share the boat. On the open trip (also called a sharing or share trip), each guest pays per person for a place in a cabin on a fixed 3D2N departure: IDR 6,750,000 / USD 450 in a Superior cabin, IDR 7,750,000 / USD 530 in a Deluxe cabin and IDR 8,500,000 / USD 570 in the Master cabin. On a private charter, one party pays a single price for the whole boat: IDR 104,000,000 / USD 6,200 for 3D2N with 1–8 guests, or IDR 118,000,000 / USD 7,000 with 9–15 guests.

All figures in this article are 2027 publish rates, rate sheet dated 11 September 2026. The IDR and USD figures are published as separate columns and do not convert at one exchange rate, so comparisons are best made within one currency.

How the two formats differ on Ayvara

The boat is the same in both cases: a VIP-class wooden phinisi with seven above-deck, sea-view cabins for up to 15 guests, sailing from Labuan Bajo into Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1991. What changes is who is on board, how the price is calculated and how much of the plan is fixed.

Point of comparison	Open trip (sharing)	Private charter
What is booked	A place in a cabin on a shared departure	The whole boat: 7 cabins, up to 15 guests
Pricing unit	Per person, per 3D2N voyage, by cabin type	Per charter, by duration and guest band (1–8 or 9–15 guests)
2027 publish rate	IDR 6,750,000–8,500,000 / USD 450–570 per person	3D2N: IDR 104,000,000 / USD 6,200 (1–8 guests); IDR 118,000,000 / USD 7,000 (9–15 guests)
Durations	3D2N only	2D1N to 7D6N
Dates	Fixed weekly calendar: Friday–Sunday and Monday–Wednesday	Agreed with the reservations desk, subject to availability
Route	The published 3D2N itinerary	Agreed with the reservations desk before departure
Who else is on board	Other travellers, up to 15 guests in total	Only the charter party
Deposit	50%, non-refundable	50%, non-refundable

The Ayvara open trip follows one route: Kelor, Manjarite and Kalong on day one; Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo Island, Manta Point and Taka Makassar on day two; Sebayur on the last morning. Weekend departures run Friday to Sunday and weekday departures Monday to Wednesday, every week of the year. Komodo Luxury sells the same 3D2N weekend and weekday format across its open / share trip programme.

A private charter on Ayvara can run from 2D1N to 7D6N. Komodo Luxury describes its private Komodo trips as customisable in route and pace. In both formats, destinations may still change with weather and field conditions, and guests follow the guide’s instructions throughout.

What both prices include

The inclusions are the same whichever way Ayvara is booked:

• Stay on the boat and meals during the trip
• Mineral water, coffee and tea
• A guide, snorkelling gear and life vests
• Drone, GoPro and mirrorless documentation (raw footage only)
• Pick-up and drop-off within the Labuan Bajo mainland area near the harbour

Neither price covers crew gratuities, flights, personal expenses, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, personal snacks or the optional drone permit. Komodo National Park fees are also excluded; they are subject to government regulations at the time of the trip and are paid on top of either rate.

Komodo open trip vs private charter price: worked examples

The three cases below use only Ayvara’s published figures from the rates page.

Two guests: a Superior cabin vs a private 3D2N charter

• Open trip: 2 × IDR 6,750,000 = IDR 13,500,000 (2 × USD 450 = USD 900) for one Superior cabin.
• Private charter, 3D2N, 1–8 guests: IDR 104,000,000 / USD 6,200 for the boat, which is IDR 52,000,000 / USD 3,100 per person when only two sail.

The charter costs IDR 90,500,000 / USD 5,300 more. For a couple who prefer the Master cabin with its private balcony, the open trip comes to 2 × IDR 8,500,000 = IDR 17,000,000 (2 × USD 570 = USD 1,140). A couple charters Ayvara for privacy, not for value.

Eight guests: the top of the first charter band

• Private charter, 3D2N, 1–8 guests: IDR 104,000,000 ÷ 8 = IDR 13,000,000 per person (USD 6,200 ÷ 8 = USD 775).
• Open trip, all four Superior cabins: 8 × IDR 6,750,000 = IDR 54,000,000 (8 × USD 450 = USD 3,600).

The private boat costs IDR 50,000,000 / USD 2,600 more in total, or IDR 6,250,000 / USD 325 per person. That premium buys exclusive use of the boat: no other travellers are on board, and the group can spread across all seven cabins. A ninth guest moves the party into the 9–15 band, at IDR 118,000,000 / USD 7,000 for 3D2N.

Fifteen guests: a group charter vs a full shared boat

• Private charter, 3D2N, 9–15 guests: IDR 118,000,000 ÷ 15 = about IDR 7,867,000 per person (USD 7,000 ÷ 15 = about USD 467).
• Open-trip reference: all seven cabins at two guests each add up to IDR 102,000,000 / USD 6,860 for 14 guests (Master 2 × IDR 8,500,000, Deluxe 4 × IDR 7,750,000, Superior 8 × IDR 6,750,000).

At 15 guests the per-person charter cost sits inside the open-trip cabin range: just above the Deluxe rate in IDR, and between the Superior and Deluxe rates in USD. The fifteenth berth on board is the extra bed in the Master cabin. The Open Trip Ayvara 2027 sheet also prints an additional-pax rate of IDR 4,500,000 / USD 330 per person; the reservations desk confirms when it applies. For a large party, the 15-guest group charter is usually the cleaner arrangement, because one booking covers every cabin.

Komodo sharing trip vs private boat: which suits whom

The open trip fits:

• Solo travellers, couples and small groups who can match a Friday–Sunday or Monday–Wednesday departure
• Guests who are satisfied with the published 3D2N route
• Anyone for whom price per person matters most. The Open Trip Ayvara 2027 sheet prints one per-person rate for each cabin type and does not list separate weekday and weekend prices

A private charter fits:

• Groups of 14 or 15, where the 3D2N charter works out at about IDR 8,429,000 / USD 500 per person for 14 guests, or about IDR 7,867,000 / USD 467 for 15, inside the open-trip cabin range
• Families and celebrations that want the boat to themselves
• Parties who need a different length of trip, from 2D1N up to 7D6N, or dates outside the weekly calendar, subject to availability

Cabin choice matters more on the open trip, because each guest pays by cabin type. The guide to choosing a cabin on a Komodo phinisi compares the Master, Deluxe and Superior cabins. On a charter, the group simply divides seven cabins among itself.

Payment and cancellation terms are the same

Both formats need a 50% non-refundable down payment, with full payment no later than 30 days before departure; trips less than 30 days away are paid in full. Children aged 3 and above are charged the full rate. Cancellations forfeit 100% of payments made, and payments cannot be refunded, rescheduled or transferred to another trip, though a replacement guest may be nominated. On a private trip, a late arrival shortens the itinerary; the charter period is not extended.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Komodo open trip cheaper than a private charter?

For solo travellers, couples and small groups, yes, by a wide margin. On Ayvara an open-trip place costs IDR 6,750,000–8,500,000 / USD 450–570 per person per 3D2N voyage by cabin type, while a 3D2N private charter costs IDR 104,000,000 / USD 6,200 for the whole boat with 1–8 guests (2027 publish rates, rate sheet dated 11 September 2026). Two guests in a Superior cabin pay IDR 13,500,000 / USD 900 in total. The charter only falls inside the open-trip range per person when 14 or 15 guests share the 9–15 guest rate of IDR 118,000,000 / USD 7,000.

How much is a private charter on Ayvara per person for 8 and 15 guests?

A 3D2N private charter for 1–8 guests is IDR 104,000,000 / USD 6,200 per charter, which works out at IDR 13,000,000 / USD 775 per person for eight guests. For 9–15 guests the 3D2N charter is IDR 118,000,000 / USD 7,000, or about IDR 7,867,000 / USD 467 per person when 15 sail. These are 2027 publish rates from the rate sheet dated 11 September 2026, and Komodo National Park fees are not included.

What is the difference between a Komodo sharing trip and a private boat?

On a sharing (open) trip, guests book a place in a cabin and sail with other travellers on a fixed 3D2N route and a fixed weekly calendar; on Ayvara, departures run Friday to Sunday and Monday to Wednesday. On a private charter, one party books the whole boat, which on Ayvara means seven cabins for up to 15 guests, for a duration from 2D1N to 7D6N. Inclusions such as meals, a guide, snorkelling gear and raw-footage documentation are the same in both formats.

Are weekday and weekend open trips priced differently on Ayvara?

The Open Trip Ayvara 2027 rate sheet prints one per-person rate for each cabin type: IDR 6,750,000 / USD 450 for Superior, IDR 7,750,000 / USD 530 for Deluxe and IDR 8,500,000 / USD 570 for the Master cabin, per 3D2N voyage. It does not list separate weekday and weekend prices. The Komodo Luxury reservations desk confirms the rate for a specific departure date.

Are Komodo National Park fees included in the open trip or private charter price?

No. Komodo National Park fees are excluded from both the open-trip rate and the private charter rate on Ayvara, and they are subject to government regulations at the time of the trip. Crew gratuities, flights, personal expenses, drinks other than mineral water, coffee and tea, personal snacks and the optional drone permit are also not included.

Sources

• komodoluxury.com
• komodoluxury.com
• komodoluxury.com
• en.wikipedia.org
• whc.unesco.org
• Vessel facts and rates: Komodo Luxury, Ayvara page and the 2027 rate sheet dated 11 September 2026